First Entry into the Ethereal Void 113. Becoming One

Gao Yunxiang’s eyes were covered. Although he could rely on his hearing to determine positions and evade the enemy’s attacks, he felt deeply uncomfortable. He couldn't tell if Yang Yifei had covered his eyes in a moment of desperation, if he had been outsmarted by her, or if she had another scheme to lure Luo Mingyuan into a trap.

Gao wanted to cast Yang aside, but they were bound together by strips of cloth, and her limbs were tightly wrapped around him. Realizing he had brought this upon himself, he resigned to his fate and asked, "Your father’s mistress was discovered by this wine-and-meat monk. Did he kill your father to claim her beauty?"

Yang Yifei replied, "You could say he invited the wolf into the house. My father took a mistress not to continue the Yang family line, but purely out of lust. She was no refined lady, but a woman from the pleasure quarters, so it was difficult for her to conceive."

"Desperate to secure her position in the Yang family, she sought help from temples and hired wandering sorcerers to perform rituals to alter our feng shui. I don’t know who introduced this devil to our home."

"Her peerless beauty tempted the devil. One night, he snuck in and tried to force himself upon her. When she resisted, his bestial nature was unleashed. He killed her, and when my father and brother were startled awake, they too perished under his ruthless blade. The devil then looted our valuables and burned our home to the ground."

Gao Yunxiang asked, "How did you escape his clutches?"

"I believe the gods protected me," Yang Yifei said.

"And how did you end up under the devil’s tutelage?"

"When a person is determined to seek revenge, they will stop at nothing to find a way. I disguised myself to infiltrate his ranks, but the villain is exceptionally skilled and cunning; assassinating him was impossible."

Gao Yunxiang asked, "How long have you been his disciple?"

"I was eleven when he killed my father. The following year, I disguised myself as a beggar and he took me in. I am eighteen now; I have been under his tutelage for seven years."

Gao probed, "That devil is heartless. You are a beautiful and graceful young woman—does he not covet you?"

Every girl enjoys a compliment. Feeling a sweet sensation at his praise, Yang Yifei swayed slightly and said, "To say that a beast without morals wouldn't covet beauty is a lie. I acknowledged him as my foster grandfather. On the surface, I am filial, but inwardly, I am always on guard, never giving him a chance. He treats me with sincerity and has taught me martial arts with care. Despite joining late, he named me his head disciple."

Gao Yunxiang changed the subject. "How many moves has the devil made? Did you keep count?"

"He has attacked three times," Yang replied.

"Has he attacked my sworn sister and brother?"

"I signaled them not to interfere, and he hasn't targeted them."

Gao Yunxiang retorted, "What is the meaning of this? You cover my eyes, leave me to take a beating, and stop my friends from helping."

"Are you unhappy that I did this?" Yang asked.

"Of course I am."

"I won't waste words with you. If you truly understood the devil’s martial arts, you would see the wisdom in my actions."

"Please, explain."

"Their intervention would be suicide. You know the 'Soul-Chasing Steps,' and the devil cannot finish you off for now. Let him exhaust his energy. By covering your eyes, I intended to enrage him. He is a notorious devil—even the leaders of the righteous path would not dare take him lightly. Yet, a wet-behind-the-ears boy, carrying someone on his back and blinded, is still holding his own? Not only will he be furious, but even if we fail to kill him today, once this news spreads, how could he ever show his face in the martial arts world again?"

Gao Yunxiang said, "I won't argue with your logic, but you called me a 'wet-behind-the-ears boy'—what does that make you?"

"You are the boy, so I am naturally the boy's mother."

Gao Yunxiang spat, "Bah! Shameless! Let go of me."

Yang Yifei said angrily, "What’s the rush? Only by making him lose his head in rage can we find a way to deal with him."

"You know his martial arts—which style is his most lethal?"

"I’ll tell you, but don't be afraid!"

"I don't know the meaning of the word 'fear'."

"People call him the 'Fat Monk,' but he isn't fat at all. His bloated appearance is merely an extra layer of skin."

Gao was shocked. "He has two layers of skin?"

"Years ago, he killed a giant monk, flayed him, and treated the skin with special medicine to remove the fat. Once dried, it became a supple hide, which he then coated with synthetic fat lines. It feels just like human skin. This outer layer is incredibly tough, impervious to ordinary blades, and he has also mastered various hard-body techniques. The only vulnerable spots are his eyes and his anus."

"I will provoke him; you wait for an opportunity to hit his vitals with hidden weapons."

"I'll try, but there's no guarantee I'll hit."

Gao Yunxiang raised his voice. "Baldy! Do you think your martial arts are invincible? I think they are mediocre at best. I am just a nameless youth, carrying someone on my back, eyes covered, and I haven't even fought back. You’ve attacked me over thirty times and haven't scratched me. What kind of hero are you?"

Luo Mingyuan was enraged, but the facts were undeniable. "I will spare you today..."

Gao interrupted, "You are truly shameless! Your death is imminent, yet you cling to your pride! Are you not ashamed? You should kneel before us, and perhaps we will let you commit suicide to keep your body intact."

Luo Mingyuan was a man of hot temper—otherwise, he would not have betrayed his temple to pursue the path of evil. Unable to endure the insults, he swung his staff, attacking Gao with a frenzy that shrouded the area in golden light and fierce winds.

At this moment, Yang Yifei released her hold on Gao’s eyes. She gripped poison needles in her left hand and a handful of toxic iron sand, waiting for the right moment to strike.

Luo Mingyuan was tall, and Gao was lanky; they were similar in stature. However, Yang Yifei, perched on Gao’s back, was a foot taller than the monk. If she struck from above, hitting his eyes was theoretically very likely.

Yang Yifei signaled Meng Biyu and the others to surround Luo.

Gao Yunxiang moved in the patterns of the Eight Trigrams, shifting to the Taiji position. He flicked his soft whip, unleashing fierce moves. The staff whistled, the whip snapped, and the blood-red poison rained down. The clash was so intense it seemed to dim the sun and moon.

After fighting for a while, Luo’s kasaya and monk’s robes were shredded, leaving his upper body bare. The poison splashed onto him but had no effect.

Li Hao and Feng Jiezhen were suspicious, thinking the poison had lost its potency, unaware of the strange skin protecting him.

Seeing his bare back, Meng Biyu, assuming it was unprotected, leapt up and thrust her sword into his back. She felt an immense force rebound, sending her flying five or six yards. She landed, spat out blood, and fainted.

Seeing his senior sister injured, Li Hao, prepared to die for her, picked up her sword and leapt into the air, driving it into the monk's back with all his might. The sword bent, barely piercing the skin. Luo Mingyuan exerted a burst of energy, sending Li Hao flying. Though Li Hao was also protected by a layer of skin, he felt his blood roil, but his injuries were minor.

Seeing her sister and third brother severely wounded, Feng Jiezhen took the dagger she had taken from Yang Yifei, treated it like a throwing knife, and hurled it with all her strength at the monk’s back.

The dagger, capable of slicing iron like mud, struck with a "shing" sound, embedding itself between the Shendao and Lingtai acupoints on the monk’s spine. Any higher or lower, and it might have missed, but there it pinned him—he wasn't dead, but he could no longer fight.

Though the monk did not fear the whip’s cuts, he hated being entangled. Most infuriating was Gao’s bizarre footwork. He would see Gao in front of him, launch an attack, and like a ghost, Gao would appear behind him, the whip snapping at his legs. Though it caused no harm, it was a massive threat. He roared, "Little brat, your movement resembles the Eight Trigrams, but it’s not quite right. What footwork is this?"

Gao laughed. "You illiterate monk, I’ll tell you, but you’ll never be able to learn it."

The whip flicked out, coiling around the monk’s legs.

Luo Mingyuan, enraged, leapt over a yard into the air, swinging his staff down at Gao’s head. The staff whistled with terrifying force.

Hearing the roar of the staff, Yang Yifei panicked and crossed her arms to cover Gao’s eyes.

Gao, young and inexperienced in life-or-death duels with masters, was far inferior to the monk in raw power. But he was gifted, possessing superior wit and a deep understanding of the Eight Trigrams. He moved with ease, dodging left and right.

Gao was calm despite his vision being obscured. He shifted from the Qian position to the Xun position, shouting, "The baldy is desperate! In this life-or-death moment, you cover my eyes—do you want to die?"

Yang Yifei whispered, "The devil’s moves are too fierce; I was scared!"

"You cover my vision, and you're not scared?"

"We are fighting for our lives. If you aren't scared, neither am I."

Gao snorted, "Nonsense."

Yang lowered her arms. "I'll be honest. I was so terrified I wanted to cover my own eyes, and in my panic, I covered yours. I was too nervous. Can you forgive me?"

Gao said coldly, "Women are just women; you lack the grace for true combat."

Yang Yifei, angered, pounded on him with her fists, though she was careful not to use force due to the poison needles in her hands. She pouted, "Scold me if you must, but why insult all women? Was your mother not a woman? I won't have it!"

"Life is at stake; stop with the spoiled lady act. I'll admit I was wrong, okay?" Gao flicked his whip, launching a counterattack of unparalleled speed.

There are millions of things in this world that cannot be explained by logic. To the skeptic, it is coincidence; to the superstitious, it is the work of hidden spirits.