The only person New Moon Hall was trying to kill was Maid Lotus . As for Dragon King, they regarded him as an obstructor, whom they would rather avoid than confront head-on .

They set up a series of sophisticated traps to entice Maid Lotus .

The trap began at Gulping Wind Gorge . Because it had been recognized in advance, the "scattering plan" was unsuccessful; therefore, they started to carry out their backup plans .

The traitors were fully committed to their attacks . For them, it was all or nothing . At the courier station, they used incurable poison . At the docks, they incited the crowds to attack Dragon King . They had even poured poison around the capital .

They had succeeded . Gu Shenwei and Maid Lotus had indeed been confused by such madness at the very last minute . They believed that Guan Shang must be the last traitor and had no way to escape .

Even if Gu Shenwei figured out the four maids had feigned their deaths, it would not affect their plans . Their most important tactic was still unbeknownst to Dragon King and Maid Lotus .

The four maids were servants of New Moon Hall, but their Kung Fu was top-notch . Instead of employing the occult sciences that New Moon Hall was so famous for, they relied on their impeccable cooperation to kill their targets .

This strategy was commonly used by the Golden Roc Fort . However, because Gu Shenwei and Maid Lotus had thought that the maids had come from "New Moon Hall," they had not considered this possibility .

Gu Shenwei pulled out his saber quickly . He was sure to kill one of the a.s.sa.s.sins, which left the remaining three to Maid Lotus .

At the same time, Guan Shang made his move . His target was Maid Lotus . They had already made up their minds to kill Maid Lotus, even if this meant that they would all die by the saber of the Dragon King .

Only queen mother w.a.n.g remained still in the room . What was happening at the moment was completely beyond her comprehension . She did not know who these people were, especially the four maids . "Aren't they just common court maids? Why did they jump up from these pools of blood like ghosts to attack the unknown woman?" she wondered .

The queen mother felt a wave of dizziness. .h.i.t her . Her heart skipped a beat .

She fainted and, before falling into darkness, was shocked to see the unknown woman surrounded by many people, standing still as if she was also shocked .

The Death Scripture sword technique could only kill a single person at a time . This was the way it concentrated its power and was also its weakness . Unless the opponent was weak, the process of regenerating power was Death Scripture's fatal flaw . This was the reason why Gu Shenwei needed to avoid falling into a tight encirclement at all costs .

Maid Lotus faced the same problem . In order for her to survive, she had to change her style of fighting .

Maid Lotus did not think that the renegades from New Moon Hall would produce four highly skilled opponents . Neither did the opponents expect Maid Lotus to have more tricks up her sleeve .

A faint fragrance wafted in the air . While everyone inhaled a little, no one paid it any mind . Maid Lotus and the renegades all understood each other's tactics . Before the fight, they had consumed many antidotes, believing this would defend themselves from all the occult sciences of their opponents .

However, they were not aware that Maid Lotus had learned a new type of knockout powder in the past few months .

The fragrance-producing technology in the Land of Fragrance did not compare to that New Moon Hall's secret techniques . However, few knew the scents . Even Maid Lotus, who entered the Land of Fragrance, had twice in a row been knocked out by Indra incense . Only when she found out the powder's secret ingredients and made the antidote herself did the powder lose its effectiveness .

The renegades of New Moon Hall had fallen for the trap . The incense did not take effect immediately . The steel needles they wielded were still close to the target, but their motions began to slow down .

Maid Lotus bought the time that she needed . She spun around in a circle, her five fingers brus.h.i.+ng across the chests of her five a.s.sailants . She did so softly and effortlessly .

Seven turns, seven apertures-- the Heart Stopping Finger . Few people knew about the needle technique Old Man Mu had specially invented to deal with the disciples of New Moon Hall .

When Maid Lotus had learned this skill from Shangguan Ru, she had sworn against using it indiscriminately .

Yan Er was the intended target . Maid Lotus had once practiced the finger technique on her . However, this time, she had five more opponents to practice her skills on . It was a good opportunity for her to find out about the different effects the same skill had on different people .

The first a.s.sailant died on the spot as if she had been summoned by magic . The magic suddenly disappeared and the body fell to the ground .

As for the second a.s.sailant, the needle remained lodged in her neck . She desperately grabbed at the needle; the itchiness seemed nearly unbearable . She continued to scratch at that spot on her neck until she took her last breath .

The third traitor fell from the air and onto the ground . She was on her knees like a drunkard, vomiting uncontrollably; only it was blood, not wine .

The fourth traitor was technically already dead . However, even after taking a blow from Gu Shenwei, she continued after her target . She was immune to the effects of Indra and the Heart Stopping Finger technique .

Maid Lotus dodged the attack just in time .

Only Guan Shang remained alive .

Out of everyone, her kung-fu skills were the best, and her reflexes were the fastest . Her chest had only been grazed by the attacking finger . Moreover, her Internal Strength was not quite trained in the ways of the New Moon Hall . Hence, she had not been affected as severely by the Heart Stopping Finger technique . She had barely saved her life to this critical juncture .

Guan Shang retreated to a corner of the room . The Indra knockout power had only begun to take its effect, and she could scarcely conceal the fear inside of her . Things went beyond expectation . Maid Lotus seemed to transform into a different person-- the knockout powder and the kung-fu she used were completely new .

The horror was fleeting, and Guan Shang began to drift into a dream state . In this new realm, she was more concerned about things that had nothing to do with Maid Lotus .

Looking at the corpses on the ground, Gu Shenwei's heart skipped a beat .  He had consumed the antidote to the Indra powder before the fight, however, it had not prepared him for this scene . To prove that she had no intention of harming the Dragon King, she had given the Dragon King all of her antidotes .

"Do you recognize these four people?" Gu Shenwei asked Maid Lotus .

Maid Lotus shook her head and said, "I thought that they were single-heartedly interested in practicing their occult magic skills and were not the least bit interested in practicing the advanced martial arts . "

"She may be able to tell us the truth . " Gu Shenwei pointed at Guan Shang, who was standing there, wobbling .

Maid Lotus s.n.a.t.c.hed the knife from Guan Shang's hands and threw it aside . She nudged her chest with her finger before stuffing the antidote into her mouth .

Guan Shang had not been poisoned for long, and she awakened quickly . After she came to her senses, she felt a wave of panic . She had lost many of her comrades and even so, she had not managed to kill Maid Lotus . Not only had she become a prisoner, but her Internal Strength had also vanished temporarily, and she did not even have a chance to commit suicide .

"What should I do with this one?" Maid Lotus did not ask Guan Shang but pointed at the Queen Mother w.a.n.g who had fainted in fear .

"Keep her . " Gu Shenwei felt that killing the queen mother w.a.n.g would not do them any good . Keeping her alive might turn out useful .

"Help her to the bed . " Maid Lotus commanded Guan Shang, her tone cool and indifferent as always . It was as if Guan Shang were her subordinate .

However, this time, Guan Shang lowered her head and did not take her order immediately . After hesitating for a while, she walked over, picked up the queen mother and put her onto the bed .

In such a way, Maid Lotus knew that she could let Guan Shang speak . "Where shall we start?" asked Maid Lotus .

Guan Shang lifted her head and responded, "Kill me . I have nothing to say . "

Maid Lotus shook her head slowly . "You have not learned the real secret techniques of the New Moon Hall . However, you should know that death is by far the lightest of our punishments . These four were lucky, but you are not . "

Guan Shang's face turned pale . At that moment she obeyed the order to lift up the queen mother . Her heart had yielded; this was not her first betrayal .

Betraying Golden Roc Fort, Maid Lotus, and now having to betray her comrade . She had never found a real sense of belonging . "What do you want to know?" she asked .

"What's going on with these four maids?" Maid Lotus inquired .

"They were skilled experts whom she had trained three years ago to kill you," replied Guan Shang .

As for "she," Guan Shang did not mention her name and neither did Maid Lotus ask .

"How many other traitors are there?"

"I don't know . I came as soon as I received the order . I know nothing else . " Guan Shang admitted .

"Think about it carefully . Maybe you'll know . "

Maid Lotus leaped before Guan Shang and tapped on her chest . She swiftly returned to her original position .

Guan Shang uttered a strange "Uh-Huh . " However, she seemed to become embarra.s.sed all of a sudden . She then hung her head intently and tidied up her clothes for no reason . "Master, please," she begged .

Guan Shang's cries were weak . It was as though she had not awakened from her dream state . Afterward, she began to scratch her body . At first, she tried to resist and clenched her fists . However, she soon yielded and started to scratch herself furiously .

She tore her clothes to pieces .

Gu Shenwei hesitated for a moment before turning to leave the room .

The sky was about to light up, and the city had already fallen into his hands . However, even with this streak of good luck, Gu Shenwei did not feel at ease at all .

There was a reason why the Land of Fragrance, the Wushan tribe, and the An Kingdom had been ignored or even forgotten by the big powers in the Western Regions: Even as a group, they did not provide much strength . It would take less than 2,000 soldiers from the Great Snowmountain to crush them . The Dragon King would only be the underdog when faced with the powerful army of the Golden Roc Fort .

Gu Shenwei tried to occupy his mind with military affairs; however, his thoughts unwittingly strayed to Maid Lotus . She had tried to get the Dragon King to leave, in order to interrogate Guan Shang alone .

The New Moon Hall had many ways of getting people to talk; surely there was no need to force Guan Shang to scratch herself to death .

Maid Lotus had claimed that she would reveal all the secrets without reservation .

"Everyone has their own hidden secrets," Gu Shenwei thought, everyone, including himself .

The terrible screams of Guan Shang echoed clearly from the room . Gu Shenwei thought that it would be better to avoid suspicion completely . Hence, he left the palace quietly in the night .

Shortly after dawn, Maid Lotus returned . She said flatly, "Guan Shang does not know much . There are not many traitors from New Moon Hall left . There is no need to worry about them anymore . "

Gu Shenwei murmured a.s.sent . This matter was considered resolved . Regarding Maid Lotus' secret and what was happening in New Moon Hall, Gu Shenwei decided not to ask anymore questions . He and Maid Lotus preserved a delicate balance in their relations.h.i.+p, and it would be unwise to break it .

At this very moment, a soldier who had been guarding the city ran over hurriedly . He reported seeing a group of troops and horses approaching the south gates, and they seemed to be the "100,000" troops of the Dragon King .

This must have been the vanguard of the Great Snowmountain, led by Long Fanyun . It only consisted of several hundred people .

The army had already arrived, but Gu Shenwei still had one key problem: The free, unfettered sea was in sight, but he had not even a single boat in his hands .

The only person New Moon Hall was trying to kill was Maid Lotus . As for Dragon King, they regarded him as an obstructor, whom they would rather avoid than confront head-on . They set up a series of sophisticated traps to entice Maid Lotus . The trap began at Gulping Wind Gorge . Because it had been recognized in advance, the scattering plan was unsuccessful; therefore, they started to carry out their backup plans . The traitors were fully committed to their attacks . For them, it was all or nothing . At the courier station, they used incurable poison . At the docks, they incited the crowds to attack Dragon King . They had even poured poison around the capital . They had succeeded . Gu Shenwei and Maid Lotus had indeed been confused by such madness at the very last minute . They believed that Guan Shang must be the last traitor and had no way to escape . Even if Gu Shenwei figured out the four maids had feigned their deaths, it would not affect their plans . Their most important tactic was still unbeknownst to Dragon King and Maid Lotus . The four maids were servants of New Moon Hall, but their Kung Fu was top-notch . Instead of employing the occult sciences that New Moon Hall was so famous for, they relied on their impeccable cooperation to kill their targets . This strategy was commonly used by the Golden Roc Fort . However, because Gu Shenwei and Maid Lotus had thought that the maids had come from New Moon Hall, they had not considered this possibility . Gu Shenwei pulled out his saber quickly . He was sure to kill one of the a.s.sa.s.sins, which left the remaining three to Maid Lotus . At the same time, Guan Shang made his move . His target was Maid Lotus . They had already made up their minds to kill Maid Lotus, even if this meant that they would all die by the saber of the Dragon King . Only queen mother w.a.n.g remained still in the room . What was happening at the moment was completely beyond her comprehension . She did not know who these people were, especially the four maids . Arent they just common court maids? Why did they jump up from these pools of blood like ghosts to attack the unknown woman? she wondered . The queen mother felt a wave of dizziness. .h.i.t her . Her heart skipped a beat . She fainted and, before falling into darkness, was shocked to see the unknown woman surrounded by many people, standing still as if she was also shocked . The Death Scripture sword technique could only kill a single person at a time . This was the way it concentrated its power and was also its weakness . Unless the opponent was weak, the process of regenerating power was Death Scriptures fatal flaw . This was the reason why Gu Shenwei needed to avoid falling into a tight encirclement at all costs . Maid Lotus faced the same problem . In order for her to survive, she had to change her style of fighting . Maid Lotus did not think that the renegades from New Moon Hall would produce four highly skilled opponents . Neither did the opponents expect Maid Lotus to have more tricks up her sleeve . A faint fragrance wafted in the air . While everyone inhaled a little, no one paid it any mind . Maid Lotus and the renegades all understood each others tactics . Before the fight, they had consumed many antidotes, believing this would defend themselves from all the occult sciences of their opponents . However, they were not aware that Maid Lotus had learned a new type of knockout powder in the past few months . The fragrance-producing technology in the Land of Fragrance did not compare to that New Moon Halls secret techniques . However, few knew the scents . Even Maid Lotus, who entered the Land of Fragrance, had twice in a row been knocked out by Indra incense . Only when she found out the powders secret ingredients and made the antidote herself did the powder lose its effectiveness . The renegades of New Moon Hall had fallen for the trap . The incense did not take effect immediately . The steel needles they wielded were still close to the target, but their motions began to slow down . Maid Lotus bought the time that she needed . She spun around in a circle, her five fingers brus.h.i.+ng across the chests of her five a.s.sailants . She did so softly and effortlessly . Seven turns, seven apertures-- the Heart Stopping Finger . Few people knew about the needle technique Old Man Mu had specially invented to deal with the disciples of New Moon Hall . When Maid Lotus had learned this skill from Shangguan Ru, she had sworn against using it indiscriminately . Yan Er was the intended target . Maid Lotus had once practiced the finger technique on her . However, this time, she had five more opponents to practice her skills on . It was a good opportunity for her to find out about the different effects the same skill had on different people . The first a.s.sailant died on the spot as if she had been summoned by magic . The magic suddenly disappeared and the body fell to the ground . As for the second a.s.sailant, the needle remained lodged in her neck . She desperately grabbed at the needle; the itchiness seemed nearly unbearable . She continued to scratch at that spot on her neck until she took her last breath . The third traitor fell from the air and onto the ground . She was on her knees like a drunkard, vomiting uncontrollably; only it was blood, not wine . The fourth traitor was technically already dead . However, even after taking a blow from Gu Shenwei, she continued after her target . She was immune to the effects of Indra and the Heart Stopping Finger technique . Maid Lotus dodged the attack just in time . Only Guan Shang remained alive . Out of everyone, her kung-fu skills were the best, and her reflexes were the fastest . Her chest had only been grazed by the attacking finger . Moreover, her Internal Strength was not quite trained in the ways of the New Moon Hall . Hence, she had not been affected as severely by the Heart Stopping Finger technique . She had barely saved her life to this critical juncture . Guan Shang retreated to a corner of the room . The Indra knockout power had only begun to take its effect, and she could scarcely conceal the fear inside of her . Things went beyond expectation . Maid Lotus seemed to transform into a different person-- the knockout powder and the kung-fu she used were completely new . The horror was fleeting, and Guan Shang began to drift into a dream state . In this new realm, she was more concerned about things that had nothing to do with Maid Lotus . Looking at the corpses on the ground, Gu Shenweis heart skipped a beat .  He had consumed the antidote to the Indra powder before the fight, however, it had not prepared him for this scene . To prove that she had no intention of harming the Dragon King, she had given the Dragon King all of her antidotes . Do you recognize these four people? Gu Shenwei asked Maid Lotus . Maid Lotus shook her head and said, I thought that they were single-heartedly interested in practicing their occult magic skills and were not the least bit interested in practicing the advanced martial arts . She may be able to tell us the truth . Gu Shenwei pointed at Guan Shang, who was standing there, wobbling . Maid Lotus s.n.a.t.c.hed the knife from Guan Shangs hands and threw it aside . She nudged her chest with her finger before stuffing the antidote into her mouth . Guan Shang had not been poisoned for long, and she awakened quickly . After she came to her senses, she felt a wave of panic . She had lost many of her comrades and even so, she had not managed to kill Maid Lotus . Not only had she become a prisoner, but her Internal Strength had also vanished temporarily, and she did not even have a chance to commit suicide . What should I do with this one? Maid Lotus did not ask Guan Shang but pointed at the Queen Mother w.a.n.g who had fainted in fear . Keep her . Gu Shenwei felt that killing the queen mother w.a.n.g would not do them any good . Keeping her alive might turn out useful . Help her to the bed . Maid Lotus commanded Guan Shang, her tone cool and indifferent as always . It was as if Guan Shang were her subordinate . However, this time, Guan Shang lowered her head and did not take her order immediately . After hesitating for a while, she walked over, picked up the queen mother and put her onto the bed . In such a way, Maid Lotus knew that she could let Guan Shang speak . Where shall we start? asked Maid Lotus . Guan Shang lifted her head and responded, Kill me . I have nothing to say . Maid Lotus shook her head slowly . You have not learned the real secret techniques of the New Moon Hall . However, you should know that death is by far the lightest of our punishments . These four were lucky, but you are not . Guan Shangs face turned pale . At that moment she obeyed the order to lift up the queen mother . Her heart had yielded; this was not her first betrayal . Betraying Golden Roc Fort, Maid Lotus, and now having to betray her comrade . She had never found a real sense of belonging . What do you want to know? she asked . Whats going on with these four maids? Maid Lotus inquired . They were skilled experts whom she had trained three years ago to kill you, replied Guan Shang . As for she, Guan Shang did not mention her name and neither did Maid Lotus ask . How many other traitors are there? I dont know . I came as soon as I received the order . I know nothing else . Guan Shang admitted . Think about it carefully . Maybe youll know . Maid Lotus leaped before Guan Shang and tapped on her chest . She swiftly returned to her original position . Guan Shang uttered a strange Uh-Huh . However, she seemed to become embarra.s.sed all of a sudden . She then hung her head intently and tidied up her clothes for no reason . Master, please, she begged . Guan Shangs cries were weak . It was as though she had not awakened from her dream state . Afterward, she began to scratch her body . At first, she tried to resist and clenched her fists . However, she soon yielded and started to scratch herself furiously . She tore her clothes to pieces . Gu Shenwei hesitated for a moment before turning to leave the room . The sky was about to light up, and the city had already fallen into his hands . However, even with this streak of good luck, Gu Shenwei did not feel at ease at all . There was a reason why the Land of Fragrance, the Wushan tribe, and the An Kingdom had been ignored or even forgotten by the big powers in the Western Regions: Even as a group, they did not provide much strength . It would take less than 2,000 soldiers from the Great Snowmountain to crush them . The Dragon King would only be the underdog when faced with the powerful army of the Golden Roc Fort . Gu Shenwei tried to occupy his mind with military affairs; however, his thoughts unwittingly strayed to Maid Lotus . She had tried to get the Dragon King to leave, in order to interrogate Guan Shang alone . The New Moon Hall had many ways of getting people to talk; surely there was no need to force Guan Shang to scratch herself to death . Maid Lotus had claimed that she would reveal all the secrets without reservation . Everyone has their own hidden secrets, Gu Shenwei thought, everyone, including himself . The terrible screams of Guan Shang echoed clearly from the room . Gu Shenwei thought that it would be better to avoid suspicion completely . Hence, he left the palace quietly in the night . Shortly after dawn, Maid Lotus returned . She said flatly, Guan Shang does not know much . There are not many traitors from New Moon Hall left . There is no need to worry about them anymore . Gu Shenwei murmured a.s.sent . This matter was considered resolved . Regarding Maid Lotus secret and what was happening in New Moon Hall, Gu Shenwei decided not to ask anymore questions . He and Maid Lotus preserved a delicate balance in their relations.h.i.+p, and it would be unwise to break it . At this very moment, a soldier who had been guarding the city ran over hurriedly . He reported seeing a group of troops and horses approaching the south gates, and they seemed to be the 100,000 troops of the Dragon King . This must have been the vanguard of the Great Snowmountain, led by Long Fanyun . It only consisted of several hundred people . The army had already arrived, but Gu Shenwei still had one key problem: The free, unfettered sea was in sight, but he had not even a single boat in his hands .