"What a notorious name!"The shout reached the ears of Chu Tianba and his two companions, instantly igniting their fury.
Chu Tianba barked, "Don't say we don't follow the rules of the Jianghu! Three against one it is!"
But Liu Yun snapped back, "Enough nonsense. Are we fighting barehanded or with swords? The three of you better make up your minds—fast!"
The three men glanced at one another in hesitation. Liu Yun calmly drew her precious sword, gave it a light flick, and pointed it steadily toward them. "I'll count to three. One… two… three!"
Chu Tianba suddenly declared aloud, "We three against one may win, but we don't want to be mocked by the martial world. Let's fight barehanded!"
Ling Xian'er couldn't help but mock, "Oh, now you want to act like honorable heroes? Didn't you just use hidden weapons for a sneak attack? Shameless!"
Wuliang Guairen responded coldly, "That was then. This is now."
The Demon of Qianzhong added, "What we do today still qualifies us as men of valor!"
Such thick-skinned hypocrisy knew no bounds.
Yet Liu Yun remained unfazed. "Very well. Have it your way."With a flick of her wrist, she returned the sword to its scabbard in one smooth motion. "Enough talk. Let's begin. I don't have time to waste."
The three men, all known more for their fists than for swordplay, nodded to each other. In a few bounding steps, they had surrounded Liu Yun in a triangular formation.
With a sudden roar, Chu Tianba launched a palm strike. Just then, Liu Yun shifted her body, evading swiftly as her voice rang out:
"Conceal the form, hide the trace, walk the path of the stars—I see the foe…"
As Qianzhong Demon and Wuliang Guairen attacked from either side, Liu Yun weaved through their strikes, her movement fluid and changing. She slipped past Qianzhong Demon's palm, which missed and smacked into Chu Tianba by mistake.
Startled, the two shouted, "Watch out!"
Wuliang Guairen's wind-like palms followed. Liu Yun chanted:
"Unseen by men, moved by intent, with a shout ghosts follow…"
She changed her position again. Wuliang Guairen's flurry of strikes were cleverly redirected by Liu Yun's subtle guides—her left hand pulling, her right pushing—causing him to land a blow on Chu Tianba instead. Then Qianzhong Demon's palm smacked Wuliang Guairen in the back.
"Argh!" Wuliang Guairen cried out in pain.
As Liu Yun slipped and spun among them, in one moment Wuliang Guairen struck Chu Tianba; in the next, Chu Tianba struck Qianzhong Demon. Meanwhile, Liu Yun continued her agile movements, each step tracing a mysterious rhythm. The three continued attacking, but to no avail—they ended up hindering one another more than her.
Each time Liu Yun moved, she softly chanted:
"Conceal the form, hide the trace, walk the path of the stars— I see the foe…""Unseen by men, moved by intent, with a shout ghosts follow…""Swift as water and fire, riding wind and thunder, from marsh to mountain…""Heaven overturned, earth reversed, my body firm, my soul at peace…""A thousand years immortal, one with the Way…""By the decree of the Celestial Maiden of the Ninth Heaven—obey!"
Not only did Liu Yun evade flawlessly, she also took the chance to smack each villain with a slap or two—teaching them a humiliating lesson. Despite dozens of attacks, they could not touch her and ended up battered and frustrated.
This movement technique she used was a rare art known as "Nine Palace Gangbu" or "Ninefold Celestial Steps"—a method of spiraling footwork using the pattern of a nine-square grid, structured with specific mystical positions:"Two and Four are the shoulders, Six and Eight are the feet, Three on the left, Seven on the right, Nine above, One below, Five at the center."
Its walking method: left–right–right–left–left–right—creates three key step patterns to confuse and evade the enemy.
Wuliang Guairen, having received several slaps, now had a flushed, bruised face and roared furiously,"Witch! Using trickery and witchcraft! Dare you meet my palm directly?!"
He prided himself on his internal strength and always demanded opponents meet him in head-on palm clashes.
Liu Yun smiled coldly, "Gladly! Wuliang Guairen, here—let me gift you a palm!"
With a loud whoosh, she struck.Wuliang Guairen, unaware that Liu Yun had consumed the legendary Tianshan Snow Lotus, sneered inwardly, thinking he had her.
But as their palms connected, he instantly felt her inner force surge with immense power—far beyond what he had expected.
Bang!
He was hurled back, soaring seven or eight zhang (tens of meters), crashing to the ground—unconscious.
At that moment, Chu Tianba and Qianzhong Demon attacked from front and flank.Liu Yun chanted once more:
"Heaven overturned, earth reversed, my body firm, my soul at peace!"
With a sharp spin and twin palms extended, she struck—
Bang! Bang!
Both men screamed as they flew back, landing four or five zhang away. Blood spurted from their mouths. They lay there groaning, unable to rise.
Wu Tong called out, "Sister Yun! Let's mount up—before the Black Dragon Sect catches our trail!"
Time was of the essence. Wu Tong and his companions had to reach the Kingdom of Huihe and bring reinforcements before the situation worsened.
Liu Yun nodded, leapt up, and in a flash mounted her steed.
"Hyah!"
With that, Wu Tong and the others whipped their reins and galloped off—disappearing into the distance.