Chapter 556: Chapter 327: At Last, the Youth Appears—His Person and Bearing Far Surpass His Handwriting. Singlehandedly Saving the Maidens.

On this night, the moon was bright and beautiful, the cold wind chilled to the bone. Zhao Chunxia, Luo Feiyan, and Lin Aoshan all found it difficult to sleep. Zhao Chunxia paced back and forth, walking to the front of the iron fence, looking down.

Two mountains flanked, the canyon path spacious, vegetation lush. Zhao Chunxia’s dwelling was over twenty zhang from the ground, quite high, cold snow blew through the fence cracks into the stone cave, her clothing thin, though feeling the severe cold, her thoughts were occupied, having no time to concern.

This cave room allowed full view of the ground situation, with a good field of vision. If a fight broke out tomorrow, she could easily see the details. She observed the ground was broad, snow accumulated into a blanket.

Zhao Chunxia thought, "Zheng Decun is He Wentian’s loyal hound, unyielding yet truly not weak. Since I was captured here, I haven’t seen him slack or neglect. He is very cunning and insidious, definitely not a good character. Li Xian... Li Xian... Although I haven’t seen him, I’ve seen his writing, he must be a dashing young man. To fight him is indeed more dangerous than safe!"

Unable to sleep through the long night, only feeling time drag on with distress. Yet hiding a curiosity, by tomorrow she would know Li Xian’s appearance and abilities. But upon further thought, fearing that tomorrow upon seeing him, they would be forever separated.

Zhao Chunxia took out a note, appreciating the calligraphy. A vague silhouette formed in her heart, mixed emotions surged through her. On this night, her feelings were complex, wishing for both haste and slowness. Fast brought worry, slow brought distress. Yet as time passed, daybreak arrived.

The servant climbed the rope to deliver the meal. Zhao Chunxia sought for the note, finding nothing. Realizing Li Xian’s resolve was firm, the arrow set on the bowstring, no space left. Zhao Chunxia detected a vibe of "grim killing", calmed her emotions, peacefully finished the meal. She sat quietly before the fence absorbing energy.

Her long hair fluttered, the bamboo hairpin holding her hair had fallen elsewhere, the cold wind grazed sharp, the lute peg was already frosted. She closed her eyes to rest, abandoning stray thoughts completely. Suddenly, she heard activity from below, the cook preparing meals, guarding soldiers, archery tower bowmen, accommodating Jianghu Guests... all heard a certain secret order to retreat.

Zhao Chunxia understood the reason. Li Xian had previously mentioned in a letter that Flying Dragon City urgently needed reinforcements, all manpower needed redirecting. In the following days, no smoke would rise in Prisoner Canyon, the women wouldn’t get food, and the "stone door" on the canyon road would abruptly close, sealing all paths in a dead end.

Only Zheng Decun remained to guard. The stone door was heavy as millions of jun, impossible to move by human force. It required dozens to operate the mechanism, taking half an hour, using various techniques to barely close the stone door.

The servants left through the narrow stone door gaps, the gap only allowing one person sideways through. Nearly a hundred servants, left one after another, followed by Jianghu Guests, guards, archery bowmen...

The women didn’t know the situation, seeing the guards retreating in droves, they spoke up asking, cursing, venting anger... various expressions. Feeling increasingly anxious, not knowing what plot the villains were deploying, nor what sinister trick.

This disturbance brought all the women to the iron fence to observe below. Zheng Decun saw everyone was cleared, shouted out, "Close the door!" His voice sharp, but his Inner Qi unusual, resonating loudly, piercingly.

Outside the stone door, the servants activated the mechanism. Finely crafted within the mountain, dozens pushed the "millstone", every inch of the millstone’s turn triggered the mechanism inside, causing the stone door to quake, shaking down accumulated dust.

He Lijun from Li Mountain Sword Sect cursed, "Zheng dog, what trick are you playing! Dare to tell this granny!" Her lute bones pierced, Qi-Blood was weak, but seeing many fellow disciples present, unwilling to show fear, she tried to boost morale, making her voice firm and steady.

The stone door moved by a hair, the gap narrowed further. The sound was deafeningly piercing, Zheng Decun said, "What trick or not trick, you pampered flowers, now those able are unable to fight, those unable are merely lamenting. To deal with you all, is there need for tricks? Don’t overestimate yourselves, underestimate others." With that, he covered his mouth and laughed.

The women felt infuriated. Elder Tang Mengluo from Li Mountain Sword Sect, dressed in a white dress, stood out among the women, spoke coldly, "He Wentian is contemptible, you neither male nor female are even worse. If not for you plotting harm, poisoning and trapping, we wouldn’t be captured. After you vilely succeeded, you display the face of a villain, smug without shame, truly nauseating!"

Mu Red Silk said, "Elder is right!" Women from Li Mountain Sword Sect echoed in agreement, sharp voices of curses rang out.

Female Elder Bao Hanhan from Li Mountain Sword Sect spoke, "Everyone, rest your hearts. Our being trapped here is just a temporary predicament. Our Five Great Sword Sects joined here in alliance, though He Wentian captured us women, there are still male elders and disciples from Heart Mountain Sword Sect, Sun Mountain Sword Sect, Li Mountain Sword Sect, Yue Mountain Sword Sect outside. They cannot possibly leave, they will surely find us. Not long, we shall drink thief’s blood, feast on thief’s flesh, to vent this hate!"

Women from various sword sects, worthy of being heroes among women, spoke with powerful conviction, rallying all the women together, praising their sect’s male disciples and elders, "I have close relations with junior brother, in this difficulty, he won’t let this pass." "My senior brother and I have a secret bond, he must be anxiously searching for me." "My sect’s Yue Kai, Sword Dao clever and skilled, knowing we’re imprisoned he will surely aid us." "Their heroic grace, how dazzling, also Zhou Shijie Young Master Zhou, although not from our sword sect, his chivalrous heart is no less, if aided by him, fortune accompanies, how could they not find us."

The women’s discussions were scattered, their eyes bright.

... 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

...

Zheng Decun laughed, "Afraid that’s unlikely."