320: Chapter 100 Gan Baobao

Sensing a palm descending behind him, every hair on Crane in the Clouds' body stood on end as a single blood-red word flashed in his mind—Danger!

However, before he could react, he felt an explosive, searing pain in his chest, as if his heart had shattered in an instant.

The next second, his consciousness dissipated, his body collapsed to the ground, and his life force was extinguished.

With a casual flick of his hand, Meng Li used a gentle, clever force to push the tottering Zhong Ling—who had lost her support—toward Mu Wanqing, and then began to loot Crane in the Clouds' corpse.

It wasn't that he was greedy for anything; it was just a habitual, basic operation.

Mu Wanqing reached out to catch Zhong Ling and unsealed the acupoints that Crane in the Clouds had blocked.

As soon as she could move, Zhong Ling immediately hugged Mu Wanqing and burst into tears with a 'wah': "Sister Mu, I was almost scared to death!"

Mu Wanqing raised her hand to lightly pat her back in comfort, yet said irritably, "Why aren't you staying put as the Commandery Princess of Dali? Why did you come all this way? Where is that Lightning Mink you use for self-defense?"

Zhong Ling said, "Brother Yu brought Father out to seek medical treatment and let me come along to relax. I happened to find the Prince's Mansion boring, so I followed."

"The Lightning Mink is dead."

"It bit Zuo Zimu of the Wuliang Sword Sect, and he killed it with one strike of his sword."

After searching Crane in the Clouds' corpse, Meng Li only obtained some silver and small medicine bottles. As he pocketed them, he felt slightly surprised upon hearing Zhong Ling's words.

He had an impression of that Lightning Mink; it was Zhong Ling's self-defense pet, agile and venomous.

In the original plot, the Lightning Mink bit Zuo Zimu but was not killed.

After being poisoned, Zuo Zimu demanded the antidote from Zhong Ling, but she couldn't produce it. Zuo Zimu then detained Zhong Ling and poisoned Duan Yu, forcing him to go to Wanjian Valley to get the antidote. Because of this, Duan Yu and Mu Wanqing crossed paths, leading to a series of fortuitous encounters.

During that time, the Lightning Mink bit Duan Yu, causing him to accidentally swallow the exotic venomous creature, the Vermillion Toad, thereby making him immune to all poisons.

Now that the Lightning Mink had been killed by Zuo Zimu, Duan Yu likely wouldn't be able to swallow the Vermillion Toad.

Just then, Gan Baobao and Duan Yu arrived one after the other.

"Ling'er!" Gan Baobao called out, running forward to check on Zhong Ling.

Zhong Ling broke into a smile through her tears: "Mother, Brother Yu, I'm fine. Sister Mu and this Young Master saved me."

Gan Baobao immediately thanked Mu Wanqing and Meng Li: "Wan'er, Young Master, thank you for saving Ling'er."

Duan Yu also said, "Young Master Murong, Wan-mei, thank you."

Meng Li waved his hand: "No need to thank me. I just saw Wan'er was anxious and came along to lend a hand."

Mu Wanqing directly changed the subject: "Junior Martial Uncle, where is my mother? Why isn't she with you?"

Duan Yu's expression stiffened.

Gan Baobao said, "Your mother returned to Yougu Valley after sending your father back to Dali. She didn't come along this time."

"Oh," Mu Wanqing replied softly, not thinking much of it.

This was consistent with Qin Hongmian's personality and style.

At that moment, Gan Baobao noticed Crane in the Clouds' corpse on the ground and asked in shock, "This..."

Mu Wanqing said casually, "I attacked him just now to save Zhong Ling, and he used Zhong Ling to block my move. Li Lang seized the opportunity and killed him with a single palm strike."

Gan Baobao realized what happened, then gritted her teeth and spat, "Death was too good for him!"

As a notorious bandit who preyed on women, Crane in the Clouds was naturally more hated by women than the other Great Evils.

Zhong Wanqiu's death back then was also related to Crane in the Clouds.

Although Gan Baobao didn't love Zhong Wanqiu, she had been married to him for many years and had been deeply pampered; there was still some affection there.

Coupled with the fact that Crane in the Clouds had just abducted Zhong Ling with ill intentions...

Gan Baobao naturally hated him to the core.

Duan Yu, on the other hand, snapped out of it and heard the result; a look of pity actually flashed in his eyes, though he said nothing.

Ignoring him, Meng Li unleashed a Flame Blade strike onto Crane in the Clouds' corpse, causing it to burst into flames.

This action startled Mu Wanqing, Zhong Ling, Gan Baobao, and Duan Yu, who all turned their gazes toward him in unison.

Meng Li asked in confusion, "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Is it so strange to destroy the evidence after killing someone?"

The group fell silent.

Because to them, it really was a strange thing.

Needless to say for Zhong Ling and Duan Yu, they were just two Jianghu rookies who had never personally killed anyone.

Gan Baobao and Mu Wanqing were veterans of the Jianghu who had blood on their hands; they knew it was best to destroy the evidence after killing, but they rarely did so because they lacked the means.

Things like Corpse Dissolving Water or Corpse Dissolving Powder were rare not just in demi-gods and semi-devils, but in the entire Jin Yong Wuxia universe.

And a technique like the Flame Blade was not something an ordinary person could master.

After a brief silence, Duan Yu couldn't help but ask, "Young Master Murong, have you killed many people?"

Meng Li shook his head: "No. I don't like killing. Even if someone is utterly wicked, as long as they don't provoke me, I won't strike them down. Compared to killing, I prefer to convince people with reason."

Duan Yu wanted to believe him, but thinking about how Meng Li destroyed the evidence so habitually and spoke of it so nonchalantly, it was truly difficult to believe.

Before long, Crane in the Clouds' corpse was completely incinerated.

Meng Li brushed off non-existent dust and said, "The matter is finished. Let's head back."

With that, he wrapped one arm around Mu Wanqing's supple, slender waist.

Mu Wanqing's cheeks turned slightly red, but she didn't resist; instead, she leaned closer into his embrace.

The next second, Meng Li pushed off the ground with his toes and instantly soared into the air with Mu Wanqing, flying toward the Market Town.

Looking at the two figures flying away like a divine couple, Zhong Ling said with an envious face, "This Young Master Murong has such handsome Lightness Skill."

As she spoke, she turned to ask Gan Baobao, "Mother, can you do that like him?"

Gan Baobao shook her head with a bitter smile.

If she had Lightness Skill like Meng Li's, she wouldn't have arrived only after Crane in the Clouds had been dealt with.

If Meng Li and Mu Wanqing hadn't intervened, in a few moments, she feared she wouldn't have even seen Crane in the Clouds' shadow, and Zhong Ling would surely have met a grim fate.

Thinking of this, Gan Baobao couldn't help but sigh inwardly, a trace of resentment rising in her heart.

Originally, she hadn't planned on coming along this time.

She knew her own limits; her Martial Arts were never top-tier to begin with, and after years of living in comfort at Wanjian Valley, only a bit of her foundation remained. It was fine to hide in a corner of Wanjian Valley, but in a place where heroes gathered, it was completely insufficient.

Moreover, she and Zhong Ling were beautiful, which inevitably attracted unwanted attention and trouble.

But Duan Yu had said it was a rare opportunity and brought Duan Zhengchun to seek medical treatment. Duan Zhengchun couldn't do without them, and he also said there were three great guards accompanying them, so safety was guaranteed.

Looking at it now, Duan Yu and Duan Zhengchun were of the same cloth—great at talking, but actually unable to handle things when it mattered.

However, since they were already here, going back wasn't something that could be done in a short time.

She could only hope that things were as Duan Yu said, and they could encounter a master of medicine who could help Duan Zhengchun's condition.

But as for safety, she couldn't just rely on Duan Yu and those three guards.

Thinking of this, Gan Baobao said to Zhong Ling, "Ling'er, go and play with your Sister Mu later. And for this Heroes Assembly, you stay with her."

"Why?"

...