After Lin Chaoying landed in Wenzhou, the clues to finding Wang Shixiong's whereabouts were lost again. The drive within her seemed to have drained away, leaving her lost and unsure where to go. She and Gou'er took a casual rest by the nearby Nanxi River. Soon, she settled her mind and began practicing her sword techniques, fearing she would be mocked if she couldn't subdue Wang Shixiong when she eventually found him.
More than half a year passed in the blink of an eye. On the evening of the eighth day of the eighth lunar month, Gou'er steamed glutinous rice with old pumpkin. She knew of Jiangnan and Southern Tang traditional foods, having learned the method from Lin Chaoying's recollection of Li Wanxue's cooking. Her skills had improved considerably over the past few years through careful study and practice. Lin Chaoying took a bite, and the taste of her grandmother's cooking instantly flooded her heart. She looked up at the crescent moon in the sky and asked, "Grandmother, separated by thousands of miles and mountains, are you also gazing at you? Can you reflect my situation to her… the hardship, the loneliness, the helplessness… I can no longer bear it!" Gou'er watched silently. Lin Chaoying shook her head and said, "I want to go home. I miss Grandmother very much." Gou'er nodded and replied, "I'll go pack immediately."
Lin Chaoying disliked the route through Jiankang Prefecture, especially as the end of the year approached, bringing crowds and a chaotic atmosphere. Moreover, based on Gou'er's investigations and her assessment of the current state of the Wei Wu Alliance and the martial world, she decided to detour west through Quzhou and then north via Anqing Prefecture. She tried to stick to the wilderness and travel by night, but it was impossible to avoid passing through villages and towns. Lin Chaoying was surprised to find them quite deserted during the New Year period.
That night, after passing Sanqing Mountain, they reached the vicinity of Yalu Peak. Gou'er, following Lin Chaoying's orders, went to investigate the source of strange noises ahead. Suddenly, a strong man and an old man sprang from the grass and attacked. The strong man was powerful, but the old man was even more ferocious. Gou'er wielded her specially made retractable Ruyi stick, using the "Shrimp Whisker Hook" staff technique that Lin Chaoying had selected and taught her from her notes. This technique appeared to rely on length and rigidity, but in reality, it triumphed through softness and flexibility. Within a few moves, she had struck the strong man's acupoints, rendering him immobile. However, the old man, though lacking any discernible technique, was able to endure blows and fight wildly, causing Gou'er some consternation. Lin Chaoying suddenly appeared and quickly struck the old man's back of the head several times, causing him to collapse to the ground.
Lin Chaoying chanted, "The hatred in my heart has not subsided, yet I have lost my grip. This poison, 'Seclusion Spring'…" She then turned her gaze to the strong man and said, "Who are you? Why did you attack?" Although the strong man was paralyzed, his neck and above remained functional. He forced a smile and said, "We were rescued by the Heavenly God General. Now that we have met the Holy Mother of Jade Mountain, it is truly fortunate…" Lin Chaoying, clad in black, turned and disappeared into the dimness. Fear surged through the strong man. He dared not speak nonsense again and said, "I am Gong Liang, and this is my village uncle, Gong Shun. We are from Shangrao. Due to a lack of money at year's end, we and our fellow villagers were hired to clear and cultivate the barren mountains. Upon arrival, we were separated and assigned different tasks. I was originally tasked with clearing the mountainside to prepare for planting. Later, I spoke up to request leave to return home for the New Year and offended the overseers. After being beaten and imprisoned, I was reassigned to the deep valley to clear waste." Gong Liang gasped, recalling the scene with lingering fear, and cried, "What waste was that! They were all corpses! About fifty people in batches, like ferocious beasts… no, more savage! They had no regard for life or pain, fighting each other madly… Only a few survivors were caught in nets, covered in blood, and dragged away. The rest were the 'waste' they spoke of, and they were burned before being thrown into the valley…"
Gou'er recalled Gong Shun's expression and connected it to Gong Liang's account, feeling a fear she had never known before. She couldn't help but move closer to Lin Chaoying.
Gong Liang wiped away his tears and continued, "On the second night, in the midst of the frenzied crowd, I found Uncle Shun. He had completely lost his usual honest and kind demeanor, looking as if possessed by a demon. I couldn't help but embrace him and desperately prevent him from fighting. As Uncle Shun struggled, he suddenly fainted. We were then imprisoned in a hanging cage. After an unknown period, a dark figure came to rescue us, releasing the people from the cages and indicating the escape routes." Lin Chaoying asked, "Was that the Heavenly God General you mentioned? What did he look like?" It was dark and the events were sudden, and in his panic and daze, Gong Liang couldn't see or remember clearly. He blurted out, "In the darkness, I saw him standing tall and graceful, with piercing eyes and a heroic outline." Gou'er guessed that Lin Chaoying was again thinking of Wang Shixiong. At that moment, Gong Shun's throat made a clicking sound. Taking the opportunity to distract her, he said, "That old man, he…" Lin Chaoying went over, took his pulse, and observed his symptoms. Suddenly, her mind became chaotic. She instructed Gou'er to feed him bee pollen and then walked away.
After Gou'er finished, she stood by, waiting for instructions. Lin Chaoying sighed and said, "Release his acupoints and tell him to take the old man home." After his acupoints were released, Gong Liang crawled to Lin Chaoying, bowed, and pleaded, "Holy Mother, please show great mercy and save my Uncle Shun." Lin Chaoying sharply asked, "How do you know I haven't healed him just now?" Gong Liang thought that no matter what, he had to follow her to survive. He said, "Forgive my presumption! I only saw Uncle Shun's current suffering… I didn't know the Holy Mother had already healed him…" Lin Chaoying asked, "Where is that deep valley?" Gong Liang replied, "When we went, our heads were often covered. After arriving by covered wagon, we followed ropes, one after another. I don't know the exact location… but I remember the general direction of east, west, south, and north." Lin Chaoying impatiently said, "Carry him and go."
With the two men in front and the two women behind, they walked for a while and found a cave. Lin Chaoying administered acupuncture to Gong Shun, then instructed Gou'er to teach Gong Liang how to feed him bee pollen, and then left the cave. Gou'er went outside to report. She saw Lin Chaoying gazing at the night moon, deep in thought. Lin Chaoying let out a breath and said, "The martial arts notes we study were actually transcribed and taught to me privately by Grandmother out of her affection and appreciation for me, even though it went against regulations. My mother was crippled and her position as successor was passed to my aunt's daughter, my Aunt Li Zixian. However, by regulation, she not only couldn't read the notes, but she also had to have Grandmother's selection and permission to learn the techniques within." Seeing the look in Gou'er's eyes, she guessed that Gou'er already knew her worries and continued, "Great-Grandmother studied the drug 'Seclusion Spring' to enhance soldiers' pain tolerance in combat. Later, due to the progress of her research deviating from her original intent, she abandoned it, only recording it in the notes. She also strictly ordered that even the housekeeper couldn't look at it except in critical situations! Now, someone is manufacturing it according to the regulations, which must not be Grandmother's intention. Could she have…" Gou'er comforted her, "Great-Ancestor must have a benevolent disposition. Perhaps someone is simply using it, otherwise, there would be no need to act sneakily within the Song territory." Lin Chaoying nodded and said, "Go investigate." Gou'er looked at her eyes and knew that besides the origin of this drug, it was also for that Heavenly God General.
After staying in the cave for a day and a night, they headed west at dusk, led by Gong Liang. Around the third watch, voices came from behind. Gong Liang looked back and saw four men with knives charging towards them, but Lin Chaoying and Gou'er were nowhere to be seen. In his panic, he thought that the remaining Uncle Shun, after being treated, was groggy and no longer raging, and could not intimidate anyone. Relying on himself, he would surely perish. He picked up Gong Shun and ran wildly for a few steps. Gong Liang heard a few muffled grunts and looked back again to see Gou'er weaving left and right, knocking down the last two men. Suddenly, he heard Lin Chaoying from behind, coldly saying, "You laid a trap to ambush me." Just as Gong Liang was about to defend himself, Gong Shun behind him was snatched away by Lin Chaoying with a vine rope and quickly bound between two trees in a spread-eagle position.