Amidst the commotion, the firelight flickered erratically. As Ning Yi's furious roar erupted, everyone in the hall reacted in their own way.

He Chong, Xin Tiecheng, and others scrambled for self-preservation, as did Xiao Cheng and the members of the Wu Sheng Army. He Shuyuan tried to approach, but the few Dharma Protectors from the Great Brightness Sect brought by Lin Zongwu, though skilled, were not in the same league as Wang Nantuo. They were quickly entangled by Tian Donghan and the others Ning Yi had brought.

Ning Yi smashed He Shuyuan to the ground with a chair. Meanwhile, Dong Pang'er's envoy and Chen Jiu from Chenjia Canal were still shouting, "Ning the Butcher, don't be impulsive—" They realized, however, that since his nickname was "Bloodhand Butcher," he was not someone easily restrained when he lost his temper.

Only Lou Shuwan watched the sudden chaos with a swirling storm in her eyes, trembling slightly. She whispered to Yu Lin and the others, "Stop him, stop him…" She was naturally targeting Ning Yi. However, Yu Lin had already sensed the chaos inside and outside the hall and shook his head urgently, "Don't be rash." With his status under Tiger King, his words carried weight, and Tian Shi and Qiu Guyan on the other side held back.

Amidst the swaying figures and He Shuyuan's screams, Lou Shuwan gritted her teeth and charged forward, drawing a dagger from her sleeve to stab Ning Yi in the back! But she was utterly inexperienced. As she stabbed, she even shouted, "Ya—" Ning Yi whirled around, his ferocious gaze meeting hers for a moment.

With a "slap," Ning Yi slapped Lou Shuwan across the face with one hand, knocking her to the ground. The dagger flew away. Qiu Guyan was about to rush forward but was blocked by Zhu Biao, who also stepped in front of Lou Shuwan, shielding her.

Lou Shuwan slumped to the ground, covering her struck cheek with her left arm, staring at the ground with red eyes. She didn't immediately get up amidst the surrounding chaos.

Over at the main hall, Liang Bingfu, the elderly host, leaned on his cane, watching everything with tightly pursed lips. Beside him, Zheng Ashuan was already shouting, "Guards!" People rushed in from the small doors on both sides of the hall. From above, figures ran with torches, the first one carrying a wooden cannon, none other than Yuwen Feidu, a young general from the Bamboo Union. He shouted, "Fatty, stop!" A Great Brightness Sect expert leaped up to stop him and engaged in battle with a Bamboo Union expert.

In the courtyard, the wind howled as the two Grandmasters fought fiercely, unwilling to stop. A nearby stone pavilion was hit by Lin Zongwu's fist energy and collapsed. Hong Ti, disarmed, attacked Lin Zongwu empty-handed, showing no weakness. Her movements were like a serpent or a giant python, her steps and palms seeming to stir a deep pool in the world, her strength forming a circle. In a flurry of attacks, she struck Lin Zongwu's arms and shoulders twice, producing a dull, drum-like thud.

In the eyes of the experts, it was the Heaven-Turning Seal, the most vicious move in the Great Handprint, dealing penetrating force that shattered on contact. Her raw strength couldn't match Lin Zongwu's, but her technique was exquisite. Each palm strike was heavy and dense; one strike would draw blood. Lin Zongwu took two hits, the wide sleeves over the struck areas turning into fluttering shreds like butterflies. He slammed Hong Ti towards the old pavilion. The pavilion's green stone pillars collapsed, and the stone roof fell. Amidst the dust, Hong Ti exchanged four palm strikes with him, her figure dancing like a giant snake, withdrawing towards the other side of the collapsed stone pavilion.

Lin Zongwu staggered like a drunkard, rushing into the stone pavilion. With a single punch, he shattered the falling octagonal green stone roof. He grabbed one of the pavilion's green stone pillars, swinging it horizontally with a resounding crash.

The small stone pavilion was crude, with four pillars each. The two-meter-long green stone pillar weighed hundreds of pounds, but he swung it like a windmill. The other stone pillars were hit. One exploded into short fragments, another flew more than ten feet away, forcing Hong Ti to retreat in alarm. As the second horizontal swing came howling, she dodged it with an iron bridge, then suddenly lunged at Lin Zongwu, grappling him at close range.

In that instant, her figure moved, and Lin Zongwu's massive body was also pulled. The two seemed to be fighting for the stone pillar, yet it was as if they were pulling on a long rope, their figures spinning in a circle, their feet kicking, sweeping, crossing, and treading amidst the stone pavilion's wreckage, stirring up countless dust. The small stone tables and benches inside were flying and rolling in different directions. The rising dust made it look like the sudden arrival of a tornado.

Such massive destruction lasted only a moment. The stone pillar flew from Hong Ti's grasp, whistling over her head. It was unclear whether she had deliberately thrown it or whether Lin Zongwu's immense power had prevailed. The two figures crashed together in the dust. Hong Ti's figure staggered and flew away. Lin Zongwu, still staggering like a drunkard, rushed forward with the flying stone pillar, but he didn't retreat far. Suddenly stopping, he grabbed the pillar and charged forward.

Inside the hall, the Qingmu Stronghold soldiers and Bamboo Union members, armed with swords, spears, and crossbows, had surrounded them. Ning Yi took out his second musket and, roaring, fired a shot. The light rippled in the air. On the other side, Hong Ti steadied herself mid-retreat, the black-dressed woman's figure spreading her hands, as if manipulating a giant vortex.

On the roof, sparks burned at the tail end of the wooden cannon. Yuwen Feidu, holding a long spear, propped up the wooden cannon, changing its direction: "Stop!"

Lin Zongwu waved the huge stone pillar, like a prehistoric behemoth, crushing towards Lu Hongti. The distance between them rapidly closed, and the stone pillar swung horizontally.

Lu Hongti watched the figure approach without retreating. Facing the stone pillar swung with a force of a thousand pounds, she retracted her right palm and pressed out her left. She would meet the stone pillar with a single hand...

...The stone pillar and her palm made contact.

With a deafening boom, the stone pillar struck Hong Ti squarely. The woman was sent flying by the horizontal force, scattering earth and stone. Her entire body flew out. Correspondingly, the stone pillar shattered and Lin Zongwu's mountain-like form flew backwards.

With a loud crash that echoed at the same moment on the roof, the flaming projectile shot towards the side of the courtyard wall, the sky filled with fire and flying stones. Hong Ti's body flew twenty feet, landed on the ground, and continued to roll. On the other side, the scene was even more unimaginable. No one could comprehend the immense force that Lin Zongwu had suffered. His massive body flew out like a boulder rolling down a mountain peak, smashing through the outer wall of the Gathering Hall's courtyard, then crashing through the wall of a nearby house, his entire body disappearing into the darkness.

To send Lin Zongwu flying like that, it was almost impossible to do, even if another Lin Zongwu appeared...

After rolling a few times on the ground, Hong Ti's figure seemed to rise slightly, sitting on a round stone stool that had rolled away. Her body was hunched, like a shrimp folding its body, her hair falling, covering her face, a few strands fluttering in the wind, like mayflies in the night.

Ning Yi looked at her from afar, the silent Hong Ti sitting there without any movement, but half of her body was covered in blood. The left arm that had just taken Lin Zongwu's blow hung limply, as if without any strength.

He took a deep breath, unsure of what to say. And in the hall, from that moment on, it miraculously lost all sound. If Lin Zongwu was dead, and Lu Hongti was in this state, no one could imagine what their fate would be facing this man known as the Bloodhand Butcher. Everyone was utterly stunned by the sight of Lin Zongwu flying out.

Fortunately, after a moment, there was movement in the large hole in the side of the house. A massive figure rose, its outline dimly visible, its wide robe torn, and faint traces of blood. The voice of the Great Brightness Sect Leader echoed, word by word.

"Ning Liheng! How dare you interfere in my duel!"

Tian Donghan and the Bamboo Union experts with crossbows had crossed the courtyard, heading towards Lu Hongti.

Ning Yi looked at Hong Ti, took another breath: "I say, it's a draw! Who agrees! Who objects!"

The air was filled with an indescribable tension. After a moment, noticing Tian Donghan's approach, Hong Ti tilted her head slightly and raised her right hand a little. Zhu Biao approached Ning Yi and whispered, "Senior Lu… she's just healing…"

But Ning Yi's expression remained unchanged. Inside the room with the large hole, Lin Zongwu finally laughed: "Haha, good! Since Butcher Ning is so insistent, I'll give you face today! Miss Lu, the technique you used today, yin and yang intergenerating, combining softness and strength, is extremely profound! I have also gained some insights today. If I can take a step further in martial arts, I will rely on Miss Lu's guidance. Thank you!"

Hong Ti raised her head: "That was taught to me by Liheng. It's called Tai Chi Chuan."

Lin Zongwu laughed again: "Tai Chi Chuan, a good name. But as a Grandmaster, your status is so respected, there's no need to put such divine skill on his head just to protect your lover! The green hills remain, and the green waters flow. Until we meet again in the Jianghu, farewell!"

With those words, he burst from the other side of the house and rushed towards the courtyard on the mountainside where many sect members lived. Several Great Brightness Sect experts also quickly bowed and said goodbye. Ning Yi said: "Hurry up and appease your men!" After the commotion, the people of Tian Hu, the people of Wu Sheng Army, and the people of Dong Pang'er in that courtyard were already restless, almost clashing with the hundreds of Qingmu Stronghold members who had been arranged earlier. At this time, Xiao Cheng and others quickly said goodbye and rushed down to calm the situation. Ning Yi was about to walk towards Hong Ti when a man named Cheng Jiu spoke up.

"Today... today there is still the matter of my Lvliang Mountain, how can it just end like this, Butcher Ning, there are more than five thousand people down the mountain..."

Ning Yi stopped. After a moment, he walked forward, his voice rising.

"Lvliang Mountain? Has it only been a few years? Have you forgotten what the Liao did to you during the border raids! The Wu Dynasty has millions of troops, but they are divided and fear the Liao like tigers and leopards in battle. Two hundred thousand soldiers can't beat ten thousand. And the Jurchen can defeat eight hundred thousand Liao soldiers with twenty thousand troops! Now the imperial court is issuing amnesty edicts specifically to prevent the Jurchen from moving south. Once that happens, Lvliang Mountain will bear the brunt. And you rabble want to mix sand into the Qingmu Stronghold! Play power struggles!? Feel it! Outside! It's already started!"

He stood beside Hong Ti.

"Want to join the Qingmu Stronghold, cooperate? Okay, you take the message out. Everything follows the rules of the Qingmu Stronghold. Those who are willing to work hard and have skills, I guarantee you'll have food to eat. If you contribute more, you'll naturally have a position, wealth, and security here. But if you want to come and fight for power... I'll crush you."

The air smelled of gunpowder. Chen Jiu and the others were already panicking. Just now, after Yuwen Feidu fired the wooden cannon, a firework had risen from the back mountain of Qingmu. At this moment, several miles away from the Qingmu Stronghold, the mountain was already a battlefield.

The courtyard was scattered with flames and the remains of battle. The wind stirred the clothes and hair of the woman. Ning Yi looked at the bloodstains on her hair, wanting to reach out, but hesitated. The woman sat there, looking up at him. She smiled, but then the smile faded a little, a stiff, un-lover-like feeling.

"What you said yesterday wasn't like this."

Hong Ti took his hand and stood up.

"I'm fine," she said again, "I... I'm injured... I need medicine..."

"I'll help you."

Ning Yi supported her, saying it so naturally. Hong Ti looked like she wanted to refuse...

The chaos in the mountains had not stopped. Several miles outside the Qingmu Stronghold, the flames of war had already begun to spread. Only in the courtyard at the epicenter of this chaos, the atmosphere was quiet down...

The night was far from over…