422 The Holy Maiden of the South

The white-clothed woman's smile was very light, like the clouds. It was veryclear, like water. But it contained a myriad of emotions. There was nostalgia, there was teasing, and most deeply hidden, yet unable tobe hidden at all, was a smear of disappointment and frustration. One would be expected to be joyful at the arrival of a friend from afar, letalone the fact that this friend came at the moment of greatest peril and helpedtake care of one’s most dangerous enemy. Yet Su Li's expression seemed ratherdistressed. It might possibly have to do with that question the white-clothed woman hadasked with a chuckle in her voice. The clouds once again covered up the moonlight and starlight in the sky. Thestreets once more grew dim and the rain once more began to fall. In the drizzling rain, he and the white-clothed woman looked at each otherwithout speaking. Everything was quiet. But in fact, at this very moment, the battle was still continuing. The clouds were constantly twisting and roiling, as if countless thunderboltslay within. That holy and dignified Qi wound around the moonlight like rosyclouds chasing the moon. It continuously pressed down and chased it, at thesame time also pressuring those distant stars. The shapeless thunder finally exploded through the clouds, sending countlessdazzling bolts of lightning to the ground. Above Xunyang City, the thunderincessantly boomed and rumbled, shaking the world. Who knew how many normalpeople hiding under their beds were thrown into a panic? Who knew how manychildren ignorant to the world began to bawl out of fear? The clouds were torn apart even more violently, almost as if the sky itselfwas about to be torn open. Those cultivators on the distant streets who hadslightly weaker cultivations were shocked into unconsciousness by the sound ofthe thunder. This was a battle of experts in the Divine Domain. This was a collision of two forces at the world's most supreme level ofstrength. The white-clothed woman had her back to the sky, not devoting an iota ofattention to that battle occurring in the clouds which exceeded the limits of anormal person's imagination. She only calmly looked at Su Li. The world was filled with thunder and lightning, and massive booms rang outwithout end. The two still gazed at each other, not making a sound. Eventually, the thunder and lightning finally ceased and a true peace settledover Xunyang City. The clouds gradually calmed, leaving behind only countlesspatterns akin to fish scales. Those were the remnants of those powerfulcollisions. On the street behind the white-clothed woman appeared countlesscracks, like a field that had been plowed innumerable times. Countless trailsof steam rose up from those cracks. Just how deep did these cracks go? Could it be that they reached down to thelava underground? Victory and defeat had already been assigned. In fact, the moment this white-clothed woman arrived at Xunyang City, thevictor and loser of this battle were already decided. The crowd stared at this white-clothed woman in absolute shock. Besides shock,Chen Changsheng's mind was also filled with perplexity. He kept feeling thatthe white ceremonial garb this woman wore was rather familiar. Even her Qiseemed somewhat familiar, as if he had encountered it before. Just who was thiswhite-clothed woman? She had actually been able to emerge victorious over thecombined might of Zhu Luo and Guan Xingke, two of the Eight Storms. Even if ZhuLuo had been heavily wounded beforehand, the strength displayed by thiswhite-clothed woman was still too frightening. A man wearing a bamboo hat appeared at the gate of Xunyang City and helped ZhuLuo out of the ruins. Blood was flowing from this man's body, and it seemedlike this blood was speckled with countless glistening fragments of starlight.That blood and those glistening stars gave off an especially terrifyingfeeling, as if only a single drop of this blood was enough to annihilate anentire city. However, his bamboo hat had three enormous tears in it. It looked just like apalm fan that had been used for seventy years, so old that it couldn't bear thestrain, that was then torn to shreds by a servant girl in a fit of anger. Ithad an abnormally miserable appearance. This powerful man was naturally Guan Xingke. As for that white-clothed womanwho could beat him into such a miserable state, who else could it be? He gazedat that street ten-odd li away, his face pale, stunned and furious. Through the rain, Su Li aimed a smile at the city gate and said, "As I said, Ido have a friend, it's just that she has relatively more matters to take careof and lives rather far away. To rush over requires some time." These words caused an abnormal silence to fall over both the city gate and thestreets. Everyone was very quiet. At this time, Hua Jiefu had already brought all the priests in Xunyang City tokneel down in the rain and offer their obeisance. Besides Chen Changsheng whowas lacking in knowledge of the cultivation world, everyone had guessed at thiswhite-clothed woman's identity. Hearing Su Li's words, they could only keep their silence and even silentlycursed. Holy Maiden Peak was far in the distant south. Its distance from TianliangCounty in the north was naturally very long. For a powerful figure like this white-clothed woman, it was only natural thatshe had countless affairs that needed her attention. In the ruins of the gate, Zhu Luo was finding it difficult to restrain hisanger and shock. Wiping the blood from the corner of his lip, he said, "Justwhat is going on here?" Su Li proudly declared, "I've also lived for several centuries. An outstandingexistence like me will always get to know one or two friends. Do you think I'mTianhai? That I enjoy living an isolated life?" Such a proud appearance was rather repulsive in the eyes of many. But he wasSu Li, so those people could only bear with it. However, Chen Changsheng hadthe feeling that there was something wrong with Su Li's emotions. At this moment, the white-clothed woman sighed at Su Li, "So, it really wasfriends, huh." Su Li's smile gradually faded, and he seemed rather embarrassed. This was thefirst time Chen Changsheng had seen the emotion of embarrassment on Su Li'sface. Su Li was one of this world's peak human existences, and he wascold-blooded and emotionless, proud and unyielding. He held almost all theworld's people in contempt, so just how could he get embarrassed? Previouslywhen he ignored the white-clothed woman's question and decided to talk to ZhuLuo and Guan Xingke instead, this was already embarrassment, it was weakness.The white-clothed woman didn't even give him the chance to change the subject. Su Li seemed quite helpless and said, "Junior Sister, don't be this way." Chen Changsheng was incredibly astonished. In a very idiotic fashion, hethought,could this white-clothed woman be some expert Mount Li hid from theworld? "You would actually collude with this madman whose hands are drenched inblood? How can you be qualified to be the Holy Maiden!" Zhu Luo's furious voice echoed throughout Xunyang City. Xunyang City was deathly still. No one answered Zhu Luo's question. No one dared to answer this question. Noone had the qualifications to answer this question. Chen Changsheng was dumbstruck, thinking that it was far too inconceivable.The white-clothed woman was…a supreme existence of the human world, one of theFive Saints? The Holy Maiden that was praised alongside the Tianhai DivineEmpress? Only now did he understand, in the south, the Holy Maiden Peak and theLongevity Sect were always regarded as being connected by a common root. TheMount Li Sword Sect and the South Stream Temple had an especially goodrelationship, often treating each other as fellow disciples. For instance, Gou Hanshi addressed Xu Yourong as Junior Sister. Then Su Licould obviously address the present Holy Maiden as Junior Sister. But…like ZhuLuo had angrily exclaimed, just what was going on here? "Why are they the Five Saints while you lot can only be the Storms of theEight Directions?" Su Li looked at Zhu Luo and Guan Xingke and said mockingly,"Because you can never match up to those wily old foxes. Without first feelingout the cards in my hand, besides idiots like you, who would dare to so easilymove against me?" The Holy Maiden of the south glanced at him. Su Li paused, then said, "My meaning is that your wisdom is not enough." The Holy Maiden paid him no more attention. Turning to Zhu Luo and GuanXingke, she calmly stated, "Whether or not I have the qualification to be HolyMaiden is not something you two are worthy of deciding. As for Senior Brother,you always say that his two hands are drenched in the blood of the innocent,but if you ask yourself honestly, how can the number of people he has killedcome close to those that you have killed? How can it come close to the numberof people the Saints have killed?" Guan Xingke bowed his head, obscuring his complexion under his dilapidatedbamboo hat. Zhu Luo flew into a fury at these words, shouting, "The Holy Maiden's wordsare too preposterous!" The Holy Maiden serenely replied, "The various clans hold between them vastfields of fertile land and are served by countless servants. In times offamine, they have never decreased the rent. Just how many tenant farmers didthey hound to death? The Saints are even worse. With a single, casual decree,just how many people will die guiltless? For my Senior Brother to not take up aposition among the Eight Storms and to not become a Saint, this is true mercy.How can he be cold-blooded?" The entire city was calm, every person wearing a thoughtful expression.