Liberi Reader

The contents of the armory are unmolested, except for an empty space on the bookshelf.

There is only a letter where a book should be.

Huai Tianpei does not answer, striding around in circles, muttering under his breath.

Mo Yi takes out the tome and hands it to Yun Qingping.

This is the second time that Yun Qingping has seen the book in this town. He saw the waiter steal the book in the teahouse, but now it has ended up in Mo Yi's hands.

The peak of Mt. Mang is packed with people, not just jianghu wanderers chasing rumors, but also the non-human residents of the town who have taken human form.

Mo Yi raises the Book of Kung Fu up high, and many in the crowd begin to whisper to one another.

All who practice kung fu dream of elevating their schools above all others. For many in the crowd, however, they are more interested in the 'shedding your mortal hide and becoming a god' part.

Whatever they are seeking, Mo Yi's words are enough to send them into a frenzy.

Mo Yi pauses to ensure that the crowd does not doubt her before continuing.

It is as though the crowd has exploded.

Everyone has weapons in hand, brandishing at the people around them. All they need is a cue to start killing.

Those who know better try back off quietly, but even more rush towards Mo Yi, drawn by her promise.

The geists who share the same thought join flesh-and-blood humans in the scrum.

In the commotion, Yun Qingping walks to the front of the stage, and speaks to the crowd below.

Some of them hear his words, and one after another they stop doing whatever they were doing, curious to hear what this frail young man has to say.

His voice is not loud, but every word rings clear. A commotion of a different kind begins to spread through the crowd.

Yun Qingping pretends not to hear the girl's threat and continues speaking.

Yun Qingping takes out a printed copy of the Book of Kung Fu.

Profanities begin flying out from the crowd, after a brief moment of silence.

If one person took a step forward, the rest would follow, to throw this Liberi fraud from the mountaintop.

Mo Yi leaps back and creates some distance.

Standing at the summit, she holds the tome in her hand, with rare focus and reverence in her eyes.

The sky darkens at her words.

As the crowd scatters, this 'Shuo' greets its first challenger.

The cry causes the man to pause for an instant, in the midst of a fight for life and death.

Huai Tianpei leaps into the air, and sends his fists into the chest of 'Shuo'.

He cuts a ragged figure, but his eyes are crystal clear.

As the illusion dissipates...

Huai Tianpei falls from the cliff.

A wind blows by, and the sky is restored to its previous color. The battle that shook heaven and earth might as well have been a dream that everyone went through together.

The spectators continue to look up at the sky, forgetting to turn their gazes away.

Only now do they realize that the girl has disappeared without a trace.

Many of those present have not always lived on the right side of the law, and their hearts sank like a stone when they saw the soldiers arrive. It is thus a massive relief to hear that they will not be prosecuted, and they bow in apology before leaving as quickly as they can.

Only the geists remain, not quite understanding the situation, looking lost and bewildered.

Mr. Pu sees Lin Qingyan and seemingly bows in apology.

He turns around and leaves, in as much a hurry as he came. He is limping a little; perhaps the climb has taken a toll on his legs.

The geists linger for a little bit, then turn back into their original forms one by one, forming a long line as they follow the old man down the mountain.