Cai Zhao slowly regained consciousness from the slumbering dense forest, reluctant as a lazy donkey pulling a broken cart. Since her father’s disappearance, she hadn’t slept so deeply in a long time.
The room was perfumed with expensive incense, the Cuiping Dianxi worth ten to twenty gold pieces. It seemed to have a hint of bergamot, exuding both luxury and elegance. The bedding and pillowcases were made of the finest cloud brocade and fine linen. The bed was piled with embroidered silks, making her feel as if she were lying in clouds.
Cai Zhao wished she could bring Furong and Feicui to see how others decorated their rooms. Ever since Xiajiao got married, the two had become increasingly unrestrained, often mocking her. How undignified!
Oh, they weren’t here now. As long as they were safe, a little less decorum was fine.
Cai Zhao was born with high expectations. It was said that Cai Pingshu had initially refused medication, ready to accept her fate. However, upon seeing her little niece’s rosy, wrinkled face, she joyfully decided to live long enough to hear the girl call her “Auntie.” So, Cai Pingshu diligently took her medicine and practiced self-healing, miraculously prolonging her life.
When she heard little Cai Zhao speak for the first time, Cai Pingshu worried about her niece being bullied in the future. She decided to pass on her martial arts skills. As the girl’s skills developed, Cai Pingshu then worried about her being too carefree and naive, vulnerable to deception. So, she began imparting life lessons as well.
Day by day, this continued until Cai Zhao turned twelve when Cai Pingshu finally passed away.
Because of this, Cai Pingchun, Ning Xiaofeng, and even Qi Yunke and Zhou Zhizhen all grew to love and appreciate little Cai Zhao. They often said that because of her, Cai Pingshu lived an extra twelve years.
Ning Xiaofeng hoped her daughter would be like Cai Pingshu – valiant, open-minded, and fearless like the bright sun. Cai Pingshu, however, wished the girl would be like Ning Xiaofeng – clever, adorable, and skilled at managing a household.
Cai Pingchun hoped… well, the Valley Master had no opinion.
However, Cai Pingshu and Ning Xiaofeng were completely different people. Cai Pingshu was decisive and determined, always rising at dawn to practice martial arts, rain or shine. Ning Xiaofeng, on the other hand, would sleep until she naturally woke, even with a pile of account books half her height waiting, saying that sharpening the knife doesn’t delay wood-cutting.
In the end, Cai Zhao took after both her aunt and mother equally. Before getting up, she always struggled in bed. The half from her aunt told her that time is precious gold, urging her to get up and seize the day. The half from her mother tempted her to sleep a little longer, saying that when she’s old, she’ll miss these moments of rest.
Cai Zhao opened her eyes and slowly sat up, realizing it was nearly dusk again. She smiled wryly, having spent these days busy at night and sleeping during the day.
Two beautiful maids brought freshly ironed clothes, helping her dress and put on shoes, then holding up a mirror to comb her hair.
After sending off the fake Chang Ning last night, as dawn broke, she knew the Qingjing Chamber was empty, with countless eyes secretly watching her. She dared not return there.
She had planned to spend the night at Master Lei’s medicine hut to recuperate, but just as she went back to her room to fetch the bundle Furong had prepared for her, she saw Song Yuzhi standing in the courtyard, inviting her to rest at Chuitian Cove.
At first, Cai Zhao hesitated: “Isn’t this inappropriate? Your reputation…”
“This time, besides a few guard uncles from Guangtian Gate, there’s also a skilled chef,” Song Yuzhi replied.
Cai Zhao immediately expressed that as people of the jianghu, they should be open-minded and not dwell on small matters.
From the outside, Chuitian Cove looked serene, but inside it was decorated like a luxurious palace, with gold and jade everywhere, and brocade at every step.
Song Yuzhi had to explain that this was his father Song Shijun’s taste.
Cai Zhao expressed her approval: “Actually, most people in the world would like such decorations, they just can’t afford them. Your father is fortunate – he not only has mountains of gold and silver but also happens to like mountains of gold and silver.”
Song Yuzhi: …
After spending time together, he knew that often Cai Zhao didn’t intentionally try to annoy people. He thought it best to learn to appreciate Cai Zhao’s unique way of speaking; otherwise, he might die of frustration.
So he said, “Yes, fortunately, the mountains of gold and silver met my father, or they would have been lost.”
After washing up, Cai Zhao sat down to eat. Having slept from sunrise to sunset, she wasn’t sure what to call this meal.
After a few bites, she inwardly sighed, “Oh my!”
The white jade bitter gourd soup had miraculously transformed from bitter to sweet and delicious. The eight-treasure duck was tender with distinct meat fibers. The stir-fried crispy vegetables were cooked to perfection. Even the rice seemed to have been steamed in bamboo tubes, leaving a lingering fragrance.
As she ate, Cai Zhao pondered – should she discuss with Qi Lingbo about her marrying into the Peiqiong Manor, while she remarried into the Song family?
Alright.
She shook her head inwardly. People of the martial arts world valued their word above all. How could she consider remarrying for just a few dishes? Besides, she hadn’t even tried the Zhou family’s chef yet – they might be even better.
The two beautiful maids stood nearby, attentively serving dishes and soup.
Cai Zhao looked at their pretty faces, full of envy: “Do you serve Third Senior Brother like this at every meal?”
Unexpectedly, upon hearing this, both maids looked aggrieved.
One maid said, “I wish we could, but the young master won’t allow it. He even sends us far away.”
The other maid added, “Miss Qi is too fierce. She threatens to beat us whenever she sees us sisters. The young master said he’d send us back to Guangtian Gate after a while.”
Cai Zhao was indignant: “Senior Sister Lingbo truly doesn’t know how blessed she is! To have such gentle and attentive beauties serving her is a great fortune. How can she want to get rid of you? It’s simply unreasonable!”
The two maids exchanged glances.
One maid coughed lightly: “Perhaps Miss Qi doesn’t like us sisters serving the young master when he bathes.”
Cai Zhao: “But bathing requires assistance. One can’t reach their own back.”
The two maids: …
The other maid, somewhat embarrassed: “Maybe Miss Qi doesn’t like us sleeping in the young master’s room at night.”
Cai Zhao: “Wow, you even keep watch for Third Senior Brother at night? I thought there were no such diligent maids nowadays. You two are truly dedicated.” Furong and Feicui sleep even more soundly than her, sometimes even snoring. Asking them to serve tea or water is out of the question. If there’s a fire, she’d have to wake them up herself. It’s truly infuriating!
The two maids: …
The meal lasted until dusk, and the two beautiful maids were almost reluctant to let Cai Zhao leave, regretting that the Song family hadn’t arranged a marriage with the Cai family years ago.
Cai Zhao bid farewell to the beauties and leisurely walked towards Song Yuzhi’s quarters.
As she approached the main living quarters, guards with swords discreetly appeared around her. A middle-aged man with a short beard and square face stood at the door, smiling: “Ah it’s young Miss Cai. You look much better after eating and resting well.” He then asked Cai Zhao about her business and let her in.
Song Yuzhi was reading by lamplight, wearing an outer robe. Seeing Cai Zhao enter, he hurriedly put on his robe properly. “Uncle Pang, why didn’t you have me dress before letting my junior sister in?”
Pang Xiongxin grinned: “You weren’t undressed, why so many formalities?” He then left.
Cai Zhao waited for Song Yuzhi to dress before lifting the beaded curtain and entering the inner room.
“You might want to add a shawl. The neckline of that robe is a bit wide, showing your collarbone,” she thoughtfully reminded the handsome young man before her.
Song Yuzhi resisted the urge to pull his collar closed. “…That won’t be necessary.”
“Let’s talk,” Cai Zhao sat at the table. “I have many things to discuss with Third Senior Brother… Oh, is there no tea here?” She lifted the empty teapot, wanting a sip after her heavy dinner.
Song Yuzhi had to fetch a purple copper teapot from a nearby warmer and personally pour tea for Cai Zhao.
“What’s the situation on the mountain now?” Cai Zhao gently blew on her teacup—it was premium Yunting fragrant tea, a few cups of which could buy a shop.
Song Yuzhi sat down slowly. “Master Lei openly admitted his fear and retreated to the medicine hut, confining Junior Brother Fan and other disciples. Master Li seems half-believing, half-doubting, ordering Senior Brother Zhuang and others to intensify patrols, guarding against both external and internal threats. Masters Ouyang and Chen still follow Muweixiong’s orders but maintain a clear boundary with the newly arrived group. The… Sect Leader has ordered strict guarding of the cliff dungeon, allowing no slack.”
Cai Zhao then asked, “What about the Master’s wife?”
“The Double Lotus Flower Pool Palace remains tightly closed.”
Cai Zhao uncertainly asked, “You brought me to Chuitian Cove. Didn’t Senior Sister Lingbo come to scold?”
Song Yuzhi poured himself a cup of tea. “She wanted to, but the Master’s wife kept her in check. So she sent a maid to scold you, whom I sent away.”
“It seems Senior Sister Lingbo doesn’t like you much, Third Senior Brother?” Cai Zhao held her teacup. “If Zhou Yuqi dared to bring an attractive young woman back to his quarters, surely…”
Song Yuzhi’s eyes flashed. “You’d certainly break off the engagement?”
Cai Zhao: “…Why break off an engagement over such a small matter? A couple of beatings would suffice.”
Song Yuzhi set down his teacup. “It seems you don’t like Young Master Zhou much either.”
In truth, he had always known that Qi Lingbo didn’t necessarily like him much. She just always wanted the best, even if she didn’t like it, and wouldn’t allow others to have it.
Under the gilt jade sword-branch lamp stand, the tea-drinking girl’s lips glowed red from the steam, her skin luminous and white, emitting a pearl-like luster.
Song Yuzhi stood up, irritably moving to the window. “It’s getting late. If Junior Sister has nothing else to say, you should return…”
“No, no, no, I have things to say,” Cai Zhao hurriedly got to the point, not daring to indulge in more tea—
“It’s said that two hundred years ago, only Muweixiong existed here, with everything else built gradually later,” she said. “For instance, the high frame with the hanging iron gong in front of Muweixiong was built by the second sect leader. The large training ground on the back mountain was built by the third sect leader. This vast stretch of elegant courtyards along the lake was the work of the sixth sect leader…”
Song Yuzhi frowned. “What are you trying to say?”
“Don’t be impatient, Third Senior Brother. I’m getting to the point,” Cai Zhao raised her small hand to pacify him. “In short, it seems each sect leader adds something to the sect. Even our Master, who loves causing trouble, built Xianyu Linglong Residence for Senior Sister Lingbo and renovated Chunling Xiaozhu for me…”
“Xianyu Linglong Residence was built by the Master’s wife for Lingbo,” Song Yuzhi meticulously corrected—he had specifically waited until Qi Lingbo moved into Xianyu Linglong Residence before proposing to live in the farthest Chuitian Cove.
“Oh, it’s all the same,” Cai Zhao continued. “The late Elder Sect Leader Yin also made remarkable contributions. That water prison with complete torture instruments was his idea. However, the cliff dungeon currently holding the Thousand Faces Sect disciples probably wasn’t built by Elder Sect Leader Yin. Judging from the chisel marks and wear on the stone steps, it must have been constructed about six or seven years ago.”
Song Yuzhi turned, gazing at the girl. “What do you want to do?”
Cai Zhao looked up at him, her gaze clear and determined. “Senior Brother doesn’t need to worry about what I want to do. I just ask for Senior Brother’s help with a few matters.”
…
At 3:30 AM, outside the cliff dungeon, the night wind howled, plants and trees swaying wildly.
Several guards patrolled back and forth. Two sect disciples shivered as they stood on a high rock in the outer circle, scanning the surroundings from above.
“Hey, what rotten luck! Drawing the late-night shift. We were sleeping soundly only to come here and drink cold wind!”
“The first half of the night is cold and windy too! Master Li said to move the Thousand Faces Sect troublemaker to the outer gate for stricter supervision. There are braziers and rooms there, much more comfortable. But those newcomers refuse to let go! Do you think they don’t trust us? Are they afraid we’ll take control once it’s on our turf?”
“Nonsense, we don’t trust them either. Why does Master Li insist on having people work together with them to guard? It’s pitch black, who would come to break someone out of prison? We’re suffering for nothing!”
“Do you know or are you just guessing? Who else could it be?”
“You mean Junior Sister Cai? Would she? I heard she was also deceived by that impostor pretending to be Great Hero Chang’s son.”
“Whether it was deception or collusion with the demon cult, that’s hard to say.”
“Hey, do you think our Sect Leader has been replaced?”
“Of course not! What body-changing technique? It’s all just rumors. Early this morning, Master Li asked the Thousand Faces Sect troublemaker to transform into someone else as a test. Who knew he’d claim his power was exhausted and he temporarily couldn’t perform it—see, it’s just that impostor pretending to be Great Hero Chang’s son making things up and slandering our Sect Leader!”
“Sigh, is there such a divine skill in this world that can turn one person into another?”
“There is,” a soft girl’s voice replied.
Both disciples were startled. They looked at each other first, and by the time they reacted, both felt their bodies go numb and lost consciousness.
Cai Zhao slowly retracted her two fingers.
She looked at the dry, overgrown grass before her and muttered to herself helplessly, “I didn’t expect I’d have to learn from that guy.”
…
The wild grass caught fire instantly. Aided by the wind, golden-red flames immediately lit up the sky.
The patrolling disciples in the distance looked closely and shouted, “Oh no, there’s a fire at the cliff dungeon!”
Just as they were about to go put out the fire, they vaguely saw a person dragging something in the shadows. They immediately raised their torches and shouted, “Who goes there? Quickly identify yourself!”
The girl raised her head, her dark hood falling back to reveal a bright and beautiful face. “Couldn’t sleep again, so I came out for a walk.”
…
An urgent, shrill silver whistle sounded—four long blasts and one short. As soon as other patrolling disciples heard it, they immediately blew their whistles too, spreading the alarm.
Zhuang Shu heard the whistle and knocked on his master’s door before entering. “Master…”
Li Wenxun was already dressed and up, his face dark as water. “I heard it. Have all sword-wielding disciples of three years or more gather at Ten Thousand Waters and Thousand Mountains Cliff.” —No matter how Cai Zhao caused trouble, she would ultimately have to pass through Ten Thousand Waters and Thousand Mountains Cliff to leave.
Zhuang Shu saluted and accepted the order.
…
Fan Xingjia hurriedly put on his sleeves as he rushed into the room. “Master Lei, Master Lei, four long whistles and one short—someone’s breaking into the prison! It must be Junior Sister Zhao. Let’s go take a look!”
Lei Xiuming’s face was stern. “What are we going for? To get beaten? With your meager skills, who could you save?”
Fan Xingjia’s face fell. “Then what should we do? Will Junior Sister Zhao die?”
Lei Xiuming turned his head and happened to see the brocade robe laid out on the clothes rack. Another vivid face flashed in his mind—”Wow, I’ve never seen embroidery like that on your clothes. It’s so beautiful and unique. Can I trade something for it?”
He hadn’t agreed, so the girl had stolen it away in the night, leaving behind two snow lotuses.
Snow lotuses worth a fortune are exchanged for just an ordinarily exquisite robe and a mediocre jade crown.
He had been stunned for a long time then.
—There would never again be such a foolish girl who would trade snow lotuses for his clothes and crown.
Lei Xiuming remained silent for a long while, then sighed deeply. “Wake up the guards. They’ll protect us as we go over. If Zhao gets injured, we might still be able to save her.”
Fan Xingjia was overjoyed.
…
Qi Lingbo’s face flushed with excitement. “I knew it, I knew that little bitch Cai Zhao wouldn’t stay quiet! Did you hear? She must be breaking into the prison! Second Senior Brother, let’s go watch the show!”
“Of course we’re going!” Dai Fengchi was almost grinning from ear to ear. “We’ll see her beaten half to death!”
“Where do you think you’re going? None of you are allowed to leave!” Yin Sulian emerged from the inner room with a cold face. “Are my words falling on deaf ears? The situation outside is unclear. What are you meddling for? Everyone stay put right here!”
Qi Lingbo became anxious. “Mother… we’re not going to interfere. We’re just going to watch!”
Dai Fengchi also urged, “That’s right, we won’t get involved. We just want to see Cai Zhao in trouble to vent our anger!”
Yin Sulian firmly refused.
Qi Lingbo became desperate, shouting that she’d draw her sword and force her way out.
At this point, Old Woman Mao came to persuade them. “We’ll stand far away to watch. I won’t let the young miss and young master get hurt.”
Yin Sulian relented reluctantly. “Alright, Old Woman Mao, go with them. Take a few skilled hands and don’t let those two get too close.”
…
Pang Xiongxin entered the room with his sword, saying gravely, “Young Master, there’s a commotion outside. Are we going or not?”
Song Yuzhi stood by the window, fully dressed, as if he hadn’t slept at all and had been standing there for who knows how long. He said, “Of course, we’re going, but our people can’t get involved.”
Pang Xiongxin was stunned. “But I heard the one breaking into the prison is Young Miss Cai…”
Song Yuzhi turned around. “Uncle Pang, please listen to me.”
Pang Xiongxin looked at the determined young man before him, full of trust. “As you command.”
…
About three to four miles from Ten Thousand Waters and Thousand Mountains Cliff, on the open ground west of Muweixiong’s second hall.
The girl pulling the water bucket cart was surrounded. Overlapping torches and lanterns around her lit up the night as bright as day. Hurried footsteps and voices rising and falling created a tense and eerie bustle.
The fake Qi Yunke stood on high ground, shouting to Li Wenxun not far away, “You see now? I told you she was in cahoots with that little demon cult thief all along.”
Li Wenxun’s face was black as iron, not saying a word.
The fake Qi Yunke laughed coldly and loudly. “Cai Zhao, I knew you were going to break someone out. You’re indeed colluding with the demon cult!”
Cai Zhao, still holding the rope of the water bucket cart, looked up with a smile upon hearing this. “Stop going on about the demon cult. Let’s say something fresh—Nie Zhe, you despicable, shameless, two-faced coward without an ounce of backbone. If you weren’t relying on the dead Nie Hengcheng’s reputation to keep up appearances, you’d have been crushed like a bedbug long ago!”
After her loud tirade, she turned to the imposter Qi Yunke and the group of grey-clad men, smirking, “Gentlemen, why don’t you try hurling some insults too? What’s stopping you?”
The fake Qi Yunke’s face turned ashen. The grey-clad men pressed their lips tightly shut, while several made moves to lunge at Cai Zhao.
Cai Zhao turned to address the disciples from various sects: “Do you dare to shout like that? Those who dare might be in cahoots with the demonic cult.”
Immediately, several disciples followed suit, hurling insults at Nie Zhe. Some even went above and beyond in their abuse.
Cai Zhao then looked back at the fake Qi Yunke: “Master, did you see that? No true disciple of Beichen would dare insult the leader of the demonic cult.”
Li Wenxun cast a puzzled glance in their direction.
Urged on by the man with the short, hawk-like nose, a few grey-clad men were pushed forward. They stuttered out some half-hearted insults at Nie Zhe, lacking any real force or conviction. It was as if they were being forced into prostitution against their will.
The fake Qi Yunke waved his hand dismissively and addressed Cai Zhao, “You talk too much. Whether or not you’re in league with the demonic cult, it’s a fact that you kidnapped the Thousand Faces Sect member. Senior Brothers Li, Ouyang, and Chen, what do you think?”
Li Wenxun frowned, waving his hand. Outer disciples quickly surrounded Cai Zhao in layers.
Ouyang Keye and Chen Qiong exchanged glances before directing the inner disciples to join in.
Seven or eight grey-clad men also tried to approach, but the short, hawk-nosed man stopped them. He grinned crookedly and whispered, “Let them fight it out first. We’ll observe the Qingque Sect’s skills—and if the opportunity arises, we can snatch back that surnamed Qian boy.”
He nodded towards the water barrel cart.
The grey-clad men understood.
With arrangements made, all eyes turned to the clearing below.
A disciple with a mischievous grin approached, saying, “Sister Cai, I apologize, but we’ll have to hurt you.” He then flourished his sword, intending to lightly wound and capture Cai Zhao.
“No need for courtesy,” Cai Zhao retorted. She parried his sword with her own and launched a flying kick that sent the disciple soaring like a kite with its string cut.
A brief silence fell over the scene.
Cai Zhao, wielding a half-blunt sword, used it to point and swiftly knocked down the two disciples at the forefront.
The crowd of disciples finally took her seriously, shouting as they rushed towards her.
Cai Zhao swung her arms, and the dull grey sword in her hand proved unexpectedly effective. The first ring of disciples quickly fell at her feet.
The disciples in the outer circle, initially reluctant to gang up on a young girl, now saw their comrades fall. They raised their swords and attacked in groups of three to five.
Fearless, Cai Zhao broke through the first attacker’s sword stance with lightning speed, then swiftly struck his face with the flat of her blade, knocking him unconscious. She then struck the second attacker’s wrist, hitting a pressure point and paralyzing half his body. Next, she maneuvered the third attacker’s sword to strike the fourth, then leaped up, flipping her sword to strike down both simultaneously.
She continued to strike left and right, feeling three or four more groups of disciples in an instant.
Fortunately, Cai Zhao was using a blunt sword. Although the disciples cried out in pain, no blood was shed.
Seeing the mob attack fail, Zhuang Shu shouted, “Form the Seven Stars Sword Formation in groups of seven!”
The Big Dipper Sword Formation was different from ordinary mob attacks. Seven disciples stepped into star positions, forming a sword net to attack Cai Zhao. However, Cai Pingsu had devised a way to break this formation two years ago.
Cai Zhao observed that in the seven-man formation, the Tianxuan position was always the most vulnerable. It had to yield the main attack position to Tianji while assisting Yaoguang. As the formation attacked, Cai Zhao parried the front three with several clangs, then swung her sword at the Tianji position disciple. Simultaneously, her left hand released a flash of silver, whipping through the Tianji disciple’s armpit and tightly binding the Tianxuan position disciple.
Cai Zhao swung her sword while pulling the silver chain, instantly breaking the formation.
At the same time, two grey-clad men tried to steal the water barrel cart, but she lashed out with her sword and chain, driving them back two zhang.
The young woman moved like an elusive shadow, flying about and swiftly taking down two more groups of Seven Stars Sword Formation disciples.
Zhuang Shu and the remaining disciples were terrified.
Cai Pingsu once said, “The greatest danger for martial artists is becoming set in their ways. Even the best techniques become predictable with overuse. One must constantly innovate and improve.” She had warned the Qingque Sect multiple times about the major flaws in their Seven Stars Sword Formation and even devised ways to fix them, but no one would listen.
She was already very powerful then, yet still lacked the authority to be heard.
Cai Zhao thrust her sword straight out again, taking down the last disciple of the third Seven Stars Sword Formation group.
By now, she had defeated three or four sects’ worth of disciples.
The crowd was in an uproar, unable to believe their eyes.
The young woman stood in the center, sword in hand, her skin fair as snow and face beautiful as a flower, her expression cold and detached.
A ring of fifty or sixty disciples surrounded her, yet none dared to make the first move.
Qi Lingbo watched from afar, a complex and strange feeling rising in his heart. However, he said aloud, “Look, she’s at the end of her strength. It won’t be long before she’s beaten into the mud!”
Dai Fengchi gritted his teeth and agreed, insisting that was indeed the case.
The fake Qi Yunke grew impatient and shouted, “Don’t stick to the sword formation! All disciples, use your skills to capture this rebel!”
Hearing the sect leader’s order, the disciples abandoned their formation tactics and decided to overwhelm Cai Zhao with sheer numbers.
The front row of disciples advanced together, their swords pointing at Cai Zhao in unison.
Cai Zhao’s left hand whipped out the silver chain, cracking it several times to drive them back, while her right-hand thrust, chopped, and stabbed with her sword, striking pressure points.
Suddenly, someone burst through from behind, scattering the disciples with a flurry of blows, all the while cursing angrily, “Have you no shame? It’s disgraceful enough that so many of you are fighting one person! Now you want to use such despicable tactics? You might as well go down the mountain and find a hundred or so peddlers to surround Cai Zhao! Why bother learning martial arts or practicing swordplay? Just go be ordinary civilians!”
The scattered disciples yelped and scurried away, clutching their heads.
Everyone looked closely and realized it was Ding Zhuo.
Zhuang Shu laughed, “So you’ve come out after all?”
Ding Zhuo’s face was cold as he replied, “With all this commotion outside, how could I stay hidden? These days, people in the martial arts world increasingly lack the true spirit of martial arts. They’re willing to use any lowly, underhanded trick!”
Shamed by his scolding, the disciples’ faces reddened. No longer daring to form a human wall, they could only confront Cai Zhao in small groups, hoping to wear her down.
After all, with nearly two hundred people present, Cai Zhao would eventually exhaust herself.
As they watched Cai Zhao continue to mow down opponents like a scythe through grass, seemingly invincible, Zhuang Shu decided to step in himself. However, Ding Zhuo held him back, saying, “You’re Senior Brother Li’s top disciple. If Cai Zhao beats you to a pulp, how will Senior Brother Li save face?”
Zhuang Shu had no choice but to stand down.
At this moment, Zeng Dalou arrived. He rushed into the fray, shouting, “Zhao-Zhao, stop this madness! You can’t escape with so many people here. I’ll plead with the master for you…”
Cai Zhao had just disabled two disciples when she turned and found Zeng Dalou blocking her path.
Two grey-clad men seized this opportunity. They swiftly lassoed the water barrel cart and pulled it away, tipping it over. The unconscious man inside, his acupoints sealed, rolled out. It was none other than Young Master Qian.
The short, hawk-nosed man was about to burst into laughter upon seeing Young Master Qian retrieved, but his laugh suddenly caught in his throat—
The entire scene fell silent.
It turned out that when Cai Zhao turned and saw Zeng Dalou, she delivered a lightning-fast sword thrust to his chest.
Zeng Dalou stared down blankly at the blunt sword deeply embedded in his chest, warm blood already flowing freely.
Because it was a blunt sword, the pain was even more intense.
Cai Zhao slowly twisted and pulled out the sword, a smile playing on her lips. “Senior Brother, you’ve finally arrived.”
Lei Xiuming let out a piercing scream: “Zhao-zhao, have you gone mad?!” How could she plead for Cai Zhao now that she had killed Zeng Dalou?
The disciples were struck dumb with shock. Throughout the difficult battle, Cai Zhao never killed anyone. They had gradually lowered their guard, never expecting the young woman to suddenly deliver a fatal blow.
And to kill Zeng Dalou of all people!
Li Wenxun gritted his teeth, preparing to enter the fray himself.
Ouyang Keye and Chen Qiong also approached with grim faces, but after a few steps, they halted.
Cai Zhao had quickly untied a coarse hemp rope from her left shoulder. She looped one end around Zeng Dalou and tossed the other high up, hooking it over a bare, century-old pine tree. With great effort, she pulled on the rope, hoisting Zeng Dalou’s corpse high into the air.
Fan Xingjia cried out in anguish, “Zhao-Zhao, have you gone insane? Quickly bring Senior Brother down!”
Just as everyone thought Cai Zhao had lost her mind, the suspended corpse of Zeng Dalou began to change. Someone noticed and cried out, “Look! What’s happening to Senior Brother?”
Although it was the dead of night, hundreds of torches illuminated the scene brightly.
Under the collective gaze, the dangling corpse began to writhe and twist like a maggot. The skin and muscles on the forehead, cheeks, hands, and feet undulated grotesquely, alternating between purple and black. Even corpse water began to drip down.
Faced with such an eerie sight, some people stopped what they were doing and stared intently.
Soon, the corpse ceased its contortions.
But the body hanging there was no longer Zeng Dalou. Instead, it bore the unfamiliar face of a man with thick, coarse features.
Several hundred people stood in stunned silence.
Finally, someone cried out, “So the body transformation technique exists in this world!”
This exclamation seemed to break a spell. Suddenly, hundreds of people burst into discussion. Some were surprised, some terrified, some panicked and at a loss, while others exchanged meaningful glances.
Fan Xingjia’s mouth gaped open.
Qi Lingbo stammered, “Who is this person? Where did Senior Brother go?”
Dai Fengchi remarked, “So Cai Zhao wasn’t lying after all.”
Even the usually composed Li Wenxun was left speechless by this turn of events.
After a moment’s thought, he called out loudly, “Outer disciples, heed my command! Everyone, withdraw!”
In truth, the disciples attacking Cai Zhao had already stopped. With this order, the outer disciples hurriedly retreated behind Zhuang Shu.
Ouyang Keye and Chen Qiong, after a brief stunned silence, slowly ordered their inner disciples to cease the attack and fall back.
The fake Qi Yunke was furious. “What’s the meaning of this?! Even if someone replaced Dalou, how can you doubt us? I’ve said it before—this is all a trick by the demonic cult. They’ve swapped a few people to sow doubt among us!”
Li Wenxun bowed, “Sect Leader, you have a point. However, this matter is too strange. We should discuss it further.” He then turned to Cai Zhao, “Zhao-Zhao, we understand your point now. We’ll discuss this matter thoroughly. Don’t be afraid or worry about being misunderstood.”
Cai Zhao switched her blunt sword to her other hand, shaking out her sore right hand behind her back. She smiled, “Afraid? Worried about being misunderstood? Your elders can discuss it yourselves. If I want to go down the mountain to find my father, no one can stop me.”
At this point, Li Wenxun and the others were no longer planning to forcibly restrain Cai Zhao.
The short, hawk-nosed man glanced at the fake Qi Yunke, received a signal, and stepped forward with a cold smile. “If the sect disciples are hesitant due to their bonds, then let us handle this.”
With that, seventy to eighty grey-clad men formed a strategic blockade in front of Cai Zhao.
Unlike the previous sect disciples, this group exuded a strong killing intent, their eyes gleaming with bloodlust.
“Hehehe, don’t be scared, little beauty,” a gap-toothed man lunged forward first. Each of his index fingers wore a steel fingertip, their sharp points aimed straight at Cai Zhao’s face.
Cai Zhao caught a whiff of a foul odor and felt dizzy.
At this moment, Fan Xingjia unconsciously stepped forward, pointing at the gap-toothed man and shouting, “That’s the Scorpion Finger technique! This person is—”
The gap-toothed man swung his left hand, shooting two poisoned needles from his sleeve straight at Fan Xingjia.
The change happened so quickly that others either didn’t see clearly or couldn’t react in time to help.
Cai Zhao swung her blunt sword backward, making it spin twice in the air to knock down the two poisoned needles. “Senior Brother Fan, quickly retreat!”
As the man’s poisoned right hand was about to strike, Cai Zhao leaped high, simultaneously slapping her waist. A dazzling arm-blade appeared as she pulled it out, bringing it down on the man’s head.
With a clang, the man retreated, clutching his profusely bleeding right hand and screaming in agony.
Everyone looked closely at Cai Zhao’s weapon. The blade was about three to four fingers wide, seven to eight inches shorter than a typical long sword. When sheathed in her belt, it was as thin as a cicada’s wing, yet once extended, it seemed indestructible.
“That’s the Yan Yang Blade,” a familiar, clear, and cold voice rang out.
The disciples turned to see Song Yuzhi approaching slowly, surrounded by guards from the Guangtian Gate.
“This Yan Yang Blade should be Lady Cai Pingsu’s weapon,” Song Yuzhi continued. “To this day, no one knows who forged this blade. Back then, when Lady Cai wielded it, she was unmatched throughout the land.”
Song Yuzhi wasn’t the only one who recognized it. Amidst the gap-toothed man’s screams, exclamations of “Yan Yang Blade” erupted throughout the crowd.
“Mm.” Cai Zhao gently stroked her beloved blade.
The blade seemed coated with a thin layer of rouge, accentuating its intense and intricate patterns. It was truly a sight of unparalleled beauty.
It was hard to imagine that someone as free-spirited and unrestrained as Cai Pingsu would use such an exquisitely beautiful weapon.
The short, hawk-nosed man pointed at the Yan Yang Blade, his voice trembling, “This, this is…”
“Wrong,” Cai Zhao held the blade in front of her. “This blade is stained with Nie Hengcheng’s blood! You’re unlucky enough to have the chance to test it.”
The young woman holding the blade seemed to have transformed into a different person, her eyes brimming with excited battle intent, eagerly awaiting strong opponents.
The short, hawk-nosed man shouted, “Everyone, foll—”
Before he could finish, Cai Zhao had already charged into the group of grey-clad men. With two clangs, she severed an eighteen-foot snake spear and a sword, then swept her blade horizontally, slitting two men’s throats in one stroke!
The two grey-clad men clutched their throats, unable to make a sound before falling.
Cai Zhao’s blood boiled, her eyes seeing nothing but one enemy after another.
She stepped forward, thrusting upward, then brought her blade down diagonally, saying, “Left arm!”
A grey-clad man’s left arm flew into the air, blood spraying everywhere.
“Right leg!” She spun, attacking the lower body.
Another grey-clad man’s right leg was severed at the knee, blood staining the yellow sand.
She flipped, sliding past an enemy’s armpit, “Lower abdomen!”
A grey-clad man’s belly burst open, intestines spilling onto the ground.
As her fervor gradually subsided, Cai Zhao recalled Cai Pingsu’s words:
“When you reach the pinnacle of combat with an enemy, you may even forget life and death. Your eyes will only see one opening after another. People are no longer enemies, lives are no longer lives. They are merely openings to be split by your sharp blade.”
The short, hawk-nosed man, seeing several of his men fall, realized he couldn’t let them continue to attack haphazardly. He quickly arranged a formation for a more composed assault.
By now, Cai Zhao had become aware that she was killing people. Her hands no longer trembled, and her mind grew calmer, focusing solely on facing her opponents.
The group of grey-clad men advanced like a rolling landslide, slowly pushing forward as if they could engulf everything.
Yet, a strand of intense light cleaved through the dark, muddy flow. As the girl’s blade danced, a brilliant red glow shimmered, dazzling in its beauty.
The two sides fought to a standstill.
The sect disciples watched, their spirits shaken—
Zhuang Shu stared in disbelief. He turned and said, “Ah Zhuo, you were right. Thank you.”
Ding Zhuo, engrossed in the scene, hadn’t heard clearly and asked, “What did you say?”
“You told me earlier not to enter the fray, lest I be beaten like a dead dog. You were right, thank you,” Zhuang Shu said. “By the way, didn’t you always say you wanted to duel her? Have you done it? What was the outcome?”
Ding Zhuo: …
— Damn it, I saved you, and this is how you repay me by hurting me.
Fan Xingjia watched, his mouth dry. He slowly retreated to Lei Xiuming’s side, “Senior Uncle Lei, I was wrong.”
Lei Xiuming: “What nonsense are you spouting?”
Fan Xingjia: “When you told me before that Lady Cai Pingsu, at just a few years old, had beaten a group of experts at the Taichu Temple’s grand competition, leaving you no time to even treat your wounds overnight—I believed you then. Now I see that everything you said was true.”
Lei Xiuming: … You little brat!
Qi Lingbo bit her lip hard, repeatedly telling herself in her mind, ‘This is nothing special, nothing special…’ But deep down, she knew very well that this was indeed extraordinary!
Dai Fengchi held his breath, “These useless people, I’ll go down and face Cai Zhao myself!” He had just started to move when Old Lady Mo pressed him down, taking away his sword and handing it to a guard for safekeeping.
“What’s going on?!” — A sudden shout rang out.
It turned out that the two grey-clad men who had retrieved Young Master Qian noticed that the person in their hands was ‘twisting.’ In a moment, Young Master Qian’s face had changed into that of another person.
A disciple nearby recognized him, “Eh, isn’t this Cui Sheng?”
The grey-clad men were furious. They quickly unsealed Cui Sheng’s acupoints.
Cui Sheng woke up, shouting incoherently, “Ouch, ouch, how did I end up here? Who knocked me out…”
The fake Qi Yunke and the short, hawk-nosed man exchanged bewildered glances. The stone wall dungeon was under strict guard. It was one thing for Cai Zhao to set a fire and snatch someone—that was quickly discovered. But when and how did she manage to switch the prisoners?
Song Yuzhi’s mind flashed back to a previous scene—
“The first favor I ask is for Third Senior Brother to tell me about a secret passage.”
“What secret passage?”
“The one leading to the stone wall dungeon.”
“…”
“The first time I entered the stone wall dungeon, I noticed that one of the three or four iron brackets on the wall was fake. There must be a hidden door behind it. What’s behind the hidden door? If it’s a secret room, it must be a secret passage. It would be pointless to have a secret room in a dungeon, so I guess it’s a passage.”
“What does this have to do with me?”
“Because this secret passage must have been built by Third Senior Brother’s maternal grandfather. The dungeon was built six or seven years ago, but the three-leaf flower engravings on the iron brackets are the mark of the Duan father and son—Old Man Duan only emerged three years ago.”
“…”
“Old Sect Leader Yin not only built the water dungeon but also created a secret passage for the stone wall dungeon, right? Through this passage, Old Sect Leader Yin could privately interrogate Elder Kaiyang.”
“…”
“Old Sect Leader Yin, who valued bloodlines so much, wouldn’t have trusted others with this. Lady Su Lian wasn’t reliable, so he must have only told his eldest daughter, Lady Qing Lian. Third Senior Brother, did your mother ever mention this secret passage to you?”
Song Yuzhi remembered that the tea had gone cold by the time he answered—
Of course, there was a secret passage. The entrance was behind a conspicuous rock, but he had never been there and didn’t know where the passage led. He never imagined he would reveal this information under such circumstances.
“Sect Leader, what should we do?” The short, hawk-nosed man was getting anxious.
The fake Qi Yunke was also in a panic. Their subsequent plans all relied on Young Master Qian’s body transformation technique. If this person disappeared, all their efforts would be in vain.
“Go find him quickly!” he ordered. “Search every inch of the dungeon, inside and out!”
Cai Zhao had always known that someone was monitoring her outside Chuitian Stronghold, but few knew she was skilled in disguise.
So, before the hour of Zi (11 PM – 1 AM), she had already left Chuitian Stronghold in disguise, found a disciple with a build similar to Young Master Qian’s, knocked him unconscious, and took him away.
When Young Master Qian saw Cai Zhao leap out from behind the stone wall’s hidden door behind the iron bracket, he was so frightened he nearly had a fit.
Cai Zhao told Young Master Qian to transform Cui Sheng into her likeness. At first, Young Master Qian made excuses about depleted energy, but Cai Zhao coldly replied, “I don’t believe you lack the strength to maintain a transformation for just a few hours. This is your last chance to escape from their control. The offer won’t stand for long.”
Young Master Qian assessed the situation and realized that this girl was no easier to deal with than that pock-faced character. He immediately complied and transformed Cui Sheng into his appearance.
Afterward, Cai Zhao sealed Cui Sheng’s acupoints, placed him on the stone bed, and left with Young Master Qian.
After the hour of Yin (3 AM – 5 AM), she set a fire outside the stone wall dungeon but entered through the secret passage herself to retrieve Cui Sheng, creating the illusion of a jailbreak.
“You know the art of disguise. That’s enough to fool ordinary people. You could have quietly slipped away with Qian. Why did you have to cause such chaos?” In the dim lamplight, Song Yuzhi stared intently at Cai Zhao.
The girl replied firmly, “I needed to expose the Thousand Faces Sect’s deception in front of everyone. Everyone needed to know that the body transformation technique was real. This matter couldn’t be covered up or hidden—it couldn’t rely on just a few words from someone like Chang Ning with his unclear background, or two maids shouting outside.”
“To prove that the leader of the world’s top sect has been replaced, you need solid evidence. Mere words are useless.”
Song Yuzhi asked, “What’s your evidence?”
“Zeng Dalou,” the girl answered.
“Their original plan was to easily replace Master after he was severely injured. But I ruined their plan, and Master only suffered minor injuries. So they had to use the Soul Confusion Needle—on my father too.”
“Once the Soul Confusion Needle is used, its strong scent would be immediately noticeable. Who could make both Master and my father let their guard down enough to get close and attack successfully?”
“Only Zeng Dalou.”
“Especially for my father. Apart from our own family, he’s not even close to Master, let alone other sect disciples. Only Zeng Dalou, who he’s known since youth, and whose martial arts are far inferior to my father’s—people tend to be less guarded against those much weaker than themselves.”
Song Yuzhi was silent for a moment, then asked, “The body transformation technique can only be undone when the person dies. What if you misjudged and wrongly killed Senior Brother?”
“After we find my father, I’ll pay for Senior Brother’s life with my own,” the girl replied, her gaze steady.
Song Yuzhi looked up—sure enough, the fake Qi Yunke and his group were in a panic.
They couldn’t find Young Master Qian.
“Capture Cai Zhao! Force her to reveal Young Master Qian’s whereabouts!” The fake Qi Yunke gritted his teeth.
The short, hawk-nosed man dared not hold back any longer. He glared at Cai Zhao with sinister intent.
Song Yuzhi glanced at Pang Xiongxin.
Understanding the signal, Pang Xiongxin led a team of guards into the fray.
Soon, there was a clanging of metal, and Pang Xiongxin’s roar could be heard: “You bunch of bastards! What’s this? Do you dare use hidden weapons? Since when did the Six Sects of Beichen have such rules?”
He had led his men to charge into the group about to use hidden weapons on Cai Zhao, disrupting them with slashes and strikes.
The fake Qi Yunke cursed, “You’re obstructing my capture of this rebellious disciple. What are you trying to do?!”
Pang Xiongxin laughed heartily, “Capture? More like maim! Beat her half to death, then interrogate at leisure, right?”
Li Wenxun looked at the fallen hidden weapons on the ground, his face grim. “Sect Leader, using such underhanded methods against our disciple—aren’t you afraid of being ridiculed?”
The fake Qi Yunke barely contained his anger. “Brother Li, you’ve seen it. That rebellious disciple has hidden away the Thousand Faces Sect disciple. If their body transformation technique spreads through the martial world, it will cause great harm! If Cai Zhao would honestly reveal where she’s hidden him, why would we resort to such measures? Brother Li, can’t you persuade her?”
Cai Zhao, hearing this, slashed diagonally at an opponent’s forehead while smiling, “I do know the Thousand Faces disciple’s whereabouts. It’s just that I casually broke into a prison, not knowing I’d rescued a fake. I haven’t had the chance to ask Master where he’s hidden the real one. Perhaps he’s keeping him for some other purpose?”
Her response was brilliantly ambiguous, making the truth seem false and the false seem true. The fake Qi Yunke was furious but helpless.
—Song Yuzhi watched this man from afar, secretly wondering who he was, able to impersonate Master Qi Yunke so convincingly.
“Rather than taking such risks, why not find a way to secretly capture that fake sect leader and interrogate him properly?” Song Yuzhi had listened to the girl’s plan and felt his scalp tingle.
“Does Third Senior Brother believe that just by capturing that imposter, we can learn Master and Father’s whereabouts?” Cai Zhao’s smile held a trace of sadness. “That imposter is just a pawn, one that could be exposed at any time. Why would they let a pawn know such crucial secrets?”
Song Yuzhi, with years of experience in the martial world, knew the girl spoke the truth and remained silent.
Cai Zhao continued calmly, “They went to such great lengths to capture Master and Father alive. I don’t believe they’d kill them easily. So, when would they lose their value and be disposable? When the imposters have completely replaced them—that’s why I must make a big scene, one that can’t be covered up, one that forces the imposters to stand firm.”
“And then?” Song Yuzhi pressed.
“That’s the second favor I need to ask of you, Senior Brother,” Cai Zhao smiled slightly. “After I leave, you’ll need to stabilize the situation at Mount Jiuli. As long as the imposter insists on his identity, Senior Uncle Li and the others will have reservations. They might imprison or interrogate, but at most, it’ll end in house arrest. The Guangtian Gate is different—”
Song Yuzhi understood the deep meaning in the girl’s eyes. “You’re certain?”
“I can’t be,” the girl shook her head. “Aunt once said, when you’re at a loss and don’t know what to do, don’t worry about this or that. Just do what your heart desires most, and don’t regret it, right or wrong—I want to go down the mountain. I feel the answer lies below.”
Song Yuzhi snapped back to the present, hearing the imposter’s shouts again.
“Since Brother Li is powerless to help, please step aside. After we capture this rebellious disciple, we can discuss further.” The fake Qi Yunke’s face darkened. “As the sect leader, I declare that any disciple willing to obey the order to capture Cai Zhao has already fallen for the demonic cult’s tricks and intends to betray their master and rebel against the sect.”
At these words, Li Wenxun and the others hesitated, unsure how to proceed.
Pang Xiongxin grinned brazenly, “Don’t glare at me, Sect Leader. I’m a coward, can’t handle threats. Besides, we’re not part of the Qingque Sect.”
The fake Qi Yunke spat hatefully, “If you’re not a sect disciple, why are you interfering?!”
Pang Xiongxin put on a righteous face, “We of the Guangtian Gate have always been upright and just, helping the weak and standing up for what’s right. We detest… detest…” He coughed, running out of flowery words. “In short, we can’t stand underhanded behavior.”
He spread his hands, “Can’t help it. Guangtian Gate disciples are just so righteous. The righteousness in our dantian just bursts out uncontrollably. We couldn’t hold it back even if we tried.”
Ouyang Keye and the others struggled to hold back their laughter.
Pang Xiongxin not only prevented the grey-clad men from using hidden weapons but also discouraged too many people from ganging up on Cai Zhao.
—In truth, Cai Zhao now feared human wave tactics less. Earlier, she had been concerned about hurting her fellow disciples, but now, with her precious blade in hand, she could slash and kill indiscriminately.
After fighting for most of the night, the sky began to lighten.
Cai Zhao looked up, the indigo light of dawn falling on her weary face—her limbs were starting to feel heavy. She knew the night was almost over, and it was time to leave.
She summoned her energy and used the Flying Flower Crossing technique, leaping several times toward the direction of the Endless Mountains and Rivers Cliff.
The short, hawk-nosed man saw Cai Zhao’s intent to escape and shouted, “Everyone, quick! Follow her! She’s trying to escape!”
The grey-clad men followed like a muddy wave. This was exactly what Cai Zhao had been waiting for—their formation was in disarray, people crowding and rushing forward. She swiftly turned back, her blade flashing red like the dawn, and in an instant, blood and flesh flew.
When Song Yuzhi arrived, he saw the girl’s delicate face, pale and tinged with blue, speckled with drops of blood—a shockingly stark contrast.
The night before Cai Zhao left, he had asked her one last question—”Most young girls would prefer to wait for their elders to handle such difficult matters. Why aren’t you willing to wait?”
The girl, her hands on the door bolt, turned back with a smile, “Wait? Until when? Wait a month or so for your father to arrive, then everyone argues, and that imposter still refuses to confess. Would your father dare to torture him severely?”
“Then wait another month, or less, for Uncle Zhou to arrive. More arguments, and finally, the two elders reach an agreement with Senior Uncle Li and the others to interrogate the imposter strictly. And then, the imposter truly knows nothing.”
“After more than a month, Father and Master are still missing. Knowing this, why should we keep waiting?” Song Yuzhi struggled to answer, aware that the girl’s words likely foreshadowed future events.
“In life, we often face extremely unfortunate situations. She’ll discover that family can be relied upon, but elders and close friends cannot. Mountains may crumble, seas may dry up—what can we do? We can only rely on ourselves.” The girl forcefully opened the door, letting in a gust of cold wind.
Then, for the first time, she left.
A fierce battle erupted at Wanshui Qianshan Cliff. The gray-robed men desperately tried to stop Cai Zhao, who unleashed a killing spree.
When Song Yuzhi caught sight of her again, she had already reached one of the iron chain boxes, activating both the firing and release mechanisms.
With a thunderous sound, Cai Zhao’s left hand shot out a straight silver chain, firmly grasping its head.
The crowd at the cliff’s edge could only watch helplessly as she leaped into the air. Propelled by the powerful mechanism, she glided gracefully towards the opposite shore. Behind her, the rising sun drove away the emptiness and secrecy of the night with its golden-red glow.
Dawn broke.
The fake Qi Yunke still roared, “Quickly, after her!”
However, the crowd soon discovered that except for the iron chain, Cai Zhao was using, the mechanisms in the other six chain boxes had been tampered with and couldn’t be fired.
A dull thud echoed from the opposite shore, signaling Cai Zhao’s arrival.
Meanwhile, the mechanism on this side had automatically detached, leaving the chain hanging limply. They would have to wait for disciples on the other side to slowly retract the entire chain through the lock before bringing it back.
The short eagle-nosed man was stunned. “Have they all gone down?”
“Of course, they can be repaired. Even if they can’t, new mechanisms can be installed,” Li Wenxun replied, looking at him as if he were an idiot. With such precautions in place, the Qingque Sect was effectively trapped.
The eagle-nosed man’s spirits lifted. “How long will it take?”
“Two hours to repair, an hour and a half to replace, then half an hour to set before use.”
The eagle-nosed man was speechless. Damn, what’s the difference?
In two hours, Cai Zhao would be long gone from Qingque Town, free to go in any direction. Moreover, with the Thousand-Faced Young Master in her possession, she could assume any identity. How could they possibly find them?
“Why didn’t you send someone to cut the seven iron chains while Miss Cai was fighting earlier? That would have solved everything,” Pang Xiongxin pondered, unable to understand.
Li Wenxun’s face remained expressionless. “Because no one thought Zhao Zhao could fight her way out.” They all assumed she’d be stopped on the way, unable to even reach the cliff’s edge.
Pang Xiongxin nearly burst out laughing but held back upon seeing the gloomy expressions of everyone at Qingque Sect. The gray-robed men looked despondent, while the sect disciples were filled with doubt and fear—after all, not even knowing whether their own sect master was real or fake was quite tragic.
Pang Xiongxin suddenly felt that Guangtian Gate wasn’t so bad. At least when he left, Song Shijun was real. The farewell drink was at Cuihong Tower, and their gate master’s habit of having a madam on his left and a courtesan on his right had remained unchanged for decades. There were no imposters in the world who could replicate that.
Once today’s pigeon message from the Third Young Master arrived, Song Shijun would learn about the Thousand Faces Sect and the Chaos-Breaking Needle. Under strict guard, it seemed unlikely he could be replaced. Praise be to the Buddha of Infinite Life!
…
Upon reaching Fengyun Peak, Cai Zhao “kindly” kicked over a few patrolling disciples who tried to stop her, then made her way down the mountain to a valley halfway up.
This valley was quite flat and hidden from view by a row of dense pine trees, making it difficult for ordinary people to discover.
A light rain began to fall again as seven or eight swill carts stood neatly parked in the clearing.
Every evening at the end of the You hour, Qingque Sect’s miscellaneous affairs manager would lead people to collect kitchen waste from various places. They would use the last normally opened iron chain of the day to send the swill carts to Fengyun Peak. Disciples there would then push the carts to this valley halfway up the mountain.
At dawn the next day, town swill collectors would push empty carts up to retrieve the full ones, leaving behind clean, empty carts.
This routine is repeated daily.
At this moment, the town swill collectors hadn’t yet arrived.
Braving the drizzle, Cai Zhao walked directly to one of the swill carts she had marked. She lifted the lid of one barrel to reveal the Thousand-Faced Young Master, whom the gray-robed men had been desperately searching for.
After releasing his acupoints, the Thousand-Faced Young Master slowly regained consciousness. Looking around and realizing he had spent the night in a swill barrel, he let out a miserable cry, nearly fainting again.
“If you’re alright, let’s go. They’ll come down to chase us in two hours. The further we get, the better,” said the young girl, her body bearing traces of fierce combat and her words tinged with a thick, murderous aura.
The Thousand-Faced Young Master didn’t dare to make a fuss. He scrambled out of the swill cart and obediently followed behind her.
“Are you going to the Great Snow Mountain? It’s a desolate place with no human traces or even animals!”
“To be honest, I have a chronic cough. You could just tell me what the Snow Unicorn Dragon Beast looks like, and we wouldn’t need to go.”
“That’s not a place for people to go! All kinds of wild beasts will eat you. A young girl like you won’t survive there!”
Cai Zhao suddenly turned back and struck out at the Thousand-Faced Young Master with an empty-handed blow.
He froze in terror. A rock behind him shattered, and the flying pebbles hit him, causing pain.
“Now do you think we can go there?” she asked coldly.
“Yes, yes!” The Thousand-Faced Young Master nodded frantically, almost prostrating himself on the ground.
Cai Zhao withdrew her energy and turned to continue down the mountain.
The sun rose at the peak, but from the mountainside down, it remained gloomy with a persistent drizzle.
She had always disliked rainy days because her aunt made her continue training regardless of the weather.
She remembered crying from exhaustion during training one year and angrily exclaiming that she planned to roam the jianghu and uphold justice, so why did she have to train so hard?
Her aunt gently massaged her sore muscles and told her—teaching her skills wasn’t about what she could do, but to ensure she wouldn’t be paralyzed by fear and helplessness when waiting.
In just over a month, she had accomplished much.
As the foot of the mountain came into view, a figure suddenly and silently emerged from behind a tree—
Cai Zhao immediately halted.
A tall, straight-backed young man in wide-sleeved robes stood before them. His features were as if painted, difficult to capture in words. He held an ink-wash paper umbrella, his jade-like fingers long and slender on the handle. The pale cyan hem of his robe fluttered in the slanting wind and fine rain-like trembling flower branches.
Cai Zhao didn’t recognize him.
The Thousand-Faced Young Master did.
But they both stared, somewhat dumbfounded—in this remote wilderness, could this be a ghost from some grave?
“Zhao Zhao,” the handsome young man said, his eyes smiling.
As soon as he spoke, Cai Zhao’s expression changed.
She recognized that voice.
“Surname Mu, given name Qing Yan,” he continued slowly. “I’ve been waiting for you for a day and a night.”