The knock was soft. After a moment, the door gently opened, and a familiar graceful figure entered—it was Qinong.
Her face was still sweet, her eyes still alluring. Cai Zhao felt momentarily disoriented as if Qinong had just descended from the inn’s second floor with her enchanting steps, completely untouched by the arduous journey they’d endured.
Qinong seemed slightly surprised to see Cai Zhao in the room. She walked to Duan Jiuxiu’s side, bowed respectfully, and presented a stack of snow-white silk handkerchiefs with faint traces of blood visible. She said, “Reporting to the Master, Qinong has completed the mission.”
Duan Jiuxiu took the handkerchiefs and unfolded them, briefly reading the characters. A smile spread across his face. “Good, well done. You’ve worked hard, Qinong.”
Hu Tianwei asked worriedly, “It can’t be fake, can it?”
Qinong playfully pinched Hu Tianwei’s ear with her left hand, saying coquettishly, “Awei, you’re always worrying. As they say, a dying man’s words are sincere. He was on his last breath—why would he deceive me?”
Hu Tianwei yelped in pain, “I was wrong, I was wrong! Please spare me, Sister Qinong. I was just concerned about your fingers hurting from writing so many blood characters.”
Qinong cast a tender glance at Duan Jiuxiu but continued addressing Hu Tianwei, “At least you have a conscience. Oh my, that mental cultivation method—I bit my finger to write it down for fear of forgetting. But as long as I’ve completed the Master’s task without a hitch, any hardship is worth it.”
Cai Zhao found this flirtatious exchange between the age-mismatched pair so nauseating that she wanted to douse them with a bucket of blood.
Duan Jiuxiu, feeling triumphant, laughed heartily. “Truly, heaven is on my side! I appreciate your devotion, Qinong.” He then turned to Cai Zhao, “Little Miss Cai, I’m on the verge of great success. If you’re willing to abandon the dark and join the light, I won’t mistreat you!”
Seeing Cai Zhao’s cold expression, he said irritably, “What, you don’t believe I can succeed?”
“Of course, I believe you,” Cai Zhao replied coldly. “If Miss Qinong can be so affectionate towards an old man with a face like dried tangerine peel, deceiving ordinary men must be child’s play for her.”
Duan Jiuxiu and Qinong’s expressions changed abruptly.
“So, Miss Qinong’s act throughout this journey, playing off Mister Hu, was all to trick the mental cultivation method out of Chen Fuguang’s mouth? Now that you have it…” Cai Zhao stared at Qinong. “Where is Chen Fuguang now?”
Qinong feigned sorrow: “Alas, Young Master Chen’s injuries were too severe. Not wanting to burden me, he jumped into a bottomless ice crevasse. He must have passed from this world by now.”
Cai Zhao coldly replied, “Chen Fuguang wasn’t injured at all. He had a fever from shock.”
Unfazed, Qinong said, “Oh, I must have remembered wrong. Young Master Chen’s illness was too severe. Not wanting to burden me, he jumped into a bottomless ice crevasse. He must have passed from this world by now.”
Cai Zhao knew that Qinong must have pushed Chen Fuguang into some ice hole after tricking him out of the mental cultivation method. What a beautiful yet vicious woman. However, this aligned with her expectations—Duan Jiuxiu and his disciple had no intention of sharing Nie Hengcheng’s divine skill manual with the others.
“Congratulations, Elder Duan. You’ve achieved half your wish. Now, let’s settle the other half,” she said. “Kill Zhou Zhiqin, and I’ll hand over the Snow Scale Dragon Beast’s saliva.”
Zhou Zhiqin, on the ground, shrank back in fear once more.
Duan Jiuxiu’s eyes darkened. “I have a deep blood feud with your Northern Chen Six Sects. You’re not planning to fight me to the death, but letting it go so easily—I suspect there’s a trick here.”
Cai Zhao replied, “Why should I fight you to the death? My guards have already gone down the mountain to spread the word of your actions. You’ve stolen Nie Hengcheng’s divine skill, breaking a major taboo of the Evil Sect. Soon, people will come to settle accounts with you. The Northern Chen Six Sects are happy to watch from the sidelines—why should we expend effort?”
This wasn’t a lie, but the full truth was even more damning. Duan Jiuxiu pressed on, “If you say I’m practicing Nie Hengcheng’s divine skill, why would you be willing to hand over the saliva? Your face may look calm, but you must be plotting something sinister!”
Cai Zhao responded, “Why plot in secret? I can tell you my intentions openly. Although the Evil Sect isn’t as powerful as it was in Nie Hengcheng’s time, even a broken ship has three pounds of nails. With just the three of you as defeated dogs, once the Evil Sect launches a full-scale search, you’ll become three dead dogs in no time—how boring would that be? I’d rather Elder Duan become more powerful, so you can fight the Evil Sect longer and more fiercely. We Northern Chen Six Sects can watch from the sidelines—what’s not to like about that?”
Duan Jiuxiu’s face flickered between black and red.
Cai Zhao’s words were extremely malicious, but by stating them plainly, she left Duan Jiuxiu speechless. The blood feud between the Evil Sect and the Northern Chen Six Sects was well-known, so Cai Zhao’s desire for mutual destruction between Duan and the Evil Sect was entirely reasonable.
“Aren’t you afraid that after I master the divine skill, I’ll eliminate Nie Zhe and then deal with the Northern Chen Six Sects?” he asked gravely.
Cai Zhao snorted, “You think everyone is Nie Hengcheng?”
Duan Jiuxiu clenched his fists. “What do you mean?”
“Years ago, you and Nie Hengcheng were both adopted by the Evil Sect’s leader. He assigned the same masters to teach you martial arts and guide you in handling affairs. But before you turned twenty, Nie Hengcheng had already far surpassed you.”
“My aunt grew up in Peiqiong Manor, practicing and living just like the Zhou clan disciples. Yet only she became invincible and eventually created her martial arts. Do you think the same manual will yield the same power when comprehended and practiced by different people?”
“Even with Nie Hengcheng’s rare, exceptional talent, it took him several years from starting to practice until he achieved the initial stage of the divine skill. Elder Duan, how many years will it take you? Before mastering the divine skill, you’ll need to focus on ensuring your safety.”
Being consistently outperformed by Nie Hengcheng since their youth had been Duan Jiuxiu’s greatest source of resentment. Having Cai Zhao publicly expose his decades-old pain pushed Duan Jiuxiu’s hatred and resentment to the extreme, filling him with murderous intent towards her.
During their exchange, Hu Tianwei had whispered Cai Zhao’s background to Qinong.
Seeing Duan Jiuxiu trembling with rage, Qinong immediately scolded Cai Zhao harshly, “You insolent little wretch! Don’t think you can act fearlessly just because you have the Snow Scale Dragon Beast’s saliva. If you provoke us too far, we’ll kill you even if it means losing the saliva!”
“Miss Qinong, don’t talk as if you have nothing to lose,” Cai Zhao retorted. “You’re in the prime of your life, so naturally, you’re not in a hurry. You have plenty of time to search for the Snow Scale Dragon Beast. But can Elder Duan afford to wait? He’s already been lying low for over a decade for this opportunity. Why ruin everything over a small dispute?”
“Then again, now that you have the manual, perhaps it would be better for you to wait until Elder Duan dies of old age, and then leisurely search for the Snow Scale Dragon Beast’s saliva,” she added, deliberately sowing discord.
Hearing this, Qinong’s face changed dramatically. She quickly said, “Master, please see clearly. Qinong has no such intentions.”
Whether Qinong harbored such thoughts or not, Cai Zhao’s words were very logical and struck Duan Jiuxiu’s core insecurity.
He knew he was already advanced in years. Once he passed away, the manual would naturally fall into his disciple’s and Qinong’s hands. By then, they would be happily together. Moreover, great achievements often require overlooking minor details. For someone of his high status to argue with a teenage girl was pointless, even if he won.
Once he mastered the divine skill and became all-powerful, he could come back and capture everyone who had offended him, making them beg for death but unable to die. That would be truly befitting a great man!
“Why must you kill Zhou Zhiqin?” Duan Jiuxiu asked hoarsely.
Cai Zhao’s dark, bright eyes seemed to pierce through to one’s soul. She replied slowly, “My reason for killing him is the same as your reluctance to do so.”
Duan Jiuxiu: “…What are you talking about now?”
Cai Zhao: “There are no secrets under the sun. You and your disciple have been in hiding for years, fearing the Evil Sect might discover your whereabouts. But practicing the divine skill requires stability—how can you achieve that while living as a fugitives? One mistake could lead to qi deviation. So where should you hide? Is there any better place than within the Northern Chen Six Sects?”
“I suspect you had this planned from the start. You could dispose of Lan Tianyu and Chen Fuguang after using them, but it would be best to keep either Jin Baohui or Zhou Zhiqin alive. Hiding in a manor under Sihui Gate or Peiqiong Manor, with Jin or Zhou to cover for you and take care of your needs, would provide a stable environment for your practice.”
“Jin Baohui is already dead. If Zhou Zhiqin dies too, where will you hide in the future?”
Duan Jiuxiu hadn’t even shared these thoughts with Qinong and Hu Tianwei. They both exclaimed, “Master’s foresight is truly admirable. We’re in awe of your flawless planning.”
Zhou Zhiqin, lying on the ground, felt both worried about being coerced into harboring Evil Sect fugitives and relieved that his usefulness might spare his life for now.
Duan Jiuxiu said, “Since you’ve guessed Zhou Zhiqin’s value to me, you should know I won’t kill him.”
“No, you will kill him,” Cai Zhao replied. “If you don’t, you’ll never master Nie Hengcheng’s divine skill. By killing him, you take some risks but still have a chance of success.” As she spoke, she moved the jade bottle closer to the fire.
Duan Jiuxiu realized this young girl, despite her smiling face, had deep, ruthless intentions that ordinary people couldn’t outmaneuver. He gritted his teeth, “If you spare Zhou Zhiqin, I’m willing to give you a great treasure or do something for you that will benefit you immensely in the future…”
“No need,” Cai Zhao coldly refused. “I’ve already thought this through. I took the risk of coming here alone specifically to kill Zhou Zhiqin. Whether you return to the sect in glory or Nie Zhe purges the ranks, that’s your Evil Sect’s internal affair. But you can’t be allowed to bring trouble to the Northern Chen Six Sects.”
“My aunt has passed away, and while physical wounds heal easily, internal injuries are hard to cure. Chen Fuguang is already dead, and the Northern Chen Six Sects don’t even know Chen Shu had a brother. How can I prove Zhou Zhiqin’s guilt? That’s why this traitor must be eliminated early.”
Cai Zhao didn’t mention another concern: the Northern Chen Six Sects were currently facing multiple crises. With Qi Yunke and Cai Pingchun’s uncertain fates and the six-and-a-half impostors lurking who-knows-where, allowing Duan Jiuxiu and Zhou Zhiqin to take advantage of the situation could have unimaginable consequences.
Duan Jiuxiu’s thoughts churned as various ideas rolled through his mind.
Cai Zhao was right about one thing: his top priority was still the manual and the saliva. Even without Zhou Zhiqin providing a hideout, if he was determined enough, he could retreat deep into the mountains, living off the land for a few years of hardship like a wild man, and still potentially master the divine skill.
“If I kill Zhou Zhiqin, you need to give me some assurance. What if there’s no saliva in that bottle?” he said reluctantly.
Cai Zhao suddenly put on a serious expression: “I swear on my deceased aunt’s name that this jade bottle indeed contains the Snow Scale Dragon Beast’s saliva.”
Remembering Cai Pingsu’s renowned integrity, Duan Jiuxiu felt more inclined to trust Cai Zhao. “Give me the bottle, and I’ll kill Zhou Zhiqin. I won’t deceive you!”
Hearing this, Zhou Zhiqin’s injuries overwhelmed him, and he fainted from shock.
Cai Zhao sneered, “I won’t say anything unpleasant, but Elder Duan seems to think his word is very trustworthy.”
Duan Jiuxiu angrily asked, “Then what do you want?”
Cai Zhao smiled slightly and swung her Yanyang Blade forcefully toward the roof beam, apparently triggering some mechanism. The four bamboo walls of the snow house suddenly collapsed outward, leaving only the roof and four pillars. The knife-like wind and snow immediately swept into the room, spreading coldness everywhere. Only the small fire in the stove near Cai Zhao remained, giving off a feeble warmth.
“First, please ask Miss Qinong and Mr. Hu to walk back thirty Zhang. It’s not very far, just to that snow pine by the cliff edge,” she said.
Qinong and Hu Tianwei looked back and saw the snow pine in the distance, appearing small amidst the wind and snow.
Duan Jiuxiu’s face darkened. “It seems you were well-prepared.” It was clear that Cai Zhao had tampered with the snow house, at least cutting the four bamboo walls so they were barely standing.
Cai Zhao smiled, “Elder Duan should have realized, I left the ice cave much earlier than you. I wasn’t just grooming myself all this time. I found this snow house long ago, originally planning to kill Zhou Zhiqin cleanly if he came alone. But since you all arrived together, I had to resort to this strategy.”
Unwilling to continue matching wits with this cunning girl, Duan Jiuxiu turned and said, “Qinong, Tianwei, go to the back.”
Qinong and Hu Tianwei reluctantly complied, quickly leaping backward. Due to the heavy snow and difficult footing, it took them half a cup of tea’s time to reach the snow pine. From a distance, their figures looked tiny.
Duan Jiuxiu turned back, “Are you satisfied now? What’s next?”
“Second, Elder Duan can now kill Zhou Zhiqin,” Cai Zhao said.
Knowing the girl’s martial arts were inferior to his own, Duan Jiuxiu wasn’t afraid of her breaking the deal. He immediately picked up Zhou Zhiqin’s sword and swung it across his neck, instantly decapitating him.
This traitor to the righteous sects finally met his deserved end.
Cai Zhao nodded, “We’re about ten zhang from the western cliff. Eight zhang below is a flat, extended ice platform where I’ve built a gentle slope with loose snow. The slope is ten zhang long, ending at the true precipice. Falling from there will take you straight down the mountain.”
“In a moment, I’ll count to three and throw the jade bottle towards the cliff. I’ve already tested with ice chunks of similar weight—I throw quite fast, and you’ll likely be unable to catch it. You’ll have to jump down the snowy slope to retrieve it. The slope is gentle, so the bottle won’t roll too quickly, but if you don’t pick it up in time, it will fall off the cliff.”
Duan Jiuxiu, now beyond anger, could only laugh coldly.
Cai Zhao began counting, “One, two, three…”
As she said “three,” she suddenly threw the jade bottle towards the cliff and leaped in the opposite direction.
Unexpectedly, Duan Jiuxiu’s form blurred as a thin cowhide rope flew from his sleeve, its tip curling around the jade bottle like a snake’s tongue. His other hand was already moving to strike Cai Zhao.
Cai Zhao reacted swiftly, immediately turning back to slash with her blade, cutting the cowhide rope in half. The jade bottle, affected by the two opposing forces, flew diagonally towards the northern cliff.
Duan Jiuxiu instantly regretted his actions. While the western cliff at least had snow at its base, the northern cliff had nothing. The jade bottle would surely shatter if it fell there. He wished he hadn’t tried to ambush Cai Zhao out of momentary anger.
In a flash, he desperately lunged for the bottle. Cai Zhao nimbly turned like a diving kite. Neither noticed a figure in flowing robes leaping straight down from the mountain above. With a thunderous crash, the roof collapsed, burying Duan Jiuxiu under the rubble and partially affecting Cai Zhao as well.
“Why haven’t you gone down the mountain yet?” a familiar, critical voice rang out from above.
Cai Zhao didn’t even need to look up to know who it was.