He and A’Li hadn’t known each other very early—at least their friendship wasn’t as deep as that between A’Yan and A’Li. When he first met A’Li, he was already like this… elegant, magnificent, talking and laughing with ease, courteous and refined, and almost omnipotent. But he had heard that A’Li’s father was extremely dissatisfied with him. It was only after the incident with the Bronze Flute’s lead singer that he discovered how important the desire for control and superiority were to A’Li. Why was it like that? He couldn’t understand, just like why A’Li would shoulder the fate of all jianghu people after coming here. Why? Was it also to pursue the desire for control and superiority? Because without this he couldn’t live? Because he couldn’t bear not being the best?
No… Fu Zhumei stared blankly ahead. Perhaps some people would pursue their desires to death, but no one would pursue desires like A’Li did… pursuing them so painfully, pursuing them to the point of nearly driving himself mad.
Ah… He suddenly shook his head vigorously. What was he thinking… What was important now wasn’t why A’Li had become like this, but how to help him return to normal and stop being trapped in past shadows. Right, that bowl of medicine—why was that bowl of medicine poisoned? Could there be people in the Central Plains Sword Assembly who wanted to harm A’Li?
A flash of pink clothing appeared before his eyes. Fu Zhumei raised his head. Walking absent-mindedly, he had almost collided with someone approaching. That person let out an “Aiya,” the voice delicate and beautiful—it was Xifang Tao. Seeing an unfamiliar young servant emerge from Tang Lici’s room, she was quite puzzled. This young white-clothed servant had not only come out of Tang Lici’s room but was also absent-minded, nearly bumping into her.
“Ah! I’m truly sorry.” Fu Zhumei was inattentive, not even glancing at Xifang Tao properly, still walking forward absent-mindedly. After passing two intersections, he suddenly realized he had taken the wrong path and turned back toward the kitchen.
So he was a newly arrived kitchen servant, but why would Tang Lici let him into his room? Xifang Tao’s brows furrowed slightly. This servant showed no courtesy upon meeting people, not even saying hello. She looked up toward Tang Lici’s room. After Chi Yun’s death, Tang Lici had actually not exposed her to everyone, which she found somewhat strange. Tang Lici had been willing to fight her desperately for Chi Yun’s sake—he certainly harbored hatred toward her. But keeping silent and allowing her to remain in the Central Plains Sword Assembly, did he have intentions of encirclement and annihilation? She smiled charmingly. If he wanted to gather the Sword Assembly’s forces to encircle and annihilate Xifang Tao, it would depend on how much confidence everyone still had in him, and whether he himself possessed such ability.
“Zi Yun.” She turned and called out. Zi Yun, who was trimming branches and leaves in the garden behind her, looked up. “What is it, Miss Tao?” Xifang Tao smiled slightly and said gently, “I saw the new kitchen servant take medicinal soup to Young Master Tang. Please go check if Young Master Tang’s injuries are better. I’m afraid if I go in, I’ll disturb his rest.” Zi Yun nodded. “Young Master Tang’s injuries were mostly healed a few days ago. There shouldn’t be any serious problem. I’ll go.” Xifang Tao turned and left. After walking seven or eight zhang, she turned back just in time to see Zi Yun push open Tang Lici’s door.
“Young Master Tang…” Zi Yun stepped through the doorway and suddenly froze. She saw Tang Lici lying on the bed, breathing gently and slowly, sleeping deeply, completely unaware of her entrance. After a pause, Zi Yun quietly withdrew, feeling both sorrowful and tender in her heart. These days had truly been difficult for Young Master Tang. When she turned back to look, Xifang Tao’s figure was nowhere to be seen. She couldn’t help feeling puzzled—where had Miss Tao gone?
In Tang Lici’s room, shadows flitted. Xifang Tao had silently entered the room. Seeing Zi Yun withdraw from the door, she knew Tang Lici was indeed resting and not pretending. Seeing someone sleeping with closed eyes on the bed, she struck directly at the bed with a heavy palm. For many days she had been looking for an opportunity to ambush him. It was rare to see Tang Lici resting in bed. With Chi Yun already dead, if Tang Lici died too, none of the remaining members of the Central Plains Sword Assembly would matter to her.
With a thunderous crash, the sandalwood bed shattered under her hand, wood splinters flying everywhere, directly smashing through the window frame. As the bed curtains collapsed, Tang Lici awoke and dodged. Xifang Tao’s palm had shattered the bed but missed injuring Tang Lici by mere inches. Xifang Tao showed a slight smile and attacked with her palm. Tang Lici sat up to parry, but just as their palms were about to meet and before exerting force, he felt his head splitting with pain and had no choice but to withdraw his palm and retreat, shortening the distance of his palm strike. Xifang Tao laughed heartily. With this laugh, she finally revealed a man’s voice. She thrust forward with one palm, using full power to take Tang Lici’s life!
“Who—” Cheng Yunpao’s voice came from outside the door with a deep shout, immediately followed by the door exploding into pieces as Cheng Yunpao burst in. Xifang Tao’s mind raced. Just as the door was about to break but hadn’t yet, she grabbed the peach-colored clothes from her body and threw them under the bed, wiped her sleeve across her face to put on a human skin mask, and instantly her appearance completely changed. Cheng Yunpao burst into the room and suddenly saw an ugly-faced man in black standing before Tang Lici’s bed. Without thinking, he thrust out his sword. “Who are you?”
As Cheng Yunpao’s sword thrust came, even Xifang Tao didn’t dare take it lightly. However, Tang Lici’s mind was unclear—if she didn’t kill him now, once he was prepared, there might never be another chance. Weighing the pros and cons, Xifang Tao let out a strange laugh, leaned back to dodge the sword, flicked her sleeve, and escaped toward the window. Cheng Yunpao’s second sword thrust followed immediately, the sword wind sharp and fierce, instantly reaching the black-clothed person’s back. Just as he was about to exert force, suddenly the black-clothed person flipped backward in mid-air, narrowly avoiding his direct thrust, using the momentum of the flip to leap over his head, shouting loudly as both palms struck down toward Tang Lici’s crown.
“Tang—” Cheng Yunpao was greatly shocked. His sword momentum was spent and he couldn’t turn back in time to save him. Tang Lici’s chest rose and fell. His surface wounds had long since healed. Seeing the palm strike approaching, he wanted to counterattack with all his heart, but his head was splitting with pain and his body was momentarily so weak it had no strength at all. He just stared fixedly at Xifang Tao. In that split second, Xifang Tao saw his eyes reveal an extremely dazzling brilliance. Even she, such a scheming and experienced master, couldn’t discern in that life-or-death instant whether he was happy or angry, surprised or afraid.
Her palms struck down. Cheng Yunpao had just managed to turn around. Shao Yanping had just arrived at the door and was greatly alarmed at the sight. “Tang—”
Xifang Tao pounced down from mid-air. Tang Lici showed a slight smile, meeting her gaze steadily. In that very instant, a cold gleam like moonlight swept through the air. Everyone in the room felt a chill hit their faces, and with a “crackle,” a layer of white frost actually formed on the door pillar. Xifang Tao sensed the blade’s gleam and shouted loudly, bringing her palms together to hastily parry the cold blade sweeping through the air. However, when palm met blade, with a “snap,” blood splattered three feet. Xifang Tao staggered away, leaving drops of blood behind her.