Haoyun Mountain.

Tang Lici was reading a letter. He read any document very slowly, and this letter from Biluo Palace was written quite long, causing him to hold it in his hands for quite some time without even turning the first page. Shao Yanping several times wanted to snatch it over, read it himself, and then tell him the contents, but never dared. After enduring for a full hour, Tang Lici finally finished reading the letter.

“How is it? What does Biluo Palace say in this letter?” Shao Yanping asked urgently. Tang Lici held his forehead and leaned against the bed, his manner quite lazy, handed the letter to Shao Yanping, and smiled slightly. Shao Yanping scanned through ten lines at a glance, and said in shock: “Wanyu Yuedan wants you to go retrieve the pearls from His Majesty’s crown? This… this… are you really going? If you go…” If you go and the remnants of Fengliu Shop appear again, what would we do? Tang Lici slowly rose from bed. He had been resting since his last injury. After being ambushed by the black-clothed person, though there was alarm but no danger, his spirits had improved greatly, and his body had long since recovered. He was being lazy, but Shao Yanping and Cheng Yunpao and the others still treated him with utmost caution.

“Master Shao, the Shaolin Temple abbot assembly still has no results?” After Tang Lici got out of bed, he leaned against his carved and mother-of-pearl inlaid wardrobe, wearing a simple gray robe. Shao Yanping had been with him for a long time and knew this master usually preferred simple clothing. If he ever wore elaborate dress, it either meant he was going to kill someone or his mood was very bad. After looking him over twice, Shao Yanping exhaled: “No, I heard they’re still expounding scriptures and discoursing on doctrine. Fortunately I came back before going, otherwise I would have died of boredom.” Tang Lici smiled slightly: “There’s something that I originally didn’t want Master Shao to know before the Shaolin Temple abbot was decided, but since I must return to the capital, I’m entrusting all affairs here to Master Shao, so this matter must be told.” Shao Yanping was startled: “What matter? Is it about that black-clothed person?” Tang Lici nodded. Shao Yanping was extremely clever, understanding immediately. “How much of what I say does Master Shao believe?” He spoke casually, his tone consistently gentle and calm, like white jade containing warmth.

“Young Master Tang’s words I naturally believe one hundred percent, absolutely without doubt,” Shao Yanping said shamefully. “I absolutely dare not doubt.” Tang Lici smiled slightly: “I said the black-clothed person’s identity shouldn’t be discussed much until the Shaolin Temple abbot assembly ends, but now circumstances have changed… Who exactly is the black-clothed person? Does Master Shao truly have no suspicions?” He spoke slowly: “That night when the black-clothed person attacked Master Shao, who wasn’t present in Shanfeng Hall? That day when the black-clothed person tried to kill me, who sent Hero Cheng to Famous Physician Valley? And who told Zi Yun to scout ahead, and who wasn’t present? What kind of place is Shanfeng Hall – could someone truly come and go freely as if entering uninhabited territory?” Shao Yanping’s face showed shock, stammering: “You’re saying… you’re saying… but she… but she… she’s Master Puzhu’s close friend, and being a woman, how could she have such shocking martial arts?” Tang Lici slowly pulled out a torn pink dress from the wardrobe behind him: “Does it look good?” Shao Yanping gave a dry laugh: “This is…” Tang Lici smiled: “This is the dress that was originally worn over that black clothing.” The peach-colored dress in his hands was what Xifang Tao had torn off in that instant when she struck to kill and Cheng Yunpao burst through the door. That day when Fu Zhumei pursued with her saber, Xifang Tao was forced to retreat, having no time to take this pink dress, so Tang Lici had kept it in his wardrobe all along.

“Does she wear men’s fitted clothing under her dress every day?” Shao Yanping looked at the pink dress incredulously. “The person who tried to kill you that day was clearly a man.” Tang Lici’s tone was gentle and patient: “Would a gentle, beautiful woman always wear men’s clothing under her dress?” Shao Yanping’s expression gradually became grave: “Young Master Tang means…” Tang Lici’s eyes slightly narrowed, his gaze containing a smile that wasn’t quite a smile: “What I mean is – in this world there are only men who like to wear women’s clothing under their clothes, but probably no women who like to wear men’s clothing under their clothes.” Shao Yanping said in shock: “Could it be that she… could it be that she’s a man?”

“Correct.” Tang Lici’s leaning body shifted slightly to one side, reaching into the wardrobe to take out a crystal-clear dish. On the dish was a soft yellow brocade pouch. He lifted his robe hem and sat at the table’s edge, opening the brocade pouch, which contained two small tourmaline cups and a white jade vial. The tourmalines were brilliant in color – one cup half-yellow, half-purple, the other half-red, half-green, very peculiar and dazzling colors. The cup bodies were extraordinarily transparent, rare treasures. Opening the white jade vial, it released a strong sweet fragrance. He poured the vial’s contents into the small tourmaline cup, gently pushing one cup toward Shao Yanping: “She is a man, not only a man, but a man who has taken the Gorilla Ghost Nine Hearts Pill to enhance his power, a very intelligent man.”

Shao Yanping saw that what poured from the white jade vial was a thick white sweet syrup, looking smooth and delicate, quite tempting, but he somewhat dared not drink what Tang Lici poured out, not knowing what this master was thinking at any moment. Perhaps if this master’s mood turned bad, giving him some poison to drink wasn’t impossible. Though his heart was unsettled, his mind remained clear and flexible, immediately understanding that if Xifang Tao was a man disguised as a woman, what she plotted and roughly what her background was. “Just based on one torn dress, it’s probably difficult to prove that Miss Tao is that black-clothed person. I naturally believe Young Master Tang, but the Central Plains Sword Association isn’t just Shao alone.” He said seriously: “Moreover, that black-clothed person’s martial arts are extremely high, even Young Master Tang was no match. If Miss Tao actually isn’t the black-clothed person, the consequences… Young Master Tang is supremely intelligent and needn’t have me say more.” If Xifang Tao wasn’t that black-clothed person, if the Central Plains Sword Association took action against Xifang Tao, it would certainly give that black-clothed person the opportunity to profit from behind. Wronging good people was secondary; what mattered was that the association’s current cautious defensive state would be broken, various lurking crises would erupt, the martial world would inevitably stir up great waves, and the first to be offended would be Shaolin Temple’s Master Puzhu.

“Master Shao underestimates the situation.” Tang Lici raised the small tourmaline cup and slowly took a small sip. “If the association were to attack her en masse, combining everyone’s strength, even if they could capture this person alive, she would only need to deny everything, and everything would still have no resolution. Shaolin Temple would still have doubts, and even disciples lurking in various sects who had taken the Gorilla Ghost Nine Hearts Pill would blame the association. The result wouldn’t be ending Fengliu Shop’s schemes, but the decline and destruction of the Central Plains Sword Association.” Shao Yanping sighed long: “We need evidence!” Tang Lici smiled slightly: “Correct, we need evidence, we need ironclad proof.” Shao Yanping’s heart pounded – such a dangerous, evil person existed within the association, yet they were helpless against her. “How can we get ironclad proof?” Tang Lici slightly parted his lips, his tongue lightly licking the vermillion-colored tourmaline cup’s rim, slowly licking a small circle: “Ironclad proof… lies with Master Puzhu.”

“How so?” Shao Yanping felt a slight chill. “Why can’t this matter be spoken of before Master Puzhu ascends to the abbot’s seat? What does this have to do with Shaolin Temple’s abbot position?” Tang Lici’s snow-white, slender fingers held that vermillion-green brilliant crystal cup, slowly pushing it against his cheek, using his cheek’s warmth to warm the sheep-fat-like sweet syrup in the cup: “Xifang Tao disguised as a woman, spending years carefully plotting to seduce Master Puzhu – what she schemes must be great. Do you think she won’t help Puzhu cheat in the Shaolin Temple abbot assembly? And after Master Puzhu ascends to the abbot position, what exactly she plots… we’ll know soon enough.” His gaze was alluring, seeming to smile yet not smile, the tourmaline cup slowly rubbing against his cheek: “What she plots certainly isn’t good… isn’t that so?” Shao Yanping suddenly understood: “You – you’re saying to wait until Puzhu understands her true face, let Shaolin Temple’s Abbot Puzhu announce this matter, then the prestige and credibility would be much higher than if we said it.” Tang Lici said softly: “For Puzhu to see through their years of ‘friendship’ and openly announce the truth probably won’t be easy. To block all of Xifang Tao’s escape routes, besides hoping Master Puzhu will testify in his capacity as Shaolin Abbot that she’s the demon manipulating everything, we also need Liu Yan to step forward and identify this person as the mastermind behind him. Third, regardless of whether the person is dead or alive, we must tear off his disguised face.” Shao Yanping nodded repeatedly: “Correct, if both righteous and evil sides of the martial world testify that she’s the traitor behind the scenes, and her true face is exposed, even if the Central Plains Sword Association can’t deal with her, in the vast martial world with hidden dragons and crouching tigers, someone will be able to deal with her!” Tang Lici nodded with a smile. Shao Yanping sighed: “But getting Puzhu and Liu Yan to testify that she’s the traitor behind the scenes – how difficult! From what I see, whether Puzhu or Liu Yan, both have been completely subdued by her. It would be good if they don’t help her deal with us – how do we get them to speak up?”

“Patience, opportunity, technique, confidence…” Tang Lici said softly: “At least you must believe Master Puzhu isn’t someone who helps tyrants do evil.” Shao Yanping coughed: “You believe in Buddha nature?” Tang Lici smiled lightly, raised the tourmaline cup and took a sip: “I believe.” Shao Yanping let out a long breath, furrowed his brow and carefully considered many issues in this matter, then changed the topic: “Young Master Tang prepares to set out for Bianjing, when will you depart?” Tang Lici smiled slightly: “After I’ve trained all the sword association disciples once.” Shao Yanping was startled, asking strangely: “Trained once? Young Master Tang plans to teach them martial arts?” Tang Lici said: “Not martial arts. I only hope that after I leave, when the sword association disciples encounter enemies, they’ll have more life-saving tricks and fewer will die.” Shao Yanping felt both amazed and puzzled – what exactly was Tang Lici going to teach the disciples? This young master, venomous as a snake or scorpion with unfathomable thoughts – could he truly have some heart in caring for the Central Plains Sword Association?