Tang Lici’s gaze flowed, looking left at Fang Pingzhai and right at Qingxuzi. If he could kill these two without leaving a trace and seize Liu Yan, hiding him again, perhaps the crisis at Haoyun Mountain could be resolved. With this thought, killing intent arose. He shook his sleeve, directing his murderous aura straight at Qingxuzi.

Fang Pingzhai laughed heartily. “Indeed – Young Master Tang is so confident. From Shenfeng Hall to here, those with light footwork need only an instant. Do you really want to risk killing someone?”

Tang Lici smiled faintly. “Once I kill you, you’ll know whether it’s a risk…” Before he finished speaking, he suddenly leaped up and pounced toward Qingxuzi. Qingxuzi had already been fully on guard, pointing lightly with one finger toward Tang Lici’s brow from a distance.

Last time Tang Lici had wanted to “say a word” to him, causing him severe injuries that nearly killed him. Qingxuzi bore a grudge in his heart, filled with venomous resentment. This finger technique was called “Entangling Silk” – not a Wudang orthodox transmission, but personally taught by Yu Konghou, a unique technique specifically created to counter Tang Lici’s power transmission method.

Tang Lici’s power transmission method was formidably powerful, but it ultimately originated from the往生谱 (Rebirth Manual), whose true qi was excessively fierce. Yu Konghou understood this deeply and specially created another finger technique. The finger force was as fine as a strand of silk – if someone who had practiced from childhood with a solid foundation was hit by this finger, the force would dissipate harmlessly. But if someone with flawed foundations, or like Tang Lici whose power came from external sources, was hit by this finger, the force would penetrate the qi channels and disrupt the enemy’s true force circulation. This technique was extremely difficult to practice. Without someone of Qingxuzi’s profound Taoist foundation, it would be impossible to condense one’s true force into a thin strand. Even Yu Konghou himself couldn’t do it.

As the Entangling Silk finger struck out, Tang Lici paid no heed and charged forward, actually forcing his way through that finger wind. Qingxuzi was greatly shocked. He put all his strength into the Entangling Silk finger, then struck out with both palms toward Tang Lici’s chest.

Tang Lici had a faint smile at the corner of his lips. As the finger wind struck his forehead, he suddenly raised his wrist to block. Only a soft “clang” was heard as the finger wind hit something and dissipated weakly. Tang Lici matched single palm against double palms. With a crisp “crack,” Qingxuzi spat out a mouthful of fresh blood that shot half a sky high, staggering backward. “You—”

Tang Lici injured his enemy with one palm and smiled slightly. “I what?” He leaned forward again, still striking out with one palm, still aiming for Qingxuzi’s chest. Qingxuzi’s face changed color – if he retreated and fled, Tang Lici’s palm would strike the carriage, intending to break the cart and seize the person!

Just as Qingxuzi hesitated, one of Fang Pingzhai’s flying blades quietly arrived. Tang Lici flicked his finger to deflect the blade. That snow-white flying blade suddenly reversed direction – though deflected by his finger force, it still cut a thin wound on his fingertip.

Seeing this, Qingxuzi’s confidence surged. He gave a great shout, drew his sword and pounced directly at Tang Lici. Tang Lici smiled slightly at Fang Pingzhai, pointing his bleeding fingertip toward his left eye. “Aren’t you supposed to be the Wudang elder’s prisoner right now? Standing up to fight me would expose flaws…”

Fang Pingzhai stepped back in the pattern of seven stars, retreating seven steps and flashing into the carriage. “Qingxuzi, hold on! Someone’s coming!”

Just as Fang Pingzhai flashed into the carriage, two figures appeared together from the forest – one in fluttering peach clothes, one in black robes and cloth shoes. They were Yu Konghou and Master Wenxiu.

Tang Lici’s thoughts flashed. Because of Fang Pingzhai’s flying blade obstruction, he couldn’t kill Qingxuzi within two moves, but – he added force to his palm and chopped toward Qingxuzi’s chest. Seeing someone arrive, Qingxuzi called out loudly, “Master Wenxiu—”

Master Wenxiu was quite surprised to see Qingxuzi. “Qingxuzi?” She had been quite friendly with Qingxuzi in her youth. Though they hadn’t met for decades, she recognized him at a glance.

Qingxuzi struck out with both palms, receiving Tang Lici’s palm with full force, saying, “I’m bringing the House of Pleasure spy Fang Pingzhai and the villain Liu Yan up the mountain. Tang Lici wants to—” Before he could finish, Tang Lici’s single palm met his double palms. With a “wah,” Qingxuzi suddenly spat out a large mouthful of fresh blood, fine droplets spraying onto Tang Lici’s pale cheek. “…kill to… silence…”

“Young Master Tang, you—” Master Wenxiu hadn’t yet understood what was happening, but she saw Tang Lici kill Qingxuzi with his palm. She drew her sword in shock. “You killed Wudang’s Qingxuzi!”

Qingxuzi collapsed to the ground. Tang Lici, half-stained with blood, turned around. The people of Haoyun Mountain in the forest had already heard the news and come running. Seeing Qingxuzi fallen, their expressions were all extremely shocked, staring in amazement at Tang Lici who had killed someone.

“Qingxuzi wanted to bring the villain Liu Yan up the mountain. Why did you obstruct him?” Master Wenxiu demanded sternly. “Qingxuzi is a Wudang master, a generation senior to even the sect leader. No matter what wrongs he might have, how could you kill him?”

Tang Lici looked coldly at Yu Konghou, who wore a face full of surprise but had a smile in the corners of his eyes. “Young Master Tang, is Liu Yan in the carriage? Why did you stop Qingxuzi from bringing someone up the mountain? Why did you kill a Wudang master?”

Tang Lici didn’t answer. His blood-stained white sleeve fluttered lightly as he stood there, looking coolly at the people before him. These several hundred people were gathered by his exhaustive efforts, once revering him like a deity, but… how easily human nature’s suspicion and fear could be stirred up. To believe in someone unwaveringly was truly too difficult. For a moment, he actually felt no need to resent these people…

“Is it really Liu Yan in the carriage?” Master Wenxiu demanded sharply. Tang Lici still gave no answer. Several Emei disciples had already pulled open the carriage curtain, revealing two people inside. The Emei disciples cried out in alarm, “Master, it really is that villain Liu Yan!”

Master Wenxiu’s hands and feet went cold as she looked at the calm-faced Tang Lici. A terrible suspicion rose in her heart. She couldn’t help pointing at Tang Lici. “You… you wanted to rescue Liu Yan from Qingxuzi’s hands…”

At these words, everyone erupted in shock. Tang Lici didn’t deny it, looking coolly at Yu Konghou, whose smile could no longer be concealed – he was laughing quite happily.

Master Wenxiu said, “Unseal Liu Yan’s pressure points, tie up the other person firmly with rope, then take them down for questioning!”

Yu Konghou stepped forward and unsealed Liu Yan’s pressure points. Liu Yan glared at him angrily. Once his points were unsealed, he said coldly, “You demon, in the future you’ll surely suffer endless torment and die a miserable death!”

Yu Konghou brought him before Master Wenxiu, saying respectfully, “Please question him, Master.”

Master Wenxiu raised her hand and gave Liu Yan a slap with a “crack.” “Vile lecher!” Liu Yan glared angrily. “Pig-brained old hag…”

From childhood to now, Master Wenxiu had never heard anyone curse her like this. For a moment she was stunned. Two disciples beside her struck out with their palms, slapping Liu Yan’s left and right cheeks, shouting in unison, “How dare you!”

Liu Yan raised his head. “This is clearly a trap by the House of Pleasure to frame Tang Lici. Despite all his dedication to you, in the end none of you believe him…”

Master Wenxiu laughed coldly. “Yes, hearing such words from your mouth makes this old nun believe even less! What’s your relationship with him? Why don’t we believe him, yet you speak up for him? You’re the House of Pleasure’s Liu Yan, he’s the hero who repeatedly intercepted and killed you, pulling you down from your position as House of Pleasure master. You were captured by Qingxuzi, yet he sneaked here to rescue you – we don’t believe him, yet you defend him. What a friendship!”

Liu Yan was stunned. Tang Lici sighed, even showing a slight smile in his expression – this person was always simple, always stupid, indeed…

Master Wenxiu left Liu Yan speechless. She raised her head to look at Tang Lici. “Young Master Tang, you must give us a reasonable explanation for this matter. Otherwise, the thousand people on Haoyun Mountain may not be able to follow you.”

Tang Lici stood leisurely with his hands behind his back, his expression completely unconcerned, even still slightly smiling with distinguished bearing. “What if I don’t want to explain?”

Master Wenxiu was stunned. Cheng Yunpao remained silent. Yu Furen and Meng Qinglei had witnessed Tang Lici kill someone with their own eyes. Though Yu Furen had once fought with Qingxuzi, at that time Qingxuzi wore black gauze over his face, so he didn’t know the black-clothed man was Qingxuzi. He too was momentarily stunned.

Tang Lici smiled and said, “What if I don’t want to explain?” The entire scene fell silent, everyone staring at him in shock.

Yu Konghou said softly and delicately, “Young Master Tang, are you joking?”

Tang Lici ignored him, his gaze sweeping from Master Wenxiu’s face to Zhang Hemo’s face, then to the faces of Qi Xing, Zheng Yue, Yu Furen, Meng Qinglei, Cheng Yunpao, Dong Hubi and others. After looking for a while, everyone waited for him to say something. After waiting quite a while, he only smiled lightly, bent down to pull the sword from Qingxuzi’s corpse on the ground, gripped the sword in his hand, and faced the crowd alone.

What – what did this mean? Yu Furen and Meng Qinglei’s hearts grew even more terrified. They couldn’t help wanting to speak, but Cheng Yunpao grabbed both of them and whispered, “Silence.”

Seeing him draw his sword, Master Wenxiu was furious. “You – what do you mean by this?”

Tang Lici shook the sword and casually made a sword flower, as if testing the sword’s elasticity and toughness. “For now… I don’t mean anything particular.”

“Master!”

“Master!”

Two Emei disciples who had tied up Fang Pingzhai and were carrying him down changed expressions and ran over. “These are hidden weapons searched from that person – they’re Chonghua Blades.”

Master Wenxiu took the short snow-white flying blades and after a brief examination knew they were the unique hidden weapons of Folded Petals Chonghua. She laughed coldly. “That person is indeed the sixth of the Seven Flowers Cloud Travelers, Folded Petals Chonghua, missing from the martial world for many years. Since Wild Orchid Wuxing and Plum Blossom Yishu are both running dogs under the House of Pleasure, I expect Folded Petals Chonghua isn’t much better. No wonder Qingxuzi brought him up the mountain together with Liu Yan.”

“Master Wenxiu, isn’t this person the one who caused trouble at the Shaolin abbot assembly?” someone in the crowd said. “He said his name was Fang Pingzhai. At that time, the House of Pleasure’s Gui Mudan appeared at Shaolin Temple and personally called him Sixth Brother.”

Master Wenxiu laughed even more coldly. “That makes it even clearer. Fang Pingzhai is reportedly Liu Yan’s disciple and the sixth of the Seven Flowers Cloud Travelers. He’s definitely not a good person. Qingxuzi capturing him was an act of righteousness.”

The people in the forest whispered among themselves, their gazes never leaving Qingxuzi lying dead on the ground. When they occasionally glanced at Tang Lici, their eyes were full of fear.

Tang Lici only looked at Liu Yan who was thrown before Master Wenxiu. Suddenly his expression changed. Yu Konghou shouted, “Watch out, he’s going to seize the person!” Before he finished speaking, Tang Lici had already grabbed Liu Yan and floated backward, retreating three feet away. Strangely, he didn’t flee but just floated out three feet, placed Liu Yan behind him, and stood there calmly again.

Tang Lici’s strange behavior stirred something in Zhang Hemo’s heart. He stepped forward and dragged Qingxuzi’s corpse over, examining it on the spot to see if it was truly Tang Lici’s palm that killed him. He had considerable admiration for Tang Lici. Though also full of suspicion, he didn’t hope Tang Lici really had problems. He had hoped Qingxuzi’s death had another cause and wasn’t Tang Lici’s doing. But after examination, he was greatly disappointed – Qingxuzi had indeed died from Tang Lici’s formidably powerful palm.

While he was examining the corpse, his hand explored Qingxuzi’s chest and suddenly felt something like a letter envelope. He immediately took it out. Seeing him suddenly take out a letter from Qingxuzi’s chest, everyone’s spirits lifted. They crowded around Zhang Hemo to look together. On the envelope’s surface, several characters were written in thick, cursive brushstrokes, very full and scrawled, impossible to read.

Cheng Yunpao took the envelope from Zhang Hemo’s hand. Knowing that few martial arts heroes had much literary knowledge, he read aloud coolly, “To Master Wenxiu.”