Spring passed into summer, lotus flowers bloomed abundantly in the south, but traveling north toward Shaolin Temple on Mount Song, the journey grew colder and more desolate with each step.

Kui Town was still several hundred li from Mount Song. It was a bustling place where people from a fifty-li radius came to trade, perform, practice martial arts, and engage in petty theft—all gathered in this location. Though small, it was a place where dragons and snakes mingled together.

The town had an inn that served white wine and plain noodles. It should have served meat dishes too, but the cook who prepared roasted meat had gotten into conflict with the Black Tiger Stronghold and quietly disappeared without a trace. His whereabouts remained unknown, so the inn’s famous sauced beef had been extinct ever since.

But the inn’s business remained prosperous. Many people came daily to drink wine and eat plain noodles. Directly across from the main door was a stage for martial arts performances, and the people of Kui Town were accustomed to sitting here watching free shows.

However, today about half the people sitting in the inn watching the performances were probably absent-minded, their gazes constantly drifting toward a corner of the inn.

“Cough… cough cough…”

The guest in the corner coughed constantly. Though the sound wasn’t loud, it made people’s hearts race with fear—each cough seemed to carry the taste of blood. He wore white clothes, but blood stains faintly seeped through his sleeves and back. He was clearly wounded, with a pale complexion and cheeks flushed red like a drunk, appearing more sickly. He sat alone in the innermost corner of the inn, eating a bowl of plain noodles in a refined manner, but coughed several times with each bite, as if the hot soup kept choking him.

The inn was very quiet except for his soft coughing. After a while, an old man at a neighboring table finally couldn’t help but turn and say, “Young man, did you perhaps encounter bandits on the road? Looking at all those wounds, shouldn’t you see a doctor?”

The man in white smiled faintly. “Thank you for your concern, but it’s nothing serious.” Though he appeared somewhat disheveled, his manner was elegant and composed, showing considerable self-control. He finished most of the noodles, put down his chopsticks, paid for the meal, and prepared to leave.

“Young man, beyond Kui Town there’s a hundred li of mountain roads. With your injuries, why not wait until you’re fully healed before traveling? I still have two spare rooms at home. If you don’t mind, you could stay at my place.” Seeing the refined appearance of the man in white, the old man felt pleased and suddenly became enthusiastic.

“I have urgent business elsewhere. My apologies, old sir.” The man in white smiled faintly, that gentle smile somewhat ethereal, appearing unreal to observers. Though a living person stood before them, he seemed like a fox spirit or phantom.

“Alas!” The old man sat back down. Someone nearby laughed, “Old Tan’s medical skills are exceptional and he’s rarely so helpful, but this scholar has eyes that don’t recognize Mount Tai.” Old Tan sipped his noodle soup. “I see this scholar has a scholarly air about him, but traveling through Black Tiger Mountain with injuries—I fear he won’t return alive. Sigh, young people don’t understand and won’t listen to advice.”

“Those evil stars on Black Tiger Mountain can’t be provoked by anyone. I think this scholar might not have good origins either—looking at those wounds, it’s like someone hacked him. You should mind your own business less and drink more wine.”

“Oh? Everyone on Black Tiger Mountain is an evil star, and those who go there never return? Don’t forget that your Rejuvenation Hall’s prosperous business—whose blessing is that? Without our Black Tiger Stronghold bringing you customers, could you afford to open a medical clinic and buy that broken-down house? Old Tan, I heard you were a scholar in your youth—how can you show no gratitude toward your benefactor?” A shadow flashed outside the door as someone blocked the entrance, holding a long-handled guan dao. With a thud, he planted the blade in the ground and sneered at Old Tan.

This person blocking the doorway also blocked the white-clothed man’s path. Seeing this person arrive, everyone in the inn cried out and fled, some climbing through windows, others rushing through the back door. In moments they had all escaped, leaving only Old Tan’s table with two people, plus the white-clothed man trapped at the entrance.

“Old Tan, hand over that dead girl Luo Wen. Hand her over and I’ll spare your old life, won’t calculate the debt for all those lives you saved from my hands. That’s quite a profitable deal for you.” The man blocking the door wore leopard-skin robes. As the weather turned hot, he had torn off both sleeves, baring his arms like a wild man. Though his hair was disheveled, he appeared young, only about thirty.

“Luo Wen left long ago. Even if you force me to death, I can’t produce her.” Old Tan’s expression changed. His table companion Wu Gui was already trembling with fear but still sat with Old Tan, staring in terror at the leopard-clothed man.

“I’ve placed over three hundred men from Black Tiger Stronghold on eighteen roads around Kui Town. Do you really think I couldn’t watch over such a delicate beauty? Hahahaha—hand her over to me, otherwise—” The leopard-clothed man’s sinister laughter was cut short when someone suddenly said, “Move aside.”

Old Tan watched in shock as the white-clothed man spoke those words “move aside” to the leopard-clothed man in a gentle tone. This young man surely didn’t know the power of “Black Mountain Nine-Headed Leopard” Baobao before him. This man had single-handedly established Black Tiger Stronghold, gathering all the hooligans and thugs skilled in fighting within a hundred li radius, assembling them on the mountain. They targeted wealthy merchants traveling through Kui Town, descending to kill and rob whenever they found suitable targets.

This was a murderous fiend who killed like hemp, not a good person who would yield just because someone was polite to him. It seemed this refined white-clothed scholar would also meet disaster.

Hearing those words “move aside,” Baobao was also stunned, hardly believing his ears. He looked the white-clothed man up and down several times. “What did you say? Say it again so I can hear clearly.”

“Move aside.” The white-clothed man spoke in the same even tone, exactly as before, even more plainly than before.

“You’re a newcomer from outside, aren’t you?” Baobao waved his guan dao. “Truly don’t know death from life!”

“Young man, run quickly!” Seeing Baobao about to strike, Old Tan suddenly lunged forward to grab his long guan dao. “Flee for your life! This isn’t an evil star you can afford to provoke…” Wu Gui beside him was shocked. “Old Tan, have you gone mad?”

Seeing Old Tan actually risk his life to save someone, Baobao was quite surprised. He kicked him away with one foot. “Want to die? I won’t let you die just yet!” He swung his guan dao toward his legs. Wu Gui closed his eyes and screamed, not daring to look, but after hearing one shout, there was neither the sound of weapons cutting legs nor Old Tan’s screams, not even words indicating Baobao had suddenly changed his mind. Everything suddenly went quiet.

After a moment, Wu Gui cautiously opened his eyes. He saw Baobao’s guan dao suspended above Old Tan’s legs, just a hair’s breadth away. Old Tan’s face was deathly pale as he lay rigid on the ground. Baobao’s face was dark purple as he exerted all his strength to strike down, but the blade wouldn’t move at all.

Someone had simply reached out and grasped the blade. As that person’s wrist turned, the steel guan dao actually began bending from where he gripped it, then with a casual twist, broke into two pieces.

The dark purple on Baobao’s face instantly turned deathly pale. The deathly pallor on Old Tan’s face instantly flushed red. Wu Gui stammered, unable to speak.

The person who had twisted a blade into two pieces coughed twice and said calmly, “I still have business. Don’t block my path.”

His voice wasn’t loud, his tone very gentle and pleasant.

Baobao, holding half a broken blade, stepped back twice, retreating outside the inn.

The white-clothed man casually returned the broken half-blade to him and walked out.

He didn’t look at Old Tan on the ground, but Old Tan scrambled up and called out, “Hero… please wait! Hero, please wait!”

The white-clothed man’s steps paused slightly. Suddenly many people rushed out from inside and outside the door. No one knew who started it, but they all knelt before him at once. “Hero! Save us! Baobao has committed countless evils, we’ve suffered greatly under him. He’s killed countless traveling merchants. Whenever a family has a pretty girl, he kidnaps her. We’ve waited so many years to finally see a heroic young man like you who can deal with him! Please stand up for the thousand common people of Kui Town, kill Baobao, and drive away Black Tiger Stronghold!”

“Save us!”

“Kill Baobao!”

“Avenge my daughter!”

“Please! We beg you!”

“Such great kindness—all of Kui Town will repay you even if we must work like oxen and horses…”

Baobao’s expression was very stiff. He lifted his leopard-skin robe and pulled out a five-clawed steel hook from within, staring sinisterly at the white-clothed man.

“Cough… cough cough…” The white-clothed man raised his sleeve to cover his mouth. After coughing, blood stained his sleeve. Everyone’s hearts tensed—this hero seemed unsteady, could he defeat this villain? They saw Baobao give a great shout and rush forward wielding his steel hook. There was a muffled “thud,” everyone’s vision blurred, and Baobao flew backward, crashing head-first into the brick wall of the opposite stage, blood flowing from his head as he immediately went still.

No one saw exactly how he had been defeated.

The white-clothed man had turned around and walked away three or two steps, Baobao’s attack having completely failed to obstruct his movement. The common people still kneeling and pleading were still in shock when they heard him say, “He’s not dead yet.”

Hearing these words, the people on the ground unanimously swarmed forward, binding the unconscious Baobao. When they finished tying him up securely and looked up, the white-clothed benefactor who had seemed so unsteady was already gone.

Like clouds and mist, appearing mysteriously and departing without trace.

Also like a demonic transformation, beyond the scope of human imagination.

This white-clothed man was naturally Tang Lici. Since leaving Wanfu Inn and heading toward Shaolin Temple, this was already the sixth day.

After the battle at Haoyun Mountain, he was truly severely wounded. Having not properly recuperated after his injuries and giving all his Great Return Pills to A’Shui, this journey to Shaolin Temple could truly be called the most wandering and displaced road he had ever traveled in his life.

Utterly alone, with neither Liu Yan nor Chi Yun beside him, no one to serve him or for him to torment. He had killed Chi Yun, brought back Liu Yan and driven away Shen Langhun, then thrown A’Shui and nearly driven Liu Yan mad. Along the way he would think: what exactly was he doing?

Digging out Fang Zhou’s heart, killing Chi Yun, saving Liu Yan… each decision was made with great difficulty. For each decision, he paid a price, weighed pros and cons. The results hadn’t strayed too far from his expectations, but…

But why was it so painful?

Why was it so painful?

“Cough… cough cough…” Black Tiger Mountain wasn’t high. Crossing two peaks, they would be a hundred li closer to Mount Song. He walked somewhat unsteadily but didn’t stop.

The severe pain in his chest—he couldn’t distinguish whether it was from his injuries or pure anguish. All the decisions he had made in the past, the people he had killed and schemes he had laid continuously circled in his mind. He clearly remembered every detail, even clearly remembered why he had been so decisive then… but while clearly remembering, Shen Langhun’s way of looking at Liu Yan, A’Shui covered in blood, Yu Tuan’er’s crying, and Liu Yan’s repeated words “Let me die! If you keep saving me, you haven’t gone mad yet, but I’ll go mad first!”—those gazes and that blood were vivid before his eyes, those voices echoing in his ears.

“Ah…” He exhaled, the choking pain in his chest impossible to escape. Those shrill voices constantly echoed in his ears. He could barely maintain control of his soul… barely hold to his resolve…

If saving Liu Yan was wrong, if the way to compensate for past mistakes was simply to let Liu Yan die, if hoping Liu Yan would return to his former self was a malicious delusion, then why had he abandoned the greater situation at Haoyun Mountain? Why bear the hatred and resentment of the entire martial world? Why hadn’t he directly killed him on Blue Mountain Cliff, or simply let him jump from Blue Mountain Cliff…

And… he wouldn’t have needed to throw A’Shui out…

“Cough cough…”

When throwing A’Shui out, he understood he had paid everything, and what he gained in return wasn’t the redemption he had planned, only universal betrayal.

“This young master…”

Tang Lici stopped and quietly raised his head. In the nearby mountain forest, he saw a woman standing behind shadowy trees. At first glance, her clothes were tattered, but she was tall and graceful with a slender figure, her entire body a delicate bronze color, different from the fair and refined women of the south, possessing a wild flavor.

“This young master, could you… give me a garment?” The woman’s voice was also slightly hoarse and magnetic, like whispered dreams before bed.

Tang Lici shook out his outer robe. The white garment spread wide, gently floating down to land on the woman’s shoulders. The woman was startled, put on the clothes, and walked out from behind the trees.

She was indeed very tall, with a full chest, narrow waist, and very long legs. Her facial features were deeply contoured, somewhat unlike Central Plains people, but she was very beautiful, full of extraordinary charm. If a hundred men in this world saw her, ninety-nine would probably throw themselves at her, and the remaining one would either be old, sick, or disabled, or a strange person like Tang Lici.

He looked at this woman of unknown origin without any expression. In normal times, he might smile at her, but at this moment, he had no mood for pretense.

He didn’t even want to look at her again or speak another word to her.

But he knew who this woman was. She was the beauty Baobao desperately desired, the woman called Luo Wen.

She was indeed a rare beauty.

But he had seen many beauties in his life. Though Luo Wen was very beautiful, she was just one among many.

“Thank you for this garment.” The long-legged, narrow-waisted beauty’s face was full of terror, completely at odds with her excellent figure and appearance. “I… I really don’t know how to express my gratitude…”

Tang Lici glanced at her once, then walked past as if he hadn’t seen her at all.

“Wait… wait, you are… you are…” The woman chased after him. “Tang? Lazarus? My God! Lazarus?”

Tang Lici turned a deaf ear, treating the name Lazarus as if it had nothing to do with him, as if they had never met.

The woman behind him grabbed his hand and cried out, “Lazarus, I’m Luo Wen! Don’t you remember? I’m Se Lin’s good friend…”

“Have I ever said—” Tang Lici let her pull at him and suddenly said gently, “I very much dislike women with foreign names?” Se Lin’s good friend? Se Lin had as many good friends as past lovers. He never concerned himself with her private affairs—how would he remember which friends she had?

Luo Wen was stunned. Tang Lici turned back to look at her coldly, that gaze cold as a snake. “If you don’t let go, I’ll tear off your clothes and throw you into wilderness ten times more remote than here.”

Luo Wen involuntarily released her hand and stepped back, then suddenly screamed and grabbed his sleeve again. “Lazarus! No no, you can’t abandon me! You don’t know what happened to me! You don’t know what happened to Se Lin! Se Lin and I investigated your disappearance, ran into that burning scene where you all vanished, then fell through the burned area! Two years! A whole two years! You don’t know what kind of life I’ve lived! I was sold to bandits, then robbed and brought here. I… I really can’t live anymore! Lazarus, Lazarus, save me! Save me! I want to go home! I want to go home! Take me away! Take me away!” She hung onto Tang Lici entirely. “God sees me, Buddha sees me too. I pray every day, and finally let me meet you. This is heaven’s will—you must save me! You must save me!”

“Cough… cough cough…” Being shaken by her, Tang Lici coughed softly a few times. “You and Se Lin—have been here two years?” Hearing this, he was indeed somewhat surprised, not having thought the consequences of that night would implicate others beyond himself. Could that dimensional gate still be there?

“Two years… These two years I thought I was having a nightmare. If Se Lin didn’t love you so much—she missed you too much and couldn’t believe you would die, we never would have come to such a place.” Luo Wen gripped Tang Lici tightly. “She loves you too much! She wanted to find you so badly, you can’t imagine a woman like her finding that burned place. She could even determine you weren’t dead at all. She had all the remaining evidence from the scene tested, went crazy offering rewards to find you everywhere… You can’t treat us like this. She loves you so much, we’ve sacrificed so much for you—how can you abandon me and leave? How can you pretend not to know me? My God—Oh God—”

He thought he wouldn’t be shaken, but he trembled slightly. This kind of woman’s crying, heart-rending screaming… no matter how shallow this woman was, the pain in that voice was so real.

So able to make him deeply remember those initial days when he first arrived here, remember how Fang Zhou died, remember how he had once desperately longed for money and power, yet was so powerless…

He glanced at Luo Wen. Her long nails dug deep into his skin. “Save me, take me away. I’ll be grateful to you—I’ll treat you as my god, I’ll be your servant, your cat, your dog… save me…”

“Luo Wen…” He finally spoke with slight hoarseness. “Stand up.”

Luo Wen immediately stood up, more obedient than a tamed dog.

He gently touched her disheveled hair, once a head of honey-colored curls that most men in the world would pity and love, now just a tangle. “Don’t cry anymore. I’ll save you and send you home.”

Tears instantly burst from Luo Wen’s eyes. He could see very clearly—so people could cry this genuinely, so purposelessly. “What about Se Lin?”

“She’s still in the stronghold… she’s locked in a doghouse because she won’t sleep with that beast…” Luo Wen’s whole body trembled. “You’ll go save her, won’t you? You’ll save her—she loves you so much, she loves you to the point of madness…”

“Yes.” He rubbed her disheveled hair again. “Don’t cry, don’t be afraid.”

“Lazarus…” Luo Wen cried aloud. “I’m sorry, I used to think you were a very cold person. I thought you never cared if others lived or died. Se Lin loved you with all her heart, and I even advised her to forget you… I told her you were a monster…” She clutched Tang Lici’s sleeve. “I didn’t know you were so gentle…”

Gentle?

He smiled. Gentle… so easy… stroking a woman’s head, saying things she wanted to hear… just like he had played savior a moment ago, with a wave of his hand making an entire town’s people grateful to him.

But why couldn’t this gratitude and appreciation give him satisfaction anymore… He was gradually beginning to understand that what he most fervently desired, what could support him standing upright, wasn’t being a god who could hear praise songs with a gesture.

God… full of controversy, omnipotent yet lonely, understood by no one.

Even with endless worship, what of it? He wanted a woman to sincerely die for him, but when she truly died for him, he didn’t feel the joy he had imagined, only felt… his entire soul… trembling with fear.

“Don’t cry.” He said gently again, completely different from his earlier coldness. “Don’t cry.”

Luo Wen wailed loudly, prostrating on the ground. He stood there, slowly stroking her head one stroke at a time. He was now Luo Wen’s god.

After a long while, Luo Wen slowly collected her tears and sobbed, “Se Lin is in the stone cave behind the mountain. Let’s quickly go save her.”

He smiled faintly out of habit, releasing the hand that had been stroking her head. “Don’t call me Lazarus. Call me Tang Lici.”

“Lici?” Luo Wen was astonished. “Is this your name?”

“Yes.” He said gently. “I dislike foreign names.”

Luo Wen blinked, looking at him in confusion. He disliked foreign names, but he had always been with Se Lin—had he never told Se Lin he didn’t like her name? If he had said so, Se Lin would have changed it immediately. Her eyes rolled, then she suddenly exclaimed, “You’re injured! How did this happen? Does it hurt?”

After Tang Lici removed his outer garment, through the inner robe, one could see his back shoulder and arms were wrapped in gauze, the gauze stained with blood. He smiled faintly at her again. “It doesn’t hurt.”

How could it not hurt? Luo Wen looked fearfully at the gauze on his body. “With injuries, can you still save Se Lin?”

“Yes.” He said gently, habitually smiling again.

Luo Wen looked at him with increasing awe and caution. He used to like this kind of gaze very much, but now only felt it was dull.