Da Shi carried the barely breathing Yu Konghou on his back, rushing through the corridors of Piaoluo Mei Yuan. Chai Xijin followed like a shadow, staying close behind. Yu Konghou and Gui Mudan’s ambitions were grand, and if they intended to oppose the Song Dynasty’s Zhao clan, there must surely be hidden reinforcements behind Yu Konghou and Gui Mudan. Chai Xijin didn’t want to be used as someone else’s blade—he had to figure out what gave Yu Konghou and Gui Mudan the confidence to force him out of retirement.

Who else was still in Piaoluo Mei Yuan?

Chai Xijin was extremely familiar with this place. After several turns, he entered the deepest part of Piaoluo Mei Yuan.

Here were many secret chambers, places where he and his six sworn brothers had once practiced martial arts, and where the City-Breaking Eccentric had hidden numerous mechanical devices and hidden weapons.

Just as they were about to approach the secret chambers, Da Shi and Chai Xijin suddenly stopped.

From the City-Breaking Eccentric’s secret chamber, a woman in white clothing slowly emerged.

The newcomer was tall and slender, her face uncovered by white gauze—it was Bai Suche.

Chai Xijin’s expression changed slightly.

Without a word, Bai Suche watched as red-clothed women slowly emerged from the surrounding secret chambers—these were among the Red-Clothed Emissaries who rarely ventured out.

These were the ones with the highest martial arts and deepest poisoning, seeming like walking corpses.

They were no longer lovestruck young girls infatuated with Liu Yan, but several demonic beings of the mortal realm.

Bai Suche glanced at the two of them and said coolly, “Put down the Master.”

“Yu Konghou harmed Liu Yan beyond recognition,” Chai Xijin said. “Not only do you all not hate him to the bone, but you’re even exerting all efforts to save him. I wonder how much regard you still have for Master Liu in your hearts?” The “Layered Petals Chong Hua” in his sleeve had already fallen into his hand. These red-clothed women controlled by Bai Suche wore red gauze over their faces, their inner breath and footsteps completely inaudible.

These were definitely not naive young girls in their prime years who could be charmed by Liu Yan’s world-toppling beauty. What kind of people were these?

“Master Liu was harmed by villains and his whereabouts are unknown—what does this have to do with Master Yu? Finding Master Liu and returning him to his rightful position is precisely our duty.” Bai Suche remained unmoved, saying coolly, “But Master Yu is also a pillar of our sect. Since Prince Ji is Master Yu’s friend of many years, since you rescued him from Young Master Tang’s hands, shouldn’t you put him down? Moving in such haste, entering without invitation—what are you trying to do?”

Chai Xijin slowly raised his hand, the Layered Petals Chong Hua held between his fingers. “This place is my former residence. If I want to enter for a visit, is it really so difficult?” He stared intently at Bai Suche. “Miss Bai, this action of yours… are you rescuing someone, or setting an ambush?”

Bai Suche glanced at Da Shi and said calmly, “Prince Ji refuses to release him?”

Da Shi had already sealed over ten pressure points on Yu Konghou. This person was of great importance—having finally captured him, how could they easily let him go? Chai Xijin raised his eyebrows with a smile. “I refuse to fight for power and profit or engage in fratricidal conflict, but you all cannot see through this… Miss Bai, you’re wildly ambitious, but do you know that by drawing your blade against me, you’re falling right into Young Master Tang’s calculations?”

Bai Suche paid no heed, waving her hand. “Put down the Master!” Her broken ring blade rose, its tip pointing directly at Chai Xijin. “Put him down!”

Following her command, the five red-clothed women slowly raised their hands in unison. Their movements varied, but their sleeves billowed slightly as their true power surged—any move they made would be a killing strike. Da Shi, carrying Yu Konghou on his back, saw one of them raise her hand in a particular stance and his expression changed dramatically. “Gun Xue!”

This was a technique from the “Rebirth Manual.” Zhao Shangxuan had once used it to dominate for a time, and Da Shi had seen it at a martial arts gathering before he entered Shaolin. After his retirement, the Gun Xue divine technique had vanished for many years, yet now it appeared in the hands of a red-clothed woman. Who exactly was this woman?

Meanwhile, Chai Xijin was staring intently at another red-clothed woman. Her palms formed a gentle stance, but her palm wind was extremely yin. When Da Shi shouted “Gun Xue,” he couldn’t help but think of “Jade Bone.”

If Yu Konghou could practice “Long Hate This Body Is Not Mine” from “Dream of Yellow Millet,” then it wouldn’t be strange for there to be women in the Romantic Shop who could use “Gun Xue” or “Jade Bone.”

He thought of Kuanglan Wuxing’s “Demon Breath Spitting Pearls,” and then of how Third Brother hadn’t originally been a deranged monster who killed like hemp—from when had Zhu Yan begun to change, bit by bit, into what he was now?

“Da Shi!” Chai Xijin also changed color in an instant. “Release him! Go!”

Da Shi clearly thought of the same thing as Chai Xijin. Making a decisive choice, he put down Yu Konghou, and the two of them leaped backward together, disappearing extremely quickly into the dark corridor.

Although they hadn’t managed to take Yu Konghou away on this trip, Chai Xijin had already guessed one or two things about what was really operating behind the scenes and what power Yu Konghou and Gui Mudan were relying on.

“Gun Xue,” “Jade Bone,” “Dream of Yellow Millet”…

These were all fragments of the “Rebirth Manual.”

And the “Jiaputi Blue Sanskrit Rebirth Manual” was a supremely evil book.

With abilities that ghosts and spirits couldn’t fathom, power that could defeat all under heaven, and changes that could overturn all things—when “South Pearl Sword” Bai Nanzhu fell from being a renowned hero of his generation to becoming a demon whose good and evil were hard to distinguish, it was precisely because he practiced this Rebirth Manual.

It was said that back then, Bai Nanzhu had only taken one secret manual from Ye Xianchou’s study, but who knew how many books belonging to the “Jiaputi Blue Sanskrit Rebirth Manual’s” evil techniques should have been in Ye Xianchou’s study? At least “Dream of Yellow Millet” wasn’t in the secret manual that Bai Nanzhu had taken.

So hiding behind Yu Konghou and Gui Mudan, concealed behind the “Nine Heart Pills,” lurking behind Liu Yan, intending to drive him to seek revenge against the Zhao clan and achieve great deeds… was precisely that “Rebirth Manual.”

Chai Xijin kept his head down as he ran rapidly, becoming more horrified the more he thought—where did Third Brother’s “Demon Breath Spitting Pearls” come from?

Why was Tang Lici able to guide Zhu Yan through breaking past “Demon Breath Spitting Pearls” to master the “Demon Pearl”?

Back then… Bai Nanzhu secretly practiced the “Rebirth Manual” and couldn’t live past twenty-five years, just as the “Rebirth Manual” predicted: “Great karmic killing, death by madness.”

Then Tang… what about Tang Lici?