Chai Xijin escaped and departed.

Bai Suche waved her hand, and the five red-clothed women slowly lowered their hands.

Several younger girls emerged from behind the mechanical doors, coming over to take the hands of these red-clothed women and lead them slowly back behind the doors. Among them was Qing Yan, who was supporting one of the red-clothed women who walked extremely slowly—the very one who had just demonstrated “Gun Xue.”

Halfway there, she suddenly stopped, slowly turned her head back, and stared blankly at Bai Suche.

Bai Suche neither spoke nor moved, nor did she look at her.

The red-clothed woman slowly turned her head away and, supported by Qing Yan, returned behind the mechanical doors.

Bai Suche lowered her head to look at Yu Konghou lying unconscious on the ground.

He had been struck at pressure points by Da Shi and had lost a lot of blood.

Bai Suche knelt on one knee, her white dress spreading gracefully. She half-embraced Yu Konghou, took out a medicine bottle from her bosom, and carefully fed it to him.

The “Little Linglong” from Yu Konghou’s sleeve crawled out. Bai Suche glanced at the snake, which surprisingly didn’t bite her but simply crawled out and moved slowly. Then a second “Little Linglong” crawled out, then a third… Yu Konghou actually carried three snakes on his body. The three small snakes moved slowly around Bai Suche, but she paid them no mind. After feeding Yu Konghou the medicine, she even wiped his mouth and gently placed the empty bottle to one side.

After a moment, Yu Konghou slightly opened his eyes. His black hair was tangled with Bai Suche’s white dress as he gazed hazily at the dome above. “Susu, what was that medicine?”

Bai Suche’s face remained impassive. “Northern Cold Potion.”

Yu Konghou laughed lowly. “Hahaha… I always trusted you… Among so many people in the Romantic Shop, I only ever trusted you…”

“Because I’m lowly, ambitious, refuse to admit defeat…” Bai Suche said coolly. “Ruthless and merciless, with no way back, and I covet Young Master Tang—weaknesses everywhere.”

“Correct.” Yu Konghou coughed once. “You’re full of weaknesses… but you…” He slowly sat up straight, extricating himself from Bai Suche’s embrace, and turned back. “But you’re too ruthless.”

“What do you want?” he asked. “Why did you enter the Romantic Shop?”

Bai Suche let him sit up straight, even helping to arrange his long hair with one hand. She kept her back straight, looking at Yu Konghou with indifference. “I’m lowly, ambitious, refuse to admit defeat… ruthless and merciless, with no way back—so whenever there’s an opportunity, I want to struggle for it.” She looked at Yu Konghou, her eyes showing neither fear nor excitement, as if she were looking at an extremely ordinary person. “The master of the Romantic Shop—can only you sit in that position? Can’t I?”

A trace of shock flashed through Yu Konghou’s eyes. “You—”

“The master of the ‘Lamp-Calling Order’ is not Wang Lingqiu. Wang Lingqiu honors Prince Ji as his superior…” Bai Suche said slowly. “They only need to cooperate with the Romantic Shop, not with you specifically, isn’t that right? They hold the Northern Cold Potion, I hold the Nine Heart Pills poison and the Red and White Emissaries, and you—Master Yu whose martial arts are completely ruined, what do you have? Will Ghost Master return to save you?” She took out a fire starter from her sleeve, lit it and held it up, illuminating Yu Konghou’s face. “In the Romantic Shop, being weak… means deserving death, doesn’t it?”

“When Gui Mudan returns…” Yu Konghou said in a low voice. “He’ll slaughter you.”

Bai Suche smiled slightly. From when she had fed Yu Konghou the medicine until now, this was her first smile. “When people are in a weak position, they’re always naive, hoping for others to come save them. You say Young Master Tang won’t kill you, Prince Ji won’t kill you, and I won’t kill you either… what’s the reason for all this?” She slowly stood up, looking down at Yu Konghou. “Master Yu is exceptionally intelligent—perhaps you should think more for yourself about exactly what you need to do to live better than you do now in this situation.”

Yu Konghou suddenly lowered his head. His five fingers dug fiercely into the earth beside him, his nails splitting as blood soaked the yellow soil. Bai Suche’s expression remained unchanged, as if she hadn’t seen his resentment at all.

Before long, Yu Konghou raised his head, his face having completely changed expression, appearing composed and compliant. “I humbly welcome Master Bai.”

Bai Suche said coolly, “And then?”

“This subordinate wishes to share Master Bai’s worries and troubles, to offer counsel and strategy.” Yu Konghou crawled up and, covered in blood, kowtowed to her. “To exhaust myself in service… until death.”

Bai Suche reached down to touch his head. “I don’t have an antidote for the Northern Cold Potion. Once my great endeavor succeeds, you may take Wang Lingqiu’s people with you.”

Yu Konghou prostrated himself on the ground. “Thank you, Master Bai!”

Bai Suche remained silent. After a while, she said, “I heard Wang Lingqiu gave Puzhu ‘Queen Bee Frost Dew’?”

Yu Konghou trembled slightly.

She asked, “Was that your idea?”

Yu Konghou slowly raised his head. Half his handsome face was covered in blood, pale as death, with the “Fragrant Orchid Smile” still embedded in his chest, looking like half a bloody statue. “Yes.”

Bai Suche said nothing and nodded. She called out “Qing Yan.”

The lively little girl burst out from the mechanical room. “Sister Susu.”

Bai Suche said, “Please escort Master Yu down to heal his wounds.”

Qing Yan looked curiously at Yu Konghou half-kneeling on the ground. “Master, please get up. Sister Susu has prepared a healing chamber with everything you need inside.”

Yu Konghou stood up unsteadily, his expression unchanged, and followed Qing Yan toward the deepest prison cells of Piaoluo Mei Yuan.

Bai Suche watched his retreating figure.

They both understood clearly that this was merely a temporary situation.

After a while, several white-clothed emissaries came to report. “Executive, Tang Lici and several from the Central Plains Sword Association forced their way into Master Yu’s chambers. They’ve taken Kuanglan Wuxing, Wang Lingqiu, and Bi Lianyi with them!”

Bai Suche nodded. “Lower the Azure Lion Gate.”

“Yes!”

The white-clothed emissaries departed on their orders. Shortly after, the sound of mechanisms rose again in Piaoluo Mei Yuan. Several heavy boulders descended to block passages that had cracked and collapsed due to the mountain wall’s collapse. As the giant stones fell, the mountain’s interior shook again, and the entire Piaoluo Mei Yuan actually rose slightly upward.

Tang Lici was burning incense.

He lit a golden thread incense and inserted it into a small incense burner with gold inlay and cloisonné work in blue-gray glaze. Pale white smoke rose straight up, indicating that the incense was of uniform and fine quality—a premium among incenses.

But the incense burner was placed on a moss-covered rock. The moss was lovely and green in the morning light, still faintly moist with humid air. The golden thread incense gave off a rich herbal fragrance—this was not sandalwood.

Behind the moss-covered rock was a damp cave. The surroundings were densely wooded, quiet and windless everywhere, with trees growing thickly—some unknown location in the mountains.

Inside the cave.

Kuanglan Wuxing and Zheng Yue both lay on the ground.

Cheng Yunpao and Gu Xitan also both lay on the ground.

The difference was that they were a pair of dead people and a pair of living people.

Zheng Yue had died when Kuanglan Wuxing crushed his neck.

Kuanglan Wuxing had perished when Tang Lici’s “Ten Thousand Li Peach Blossoms” severed his head.

One was a wild wanderer of the martial world, almost invincible under heaven.

One was a young swordsman whose life had barely begun.

They had never known each other, but died almost simultaneously, their causes of death remarkably similar.

If Kuanglan Wuxing hadn’t been completely focused on strangling Zheng Yue, Tang Lici wouldn’t have had the chance to strike successfully.

If Zheng Yue hadn’t rushed over, Tang Lici might not have been able to save Cheng Yunpao and Gu Xitan in time.

Today Tang Lici had changed into blue robes—extremely pale blue plain gauze, but with fine gold thread embroidered at the hems and sleeve edges. Having worn white clothing for so long, he had suddenly changed to ornate robes today, though no one knew where he had changed them last night.

Not only had he changed to ornate robes and brought an incense burner, he had also brought a yao qin, which lay across his knees.

The golden thread incense quietly sent up white smoke.

Tang Lici held the yao qin horizontally, his ten fingers touching the strings as he slowly plucked twice.

The strings vibrated and sounded, forming no melody.

He plucked twice, remained quiet for a while, then after a short time, slowly plucked twice more.

Deep mountains and ancient trees, beside mountain moss and black stones, a man in blue robes played the qin and burned incense.

Sound carried on the wind, lives carelessly lost and deaths unjust.

Unfortunate in life, unfortunate in death.