Release, retreat.

Bai Yuan suddenly released his grip on Qin Chang Ge, golden light flashing as he instantly floated several zhang away.

“Boom!”

An explosion even more massive than the previous small thunderbolt, with even denser yellow smoke and dust!

Smoke rose, screams erupted. Red flames and black gunpowder smoke intertwined into thick curtains. Within the smoke, densely attacking figures screamed as they fell, severed limbs and broken arms scattered everywhere across the ground, horribly crashing onto the faces of panicked, scattering soldiers, immediately followed by another round of heart-rending shrieks.

The center of the explosion was exactly where Qin Chang Ge had just been standing.

Among those blown-away severed limbs, were any from Qin Chang Ge, Chu Feihuan, or Xiao Jue?

Anyone who had done such a thing would look back to see the consequences of their actions, but Bai Yuan never looked back as he swept his robes and glided smoothly away.

Ahead, at the mountain’s foot, a pool of water lay mirror-smooth. Li Lake waited quietly, peacefully.

Once across Li Lake, there would be nowhere in Xiliang that could stop him.

He had climbed the mountain alone, then carved a bloody path through ten thousand besieging troops and pursuing masters, running non-stop straight to the mountain’s foot—very few in the world could accomplish such a feat.

A faint mocking smile appeared on Bai Yuan’s face.

She was dead, wasn’t she?

This extraordinary woman—peculiar, carefree, graceful yet touched with a hint of wickedness—ultimately could not escape this “Asura Belt” where every step was a killing trap, ultimately could not pass the eighteenth challenge.

The final challenge was not the eighteenth wooden block.

What he had been controlling in his hand, the golden thread controlling the belt, was not the mechanism’s master control line either.

That was merely a fuse, waiting for the trapped person to miraculously pass seventeen challenges, then at the final moment, unavoidably detonate with devastating force.

The eighteen wooden blocks were not all wooden blocks. Many parts of the entire belt, including the entire eighteenth section, were merely wrapped in wooden bark, their interiors fully packed with gunpowder and powerful thunderbolts.

Inside the gunpowder, metal wire connected to a pull ring. When the metal wire was forcefully withdrawn, the friction and impact created sparks that ignited the fuse. The belt would explode on the trapped person’s body—inescapable, leaving no trace of bones.

The simplest, most direct, most effective killing method.

This was the final killing move—an assassin that gave no reaction time whatsoever.

At that moment she was still freeing herself from the Golden Silkworm’s mortal danger—how could she have had time to remove the belt?

In any case, she was definitely dead.

Bai Yuan slightly raised his head, casually flicking his sleeve to send several soldiers tumbling away. In his wild, elegant features was a hint of faint relief and melancholy, the lightly furrowed arc of his brow like the ripples on Li Lake stirred by wind.

Coming and going so hurriedly in this encounter, through misunderstandings and coincidences, he had finally achieved his wish. Those interesting people—he didn’t want to kill them, but had no choice.

How helpless…

“What are you sighing about? Wait until I’m dead before you sigh!”

Before the voice arrived, a sharp wind already struck his skull!

The speaker’s voice carried laughter, the voice coming after the sneak attack, the strike before the words—this style clearly belonged to that vicious, despicable woman.

Bai Yuan’s eyes actually brightened.

But he still didn’t turn around—turning back at this moment would waste time. Bai Yuan immediately channeled his qi with a light whistle, sweeping his sleeve to grab two soldiers. Seizing their heads, he crashed them together with a bang. Amid splattering brains, both died without even a groan. Bai Yuan threw one soldier backward toward the pursuing Qin Chang Ge while dragging the other corpse straight toward Li Lake.

Li Lake had no boats—all vessels were under military watch. For Bai Yuan to fight his way into the army to steal a boat would be impossible.

To cross Li Lake in one breath using true qi while surrounded by three great masters would also be impossible.

Yet Bai Yuan appeared completely unhurried, showing no anxiety. He didn’t head in that direction either, merely dragging the corpse to the shore, though no one knew what he wanted the corpse for.

A blue shadow flashed, a black shadow streaked—Chu Feihuan and Xiao Jue arrived together. The flying fish sword and bright long blade, one with cold, sharp light, one like furious waves thundering, covered all of Bai Yuan’s vital points.

Bai Yuan swept his sleeve and retreated, already falling into the lake’s shallow water, standing on a rock that slightly protruded above the surface. His robes fluttering, he raised his eyebrows and laughed: “You three are actually unharmed—impressive!”

Qin Chang Ge glided over like a flying bird, stopping before him, folding her arms with a smiling expression: “I guessed you never intended to let me live. The final challenge had to be explosives—sure enough, I was right. Unfortunately, you shouldn’t have released the Golden Silkworm in the seventeenth challenge. That thing coincidentally helped me break through the cold qi you used to lock my meridians. Though I still needed time to recover, just then His Majesty and the others struck my back at the Qimen acupoint with their combined palm force, dissolving the last obstruction. The moment my power recovered was precisely when you pulled the fuse. I immediately contracted my bones to escape. When your belt exploded, it was already empty.”

Bai Yuan kept gripping that corpse, his left hand pressing the body’s chest. He nodded and smiled as he listened, showing no anger or disappointment. Glancing lightly at the calm-eyed Chu Feihuan and the angry-faced Xiao Jue, he said leisurely: “It seems you intend to take turns fighting me.”

Qin Chang Ge raised her eyebrows, laughing without the slightest embarrassment: “Taking turns shows we think highly of you, Imperial Tutor. You should feel honored.”

Chu Feihuan suddenly said: “Among the world’s two great immortal sects, Biluo and Qingma, Biluo has the Thousand Absolutes, but Qingma has always been quite mysterious. Legend says Qingma also has otherworldly sects with supreme martial arts and unpredictable movements. I wonder if you have any old acquaintances in Qingma?”

Bai Yuan’s eyes flashed as he smiled: “Who might you be?”

Chu Feihuan said flatly: “A nobody.”

His gaze swept over the flying fish sword, then Bai Yuan looked at Qin Chang Ge and Xiao Jue. Suddenly he raised his hand and threw the corpse into the water, leaning back as he whooshed backward in flight.

Like an eagle sweeping over vast waters, his wing tips stirring hunting winds.

Whoosh! Xiao Jue immediately waded in pursuit, his long sword sweeping horizontally, creating full-moon radiance. Where his sword tip pointed, towering waves split toward Bai Yuan.

Bai Yuan stepped on the wave crest, gliding gracefully along the giant wave. Rather than sliding toward the attacking Xiao Jue, his pale gold and light jade palm force appeared, striking straight at Qin Chang Ge.

Qin Chang Ge flipped her palm, and her middle finger ring suddenly sprouted paired spikes, stabbing straight at Bai Yuan’s wrist pulse.

But Bai Yuan’s move was a feint. Before reaching Qin Chang Ge, he suddenly turned, striking at Chu Feihuan with one palm while kicking up a shallow-water stone with his right foot. With fierce wind sounds, it smashed toward Xiao Jue.

Chu Feihuan blocked the palm wind with his horizontal sword. Xiao Jue’s long sword split the stone to powder. All three were neutralizing Bai Yuan’s attacks, but Bai Yuan had already taken advantage of this moment to float backward.

In one sweep he reached the water’s center, extending his hand to lift the corpse he had thrown into the water. When that body was pulled from the water, Qin Chang Ge drew a sharp breath.

“Human boat.”

The corpse was thin and transparent, bulging and swollen from absorbing water, expanded considerably. It floated on the water, swaying like a small boat.

“What a ruthless person.” Qin Chang Ge shook her head, clicking her tongue. “Just now he was gripping that man, using internal power to destroy his organs. When he threw him in the water, the organ fragments flowed out, water poured in, and the body floated—so he had a ready-made human boat… This Bai Yuan!”

Soldiers on all sides watched as Bai Yuan casually broke off a tree branch at the shore, elegantly stepping onto that hideous human boat. With a wave of the branch the boat moved away, and he gracefully waved to everyone on shore. For a moment they all looked at each other, faces pale with horror.

Xiao Jue waved his hand, shouting sternly: “Launch boats! I will personally pursue him!”

Xia Houjue had already ordered boats launched but firmly blocked Xiao Jue, unwilling to let him risk danger, urgently saying: “Your Majesty… this person is vicious…”

“Nonsense!” Xiao Jue kicked him aside. “I too have crawled out from piles of corpses!”

He strode forward but grabbed Qin Chang Ge back: “You’re not going!”

“Your Majesty!” Qin Chang Ge smiled sweetly. “This subject has also crawled out from piles of corpses!”

Stunned for a moment, Xiao Jue couldn’t help but smile. Suddenly he raised his head and declared loudly: “Very well! Together! Live together, die together—naturally we kill enemies and give chase together too!”

Leaping onto the boat’s bow, Xiao Jue said: “Bai Yuan, if today I don’t strike you down into Li Lake, what face do I have to meet my Xiliang soldiers and citizens again?”

On the distant “human boat,” Bai Yuan smiled without speaking.

Qin Chang Ge suddenly turned toward the mountain. Along the path, Imperial Forest Guards and Shanduying were cleaning up the aftermath, quickly gathering the corpses of fallen soldiers and clearing the mountain road for the noble ladies and scholars to descend after the alert was lifted. She could distantly see peach and willow green of various sedan chairs winding down the mountain, trailing a brilliant colored line across the mountain path.

From such distance, she couldn’t see whose sedan chairs they were. Qin Chang Ge beckoned Xia Houjue over, whispering a few words in his ear. Xia Houjue acknowledged the order and sent his deputy commander hurrying away.

Qin Chang Ge frowned, wanting to ask why he wasn’t going himself, but thinking that with Xiao Jue personally risking danger, as Imperial Guard Commander, his presence to protect the emperor was an unshirkable duty. She said nothing, leaping up to catch the boat that had already moved ahead.

By now Bai Yuan had reached the lake’s center. With his true power, paddling a human boat was actually faster than Xiao Jue’s large vessel. Xiao Jue watched anxiously and kicked aside the guard oarsman to row personally.

But Qin Chang Ge discovered that Chu Feihuan had suddenly disappeared.

Looking down, Qin Chang Ge saw sparkling water with a white line beneath the boat cutting through waves with unmatched speed, even faster than her own lightness skills on land. The legend about the Lijiang royal family being descendants of divine dragons seemed credible after all.

At this time, Xia Houjue’s boat with inner court masters and naval vessels had all taken position, sealing Li Lake watertight. The descending scholars and ladies all took the mountain path instead. The mountain path was still some distance from Li Lake, with a muddy marsh in between growing floating grass that ordinary people couldn’t cross. Beyond the marsh was a reed marsh with lush vegetation where boats couldn’t pass. To prevent Bai Yuan’s escape from there, another team of guards stood watch on shore.

Bai Yuan drove his human boat toward that reed marsh as expected.

Now near the lake’s center, Bai Yuan channeled his full true qi, his momentum like an arrow. That white line moved like wind over water, carving sharp, fluid lines, catching up in an instant.

Then the bloated corpse suddenly deflated.

Bai Yuan leaped up, pale gold and light jade radiance flashing in mid-air as his hands boldly parted the waves, throwing with great force!

A blue shadow broke the surface like an agile fish, following that throwing momentum to fly over his head. The flying fish sword’s cold light blazed, stabbing straight toward Bai Yuan’s crown.

Bai Yuan rolled in mid-air, kicking the nearly sinking corpse up with water and body, smashing toward Chu Feihuan.

Chu Feihuan dodged but didn’t guard against Bai Yuan’s hand suddenly piercing through the corpse’s chest, attacking his heart.

On the boat, Qin Chang Ge’s expression changed. Chu Feihuan’s foot slipped—the water surface was like solid ground to him. He slid across the water’s surface, his body tilting to lie flat against the water.

Such miraculous water skills impressed even Bai Yuan, who laughed: “Excellent water skills!” He turned to attack again. The two fought together, blue waves churning, crystal walls rising vertically. Amid towering water waves, pale gold and water-blue figures wove back and forth—the former with sublime posture, the latter with graceful form, their exquisite techniques and wind-like strikes truly beautiful as a painting.

Knowing their water skills were poor, Qin Chang Ge and Xiao Jue could only order their boat to follow closely. Watching the two fight, Qin Chang Ge frowned: “Bai Yuan keeps moving toward the reed marsh.”

Xiao Jue sneered: “So what if he goes there? I won’t give him a chance to approach.”

Extending his hand, Xiao Jue shouted: “Crossbow!”

The flat gold heavy iron “Divine Wind Waist-Draw Crossbow” was quickly carried up by two soldiers. Xiao Jue took it single-handedly—nine dan weight, requiring strong men to step on it to draw, but Xiao Jue easily pulled it open with waist strength. Ten arrows coated with fire oil were loaded. Xiao Jue nocked and drew, shouting: “Fire!”

The powerful crossbow released, fire arrows flew, trailing deep red flame tails through the air in stunning, graceful arcs. But they didn’t aim at any person, merely passing over the two fighters.

The fire arrows landed precisely in the reed marsh. Some fell into water pools, but most immediately set the reeds ablaze.

Xiao Jue fired arrows continuously. His arm strength was extraordinary—ordinary people would need at least half an hour’s rest after drawing such a bow once, but he fired repeatedly with ease. The reed marsh quickly caught fire. Amid crackling burning sounds, the reeds gradually burned away, revealing small boats hidden in the marsh. Flames fell into the boats, setting them afire too.

Without thinking, everyone knew these boats must be Bai Yuan’s hidden escape route.

Bai Yuan glanced back in mid-air, his expression changing slightly.

On the boat, Xiao Jue laughed loudly, his voice stopping the clouds. Delightedly setting aside the crossbow, he said: “Again!”

Another ten arrows—ordinary iron arrows this time.

Ten arrows in succession, following closely, the rear one catching the front one, the front one catching the one ahead. Clanging sounds filled the air, and the foremost arrow instantly reached Bai Yuan’s throat.

Bai Yuan swept his sleeve downward three feet, but three feet below, Chu Feihuan’s flying fish sword gleamed coldly, suddenly sweeping horizontally in a gorgeous arc of light.

Bai Yuan immediately flew diagonally away, but the nine arrows behind suddenly divided four ways, attacking his crown, throat, heart, both arms, both legs, both knees.

The momentum was fierce, sparks blazing brilliantly as arrow tails scraped together.

The arrow net was inescapable, the water surface offered no leverage—Bai Yuan seemed destined to have nowhere to hide.

Bai Yuan suddenly folded his body, instantly making himself boneless and folding in half. Flying arrows whooshed past above and below him. As the arrows passed, Bai Yuan’s body softly unfolded, springing forward with a whoosh across the water surface, floating straight toward a military vessel ahead.

In mid-air he let out a clear whistle that echoed from all directions. Chu Feihuan’s form still moved like a flying fish across the water in pursuit, when suddenly—”Cold arrows, swift as lightning!”

The arrows came from behind everyone, striking straight at Chu Feihuan’s back.

Xiao Jue and Qin Chang Ge spun around. Qin Chang Ge shouted: “Feihuan, be careful!” The black silk in her palm flashed coldly, already knocking down several hidden arrows.

The enemy also seemed to use repeating crossbows, their arrow momentum accurate and vicious, covering Chu Feihuan’s entire body in the water.

Chu Feihuan suddenly disappeared beneath the surface.

Arrows entered the water, stirring up waves.

Qin Chang Ge stared intently at the water surface. Seeing no red color appear, she sighed in relief. She and Xiao Jue both looked back to find who had shot the arrows, but behind them were densely packed naval small boats and inner court guard vessels. With so many people shooting from behind, where could they search?

Xiao Jue remembered the arrows had come from behind them. His face changed as he pulled Qin Chang Ge in front of him, using his back to face that direction. Then thinking it didn’t seem right to use Qin Chang Ge as a shield either, he pulled her to his left. Qin Chang Ge, being pulled this way and that, seeing his expression like he couldn’t figure out proper placement, felt both annoyed and amused. She quietly patted his hand: “Stop pulling! We have so many guards behind us blocking—arrows can’t reach us.”

Xiao Jue said “Oh” but still wouldn’t release her hand. His wide black sleeves embroidered with gold provided good cover. Xiao Jue gripped her fingers tightly, gently stroking with his fingertips, saying softly: “Chang Ge, these past few days had me so worried…”

But Qin Chang Ge stared unblinkingly at the water surface, suddenly crying in alarm: “Why hasn’t Feihuan surfaced yet?”

Xiao Jue started, only now noticing that Chu Feihuan hadn’t emerged since diving under. That section of water suddenly showed many large and small whirlpools, bubbles constantly gurgling up—like many people fighting underwater.

Xiao Jue waved his hand. The naval deputy following his boat immediately led several soldiers to dive and swim over.

Though Qin Chang Ge and Xiao Jue could swim, they couldn’t fight underwater. They could only order their boat closer while commanding forward vessels to intercept Bai Yuan, who was crossing the water to steal a boat, while approaching the waters where Chu Feihuan had vanished.

Splash! A dripping head emerged—the naval deputy from before. He wiped water from his face, shouting loudly: “There are people below! More than one! This subject cannot intervene—”

Halfway through his words, a faint black shadow suddenly darted out behind him, appearing like a ghostly giant gray carp. A cold light flashed in its hand—a sharp little blade swept across his neck!

Blood spurted violently, dyeing the lake surface red!

Then as if someone pulled from underwater, the deputy’s exposed head immediately sank.

Everyone was greatly alarmed!

Xiao Jue and Qin Chang Ge rushed to the bow, watching that section of lake surface stained red with blood. The red grew deeper and denser, while those soldiers from before never surfaced—presumably already dead at the lake bottom.

Having his naval deputy killed before his eyes filled Xiao Jue with furious rage. He lifted his leg to step over the bow.

Xia Houjue rushed up, firmly holding him back.

He could restrain Xiao Jue but couldn’t watch Qin Chang Ge. The moment she saw the deputy sink and Xiao Jue being held, she had already silently glided down the boat’s side into the water.

She slid down along the boat’s side, entering water almost soundlessly. The moment she entered, she already held a small dagger in her teeth.

Once underwater, she immediately saw four figures in water gear surrounding Chu Feihuan ahead.

Just one glance, and Qin Chang Ge could tell Chu Feihuan wasn’t outmatched—the enemy was using entangling tactics with exceptionally skillful water techniques, employing “sticky” tactics against Chu Feihuan. They would cling then flee, constantly harassing but never allowing him to advance a step, clearly buying time for Bai Yuan.

All four wore water gear coated with oil for underwater flexibility, firmly entangling Chu Feihuan. Qin Chang Ge swam close silently. The four discovered her and immediately sent one person toward her.

These people thought she was just another ordinary sailor, attacking carelessly. A pair of gleaming water-parting spikes struck straight without flourish.

Qin Chang Ge kicked backward instead of retreating, using that water’s momentum. Just as the water-parting spikes approached, she suddenly dodged sideways, rushing behind her opponent. Standing back to back, as the man slid like a fish to turn around, Qin Chang Ge flicked her hand—black silk shot out, wrapping around the man’s throat. She caught the dagger spat from her mouth and slashed backward.

Blood immediately billowed like mist, dispersing in the blue lake water, dyeing the underwater area into a red curtain.

The three men looked back in horror, finally realizing a killing god had arrived. They hesitated between splitting up to fight or combining for siege—whichever two dealt with Chu Feihuan or Qin Chang Ge, the one left alone would surely die. The three exchanged glances underwater, all deciding not to separate.

But Qin Chang Ge wouldn’t give them a chance to combine forces against herself and Chu Feihuan. She had come precisely to defeat them separately. Flicking her finger, two steel pellets shot straight into one black-clothed man’s nostrils, firmly plugging his nose. The man’s blocked nose reflexively made him open his mouth immediately. Qin Chang Ge pounced forward, stabbing through his mouth and out his throat!

Another wave of bloody diffusion!

Immediately after, two more blood clouds surged up. The remaining two black-clothed men, panicked by their companions’ deaths and preparing to flee, lost their fighting spirit and were instantly dispatched by Chu Feihuan.

Bodies sank down. Only then did Qin Chang Ge notice two more black-clothed corpses tangled in water weeds nearby—apparently there had been more than just these four originally.

Sighing in relief, Qin Chang Ge felt breathless underwater and kicked upward to surface. Suddenly seeing a blue shadow flash, Chu Feihuan had already swum close.

He extended his hand, already embracing her, then a pair of cool lips gently pressed against hers.

Qin Chang Ge’s mind thundered. She never expected Chu Feihuan to suddenly act this way. In her shock, the breath in her chest scattered completely, and she nearly suffocated.

But she suddenly felt warm currents flowing into her lungs, slowly circulating through her extraordinary meridians. The suffocating feeling in her chest immediately disappeared. Her confused consciousness awakened, immediately understanding that Feihuan was transferring breath. Her face reddened as she thought to move away, but Feihuan held her tightly, unwilling to let go.

His posture was gentle yet firm, as if he had been waiting for this moment for a long time and would no longer let go.

In the blue water, the embracing man and woman, blue and azure robes slowly intertwining, their black hair gently flowing in the moving water. Chu Feihuan’s dense long lashes covered Qin Chang Ge’s cheek. The water was cold, but their touching lips were warm as spring.

He extended his hand, gripping Qin Chang Ge’s cold palm, writing gently with his fingertip in her palm:

“How afraid I was of losing you again.”

Qin Chang Ge trembled.

Chu Feihuan continued writing slowly:

“Truly too afraid, so forgive me. I only wanted a moment of truly holding you in my arms.”

Qin Chang Ge’s body suddenly went soft… Some of the simplest reasons could always strike deepest into one’s heart.

It was her fault—not heeding his advice and falling into enemy hands. During these days of lost contact, for Feihuan it was probably the nightmare from five years ago returning. He would blame himself for not going with her to Qi Heng’s place, he would fear the tragedy from five years ago repeating. How had he endured these days and nights of self-blame and terror while sleeplessly searching for her?

He, they—she had been disappointing them all this time. From the initial coldness like deep water to now being confused and troubled, those tangled, complex emotions that she couldn’t sort through despite all her intelligence and wisdom.

Breaking through eighteen life-and-death challenges was easy; breaking through the demons in one’s heart was difficult.

Qin Chang Ge’s sigh dissolved into their joined lips, dissolved into the quiet lake water.

…She was a bastard, an arrogant, ignorant, self-righteous bastard who didn’t know how to cherish herself or care for others.

She closed her eyes and embraced Feihuan in return.

On his back, she wrote gently:

“From now on, I will be careful.”

Chu Feihuan opened his eyes. His gaze was even more crystal clear than the azure waters of Li Lake, and written in those bright pupils were moonlight, starlight, a river of spring water, and eternal deep affection.

He suddenly moved his lips away, gently releasing her, giving her a very satisfied smile, then pushed her toward the surface.

Splash! Qin Chang Ge burst through the water.

First, she saw Xiao Jue being firmly held by Xia Houjue, infinitely anxious as he leaned over the boat’s edge. Seeing her emerge, his eyes lit up greatly.

Second, she saw across the way, Bai Yuan stepping onto a military vessel with one foot, waving his hand as soldiers fell in all directions.

Suddenly red light flashed. The cabin door banged open, and a fiery whirlwind instantly swept out. Silver light danced gracefully in hand, wind sounds swirling, murderous intent coldly descending on Bai Yuan’s head!