Before dawn broke, Changling hadn’t closed her eyes all night. She had originally planned to return and catch up on sleep, but just as she lifted the tent flap, she saw Fu Liujing rush up to her, stomping his feet and asking, “Where did you run off to?”

“How are you here?”

Fu Liujing said irritably, “I couldn’t sleep in the middle of the night and wanted to come chat with you, but you had disappeared. We agreed not to go beyond a hundred zhang apart, yet you still ask me what’s wrong?”

“Less than two hours—won’t die yet.” Changling walked past him to sit at the square table and poured herself a cup of water.

She didn’t tell Fu Liujing what had just happened. If he learned there was a walking explosive package in the Yue Family camp that could detonate at any moment, who knew what he would do.

Fu Liujing wanted nothing more than to kick her.

But of course he didn’t dare. Seeing the person had returned safely, his entire body relaxed as he stretched lazily and directly flopped onto Changling’s bed.

Changling frowned slightly. “If you want to sleep, go back to your own tent.”

Fu Liujing didn’t respond. Changling walked to the bedside intending to wake him, only to discover he had already begun snoring softly.

Changling shook her head with a smile, thinking he must truly be exhausted to fall asleep the moment his head touched the pillow.

She covered him with bedding and noticed several strands of dark hair at his temples had fallen into his mouth, reminding her of when she first met Fu Liujing two years ago—he had been sprawled on the ground just as inelegantly.

Two years ago, at Changsheng’s behest, she had gone to Jiangnan to eliminate an evil cult. The cult leader, Ji Zining, was a woman who appeared refined and lovely but was actually extremely cruel. Many loyal and righteous people had died tragically at her hands. After Changling killed her without anyone knowing, she disguised herself as Ji Zining to further destroy the cult.

Truth be told, that day in the Maozhu Forest, she had originally planned to kill those elders. Saving Fu Liujing was purely accidental. After Fu Liujing was captured by cult members, he was already in shock, but then Changling snatched him away and casually tossed him aside, knocking his head and causing him to pass out.

With no other choice, Changling could only take him back to rest in a wooden cabin in the bamboo forest.

When Fu Liujing awoke and saw that his savior was a great beauty, he declared he would pledge himself to her. Just as Changling was about to remove her human skin mask, upon hearing his name she realized he was the very person Changsheng desperately wanted to recruit. Her thoughts turned swiftly—she decided to observe further what kind of person he truly was.

Unexpectedly, after spending several days together, she discovered that time with Fu Liujing was extremely pleasant. His speech was witty, his conduct without method—one could never guess what would happen next.

She became increasingly unwilling to let him see her true appearance. Proud as she was, how could she allow herself to be rejected?

So she left without saying goodbye. Even when they met again later, she was already the renowned Second Young Master Yue who commanded wind and clouds. Naturally, he would think nothing else of it.

Changling buried those brief few days deep within. She had never mentioned a single word to Fu Liujing about it, until she was infected with the United Hearts Gu, and Changsheng’s words last night made her waver once more.

Seeing Fu Liujing purse his lips and turn over to continue sleeping, Changling couldn’t help but curve her lips upward.

Wang Xun and his servant quietly left the main camp without a trace, their destination unknown. Though Shen Yao and the others found it strange at first, they had no mind to investigate. Forward scouts sent word that the northern desert army had new movements.

“General, the northern desert army has contracted across the entire line. One hundred thousand troops are moving toward Jizhou checkpoint.”

Shen Yao was puzzled. “Jizhou? That’s just a border town. Even if breached, there’s still the Long River as a barrier. Across the river lies the He Family territory—how would they dare face the He Family’s three hundred thousand troops?”

“They wouldn’t dare.” Changsheng paced back and forth several times. “The northern desert army previously lost considerable provisions. If they delay further, they can only return empty-handed. Though Jizhou is merely a small coastal city, its resources are fairly abundant. If they plunder Jizhou, their standoff with us can be prolonged by at least another month.”

Vice General Wei Xingyun at Changsheng’s side said, “One month is enough for Yan Kingdom to dispatch reinforcements. If we then call up troops from Bashu’s four commanderies, the He Family will definitely take advantage of the opening.”

Seeing Fu Liujing had remained silent throughout, Shen Yao spoke up to ask, “How does Brother Liujing see this?”

Fu Liujing had seemingly been staring at Changling in a daze all along. Hearing Shen Yao’s question, he startled. “Ah? What?”

“The northern desert army is heading to Jizhou—why would they deploy such massive forces? At this time of year, dividing their troops—what benefit is there for them?”

“They’re probably worried about ambush along the way. After all, the forces confronting Taixing occupy advantageous terrain. We’re unlikely to risk a battle either. However…”

“However what?”

Fu Liujing’s cheeks tightened, but he didn’t answer. Yet Changling pointed to a spot on the map. “Who says we can’t take the risk?”

Changsheng glanced at Changling. “You mean to strike at the Yan army heading to Jizhou?”

“Tonight we exit through the south gate, circle around the waterfall at Fulong Mountain to take the shortcut, and launch a surprise attack from the mountainside at the Tai Valley border they’ll pass through.” Changling’s tone brooked no argument. “We need only thirty thousand infantry under my command. I will completely annihilate the Yan army.”

Changsheng thought briefly. Leaving sixty thousand Yue Family Army troops and twenty thousand Shen Family Army troops to guard the city, Taixing City would not be breached. But to annihilate the northern desert cavalry heading to Jizhou—though dangerous, Changling personally leading the charge had better odds of victory than he would.

Everyone present felt it was feasible. Seeing Changsheng also raised no objection, Changling was about to order preparations when Fu Liujing’s face showed displeasure, and he shook his robes and left the tent.

Everyone was bewildered. Changling acted as if she hadn’t noticed and continued studying the terrain by the relief map.

The bright moon hung high in the sky. Fu Liujing sat at the city wall’s edge, one hand holding a wine flask, the evening breeze gently stirring his robes.

He sat for quite a while. Whenever he heard footsteps behind him, he would pretend to casually turn his head. Not seeing the person he wanted to see, the corner of his mouth twitched, and he turned back mockingly to drink alone.

When Changling walked up behind him, his wine flask was long empty. She had changed into armor with a long sword at her waist. The silver mask appeared heroically imposing under the moonlight. “I’m leaving. You stay in Taixing and wait for my return.”

Fu Liujing said nothing. As Changling was about to leave, she heard him call out, “Changling.”

“How old are you this year?”

Changling’s brow moved slightly. “Seventeen.”

Fu Liujing turned around, gazing deeply at her. “How many people have you killed?”

“I’ve never counted.”

“Were all those killed evil people?”

Changling crossed her arms over her chest. “All were my enemies.”

“Aren’t you afraid someone will seek revenge against you?”

Changling froze at these words. Seeing this, Fu Liujing smiled, his breath carrying a hint of wine. “That’s right—you’re the greatest expert in the Central Plains. Who could kill you?” Changling didn’t answer. Fu Liujing continued, “I’ve never killed a single person. Forget people—I haven’t even killed a chicken… My courage is very small, so I fear war and am weary of war…”

Changling couldn’t understand the deeper meaning in his smile, much less comprehend this incomprehensible nonsense. She simply assumed he worried that if she died in battle, he would be implicated. “I promise you, I will return safely within two days. I absolutely won’t trigger the United Hearts Gu poison.”

Fu Liujing lowered his head, drew a long breath, then quickly turned his back. “I know. You go.”

Changling turned and strode away, not noticing that the mouth of the wine flask in his hand had been crushed, blood dripping from his palm.

That night, the Yue Family quietly assembled various infantry battalions and departed the city toward Tai Valley Ravine, not pausing for half a moment along the way. After circling around the perilous waterfall beyond Fulong Mountain, Changling led the troops from east to south. By midday the next day, they reached the Tai Valley region.

Tai Valley Ravine had special terrain—hilly country with many ridges and shrubs suitable for ambush. Calculating the time, the Yan army would pass through here no later than dusk. Vice General Wei Xingyun dared not delay and according to plan divided the troops to lie in ambush on both sides of the mountain path. Changling selected a spot with an excellent view and concealed herself in the trees, ready to engage the enemy at any moment.

But they waited until the sun set in the west. Forget the northern desert army’s one hundred thousand cavalry—not even half a person’s shadow was seen within a hundred li.

This being the case, not only Changling but even Wei Xingyun and the others couldn’t help but be both shocked and suspicious. Tai Valley Ravine was the necessary route to Jizhou. If the Yan army didn’t pass through here, could they have changed course elsewhere?

An ominous premonition rose in Changling’s heart. Then, in the distant gray-blue sky canopy, black smoke faintly spread wantonly. She felt a buzzing sound in her head, her body seeming to freeze as she watched crimson light rise in the direction of Taixing City.

Everyone who saw this was shocked beyond measure. Wei Xingyun exclaimed, “Second Young Master, the Yan army actually chose this moment to attack the city. It seems the previous troop movements were all just a ruse to divide our forces.”

Changling forcibly suppressed her emotions. “If it were only a ruse, our scouts should have detected it in time. I fear there’s a spy in our army who deliberately colluded with the Yan army.”

Wei Xingyun was shocked. “What?!”

Changling’s hand slowly tightened around the sword hilt at her waist. She said to Wei Xingyun, “General Wei, I’ll rush back to Taixing first. Quickly bring the troops to follow. No matter what happens, avoid being impulsive and getting drawn into chaotic battle. The lives of our brothers are all in your hands.”

In age, Wei Xingyun was more than twenty years Changling’s senior. Ordinarily, he inevitably had moments when he disapproved of her unruly nature. But now, hearing her say this so abruptly, Wei Xingyun’s face turned deathly pale. “Second Young Master, if you return alone, it’s far too dangerous…”

How could Changling not know this? But thinking that Fu Liujing was waiting for her in Taixing City, she only thought that if she returned too late, he probably wouldn’t survive either.

“General Wei, I go first.” Having said this, her form flashed and vanished into the night.

The dark red sky in the east burned ever more fiercely, the towering black smoke grew ever denser.

All along this route, Changling repeatedly comforted herself that there were still eighty thousand soldiers in the city. Even if the northern desert army committed all their forces, they absolutely couldn’t breach the city in less than three days.

She wished she could immediately sprout wings and fly to Taixing City. But the mountain path was treacherous. Even with her excellent lightness skill, by the time she reached the cliff at Fulong Mountain, a full night had passed. From darkness to dawn—when she gazed at Taixing City in that instant, she seemed to see a painting soaked in blood.

Yellow sand rolled up the scorched Yue Family banner, consumed by newly leaping flames amid the endless sand and stone.

It was a grayish, deathly silence. The city tower was strewn with corpses lying in disarray, bodies scattered everywhere outside the moat. Inside the city, scattered torches flickered here and there. The laughter and curses of Yan soldiers, the wails and cries of city residents rose and fell in succession. The ominous wind howled angrily, as if also trying to awaken the souls who died miserably.

The sound of Fulong Mountain’s waterfall drowned out all other sounds.

Changling descended Fulong Mountain step by step. Everywhere her vision reached were piled corpses of Yue Family soldiers. Several vultures circled in the air. The road was already blood-red, blood pooling into streams, surging into the cascading waterfall, the rolling river also dyed a sheet of crimson.

The fear suppressed deep in her heart finally couldn’t hold up in this moment. Changling instinctively searched to see if there were any survivors. At this moment, a person with arrows stuck in his back suddenly stood up, face twisted ferociously as he raised his blade to hack at her.

Changling slightly dodged and looked back at the person’s face—it was precisely Kong Buwu, Sect Master of Feiying Sect. His eyes were already bloodshot with killing. Seeing one strike fail, he roared loudly and hacked down again.

“Kong Buwu, it’s me.” Changling intercepted his hand.

Kong Buwu heard her voice and his entire body suddenly swayed. His eyes seemed unable to see clearly the figure before him. His hands loosened and his entire body collapsed powerlessly to the ground. Changling quickly crouched to support him. “What on earth happened? Where is my elder brother…”

“They colluded with the Yan people and killed Young Master Yue… Second Young Master, quickly leave. Shen Yao and the others… are coming to kill you…” Kong Buwu’s hand slowly dropped. Those eyes that slowly became hollow ultimately never closed.

Changling froze for a moment, then reached out to close Kong Buwu’s eyes.

“I thought it would take another half day. I didn’t expect Second Young Master to return so quickly!”

Changling looked up toward the voice. A large cavalry troop came from afar. Leading them was precisely Shen Yao. At his side still followed those martial world experts, though four or five who were friendly with the Yue Family were missing—they had probably met the same fate as Kong Buwu, certain death.

Changling stood up silently. Not one of the Shen Family Army dared approach her too closely, stopping at a distance of nearly ten zhang. However, about half the Yan army drew closer, quickly surrounding her forward path into an iron bucket formation.

At this moment, Shen Yao’s face no longer bore half a trace of its former righteous appearance. She looked at that face twisted with a smile, her fingers pressing against the sword sheath. “What a fine Martial Alliance Leader, what a fine Shen Family—to actually commit the deed of colluding with foreign enemies.”

Using reinforcements to resist Yan as pretext, exploiting Yue Changsheng’s years of brotherhood with him—this trap had probably been laid long ago.

Shen Yao sneered, “You kill with the blade, we kill with schemes. Both are killing—where’s the difference in nobility?”

Changling laughed coldly. Thinking that this person before her was the “loyal and righteous person” in her elder brother’s heart, infinite desolation suddenly surged in her heart. She stared at Shen Yao, asking word by word, “Was my elder brother killed by you?”

Though Shen Yao also feared Changling, he relied on still being far from her with experts protecting him at his side. As long as she made the slightest move, the soldiers behind would mercilessly draw their crossbows. This was his moment to establish authority—he naturally couldn’t show half a trace of cowardice. “So what if I did? So what if I didn’t? Yue Changling, right now, what can you do?”

Shen Yao raised his eyes. He had just seen Changling lift her head, killing intent rising in her eyes, when in the next moment her movements were like sun and moon never resting in the sky—in a flash she drifted and vanished without a trace.

Shen Yao drew a sharp breath. Suddenly seeing white light flash brilliantly, all at once a vast overwhelming force surged from the air. A human figure appeared above Shen Yao’s head like a ghostly phantom, the sword blade breaking through air with a sound like ghostly weeping. This move was called “Crossing Souls”—when Crossing Souls emerged, there was always death and no survival.

With a thunderous “clang,” the sword shattered with a ringing sound. Changling leapt back to the ground. Only then did the people around Shen Yao draw their blades to protect him, their eyes revealing extreme shock—not to mention the Biluo Sword in Shen Yao’s hand that hadn’t even had time to leave its sheath. The long sword in Changling’s hand had already split into three pieces scattered on the ground, not because anyone had blocked it, but because the sword had been switched by someone long ago. The sword quality was inferior—when true qi was channeled in, it couldn’t withstand it and shattered on its own.

Changling tossed away the broken sword. Having a sword or not made little difference to her. Her wrist lifted, about to turn her palm, when she suddenly felt qi and blood roiling in her chest. With a “pff” sound, a mist of blood sprayed out, severe pain instantly spreading through her four limbs and hundred bones.

Changling’s pupils contracted slightly. She only felt her entire body beginning to go numb, the true qi within boiling and wanting to scatter. She tried to forcibly circulate her energy, but her five viscera and six bowels immediately felt unbearable agony. Heart’s blood gushed out again, blood dripping to the ground mixed with threads of dark color.

This wasn’t injury—it was poisoning…

The United Hearts Gu poison had erupted!

Shen Yao had just narrowly escaped death and was somewhat shaken. Seeing Changling repeatedly vomiting blood and unable to move, only then did he gather courage. “The more you circulate internal force, the faster the poison spreads. Better save some strength!”

Changling pressed against her chest, barely standing steady. “You killed Fu Liujing?”

Shen Yao was stunned at these words, then laughed loudly. “Seeing you’re about to die, I’ll do one good deed and let you know how you died.”

Shen Yao exchanged glances with those around him. They all pulled their horses’ reins to make way. Then someone slowly rode out on horseback, wearing an ink-blue scholar’s robe, with a composed countenance and features like a painting—it was precisely Fu Liujing.

Changling’s breath suddenly caught. For a moment she thought she was seeing things.

Shen Yao seemed extremely satisfied with this effect. “Yue Changling, do you know the Ligucao poison was prepared by him, and the gu insect at Cross Cliff was also placed by him? I’m afraid he never told you—the United Hearts Gu can be transferred. He long ago transferred the hosted insect into an eagle’s body… Haha, the night you went to war was precisely when he personally ended the eagle’s life.”

Changling looked at Fu Liujing in a daze.

These unexpected words were like rolling magma crushing over, melting all previous beauty into fragmented ruin, then transforming into a fine needle piercing her chest. She actually felt somewhat unable to catch her breath, her throat again tasting a fishy sweetness.

Fu Liujing’s eyes flowed with deep, complex meaning, only lacking any trace of smile. Changling looked at him, recalling his usual grinning appearance, suddenly feeling she had never known him.

“Why?”

Fu Liujing was silent for a long while before finally saying, “Do you still remember Ji Zining of the Xiuluo Cult?”

“In my entire life, I’ve never cared about any woman. She was the first. Never killed anyone—you’re the first.”

Changling thought for quite a while before remembering who this Ji Zining he spoke of was.

No wonder the other night Fu Liujing had suddenly asked her: Aren’t you afraid someone will seek revenge against you?

Seek revenge? It turned out he was talking about himself.

Ji Zining—what Ji Zining was there?

That day when they first met at Maozhu Forest, the real Ji Zining had already been eliminated by her!

In that instant, Changling threw her head back and laughed, not knowing if she found it too absurd or was mocking fate’s cruel jest.

Everyone looked at each other, especially the group of martial world masters at Shen Yao’s side. Though they had certainly come to eliminate Yue Changling, seeing this legendary figure of peerless grace reduced to such a state, their hearts actually held not half a trace of joy.

Changling only laughed, then suddenly removed the mask from her face and threw it like lightning toward Fu Liujing’s neck. Fu Liujing leapt with extreme danger. The mask barely scraped his face, piercing a hole straight through the body of a soldier behind him.

Fu Liujing floated back to the ground.

Changling looked at him. His face showed no blood. A corner of a human skin mask at his cheek slightly lifted but didn’t come off. He just stood there calmly, only one zhang distant from her, behind him the endlessly flowing water.

It turned out not only was his lack of martial arts skills false, but even that face was fake.

Thinking back now, when they became sworn brothers, he dared swear to heaven, saying things about sharing fortune and misfortune, clear retribution—perhaps even the name “Fu Liujing” was nothing more than a lie.

The sorrow in Changling’s eyes gradually faded. In her youth she had mastered supreme skills, roaming the world unmatched, never placing anyone in her eyes. Now suddenly discovering she had fallen for a thoroughly false person, she actually didn’t feel particularly sad. Only looking at him with contempt, her tone as usual: “Fu Liujing, sometimes revenge doesn’t necessarily require taking a person’s life.”

Her words had barely fallen when a palm struck toward Fu Liujing. Fu Liujing retreated three steps with swift momentum, forcibly receiving the palm. Feeling the palm force soft and powerless, knowing she had reached the end of her strength and could easily defeat her, yet somehow he couldn’t bring himself to act.

With the United Hearts Gu poison erupting to this degree, Changling’s five viscera and six bowels had long since twisted into painful knots. With this palm strike, she heard her meridians completely severing, only furrowing her brow slightly. Now so close to Fu Liujing, the two simultaneously swept toward the river. Just as they were about to fall into the water together, Changling’s lips suddenly moved slightly as she spoke to Fu Liujing in her woman’s voice: “A Jing, the Sangluo wine we buried beneath the Maozhu wooden cabin—tell me, is it still there?”

This barely audible question caused the tranquility in Fu Liujing’s heart to suddenly shatter. In that instant his mind went completely blank, looking at Changling with extreme pain and extreme disbelief—

Changling struck him with her other palm, pushing him toward the ground. She turned back to smile faintly at Fu Liujing. Her smile was radiant, making the crimson flames at her eyes impossible to look at directly. Fu Liujing only felt that smile chill his bones to the core. In the next moment, her entire body plunged into the rolling torrents, vanishing without trace.

After Fu Liujing tumbled down, he stared blankly in the direction Changling disappeared. For some reason, tears burst forth.

That person was a once-in-a-millennium legend.

Even at the moment of impending death, she still wore a smile—no one dared approach.

Before falling, she looked up at the clear wind and smoke, sky and mountains sharing one color.

She couldn’t help but feel regret—such magnificent rivers and mountains, she would never see them again.