Dawn broke in the east.

Blue smoke curled upward like clusters of tinder rising straight into the air, denser than the morning mist.

At this hour, Changling was leaning against the bedside dozing lightly. The Three Heroes of Maoshan were also either sprawled or lying on tables and stools in shallow sleep when suddenly a violent splash of lake water echoed from outside the cave. All four jolted awake with a start.

Luo Zhou lifted his head and exchanged a glance with Qu Yunzhen, “That commotion is…”

Seeing that Ye Qi was no longer in the room, Changling rose with her sword in hand, “I trouble you to help watch over my elder brother. I’ll go take a look.”

As soon as she left the cave and walked only a few steps, she spotted Jiaye and Jiagu at the shore.

“Shishu? Shifu!” Changling was stunned for only a moment before striding forward.

Last night when Ye Qi had spoken of it, she still harbored doubts. She hadn’t expected that these two masters would really jump down at daybreak. Jiagu was currently busy using his palm force to help “dry” the water from Jiaye’s body. Seeing Changling approach, he finally breathed a long sigh of relief, “Nephew disciple, it’s good you’re here. Just now when I saw no one on the shore, I was wondering where you all had gone…”

Changling looked around curiously, “You didn’t see Ye Qi?”

Jiagu shook his head. Jiaye also said, “Though we didn’t see Nephew Ye, we saw the blue smoke rising from the valley bottom. It should have been set by Nephew Ye…”

Looking at the campfire pile not far away that had already been extinguished, Changling was just about to search nearby when she suddenly heard prolonged cries of “Ahh—” echoing through the air. Looking up, she saw two human figures plummeting from the sky, rapidly descending.

The next moment, a hurricane swept up from the center of the lake, giving the two people a slight upward lift. Then with successive splashes, a man and a woman fell into the lake bottom one after another. It was quite some time before they surfaced.

It was Zhou Qin and Second Young Master Fu.

Watching these two drowned rats climb ashore one after the other in disheveled states, Changling truly didn’t know where to begin scolding them. Jiagu exclaimed, “You two young rascals, I told you not to jump after us. If my shixiong hadn’t reacted quickly just now, with your level of cultivation, you would’ve been slapped by the lake water hard enough to crack your skulls open…”

Zhou Qin walked forward soaking wet and bowed respectfully to Jiaye, “This disciple’s grandson was truly worried for Shifu’s safety. Thank you, Great-Grandmaster, for your assistance.”

Fu Yanyang instinctively followed Zhou Qin’s address, “Many thanks to Shi—uh, many thanks to Great Master Jiaye for the rescue.”

Changling glanced at him sideways and said indifferently, “Since you call me Shifu, addressing him as Great-Grandmaster wouldn’t be wrong either.”

Fu Yanyang was delighted to hear this and quickly bowed deeply, “Many thanks to Great-Grandmaster for the rescue.”

Jiaye smiled faintly.

“Alright, you two come over to Grand-Shifu Uncle here. Let me dispel the water from you. If you catch a chill here, no one will take care of you…” Jiagu rolled up his sleeves and with a turn of his wrist and a circulation of qi, in just a few moments he had extracted seventy to eighty percent of the water from Zhou Qin and Fu Yanyang’s bodies. At this moment, he suddenly heard someone emerge from the bushes and said in surprise, “I was wondering why there were so many successive splashing sounds—turns out you also came down to join in the excitement?”

Seeing Ye Qi only now appear with a large wet patch on his collar, Changling asked, “Where did you go?”

“I went to survey the terrain of this valley, wanting to confirm whether there really is only that one way out. Turns out there really is… So I took the opportunity to feed Sect Leader Xue—afraid if he starves to death we won’t be able to get out.” Ye Qi was holding an extremely plump grass carp. “Then just as I got here, I was splashed with water. Little Qin, Little Fu, for you two to force even the elder of the grass carp clan ashore—truly the students surpass their teacher.”

“I told you with the young marquis here, what could go wrong? Little Qin just wouldn’t listen, insisting on jumping no matter what. With her strength like an ox, how could I hold her back?” Fu Yanyang clicked his tongue helplessly twice. “But first Sect Leader Xue disappeared without a trace, and now the new alliance leader has also vanished. It’s complete chaos outside… When do you plan to go out?”

Changling didn’t intend to let Second Young Master Fu and Zhou Qin know about Changsheng yet. She gave Ye Qi a look that said “I’m leaving this to you” and took Jiaye and Jiagu to leave first.

Seeing the two young disciples wanting to follow, Ye Qi quickly tossed the grass carp in his hand to Zhou Qin, “Adult matters—children shouldn’t get involved. Do you know how to cook fish?”

Zhou Qin blinked, “This fish is so large, we’ll probably need to descale it and gut it first, then cut it into thin slices to cook faster…”

“If the heart is moved but doesn’t act, do it yourself for abundance. Go on.” Ye Qi waved his hand, sending the young girl off to work. Seeing Fu Yanyang hesitate to speak, he said directly, “If you want to say something, just say it.”

Fu Yanyang lowered his head, “I know you all have some reservations about me, which is inevitable, but I swear this has nothing to do with my eldest brother… The mountain is so high, who wouldn’t feel anxious looking at it? Even knowing there’s a lake below, it’s still not foolproof…”

Hearing this, Ye Qi’s gaze swept over to Zhou Qin who was earnestly cleaning the fish by the lakeside. He chuckled softly, “Heroes have trouble passing the beauty barrier—your shifu here deeply empathizes with that…”

Fu Yanyang’s face reddened, “It’s not entirely out of worry for her. To be honest, with such a huge dispute arising at this martial arts conference, given my eldest brother’s temperament, how could he sit by and do nothing? What if in two days, or even sooner, he comes—who knows what might happen? But no matter what, my surname is Fu. As long as I’m by your side, the Fu family won’t dare do anything to me…”

Ye Qi smiled slightly, “That you have this intention—I’m sure when Sister Ling learns of it, she’ll be deeply gratified.”

“That day when I asked Sister Ling for medicine, I already said that as long as my brother could live, I would fully support whatever plans you have next.” Fu Yanyang said, “My eldest brother’s methods… are always impossible to guard against, and Young Marquis, you always have too many concerns. So I wanted to say that when things get really troublesome, maybe I could even serve as a hostage for you… uh, Shifu, your ear…”

While speaking, Fu Yanyang inadvertently noticed the blood scab at Ye Qi’s ear canal. Ye Qi raised his hand to block it, “It’s nothing. The heat caused internal fire.”

“…Oh.”

“Alright,” Ye Qi patted Fu Yanyang’s shoulder, “Anyway, when I need to use you, I definitely won’t be soft-hearted.”

“Huh?”

“Slip of the tongue. What your shifu meant to say is, I definitely won’t be polite.”

After Great Master Jiaye carefully took Changsheng’s pulse and examined his body, he contemplated for a long time before saying, “The eldest young master has reached the point where his oil has run dry and his lamp is extinguished. His life hangs by a thread.”

Changling was stunned. The three heroes were all shocked. Luo Zhou said, “Master, would you please examine him again? All these years, the eldest young master has been like this. The true qi method has indeed been able to preserve his life. How could he suddenly have his oil run dry and lamp extinguished?”

“It’s not sudden, but accumulated day by day.” Jiaye sighed, “May I ask Hero Luo, how long has it been since the eldest young master last regained consciousness?”

Luo Zhou stammered, “Approximately… approximately three or four years…”

“If a person has had no consciousness for such a long period, I fear the poison has long since entered his brain. Only because it hasn’t yet attacked his heart has it not been fatal.” Jiaye turned to Changling, “The method of expelling qi and poison you mentioned is indeed the last chance for a desperate struggle, and it’s best to do it as soon as possible. It cannot be delayed any longer…”

Changling’s heart was in turmoil, “Shifu…”

“During the process of circulating qi to expel poison, one must have a pure heart and single-minded focus for the technique to flow naturally.” Jiaye looked deeply at Changling, “Life and death are fated. That you can see Eldest Young Master Yue again was exchanged for by Hero Luo, Hero Qu, and Scholar Shu at the cost of their lives. Whether it succeeds or fails is heaven’s will. If you cannot feel gratitude in your heart for all this kindness, then there is no hope of saving his life. Even if you do everything possible, there may still be no hope of saving his life. Do you understand this principle?”

These words from Jiaye could be said to have struck at the hearts of everyone in the room. But Changling had heard Buddhist teachings since childhood. These words that had long flowed in her blood both chilled her passionate devotion yet also steadied her panicked heart.

Changling raised her head again, her eyes firm, “I understand.”

Ye Qi, leaning against the stone door outside, heard these words and, looking at Changling, softly exhaled.

Since Jiaye said the condition was critical, everyone dared not delay. After brief discussion, they decided to proceed after lunch.

With Jiaye as the pillar, they would first expel the accumulated Maoshan true qi while simultaneously applying golden needles to expel poison. When the true qi in Changsheng’s body was almost completely gone, they would transfer yin and yang qi—but the entire process had to ensure no interference. To be safe, only Hero Luo, who was most familiar with Changsheng’s condition, would remain in the room. Hero Qu the Second and Old Man Shu would guard outside the door, Zhou Qin and Fu Yanyang would watch outside the cave, and Sect Leader Xue, with his acupoints sealed, could be hung directly on the large tree at the cave entrance.

All of the above was Ye Qi’s suggestion. However, the suggester himself refused Changling’s request to accompany them, assigning himself the role of cook. He gathered firewood and set up a pot by the lakeside, saying he must ensure the first mouthful of food his elder brother-in-law ate upon waking was hot and fragrant.

Changling couldn’t dissuade him. With time pressing, she didn’t argue further. After instructing him a few times, she hurried back into the stone chamber to prepare hot water, golden needles, wound medicine, and other related items, then began the procedure with Jiaye and Jiagu.

Changsheng was helped into a sitting position. After removing his upper garment, Jiaye sat cross-legged behind him. First using finger force to protect the major acupoints around his body, he then pressed both palms against his back. A thick and enduring force pushed in following the qi rhythm, beginning to circulate from the Governing and Conception vessels.

The so-called method of expelling power was to gradually dissipate the internal force possessed within the human body—different from the evil technique of dissolving power that had appeared in the Demonic Cult years ago, when expelling internal force, one needed to gradually permeate the body with an equal amount of true qi. This method did not harm one’s essence and could save disciples who had gone astray in their cultivation at critical moments.

In other words, to dissolve however much internal force Changsheng had, it would consume however much internal force from Jiaye.

Over these ten years, in order to maintain Changsheng’s lifespan, Luo Zhou could be said to have exhausted his internal power without reservation. Although most had dissipated, what remained was still considerable. Fortunately, Great Master Jiaye’s internal force was unfathomably deep. Half a shichen passed quietly, and he still showed no signs of fatigue. When he opened his eyes, he suddenly said, “Check his breathing for one hundred breaths. When there’s a throbbing sensation at the Yifeng acupoint, it means the qi and blood flow without stagnation. You may begin applying the needles from there.”

Changling immediately went to check Changsheng’s breathing. After detecting the throbbing sensation, she swiftly retrieved the golden needles and inserted them into the major acupoint at the crown of his head.

The day was still early.

Ye Qi lay on the grass, a foxtail grass stem in his mouth, staring unblinkingly at the sky.

Strictly speaking, he was looking in the direction of Jiulian Mountain and Longmen Mountain.

With Jiagu, Jiaye, Zhou Qin, and Second Young Master Fu successively jumping down, this “cliff-jumping” route might not have escaped exposure.

If there were those with ill intentions who discovered the clue, they would most likely send people down first. Thus this lakeside was also a “gate” that needed guarding.

To avoid distracting Changling, he hadn’t told her this concern truthfully—if she learned of it, she would certainly have someone else serve as the front-line guard.

But right now in this valley, Hero Luo and Hero Qu the Second had very little internal force remaining. Having Old Man Shu watch the last gate was relatively stable. Zhou Qin and Second Young Master Fu’s jianghu experience was still shallow; they could be tricked by any visitor at any time.

Therefore, he was the most suitable candidate.

Both because there was a lake here, allowing him to employ the Myriad Flowers Treasury at the first sign of anomaly, and because he was He Yu.

In this game of chess, the person he was most wary of, who had yet to appear, might have him as their greatest target.

Thinking of this, Ye Qi began coughing violently again. This time he was prepared—when he vomited blood, his movements accurately directed it into the grass pit beside him. This morning he’d carelessly gotten it on his collar and had to hide away to wash it clean before daring to show himself, afraid Changling would notice.

“Alas.” Ye Qi lifted his sleeve with genuine distress and took his own pulse, looking up at the sky.

“I hope heaven has the virtue of cherishing life, and everyone will be good and not jump down to their deaths.” He muttered to himself, then lay back down again, thinking: In that case, I won’t have to mobilize my internal force and sacrifice myself heroically.

At this moment, the entire ground began trembling without warning.

Several sand and stones flew up and struck his face painfully, jolting him to leap up, his expression suddenly changing.

The blood drained from Ye Qi’s face like a receding tide. He stared in disbelief at another direction—could this commotion be…

Fu Yanyang and Zhou Qin were closer and reached the “scene” at the first sound of the tremendous noise, watching with their own eyes as the towering cliff before them gradually split apart, like a heavenly gate opening.

Zhou Qin was stunned, “What—what is this…”

Fu Yanyang was only stunned for a moment before immediately elbowing her, “Quick—quickly go notify the young marquis… Someone has activated the mountain gate mechanism and is breaking in…”

Though Zhou Qin was frightened out of her wits, she still obeyed and immediately turned to run. Before running a few steps, she saw the young marquis appear. Before she could speak, she heard Ye Qi say, “Go back to the stone chamber right now and tell Scholar Shu about this. Quickly!”

Fu Yanyang turned around. Seeing the young marquis arrive, he hurried forward and pointed toward the upper gate direction in alarm, “Shifu, didn’t you say that only Sect Leader Xue in this world could open this stone gate… But Sect Leader Xue is in our hands, how could…”

Before he finished speaking, the ground had stopped trembling—the mountain gate was completely open.

Ye Qi’s eyes no longer held their usual peace. His gaze was like an awl, staring tightly at the direction of the mountain gate entrance, his eyes actually showing a few traces of cold intent.

“I miscalculated. I miscalculated about one person.” They heard the sound of footsteps wading through water. Just from the scattered formation, the number was definitely not small. “Eleven years ago, there was one other person also in Xiaoyao Valley.”

“Shen Yao.”

As soon as the words fell, as if to verify that Ye Qi’s statement was true, a team of armored soldiers appeared before them out of nowhere, swords at their waists, crossbows in hands, their steps well-trained as they swarmed in like bees from a hive.