As the sun set westward and daylight had not yet completely faded, a silver-white firework suddenly shot up above Luoyang City. This firework was extraordinary, flying extremely high and far, emitting a long and sharp whistle sound, lingering in the clouds for a long time before bursting open.

The residents of Luoyang City all knew there would be a fireworks display tonight, but convention dictated lighting them only after nightfall, so the sparks would appear dazzling and the colors brilliant. Now the sky hadn’t fully darkened, yet someone had lit one—no one knew who was so impatient.

Moreover, performances were always held near Tianjin Bridge, convenient for the imperial relatives and nobles gathered in the southwest of the city to watch. For unknown reasons, this firework was launched from Cihui Ward.

Though the people were puzzled, the vast majority merely looked up for a glance, then lowered their heads to continue with their own lives. Only a few unconventional individuals, with some curiosity and suspicion, carefully identified the location and began converging one by one toward where the firework had bloomed.

Xu Baozhen was still outside Luoyang City when he saw the assembly signal. By the time he reached the city edge, the evening drums had sounded and the city gates were already closed. He simply left his disciple behind and, taking advantage of the deepening night, scaled the wall to enter the city alone.

Pipa Sound Demon Tuoba Sanniang and Ghost Hand Vajra Qiu Ren, who made their living in the city, arrived first, each finding stools among the toppled furniture to sit on.

Tuoba Sanniang pulled a bone ear pick from her hair bun and sat with her foot up, cleaning her ear. Under her plain hemp torn skirt, she wore a pair of red embroidered shoes that were particularly vivid and striking in the candlelight, looking quite eerie.

Dong Zhenzi looked around and, not seeing the green-robed guest who had issued the assembly order, asked: “Where’s Seventh?”

Sanniang glanced at him thoughtfully, then after a moment said carelessly: “Who knows? Haven’t seen him for quite a while. A blade hangs over the character for lust—perhaps he was killed by some heartbroken person.”

Qiu Ren scoffed: “With that reckless nature of his, and unwilling to practice martial arts properly, trouble was bound to happen sooner or later. Some people’s nicknames are undeserved fame, but Silk and Gauze Young Master is truly famous for being undeserved. One could bet whether he’ll die at the hands of creditors or former lovers.”

Having lost heavily last time, Tuoba Sanniang shook her head in refusal: “Can’t bet on that. How would one calculate romantic debts?”

Xu Baozhen didn’t respond, thinking that since he’d die at outsiders’ hands eventually anyway, it would be better to stab him dead first.

After a while, Fire-Wielding Strongman Luo Tuotuo also arrived. Seeing no place to sit, he stuck his staff in the courtyard and lifted the two stone drums from the entrance to use as stools inside.

Tuoba Sanniang asked dissatisfied: “What’s that dead brat up to now? This sect assembly signal was only used once before Master’s death. In the past month or so, it’s been lit twice—does he think this is a fireworks display?”

Luo Tuotuo said: “I guess he lost the donkey-riding lady.”

That night during the city patrol ceremony, he had personally seen the young girl performing as Guanyin atop the treasure cart, with Wei Xun accompanying her. Seeing the state of this room today, he was seventy percent certain.

Xu Baozhen showed an annoyed expression: “Pang Liu lost his bride and issued an assembly signal, now Wei Da lost his lover and also calls assembly. Are we supposed to spend our days idle, just waiting for whoever loses a woman so we can help run errands?”

The room was in complete chaos—anyone could see a conflict had occurred. Tuoba Sanniang looked at the toppled furniture and scattered arrows in the room, slowly saying: “This matter is rather strange. Which expert in the Central Plains do you think has the ability to snatch someone from the Green-Robed Guest’s hands, or was he surrounded and attacked by a group of masters?”

Qiu Ren said: “Though the donkey-riding lady is skilled with bow and horse, she hasn’t practiced hand-to-hand combat. Anyone getting close could take her down with one move. Big Senior Brother once mentioned kidnappers trying to ‘receive Guanyin.’ This business relies on deception and trickery, sneak attacks and underhanded methods—it wasn’t necessarily taken by force from his hands.”

Luo Tuotuo said: “Actually, I encountered Big Senior Brother during the day. He wandered the streets like sleepwalking, blood on his hands, very strange look in his eyes, muttering to himself. Seeing his possessed and deranged appearance, so similar to when Master fell ill years ago, I didn’t dare speak to him.”

Wei Xun’s condition was so concerning that even the lawless Luo Tuotuo didn’t want to provoke him. Everyone’s hearts turned cold. Qiu Ren shook his head vigorously, complaining: “Why compare him to Master? How inauspicious.”

Xu Baozhen asked: “The assembly signal ordered us to gather here, so where is he now?”

“I lit the assembly signal.”

A weak, childish voice came from outside the hall. Shisan Lang supported himself against the door frame and slowly walked out from next door.

“Big Senior Brother instructed that after all the senior brothers and sisters gather, you should help him search for someone in Luoyang.”

Qiu Ren asked: “How was the person lost?”

Shisan Lang answered: “This morning someone used a scheme to lure Big Senior Brother out of the courtyard, then two men with black scarves over their faces jumped in. My martial arts are poor and I was no match—Jiu Niang was abducted. When Senior Brother returned, he couldn’t catch up either.” He then recounted in detail his and Wei Xun’s experiences that day.

Hearing this series of stratagems—luring the tiger from the mountain, feinting east to strike west, the cicada escaping its shell—everyone felt astonished. The enemy clearly knew Wei Xun’s specialties and didn’t dare confront him directly. But for an alert and steady old hand like the Green-Robed Guest to be played like this, such intelligence could be called flawless strategy, anticipating the enemy like a god.

Tuoba Sanniang heard Shisan Lang pause for breath after each sentence, his voice intermittent. In the candlelight, she looked at him carefully and saw the child’s face was waxy yellow with a listless expression.

She asked: “Why is your vital energy so weak? You can barely speak properly.” She reached out to grasp Shisan Lang’s pulse point and pulled him over to feel his pulse. Her face darkened, and she gently pushed him toward Qiu Ren. “Fourth, take a look.”

Qiu Ren, accustomed to treating external injuries, immediately knew from the pulse that Shisan Lang’s heart and lungs had suffered severe trauma. He tore open the boy’s collar and saw a purple bruise sunken into the young monk’s chest, even the bones shattered. Speaking and breathing must be agony each time.

Everyone’s faces changed, understanding that if this child hadn’t practiced the “Prajna Repentance” mental method since childhood with some achievement in hard martial arts, this blow would have shattered his internal organs instantly, killing him on the spot.

Luo Tuotuo gave a “heh” sound, his full beard trembling as he said grimly: “Pretty ruthless, striking a child like that.”

Tuoba Sanniang pointed to an empty stone drum, saying: “You sit in Pang Liu’s position.”

Shisan Lang had not yet graduated, so normally had no seat at sect gatherings and should stand to respond. Now granted clemency, he thanked all his senior brothers and sisters before carefully taking his seat.

Qiu Ren, also practicing “Prajna Repentance,” advised Shisan Lang in a physician’s tone: “Don’t slack off. The more injured you are, the more diligently you must practice. Prajna Repentance is not only indestructible hard martial arts, but can also rapidly repair damaged areas, transforming meridians and bones, completely remaking the body.”

Xu Baozhen and Tuoba Sanniang thought that this mental method Chen Shigu had stolen progressed much more slowly than their sect’s “Mysterious Qi Innate Art” and seemed clumsy. But once patiently practiced to a certain level, external attacks could hardly break through, and injuries could heal rapidly. Unless someone was completely decapitated and dismembered, there would always be lingering problems. Precisely because this martial art was so troublesome, everyone was reluctant to fight Fourth and Fifth easily.

Shisan Lang covered his collar to hide his injury and said: “I’m fine. I only ask all senior brothers and sisters to help find her. Luoyang is so vast, with Jiu Niang’s whereabouts unknown, Big Senior Brother and I are like fishing for a needle in the ocean with no way to start.”

Hearing the youngest’s earnest request, everyone either looked at the sky or the ground, remaining silent.

Shisan Lang knew Remnant Sun Courtyard was different from other sects. The seven had never gotten along, with no fellowship whatsoever, even hoping Wei Xun would die early. Searching for someone was extremely tedious and troublesome—their unwillingness to help was perfectly reasonable.

He racked his brains for a moment, then an idea emerged. With a worried expression, he said: “Big Senior Brother not only inherited Master’s martial arts, but seems to have inherited Master’s madness too. After Jiu Niang was abducted, he became trapped by heart demons and his mind became confused. I fear he’ll cause great chaos in Luoyang.”

Luo Tuotuo had already mentioned this, and now Shisan Lang brought it up again, memories of Chen Shigu’s past actions surfacing. He was learned and knowledgeable, skilled in both literary and military strategy. Even when mad, he was different from other foolish, demented lunatics—both cunning and clever, yet extremely vicious and brutal, the most difficult type to deal with.

Tuoba Sanniang pondered for a moment, then smiled charmingly with seductive grace: “So what? The short-lived ghost has a terminal illness. Even if he goes insane, how many good years can he have left? At worst, we’ll withdraw from Luoyang first to avoid trouble and wait for him to die of illness and be done with it. Let the little madman go underground to tangle with the old madman.”

Xu Baozhen’s lips curved in a slight smile as he slowly nodded.

Qiu Ren laughed: “Third Senior Sister’s mind works fast.”

Seeing this situation, Shisan Lang could only use his final trump card. He cleared his throat and said to everyone: “There’s something we’ve always hidden from all senior brothers and sisters. Now forced by circumstances, we must speak truthfully: Big Senior Brother has found the Phoenix Embryo, the Living Pearl.”

At these words, everyone’s faces changed dramatically. Tuoba Sanniang cried out in disbelief: “What?!”

Wei Xun’s terminal illness was known to everyone in Remnant Sun Courtyard, and they had all heard of his life-saving elixir. Wei Xun had searched ancient tombs for many years, seeking desperately but always coming up empty-handed. Others all guessed Chen Shigu had deceived him. Who would have thought such a thing truly existed in the world?

Xu Baozhen’s face darkened as he swept his sleeve, pulling Shisan Lang before him and demanding: “Are these words true?!”

Shisan Lang solemnly raised three fingers and declared with determination: “Shanyuan swears to the Buddha—if there’s half a false word, let heaven strike me dead with lightning. I witnessed it personally when Big Senior Brother dug out an unprecedented Living Pearl from a great tomb, then ceased his activities and traveled from Guanzhong, wandering the world.”

The main hall fell silent, everyone shocked and uncertain. Wei Xun’s sudden abandonment of tomb raiding was indeed a suspicious matter. If he had truly found that legendary elixir and successfully extended his life with it, that would explain everything.

Tuoba Sanniang still wouldn’t give up and said to Qiu Ren: “Go feel Wei Da’s pulse and see if he’s really recovered from illness.”

Qiu Ren said grimly: “I’m not tired of living yet. Which of you dares to grab his wrist like pinching a child’s pulse point?”

Luo Tuotuo said: “Big Senior Brother was still quite capable when he married in Jade City, just didn’t look well.”

Xu Baozhen said regretfully: “He’s had that sickly appearance since childhood. Logically, if his fate changed, his appearance should change accordingly. Regrettably, only Master’s master was skilled in reading auras and divining fate. I only learned some superficial star observation.”

Everyone was unsettled, discussing back and forth. Shisan Lang said solemnly: “Big Senior Brother is still young. If he begins falling ill now, he could be mad much longer than Master. Senior brothers and sisters, if the person cannot be rescued and he’s devoured by heart demons, what will be the consequences when he remembers one day that you stood by with folded arms today, unwilling to help?!”

The young monk’s serious gaze slowly swept across their faces. Everyone recalled Chen Shigu’s appearance when he fell ill years ago—that calmness tinged with madness—and couldn’t help but feel their scalps tingle, falling silent.

Author’s Note:

After all, he’s from Remnant Sun Courtyard. Shisan Lang is very skilled at deceiving people by “swearing to heaven to speak only truth”—indeed, not half a word was false.