In Luoyang at midnight, cold stars hung in the sky, with no bright moon to be seen.

Outside the gates of Guiyi Manor ahead, not a single soul could be seen.

However, the two people guarding by the gate had thick hands and feet, broad shoulders and thick waists. With their arms crossed and holding swords and blades, their icy gazes swept over Xie Wei, revealing thick vigilance, and also…

A hint of undisguised surprise and curiosity.

Throughout the Celestial Teaching, not many had seen him; even fewer had seen him and also knew he was the legendary “Master Dujun.”

Yet these past days, rumors about him had spread everywhere.

They all said that Mister Gongyi’s death was full of suspicious points; this person had not only betrayed the Teaching but also intended to repay kindness with enmity, creating friction with the Sect Leader; this trip to Luoyang was finally when the Sect Leader would display his divine might, emerging from seclusion to deal with him.

But who could have imagined that the legendary Master Dujun would be like this?

Wearing plain, simple Daoist robes, though bearing some traces of a dusty journey, his ink-painted brows and eyes carried a kind of calm indifference, unperturbed by waves. Though he came alone, he showed not the slightest trace of fear.

More importantly, he was not some wretched old man…

Compared to Gongyi Cheng, whom they had often seen before, Xie Ju’an was truly too young, to the point where they could hardly believe it.

However, soon the Daoist acolyte who had gone inside to report came back out.

Upon reaching the gate, he was still respectful.

He actually bowed to Xie Wei, though with an unavoidably insincere smile, saying: “The Sect Leader and that Miss Jiang Er have been respectfully waiting for quite some time. Master, please enter.”

The street was completely empty and desolate. Wind blew from the deserted street, brushing past Xie Wei’s robes, making them flutter and sway.

Yet his expression remained steadfast.

Without saying much, he lowered his eyelids, showing not the slightest trace of fear. Rather than appearing like an unlucky wretch being constrained by others and about to become a prisoner, he displayed a composure and calmness in facing changes, as if entering his own home, following the acolyte through the gate.

In his twenty-plus years with the Celestial Teaching, he had rarely issued orders or devised strategies under the name “Xie Wei,” but instead used the title “Master Dujun” to represent himself. This was so that in the future when infiltrating the court, the name “Xie Wei” would remain clean and pure, avoiding the court’s suspicions and revealing too many traces.

Thus he rarely visited the various branch altars.

He was unfamiliar with this Luoyang branch altar. As he followed the acolyte, he looked around unobtrusively. Finally, after twisting and turning through seven or eight corners, they reached a courtyard within the manor.

Outside hung bright lanterns. Below the lanterns, a dark mass of Celestial Teaching followers stood.

The acolyte announced: “Master Dujun has arrived.”

In that instant, everyone’s gaze turned toward him, landing on him. Then, the surrounding crowd slowly parted like a receding tide, making way for him, though their gazes followed him all along, eyeing him like tigers stalking prey.

But Xie Wei acted as if he saw nothing.

He didn’t even glance at these followers. He walked straight through the parted path into the courtyard, and then saw the open door inside.

Wan Xiuzi had gone through such great efforts and scheming to capture Jiang Xuening, believing that Dujun held this woman in special regard, thinking Heaven had granted him an opportunity, perhaps allowing him to grasp his weakness.

However, this was speculation from beginning to end.

If Xie Ju’an, upon receiving the letter he left behind, disregarded this woman’s life or death today and did not come, he actually would not be surprised in the least. Therefore, when he personally heard that Xie Wei had come, and personally saw him walk in from outside, Wan Xiuzi, sitting in his chair, unconsciously gripped tightly with the hand that was clutching the young woman’s shoulder, feeling greatly invigorated.

The young woman had not expected this and let out a soft cry of pain.

However, Wan Xiuzi had already pushed her aside with one motion. His eyes blazed with intense light, carrying a somewhat chilling coldness, quickly locking onto Xie Wei as he laughed: “Good, such boldness! You actually dare to come!”

Xie Wei stood there without offering any courtesy.

He didn’t even look at Wan Xiuzi first, but instead looked toward Jiang Xuening.

From the moment she heard the acolyte come to report that Xie Ju’an had already arrived, her heart had begun to sink; now seeing Xie Wei walk in, she felt her heart sink even deeper to the bottom of a valley.

Jiang Xuening was still bound to the round pillar.

For several days she had been drugged unconscious during the journey, and not long ago had been splashed awake with a ladle of water. Her face appeared somewhat pale and haggard, with a few drops of water that hadn’t yet dried rolling down her cheeks. A pair of dark pupils gazed toward him, her eyes flickering lightly, as if she had many things to say, yet all were hidden in silence.

In these recent days, Xie Ju’an had thought countless times about what the situation would be like when he saw her at the Luoyang branch altar.

With the big picture at hand, he should control himself.

So after imagining all sorts of circumstances in his mind, even the worst ones, he thought that when he saw Jiang Xuening again, he would be as calm as still water, revealing not the slightest flaw. Moreover, the situation was far from as bad as he had imagined. Yet just this one hesitant glance, containing a worry as light as threads of smoke, struck hard against his heart, nearly causing him to lose control in that instant and reveal the deeply buried malice and murderous intent in the depths of his heart.

Wan Xiuzi watched him with great interest, saying: “So you really do care about this little girl?”

Only then did Xie Wei turn his gaze.

With just one glance at the pitiful, disheveled young woman at Wan Xiuzi’s feet, he knew nothing good had happened in this room earlier. Thinking again that Jiang Xuening had been watching in this room just now, the frost in his eyes deepened by several degrees. Yet he said: “The Sect Leader summoned me—how dare I not arrive? However, Jiang Xuening is the daughter of a court colleague who once saved my life. By sentiment and reason, she should not be implicated because of me. She’s merely an unimportant outsider, and not a daughter highly valued in Jiang Boyou’s household either. I’m afraid she has no value for exploitation.”

This was to distance himself from any relationship with her.

However…

A trace of suspicion suddenly arose in Jiang Xuening’s heart. For some reason, seeing him calmly and composedly answer Wan Xiuzi’s questions, she felt inexplicably much more settled: Xie Ju’an was someone bearing a blood feud—his revenge not yet complete, he surely wouldn’t truly place himself in a perilous situation with no way to turn things around. He must have come prepared. Just these few sentences distancing their relationship were worth deep consideration.

Sure enough, if Jiang Xuening could think of this, so could Wan Xiuzi.

How could he believe such nonsense?

Immediately he laughed coldly, saying mercilessly: “You were thriving in Xinzhou with excellent momentum. For a person with ‘no value for exploitation’ and who is an ‘unimportant outsider,’ you risked danger to come to Luoyang. To then distance the relationship—don’t you think you’re protesting too much? I still have some sense of what kind of person you are. Since you dared to come alone, you must have thought about how I would deal with you. You’ve personally witnessed the Teaching’s methods for dealing with traitors.”

Xie Wei said nothing.

Wan Xiuzi stared at him, his eyes revealing a vicious quality: “Back then it was I who saved your life, sparing you from dying under Prince Pingnan’s blade. People say that even a drop of kindness should be repaid with a gushing spring. But you! All my careful cultivation over these years has actually raised a great calamity for myself. Repaying kindness with enmity—truly worthy of being Xiao Yuan’s son, carrying on the tradition!”

Jiang Xuening’s heart jumped.

Xie Wei’s face became expressionless. He raised his eyes to look directly at Wan Xiuzi, his hands tucked in his sleeves clenching tightly for an instant.

However, he was not someone who could be provoked to anger.

Facing such provocation, he only said: “You saving me was merely wanting to keep a good chess piece, to one day make the imperial clan and the Xiao family look bad. If so, over these many years, working for you in the court, passing information to the Teaching—I’ve already repaid you cleanly. We came together for mutual benefit from the start, neither owing the other anything. How can you speak of repaying kindness with enmity?”

Wan Xiuzi flew into a great rage, slapping the armrest of his chair with one palm. He suddenly stood up, raising his hand to point at his nose and began cursing: “What a fine ‘neither owing the other’! If you had worked diligently and conscientiously for my Celestial Teaching all these years, that would be one thing. But do you think that because I don’t concern myself with Teaching affairs, I’m blind? Every underhanded thing you’ve done in secret—which one am I unclear about? Openly for the Celestial Teaching, secretly for yourself! Ever since going to the capital, when have the northern branch altars ever taken me, this Sect Leader, seriously? Every one of them has become your lackey! In your eyes, is there still me as Sect Leader, me as your adoptive father?!”

Young Xie Ju’an had truly been a dazzling talent.

Throughout the Celestial Teaching, who could compare with him?

When Wan Xiuzi initially brought this child bearing a blood feud back to Jinling, he hadn’t thought he would have such great abilities. Seeing he was exceptionally intelligent with meticulous thinking, he thought the Teaching had gained great assistance. He bestowed favors everywhere, even letting him assist with Teaching affairs, placing him on equal footing with Gongyi Cheng, wanting the other party to therefore obey his every word. How could he expect this person had great ambitions? On the surface his conduct was faultless, but secretly he was wildly ambitious, gradually growing into a massive force, to the point where even he had to be wary of him!

Someone he originally thought he could control and who would serve him faithfully had in the blink of an eye become a blade hanging over his own neck. Who could endure such hatred?

Wan Xiuzi hated him to the extreme.

It was just that now having first lost Gongyi Cheng, then losing Xie Ju’an, the Teaching’s followers were somewhat scattered in morale. Moreover, raising troops in rebellion was no simple matter. He was old now, and no matter how much he valued health cultivation, he could not recover his former glory, gradually feeling his energy and spirit exhausted.

By comparison, he hated Xie Wei even more to the bone.

These words were spoken with tremendous anger, and carried a condescending, stern questioning.

However, those two words “adoptive father” fell into Xie Wei’s ears and only stirred up the surging malice in his heart. He even recalled that blood-filled palace, the corpses piled like mountains, that revulsion carved into his every limb and bone surging upward.

He actually laughed.

He coldly reminded him: “Sect Leader has forgotten—over twenty years ago, Xie Wei already abandoned his old name, shed his old surname. Having a mother but no father, and if there is a father, he should be dead. Your adopted son is surnamed Xiao and named Dingfei, currently enjoying wealth and honor in the capital.”

Throughout the Celestial Teaching, who didn’t know Young Master Dingfei’s great name?

The followers all felt their hearts pounding thinking of him.

At this, a few acolytes seemed to recall that devil incarnate’s behavior and couldn’t help but shudder, burying their heads lower.

Wan Xiuzi, hearing these words, nearly had a surge of blood rush to his head, feeling dizzy and seeing stars!

That damned Xiao Dingfei—over these years his lack of proper learning had caused how much trouble, found how many problems for the Celestial Teaching!

He suddenly realized: “That bastard—you deliberately picked him! Good, very good!”

Xie Wei did not deny it, only saying: “I have come as agreed. If the Sect Leader wishes to judge my crimes, do as you will. You’ve also kept Jiang Xuening for several days now. Should you release her now?”

Wan Xiuzi looked toward Jiang Xuening: “Why the rush?”

He laughed coldly and actually raised his hand to signal the nearby acolyte: “Since you’ve come all this way, my Celestial Teaching is no dragon’s pool or tiger’s den. Please have her stay here for a few days, to accompany this poor Daoist in reading scriptures and playing chess to relieve boredom!”

The acolytes stepped forward.

Jiang Xuening’s heart filled with great alarm. Though she knew this wretched old Daoist was using her to threaten Xie Ju’an, seeing the acolytes walking toward her still made her hair stand on end. Finally unable to suppress the fire in her heart, she cursed aloud.

Through gritted teeth she said: “Old demon Daoist, speak plainly! You’ve been standing there talking for so long without ordering anyone to beat the one surnamed Xie. I see it’s not him being threatened by you, but you who have something to ask of him! Putting on airs like some great turtle! If you dare let people lay hands on me, this young lady’s temper isn’t good—if I’m not careful and bite my tongue to kill myself, see what you’ll use as leverage!”

Wan Xiuzi hadn’t expected this girl to expose everything with one statement. His face immediately became covered with a layer of darkness.

The acolytes went to gag her mouth.

Xie Wei’s form finally wavered, but he held back from moving, saying coldly: “Don’t touch her!”

These acolytes all served at Wan Xiuzi’s side. The outer followers didn’t know Xie Wei’s methods, but they were crystal clear about them. Hearing this voice, they nearly froze and shuddered, instinctively stopping and looking toward Wan Xiuzi.

Wan Xiuzi’s eyebrows raised.

He smiled with satisfaction: “Your heart aches for her?”

Xie Wei didn’t answer, but said: “I killed Gongyi Cheng.”

His voice was calm.

To the point where at first hearing, one would think he was saying something ordinary.

However, when everyone was a beat slow and finally realized what he had actually said, they felt as if a thunderbolt had been thrown down on level ground, stunning them dizzy and dazzled, hardly able to believe what he had said!

Even Wan Xiuzi was stunned for a moment. Immediately after, recalling that battle in Tongzhou from two years ago, his heart continuously emitted cold air, accompanied by a towering rage!

His entire being was about to explode!

Gongyi Cheng had been his right-hand man, utterly loyal to him, and even the key to restraining Xie Wei!

“You actually dare to admit it!”

Wan Xiuzi’s voice was almost squeezed out from between his teeth.

“I knew it, I knew it!”

Xie Wei seemed completely unconcerned about the shock his words caused, and continued dropping thunderbolts: “I’ve devoted considerable effort to the Celestial Teaching, as everyone can see. When Gongyi Cheng came to the capital, he immediately began pointing fingers and not knowing his place. You can’t blame me for being ruthless with him. After killing this person, from the capital to Zhili, all Teaching branch altars fell into my hands. I only pretended to obey the main altar, but in truth they listen to no orders but mine. Now that you’re raising troops, from south to north, if you have the northern followers cooperating from within, conquering the Imperial City would be but a matter of days. However, unfortunately, I anticipated the Sect Leader wouldn’t let this go easily, so I left word that without my orders, when war breaks out they should pledge allegiance to the court. With a great battle imminent, even if you want to settle accounts, now is not the time. I believe that with Shen Lang’s methods, he’ll first incorporate these followers into the military and slowly settle accounts later.”

Wan Xiuzi said: “What scheming! To oppose me, you even borrow the strength of the court and the dog Emperor, completely forgetting your blood feud.”

Xie Wei said: “Though I have ambitions to stand independently, I haven’t reached the point where I must rely on my enemy’s favor to survive. Originally I planned to raise troops myself, but now being under someone’s roof, I have no choice but to bow my head. I don’t wish to threaten the Sect Leader—I only want to exchange this for the Sect Leader to release Jiang Xuening. Revenge is the most important matter in my heart. Raising troops myself or joining with the Sect Leader in raising troops makes no great difference to me. I ask the Sect Leader to show mercy. Though Dujun lacks talent, I’m willing to offer the court’s military deployment maps for nine major fortified cities in Hubei and Anhui provinces to assist our Teaching’s uprising.”

As they say, the enemy of my enemy is my friend.

Wan Xiuzi had trusted Xie Wei so much in earlier years precisely because he knew Xie Ju’an’s background and knew how deep the hatred in his heart was. Such a person, abandoned by his own clan and made a chess piece by the imperial family, could by no means possibly stand on the court’s side. And to one day achieve revenge, he would necessarily exhaust his heart and effort for the Celestial Teaching.

Although he later grew powerful, he hadn’t really done anything to particularly obstruct or weaken the Teaching.

Even at this very moment—

Wan Xiuzi had sufficient reason to believe that Xie Wei hated the court to the bone and would use any means to achieve his goals. When unable to raise troops himself, yielding to join the Celestial Teaching was absolutely not an impossibility.

The Celestial Teaching’s main forces were all in the south. Though the north had secretly developed followers because Xie Wei entered the court as an official, they were all ultimately grasped in Xie Ju’an’s hands. After Gongyi Cheng’s death, he, the Sect Leader, had even more lost control over the north.

Now having just raised troops, it seemed like an overwhelming force.

But he knew clearly in his heart that the further north they fought, the harder it would be. Hubei and Anhui provinces were especially hard bones to crack, yet were extremely important to the Celestial Teaching. Occupying these two provinces meant occupying the lower Yangtze River region. Especially Hubei’s Jiangcheng, the thoroughfare of nine provinces—it was truly a rich prize.

To say he wasn’t tempted would be a lie.

However, if he released Jiang Xuening, he would lose the leverage to threaten Xie Ju’an. Though he still didn’t know exactly how much space this woman occupied in his heart, under no circumstances could he release her first.

Moreover…

Xie Ju’an had come—that wasn’t beyond Wan Xiuzi’s expectations. But if everything was truly as he anticipated and things developed smoothly, he couldn’t help but be suspicious and mistrustful: Without even trying, the border troops at Xinzhou remaining inactive—such an excellent situation? Could Xie Ju’an really bear to give it up, actually risking danger alone, just for a woman?

Inside the room, silence reigned.

Wan Xiuzi stared at Xie Wei, apparently considering.

Jiang Xuening hadn’t expected that this person would come to such a dangerous place alone, and word by word actually have a somewhat guest-taking-precedence-over-host posture. And he actually claimed he wanted to cooperate with the Celestial Teaching? How could she quite believe this…

Xie Wei also did not rush him, waiting for Wan Xiuzi to consider.

After a long while, Wan Xiuzi finally clapped his hands and laughed, saying: “They all say heroes have trouble passing the beauty barrier. Even you, Xie Ju’an, have a time of flying into a rage for a beauty! Not bad. However, this is a major matter. This seat still needs to consider it. After all, you two are both here, and currently raising troops is going smoothly—there’s no rush. On the contrary, you two—lovers have finally met, yet you’ve only accompanied this old man in talking for so long. That’s really not good.”

Jiang Xuening rolled her eyes internally.

However, Wan Xiuzi suddenly became like a good person. He waved his hands at those around him, signaling everyone to leave. Then he said to Xie Ju’an: “Dujun, this seat won’t make things too difficult for you. I’ll trouble you to rest here with this girl for a while, so you can talk. Wait until tomorrow, and this seat will give you an answer.”

Having finished speaking, he actually walked out with a smile.

Everyone followed and withdrew.

Though his words said he was asking them to stay here and rest for the night, when the last acolyte walked out the door, he showed no mercy whatsoever, directly locking the door. The followers in the corridor also did not leave, obviously guarding against the two of them escaping.

Inside the room, only Xie Ju’an standing in place and Jiang Xuening bound to the pillar remained.

Only at this moment did Jiang Xuening discover her back was cold with sweat—apparently while listening to Xie Wei and Wan Xiuzi go back and forth earlier, she had unknowingly broken out in a cold sweat.

Now that people had withdrawn, that tense energy also relaxed.

If she weren’t still bound by ropes, her entire body would probably have gone soft.

Xie Wei said nothing and walked toward her, reaching out to help untie the ropes.

Jiang Xuening turned her head to gaze at his coldly handsome face. In this instant she couldn’t describe what she felt. When things quieted down, a deep silence enveloped her, making her eyes sting with tears.

This person actually dared to risk himself for her…

She said: “You really are insane.”

Xie Ju’an, with lowered eyelids, paused for a moment and said: “Didn’t you know that long ago?”

The rope was tied too tightly. The slightest movement made her wrists hurt.

Jiang Xuening laughed and said, trying to sound casual: “I thought being abducted by the Celestial Teaching was an opportunity. They’d threaten you, you wouldn’t come, keeping me would be useless, and then I’d use some underhanded tricks, feed that old demon Daoist some intelligence from the capital—maybe a blessing in disguise, I’d escape your control and gain my freedom like that? But you—following me to the ends of the earth, never letting me go.”

At this moment both were trapped in a cage. She didn’t want the atmosphere to be too heavy, which was why she said this.

However, Xie Wei didn’t pick up the conversation at all.

He was untying the rope knot but couldn’t immediately untie it. So at this moment, he noticed that his fingers working at the rope knot actually had an imperceptible trembling.

After a long while without hearing his response, Jiang Xuening thought this person had gotten angry. However, when she turned her eyes to look at him, her gaze followed downward and saw Xie Wei slowly clenching his hand into a fist.

He just didn’t say anything.

As usual not responding, wanting to continue untying the rope.

Jiang Xuening’s eyes wandered. After watching him for a while, she suddenly said: “Xie Ju’an, there’s something I’m very curious about.”

Xie Wei glanced at her.

Jiang Xuening coughed, then bit her lip with an expression of wanting to laugh but trying to hold it back: “I saw you were quite skilled that time. Turns out you’ve never slept with a woman—you’re still a virgin?”

“…”

At first, Xie Wei didn’t react.

However, after realizing what Jiang Xuening had actually said, his face almost instantly darkened.

Seeing his expression, Jiang Xuening finally couldn’t hold back and burst out laughing.

Her appearance was exactly like someone who had finally exposed another’s shortcoming, with that kind of unrestrained, swaggering arrogant attitude—simply detestable!

A vein jumped at Xie Wei’s temple.

He ultimately couldn’t hold back. His thin lips pressed tightly together, he directly kicked her, signaling her to restrain herself and be more obedient.

This kick was actually neither light nor heavy, and didn’t hurt.

However, seeing his expression that looked like he wanted to kill someone, Jiang Xuening ultimately still didn’t want to go too far. She suppressed her laughter several times, forcibly restraining it considerably, though the expression on her face still appeared teasing and playful.

Only then did Xie Ju’an lower his head again to untie the rope for her.

However this time, that slight trembling from before had already disappeared.

He suddenly froze.

Looking at the mottled, crisscrossed marks on Jiang Xuening’s wrists from the bindings, Xie Ju’an recalled her outrageous joke from just now. In this moment, he finally perceived her unspoken thoughtful consideration.

What kind of person was Xie Ju’an, clear as a mirror in his heart?

In a flash of thought he already knew she had deliberately made such a joke to divert attention and ease his emotions.

However, Ning Er, do you know—that wasn’t because of being trapped in danger, but the lingering fear after seeing you safe and sound…

Xie Wei finally untied the rope binding her.

Jiang Xuening’s hands had almost lost all feeling, sore and numb throughout. Moving them even slightly hurt. In her heart she couldn’t help but greet Wan Xiuzi’s ancestors back eighteen generations.

However, Xie Wei lowered his voice and said: “Wait for me here.”

Jiang Xuening was startled: “Where do you want to go?”

Xie Wei didn’t answer. His gaze looked toward the tightly closed window facing north, and his footsteps followed, moving over. He only looked outside through that narrow crack.

Jiang Xuening also became nervous, not daring to make a sound.

Xie Wei seemed to want to push open the window and do something.

However, just as he raised his hand, his gaze wandered, and he frowned again. He turned around and walked back in front of Jiang Xuening. He actually raised his right thumb and touched it to her lips. The warm pad of his finger used some force, as if wanting to leave some mark on them.

Jiang Xuening was first startled, then confused.

The corner of her mouth hurt somewhat from the rubbing.

She couldn’t help but say: “What are you doing?”

The soft lips, once pressed by his fingertip, moved accordingly. Using just his finger, it wasn’t as easy as he thought to leave a mark. Moreover, this momentarily moist sensation suddenly awakened the surging intensity within his heart.

His finger paused at the corner of her lips.

Xie Ju’an without warning lowered his head and pressed down with an overwhelming kiss. Sucking and lightly biting, half cherishing, half fierce, after a thorough ravaging, slightly out of breath, he finally released her.

Those originally cherry-pink lips then took on a shade of bright color, even showing slight redness and swelling from his excess.

Jiang Xuening stared at him with wide eyes.

After quite a while, she finally reacted. She raised her hand to touch her lips, anger surging up. But fearing her voice would be too loud and heard by people outside, she asked through gritted teeth in a low voice: “What’s wrong with you?”

Xie Wei pressed his lips together, his earlobes slightly red, yet his words came out seemingly forthright: “Staging a good show.”

Jiang Xuening was completely confused.

Xie Wei, being stared at by her, felt somewhat uncomfortable. He turned and walked toward the window again. As he walked he asked: “Did Wan Xiuzi tell you about my past?”

Jiang Xuening felt unhappy, thinking him inexplicable.

So she laughed coldly: “He did, quite a lot. Something about cultivation or not cultivating.”

Xie Wei’s fingers pressed on the windowsill suddenly paused. He turned back to look at her: “How did you respond to him?”

Jiang Xuening instinctively said: “I didn’t respond.”

Xie Wei looked at her: “If he tests you again about cultivation matters next time, just say yes.”

Jiang Xuening: ??????????!