Lin Sui’an knew that, in truth, most things in this world come with forewarning.

For instance, the very first time she laid eyes on Hua Yitang, she had already felt that the protagonist’s halo hovering over his head was blindingly bright.

For instance, when she had been run ragged by two cases simultaneously in Heyue City, she had already noticed that her own constitution for attracting misfortune and Hua Yitang’s constitution for attracting mysteries like a detective might very well be amplifying each other.

For instance, when she had encountered the black-clad assassins and then Yun Zhong Yue one after another in the Western Market, she had already had a premonition that Yun Zhong Yue’s attribute as the world’s greatest thief would bring considerably larger trouble in its wake.

And now, that premonition had come true in the most unfortunate of fashions.

Her bad-luck constitution, Hua Yitang’s protagonist’s halo, and Yun Zhong Yue’s trouble-magnet attribute — three layered status buffs stacked on top of one another — had at long last birthed the utterly disastrous situation of the present moment.

Lin Sui’an wasn’t entirely clear on what sect or order this newly arrived group belonged to, but the essential elements were quite plain to see: the heavy mantle, the mask, the air of mystery, the black attire, the concealed faces, the uniform weapons, the flanking support from archers and crossbowmen on the perimeter. These were unambiguously the hallmarks of a villainous boss organization — either a demonic sect or an evil cult.

Worse still, on their side there existed an absolutely critical weakness that could not afford a single mishap.

Jiang Seventh Lady!

If anything happened to this person, it would basically be curtains for everyone.

And yet, for all that the pressure bearing down on them was as tremendous as the Himalayas, the overall atmosphere had somehow fractured into an odd, discordant note — all because of the one cry Hua Yitang had just bellowed. On one side, the black-clad ranks straining to maintain a dark, terrifying atmosphere; on the other, the Hua Yitang camp, which had thoroughly derailed the entire mood.

Jin Ruo: “Hua whoever-you-are, explain yourself — what do you mean, your Lin Sui’an’s Qian Jing?!”

Hua Yitang: “Off you go, off you go. Elders are speaking — children should not interrupt.”

Jin Ruo: “Who the hell is your child?!”

Yun Zhong Yue: “My, my — is the Young Sect Master’s generation really that low?”

Jin Ruo: “Yun Zhong Yue, are you looking to die?!”

Ling Zhiyan: “What time do you think it is? Can you all say two fewer words—”

Lin Sui’an: “……”

Suddenly, the masked figure raised his hand with a cold laugh, and several streaks of icy light split the air without warning. Lin Sui’an’s hand moved faster than thought — she yanked Hua Yitang backward by the scruff of his collar and flung him away, then her right hand hurled Qian Jing in an explosive release. The blade spun through the air like a boomerang, its dark green bladelight cleaving across half the sky, and in an instant sparks flew in all directions as several crossbow bolts collided with the bladelight and shattered.

“Three chi to the left, six chi, eight chi — seven people. Five chi to the right, nine chi, twelve chi — six people!” Jin Ruo launched himself along the ground. “Yun Zhong Yue — you left, I’ll take the right!”

A shadow like a wisp of blue smoke rose on the heels of Jin Ruo’s voice and took to the air, scattering into five dreamlike afterimages, like lotus petals blown apart by a lake breeze, drifting toward the winged eaves on the left side of the Appreciation Pavilion. Simultaneously, the Pure Gate elders sent several daggers flying — thwack, thwack, thwack — embedding them into wooden pillars. Jin Ruo scaled them in an instant and came tumbling along the curve of the right-side eave like a scraggly hound, sending a cascade of clatter in his wake. Then, one after another, a dozen or so black-clad figures plummeted from the rooftop, crashing to the ground in bursts of blood. The more than ten crossbows came down with them, shattered.

This entire chain of events happened in the span of a single thunderclap. By the time Lin Sui’an caught Qian Jing as it whirled back to her hand, Jin Ruo and Yun Zhong Yue had already neutralized every crossbowman above.

Frankly, even Lin Sui’an had not anticipated that Jin Ruo and Yun Zhong Yue could share such extraordinary, uncanny coordination. As for the black-clad ranks on the opposite side — even through the thick folds of his mantle, the masked figure’s body could be seen to jolt in a visible, stiffened motion.

Lin Sui’an immediately seized the opening, slid forward, and with her other hand ripped the bolt-pinned scroll book free from the tabletop. Qian Jing’s bladelight crackled and swirled, and in an instant the scroll book exploded into a shower of scattered fragments.

Fury erupted across the masked figure’s face. He swung his arm down in a violent arc. “Move in!”

The black-clad figures vaulted down from the railings and surged toward the group in a crushing, ferocious wave.

This time, it was a genuine, brutal battle — one that could not afford a single misstep!

Lin Sui’an’s arms shuddered violently. Left hand gripping the sheath, right hand gripping the blade — both humming with a roar that shook the heavens — she transformed into one black and one green streak of spectral light and plunged into the enemy’s ranks. This was the first time she had ever fought with her mind this clear and cold, drawing on every technique in her arsenal — the lightning-swift footwork of Gale Shaking Autumn Leaves, the blade forms of Gut-Cleaving Blade, Throat-Slitting Blood Torrent, and Awaiting Slaughter like Cattle, all woven into the unique rhythm of Twin Dragons Emerging from the Sea. Scorching, iron-reeking splashes of blood spattered across her forehead, the corners of her eyes, her cheeks. Each strike delivered a clear, visceral sensation — bones breaking, flesh parting. Every enemy cry called the bloodthirsty killing impulse deeper from her core, only to be pressed back down again and again by sheer force of will.

No need to fear. No need to be afraid. This time, she was not alone — her companions stood at her back!

Through the blur of bladelight and blood, Lin Sui’an glimpsed Wan Lin and Hua Yitang leading the Pure Gate disciples, Mu Xia, the stablemaster, and the others in a protective wall around Jiang Seventh Lady, Bai Ruyi, and the rest, retreating beneath the overhanging eaves into a zone of safety. The four soft-armored guards who had originally been assigned to protect Jiang Seventh Lady had now shifted to the front line on the outer perimeter. Their combat strength was genuinely fearsome — they had already cut down seven or eight black-clad assailants with blank expressions on their faces.

Ling Zhiyan and Jin Ruo each made several attempts to break through and reach her, but were repelled again and again. Both were so desperate that their eyes had gone red, their techniques even beginning to unravel. They had taken several cuts from sword strokes, and were actually growing farther and farther from her.

Lin Sui’an realized it: even though many of the black-clad figures around her had fallen, still more surged to take their places — some storming up the stairwell, others scaling the exterior walls of the pavilion. This meant that the entire White Heron Pleasure Boat — no, it was likely that the entire White Heron Island had been seized. These black-clad figures seemed to have been consumed by a kind of frenzy, willing to spend their very lives, using flesh and blood to form a living black vortex, desperately pulling her into it, isolating her from everyone else—

Could it be — that she was their target?!

The absurdity of this thought nearly made Lin Sui’an laugh aloud: what an honor that would be!

Very well then. Let’s see who can outlast whom!

Qian Jing’s bladelight erupted with a brilliance it had never shown before, as though a demon from the depths of hell had opened its eyes — and it descended upon those who had gravely overestimated their own worth.

“Pfft—” Jin Ruo spat a mouthful of blood. A blade had caught him across the back. Ling Zhiyan flew in to cover him, cleaving a black-clad assailant away and dragging Jin Ruo back, then pressed forward once more alongside Wan Lin and nine Pure Gate elders to meet yet another wave of black-clad attackers. Yet their enemies’ attack and defensive patterns were strange — no matter how hard they tried to break through, it was as though they were striking fists into cotton, every effort neutralized. Or, to use a more precise description, it was as though a specially designed cage had been built out of human bodies — its purpose not to kill them outright, but to lock everyone firmly in place.

“Lin Sui’an really is a lunatic! She really is a lunatic!” Su Yiyun was curled up to the side, clutching his head and screaming. “These people clearly came for the scroll book! Why did she destroy it?! Why couldn’t she just hand it over nicely?! Now that she has infuriated these people, all of our lives are forfeit—”

“Shut your mouth!” Bai Xiang kicked Su Yiyun over. “Spineless wretch!”

“Something feels wrong!” Bai Ruyi called out in a low voice. “It seems these people’s target is not us — it is Miss Lin!”

Jin Ruo coughed out a mouthful of blood. “What did you say?!”

“We are only bait used to restrain Lin Sui’an,” Hua Yitang stepped forward, his gaze fixed directly on the brutal melee over there, a fire of scorching anxiety consuming every organ in his chest. The hand gripping the fan began to tremble uncontrollably. “Or rather — we are the leverage used to suppress Lin Sui’an.”

Bai Xiang: “Hua Fourth Young Master, can you say something the rest of us can actually understand?!”

“These people seem to want to capture this young lady alive, but they appear to be wary of something—” Jiang Seventh Lady clasped her hands behind her back, her eyes narrowing slightly, a gleam of sharp intelligence flickering in her pupils. “What are they afraid of?”

They were afraid of Lin Sui’an losing control!

That was Hua Yitang’s private thought, his eyes burning so fiercely they almost seemed ready to bleed.

Wan Lin staggered back two steps, breathing hard, shaking the blood from his blade. “These people seem to have undergone some kind of specialized training — every last one of them fights as though they have no regard for their own life. Even with broken bones, they keep charging. Unless we kill them all, there is no breaking through.”

“There are too many of them, and there are reinforcements. We don’t have enough people!” Ding Kun shouted back.

Of the Pure Gate disciples, only the nine elders could still manage to hold their ground. The number of injured disciples was mounting steadily. Jin Ruo charged back in heedless of danger, frantically rescuing the wounded and pulling them to safety. The good news was that none faced imminent mortal peril; the bad news was that almost all of them had lost their fighting capability.

The four soft-armored guards’ faces had turned iron gray. They continued to fight while retreating, but the ground available for them to retreat to was shrinking with every moment.

“Jiang Seventh Lady,” Hua Yitang said in a low voice, “how many people did you bring with you today?”

Jiang Seventh Lady’s expression grew somewhat awkward. “I slipped away from home. I only brought Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter — the four of them.”

Hua Yitang’s face went equally gray.

Jin Ruo wiped the blood from his face and pulled Shen Xun and the Seven Stars over. They had previously been bound to one of the large pillars beneath the overhanging eave — luckily positioned inside the safe zone — and had escaped disaster. Both wore expressions of utter shock, Shen Xun in particular, his face cycling between pallor and green, his entire body trembling violently.

Jin Ruo completely disregarded Shen Xun and looked at the Seven Stars. “Today is the moment of life or death for the Pure Gate. Are you willing to fight alongside me against our enemies?”

Shen Xun curled himself into a heap on the ground, seemingly having suffered some kind of tremendous fright. His face was buried against his chest, his back soaked through with sweat, and from his mouth came a low, incoherent wailing noise.

The Seven Stars exchanged a look of complex emotions among themselves, glanced at Shen Xun, then turned back to Jin Ruo and gave a solemn nod. “We are willing to follow the Young Sect Master!”

“Good!” Jin Ruo slashed through the ropes binding them, and led the seven back into the fray.

With the Seven Stars’ reinforcement, the perimeter on their side expanded outward by twenty paces, and a temporary equilibrium was achieved.

“Hey, hey, hey, hey! Things don’t look so good over there,” Yun Zhong Yue said, darting and weaving around the perimeter of the melee like a grasshopper. “It seems the young Miss Lin doesn’t dare deliver the killing blow — those black-clad fighters are growing more and more ferocious!”

Bai Xiang was hopping with anxiety. “That can’t be right?! Even now, Miss Lin is still pulling her punches?! She didn’t strike me as the soft-hearted, wishy-washy sort at all!”

“Because… she cannot kill…” Hua Yitang murmured.

He had seen Lin Sui’an on the verge of losing control on multiple occasions. He had seen the light go out of her eyes after she used her golden ability. He had seen the expression of terror that crossed her face when she had come close to killing Dong Chao — a look of desperate, agonized struggle in the midst of blood and death. She had always been straining with every ounce of herself to hold back from taking a life. Hua Yitang even had a strange, gut-deep feeling that if the day ever came when Lin Sui’an’s hands were truly stained with blood, she would become a walking corpse — one that knew nothing but slaughter.

A master of Qian Jing like that would be the truly terrifying existence!

These black-clad figures understood this perfectly, which was why they dared not let Lin Sui’an truly lose control. Instead, they used the lives of every person here as a leash on her consciousness — and by that leash, they could defeat her!

Just who were these people?! What in the world did they want?!

“I understand it now! These people are using a formation!” Bai Ruyi cried out. “I have read about it in books!”

Hua Yitang grabbed Bai Ruyi by the collar. “Which formation?!”

Bai Ruyi took a deep breath. “It is the Nine Palaces Dark Tortoise Formation. The formula states: with the earth plate as its mountain seat, the nine palaces compute the stratagems; the five phases provide the variables, cycling without end; forming the armor of the Dark Tortoise — impenetrable as gold and stone.”

“I see,” said Jiang Seventh Lady, tapping her chin with one finger. “Among the four plates of the Wondrous Gate Escaping Technique — Heaven, Earth, Man, and Spirit — only the Earth plate remains fixed. When combined with the principles of the mutual generation and conquest of the five phases, it forms a formation of absolute, unbreakable encirclement.”

Bai Xiang was on the verge of collapse. “Can any of you say something normal people can actually understand?!”

Hua Yitang swept his robe aside and dropped to one knee. He snatched up a wine cup, smashed it against the floor, and used the shard to rapidly sketch a nine-palace grid on the floorboards. “The Nine Palaces diagram is an expanded form of the Five Positions diagram. The Five Positions are the foundation of the five phases in combination.” The shard scratched across the intersecting lines at the center of the nine-palace grid. “The four cardinal palaces, combined with the central palace, form the five palaces. At the same time, the Nine Palaces can also be seen as two overlapping Five Positions diagrams, creating a structure in which the central palace is doubled, with eight palaces arranged in a ring around it. In other words, the central palace is the operational core of this formation — shatter the central palace, and the formation shatters!”

Bai Xiang clutched his head. “What? What? What is all this?”

Jiang Seventh Lady frowned. “This may present some difficulties. The position of the two overlapping central palaces shifts unpredictably, and there is double coverage from the four interlocking palaces. Unless one can strike at the precise moment when the two central palaces align, one will simply be drawn into the formation and ground down until dead.”

Bai Ruyi: “Can the position be determined by bearing? The eight celestial stems — Jia-Yi, Bing-Ding, Geng-Xin, Ren-Gui — govern the eight directions of East, West, South, and North, while Wu-Ji occupy the central palace. Entry and exit flow through the four gates of Heaven, Earth, Man, and Ghost—”

“Unless one is the very person who designed this formation, no one can deduce the rotational pattern of its positions in any brief span of time.” Hua Yitang cast his eyes across to Lin Sui’an, trapped within the other Nine Palaces Dark Tortoise Formation. He clenched the shard ferociously in his palm, and blood began to drip from between his fingers onto the nine-palace grid.

He did not dare gamble on how long Lin Sui’an could hold out.

He was running out of time!

“Use the simplest possible method — calculate from the changes in headcount.” Hua Yitang turned his gaze back to the formation on their own side. With the bloodied shard as his brush, he began to race through calculations on the floor. “The Nine Palaces rule states: two and four are the shoulders, six and eight are the feet; three is on the left, seven on the right; nine crowns the head, one is the foundation, five occupies the center. This is the fundamental basis of the Nine Palaces — and as the saying goes, all variations arise from a single source. No matter the total number of their fighters, they are all arranged according to this rule in their nine-palace positions. Which means the number of fighters per palace must be a multiple of the base nine-palace numbers—”

This time, even Bai Ruyi and Jiang Seventh Lady went pale.

Bai Ruyi: “That many people! And they shift positions at any moment—”

Jiang Seventh Lady: “How can you possibly calculate this?!”

Hua Yitang did not answer. His face had gone white enough to frighten, and his eyes had gone black enough to frighten. Using the shard as a pen and blood as ink, he covered the floorboards in string after string of dense, tightly packed numbers. His lips moved at rapid speed — and then, suddenly, he rose to his feet. Turning to Jiang Seventh Lady with a cupped-fist salute, he said quietly, “Hua Family Fourth Young Master takes the liberty of begging Seventh Lady to temporarily grant me command authority over your four commanders!”

Jiang Seventh Lady straightened her expression and gave a solemn nod, then rose and called out: “Xuan Chun, Xuan Xia, Xuan Qiu, and Xuan Dong — hear this order! From this moment forward, obey Hua Family Fourth Young Master’s every command!”

The four soft-armored guards’ blade techniques were swift as the wind. They responded as one: “Yes!”

Hua Yitang: “Yun Zhong Yue, Jin Ruo — fall back!”

“Huh?” Yun Zhong Yue darted over in a rapid series of sidesteps, dragging Jin Ruo along with him, and caught his breath. “Why?”

“The moment the formation breaks, both of you go directly to support Lin Sui’an.” Hua Yitang’s gaze swept like two shooting stars across the black-clad ranks, tracking their movements. He raised his voice. “Xuan Dong — seven paces to the southeast. Sixth Elder, Seventh Elder — fall back ten paces. Eighth Elder, Tenth Elder, Ding Kun — eight paces south. Second Elder, Third Elder, Fourth Elder — twenty paces east. Fifth Elder, Ninth Elder — fifteen paces west. Xuan Qiu — six paces to the northeast. Xuan Chun — eight paces to the southwest. Wan Deputy Commander — six paces south. Sixth Young Master Ling — three paces west. Xuan Chun — four paces east. Polaris and its six — maintain the Seven Stars Formation and withdraw thirty paces outward—”

Hua Yitang fired off commands in a rapid, continuous stream, each order coming faster than the last. Already bewildered by the formation and pushed to the limits of their endurance, everyone was in no position to question anything. They could only take a desperate gamble and force themselves to follow Hua Yitang’s directives. At first, many were skeptical of these seemingly chaotic directions and step counts — but within a few exchanges, a profound elegance began to reveal itself. The black-clad fighters’ encirclement, which had previously felt like a quagmire dragging them down, gradually lost its adhesive grip. Wherever they moved now, it was as though they had received divine assistance — breaking through every obstacle with unstoppable momentum. Confidence surged through everyone’s hearts, all lingering doubt in Hua Yitang’s commands completely dissolved, their cooperation growing more seamless with every passing moment.

Bai Xiang stood there gaping at Hua Yitang’s back, his jaw on the verge of dropping off. “Good lord! What kind of person is this guy, really?!”

Yun Zhong Yue: “He’s beyond human!”

Jin Ruo’s eyes shone crystal-bright. “He’s just like Lin Sui’an!”

Jiang Seventh Lady raised an eyebrow, and a warm, elder-like smile of tender affection spread across her face.

Suddenly, Hua Yitang’s eyes blazed with intensity. He shouted in a sharp, commanding voice: “Sixth Young Master Ling — seven paces to the southeast! Wan Deputy Commander — six paces north! Xuan Chun — five paces east! Break the formation!”

The three figures within the formation moved in instant response, converging with Xuan Dong, Xuan Qiu, and Xuan Xia in a movement as swift as thunder before any could cover their ears. The six of them formed a perfect encircling ring, trapping fifteen panic-stricken black-clad fighters within. In a flash, bladelight raged, a storm of blood erupted, and all fifteen fell dead beneath their blades at the same moment.

The Nine Palaces Dark Tortoise Formation — shattered!

The Pure Gate elders and the Seven Stars on the outer perimeter launched a simultaneous assault, sweeping through the remaining black-clad fighters. The formation crumbled in an instant, and a gap tore open. Jin Ruo and Yun Zhong Yue shot through it like two gusts of wind — one skimming along the ground, one treading through the air.

The formations are incredibly difficult to describe! I’m practically coughing up blood.