Rong Chen Zi escorted Liu Qinfang all the way back to the Liu Mansion. The Liu household showed no signs of anything amiss — except that the infant grandson born just over ten days ago to Elder Liu had gone missing. The Liu household hadn’t had the time to worry about the disappearance of the young lady of the house; the household’s people had searched nearly every corner of the compound, and in the end had been left with no choice but to report it to the authorities. Given Elder Liu’s standing, the authorities naturally did not dare to be negligent — yet no matter how the officers investigated and questioned, they could not turn up a single clue.

Rong Chen Zi used the infant’s birth chart to divine, and the result was a fate of early death and early end. But one’s life is one-third determined by fate and seven-tenths subject to the variables of change. For a newborn infant, birth chart divinations are not especially accurate. To be safe, Rong Chen Zi decided to perform a ritual that night: if he could summon the infant’s spirit, he might be able to question it and learn the truth of the matter.

Unexpectedly, by that afternoon a message arrived from Qingxu Temple — He Bang had vanished. At the time, everyone had been busy rescuing the young Daoists from inside the three-eyed serpent’s belly, and no one had paid attention to where she had gone.

Gripped with urgency, Rong Chen Zi could no longer spare concern for the strange affairs of the Liu household and hurried back to Qingxu Temple. Ye Tian also learned of this and flew back from the Li Family Settlement on her sword. Qingxuan, Qingyuan, and the others saw only the red-robed Chunyu Lin, and there were very few among them who recognized him.

Rong Chen Zi stood for a long while at the spot in the rear hills where He Bang had fought the three-eyed serpent, and in the end reached a conclusion: “She’s been taken away by the Sea Clan.”

Ye Tian’s expression changed immediately. “With her level of inner cultivation, how could the Sea Clan have taken her away?”

Rong Chen Zi deliberated for a long time, then made up his mind with resolve: “Qingxuan, Qingsu — inform the Dao Sect about the matter at the Li Family Settlement, and also ask Xingzhi Zhenren from Jiuding Palace to investigate the Liu Mansion on our behalf. I’ve always suspected there was something strange about Miss Liu.”

Qingxuan and Qingsu naturally agreed. Ye Tian’s complexion had gone somewhat pale: “Older Martial Brother, what are you planning to do?”

Rong Chen Zi’s voice was quiet, but his resolve was unyielding: “I’m going to pay the Sea Clan a visit.”

The moment those words left his mouth, Ye Tian grabbed the hem of his sleeve: “Older Martial Brother, have you gone mad? If the Sea Clan truly abducted this He Bang, what could you accomplish going alone? And this He Bang has always seemed half-demon in nature — what’s to say she and the Sea Clan aren’t conspiring for your blood and flesh?”

Rong Chen Zi freed his sleeve from her grasp: “Whatever the reason, I must go.”

With that, he delayed no further. He went back to his room, gathered his water-repelling bead, water-parting sword, and other items, and set off alone for the Sea Clan. Ye Tian stomped her foot in agitation: “If you absolutely insist on going, I’ll go with you!”

Rong Chen Zi looked down at her, and suddenly gave a small smile: “Martial Sister, these are, after all, my own hands — how could I allow others to be implicated on my behalf?”

In Ye Tian’s eyes, a glimmer of tears was dimly visible: “Older Martial Brother, we grew up together, trained in martial arts together, cultivated in the Dao together — and after all this time, to you, am I just the same as any other person?”

Rong Chen Zi regarded her steadily, his expression grave: “Little Ye, this is Older Martial Brother’s own affair. Be good.” He turned and left. Ye Tian stood rooted in place for the span of time it takes to drink a cup of tea — then she suddenly thought of a plan.

The Imperial Sea Palace.

He Bang had reverted to her original form, shut up inside her shell, eating and drinking contentedly. Chunyu Lin was making her several meat dishes — these past days in the Daoist temple she’d been eating vegetarian food and had nearly been eating herself into poor health.

“Will Rong Chen Zi really come?” Chunyu Lin fed her a piece of sea cucumber, his words carrying little certainty. He Bang, however, was perfectly confident: “He will — not only will he come, he’ll come alone and single-handed.”

Chunyu Lin didn’t quite understand: “But this Rong Chen Zi is highly accomplished in the Daoist arts. I still have some misgivings…”

He Bang opened her shell to snap up the scallion-braised sea cucumber from his hand: “His Daoist arts are indeed highly accomplished, but you’re in the water — your power increases by two-tenths. He’s in the water — his strength decreases by two-tenths. Follow what I said to do, and you can further reduce it by three-tenths. While he’s searching for someone, his heart will be stirred and his mind unsettled — being able to draw on four or five-tenths of his usual capacity would already be quite good.” She closed her shell, her voice muffled: “Add to that the ambush — there’s a hundred percent chance of success.”

Chunyu Lin still wanted to persuade her further: “Rong Chen Zi is a venerable and respected high Daoist. Offending the entire Dao Sect for his sake — the Sea Clan will likely face endless troubles hereafter.”

He Bang fell silent for a long while, and then suddenly, for no apparent reason, said: “But there’s no time left.”

Not long after, a guard came from outside to report: “Your Majesty the Sea Emperor, Great Priest — there is a Daoist outside who calls himself Rong Chen Zi, requesting an audience with Her Majesty the Sea Emperor.”

He Bang transformed into human form, still weaving water into her garments. Her skirts rippled and swayed, her black hair flew loose — she was like a phantom from the deep sea. She bent down and removed the red-thread golden bell from around her ankle, handing it over: “Go.”

Chunyu Lin made his way through the crystal palace, passing an expanse of red algae arranged in a starburst pattern on either side of the corridor. Rong Chen Zi stood at the far end of the rose-red seaweed, his water-repelling bead keeping the surrounding seawater at bay, his white Daoist robe seemingly on the verge of dissolving into the water. Seeing Chunyu Lin, he frowned slightly: “Where is she?”

Facing Rong Chen Zi, even in the water, Chunyu Lin had little advantage. The two faced each other across the red algae sea, and the deference and compliance Chunyu Lin showed before He Bang fell away from his features. Something hidden and bewitchingly sinister emerged beneath his brow: “She? Which she?”

Rong Chen Zi’s eyes took on a furious cast: “You are the Sea Clan’s high priest, Chunyu Lin? No need to feign ignorance. This humble Daoist wishes to ask her several questions in person. If she has returned to the Sea Clan of her own free will, so be it — but if the Sea Clan has dared to subject her to the slightest hardship, you will pay a price for it.”

Chunyu Lin completely disregarded the fury in his eyes. He slowly advanced two steps; his red robes billowed and diffused in the blue-green water like a flame: “I see — it’s for a beauty.” His voice was unhurried, tinged with three parts mockery and seven parts brazen mischief: “No wonder — such a beauty, skin so white, waist so slender, legs so long. Could it be that even the Daozhang has developed worldly desires?”

Rong Chen Zi could hardly bear to hear such things. His fury rose: “One who governs Lingxia’s sea domains could only be someone of your debauched and wicked ilk?!”

“Ha ha ha…” Chunyu Lin laughed like a cascade of golden beads and jade pendants, his red robes and black hair gleaming and luminous as an immortal being: “If my sort is debauched and wicked, then you, Daozhang, who chased a beauty all the way here — what kind of purity do you demonstrate in your bed?”

Before Rong Chen Zi could reply, Chunyu Lin tilted his body forward slightly, his expression intoxicated and entranced, as though savoring a memory: “The Daozhang rushes east and west on his errands, and that body, so fair and tender — he can’t have made much use of it. We are only sparing the Daozhang some of his labors. Rather than gratitude, the Daozhang arrives to lay the blame and demand an accounting. It’s truly baffling.”

Rong Chen Zi’s face was iron-grey, but his hands had gone ice-cold. That He Bang — however high her cultivation, she was ultimately only an inner cultivator. If she had fallen into his hands…

His blood boiled with agitation. Chunyu Lin lowered his voice, his expression bewitching and sinister: “The Daozhang radiates righteousness, and I imagine brings that same quality to his bed — unable to manage many positions. Attending upon Her Majesty the Sea Emperor falls to those of us with experience, after all. Daozhang, do you know what position she likes best?” Rong Chen Zi’s blood surged and raged. On Chunyu Lin’s right hand, his finger — white as carved jade — lightly spun an object round and round, while the man himself doubled over laughing, unable to straighten up: “The Daozhang certainly hasn’t tried this — you must have her lie face down on the ground…”

Then Rong Chen Zi saw what was spinning between Chunyu Lin’s finger and thumb. He felt a scalding, acrid sensation surge up from his throat. The long sword at his back, as though sensing its master’s fury, rang out with a resonant hum.

The first sword strike came with the sound of wind and thunder, and with the fury of a thunderbolt. Chunyu Lin dodged out of the way — but tossed what he had been toying with carelessly between the red algae. Rong Chen Zi reached out and picked it up. It was precisely the red-thread golden bell from He Bang’s ankle, still faintly bearing traces of blood.

Chunyu Lin’s expression became grave — even at only half his capacity, this man was still formidable and intimidating. Yet the smile on his face only grew more brilliant, like the beautiful coral reefs of the sea: “No need for haste, Daozhang. Lingxia’s Sea Clan has six high priests in all, and with six of them attending in turns, our Sea Emperor must be rather too occupied to find a moment to receive the Daozhang.”

Rong Chen Zi’s eyes burned with fury. Advancing rashly, he began to lose all measure and restraint. Chunyu Lin gave a cold snort, the Day-Moon rings appearing in his hands: “The Dao Sect has long taught that Daozhang Rong Chen Zi is an upright gentleman — yet meeting him today, he is no more than this. No sooner does he hear that the Sea Clan’s six high priests are attending upon our Sea Emperor in turns, than he rushes to claim a share of the spoils for himself.”

Rong Chen Zi ground his teeth and said no more. Beneath his hands, however, each sword strike was made with full force, aimed at taking Chunyu Lin’s life. The seaweed in the water was shredded by the sword light, obscuring their lines of sight. Chunyu Lin was hard-pressed to respond and dared no longer be careless, and said no more.

Underwater, talismans and incantations were rendered ineffective. Rong Chen Zi could only compete with Chunyu Lin in technique and movement, and with his mind already in turmoil, the fight was anything but easy.

He Bang sat leaning back against a crystal pillar. The sounds of combat outside the palace gate were perfectly clear to her. After roughly two quarters of an hour, she slowly rose to her feet, forming a hand seal with her fingers. An ice spike slowly condensed. She pinched a pearl — and put it back. She hesitated for a long time, then placed it back inside the ice spike.

Three times she did this. Outside, Chunyu Lin had already begun to falter. She finally released the ice spike into which she had placed a single pink pearl, hesitating no longer. The ice spike was like the sharpest of arrows — it could pierce through anything, yet made no sound. The seawater concealed its path. It pierced through the water without a trace and struck Rong Chen Zi’s heart cleanly.

Rong Chen Zi’s long sword was caught by the Day ring, his right hand holding back the Moon ring — and from behind, an ice arrow pierced through his heart. A trickle of fresh blood instantly seeped from the corner of his lips.

Chunyu Lin was positioned too close. He caught a glimpse of Rong Chen Zi’s gaze, bearing just a faint trace of pain. Rong Chen Zi had never turned his head the entire time — he had made no attempt at all to identify who had ambushed him from behind.

Chunyu Lin hesitated briefly. The Moon ring slipped free and swept across his throat. Rong Chen Zi gripped the Moon ring’s blade with his left hand. His voice cut through this sunken, silent deep sea, like a dream one cannot remember the beginning or end of: “He Bang!”

He Bang stepped out from behind the crystal pillar, leaning against it: “Mm?”

His strength was exhausted. His sword lost its spirit and was abruptly severed by the Day ring. He Bang then slowly approached him. The blood at his lips was quickly diluted by the seawater — like a strand of red gauze growing thinner and thinner, paler and paler: “From the very beginning — was this your plan?”

The water-repelling bead’s protective barrier had been shattered by the ice arrow. Seawater flooded in, and he began to struggle for breath. He Bang knelt before him, her water-colored robes swirling, her eyes clear as the autumn moon — exactly as guileless as she had been at the very first: “Yes.”

Rong Chen Zi summoned all his remaining strength to grip her pale wrist. Chunyu Lin moved to block him. He Bang silently pushed Chunyu Lin’s hand aside. Rong Chen Zi gripped her wrist tightly, his expression calm: “Although you were the one who schemed against me first… but—” He coughed out a rush of blood: “—but the defilement of your honor that day was not something I wished for. Today, this humble Daoist offers this body as repayment for that day’s transgression. From this day forward, you and I sever this bond and owe each other nothing.”