With Xu Qingchen keeping watch over An City and the Murong family’s situation, Ye Li and Mo Xiuyao felt more at ease. Every day, Mo Xiuyao took Ye Li wandering around the city and its outskirts, appearing to be nothing more than a young married couple idly passing time before the martial arts conference. This frustrated their followers to no end – they could find nothing suspicious about the young couple. Though the man was exceptionally handsome and skilled in martial arts, and the woman more beautiful than most noble ladies, they seemed to have no connection to their master. The followers couldn’t understand why their master was so convinced these two posed a danger.
After two days of surveillance yielded nothing suspicious, even Ren Qining felt embarrassed to continue the surveillance and had to recall his people.
When they went out and noticed the tail was gone, Ye Li was somewhat surprised. “They gave up so quickly?”
Mo Xiuyao replied coolly, “He’s a clever one. Since they couldn’t uncover our background, continuing to follow us would only lead to awkwardness on all sides.”
Ye Li frowned, “Has Big Brother found anything about Ren Qining’s background?”
Mo Xiuyao shook his head, “Nothing. This person and the power behind him must not have appeared in jianghu or among the nobility before, otherwise, there would be some traces. But it doesn’t matter… this is Western Lin’s territory.” Since the person appeared in Western Lin, if anyone should be worried it would be Lei Zhenting. “Your brother has already sent people to warn Lei Zhenting and Lei Tengfeng. We’ll wait to see their reaction.”
Ye Li nodded. Originally, if Ren Qining hadn’t taken it upon himself to have them followed and investigated, she wouldn’t have been interested in him at all. Since Mo Xiuyao had things under control, she couldn’t be bothered to worry about it.
During their wanderings around An City these past few days, despite having an annoying tail, they had learned quite a bit of news. Though the Murong family wasn’t well-known in the Northwest and Da Chu, An City was less than ten li from the Murong estate. The entire city could be considered within the Murong family’s sphere of influence, so naturally there was plenty of gossip about them.
It was said the Murong young miss was as beautiful as a flower, with a gentle and kind temperament. Her reputation in An City was excellent – in many commoners’ hearts, she was like a living bodhisattva. Supposedly on the first day of every month, Miss Murong would go to Zhaoning Temple outside the city to burn incense and pray for her grandfather’s blessings. Today happened to be the first of the month, and even with the martial arts conference approaching, it seemed Miss Murong hadn’t changed this habit. As a result, many jianghu heroes, nobles, and wealthy young men who had gotten wind of this rushed to Zhaoning Temple before even having breakfast. This made the usually crowded An City suddenly much quieter.
Since Mo Xiuyao and Ye Li were here to join in the excitement, they naturally had to make their way to Zhaoning Temple as well. After finishing breakfast, they strolled toward the city gates. By the time they reached Zhaoning Temple, it was already packed with people. Any outsider who didn’t know better would surely have marveled at the temple’s flourishing worship.
Though crowded, Zhaoning Temple itself was worth visiting. The vast quiet forest on the back mountain was especially scenic. While everyone crowded the front mountain hoping to catch a glimpse of Miss Murong, the back mountain remained particularly peaceful and secluded. Mo Xiuyao and Ye Li walked hand in hand along the back mountain path, the distant clamor only emphasizing the emptiness around them. Thinking of all those people waiting eagerly, Ye Li couldn’t help but laugh softly.
Mo Xiuyao looked down at her, “What’s so funny, A’Li?”
Ye Li looked up to check his expression, holding back her laughter as she said, “I’m imagining if Mo Jingli and Lei Tengfeng might be among those people, and… what if His Highness was also among them, waiting expectantly?”
Mo Xiuyao gave a displeased snort. Prince Ding had always been proud – others waited for him, but when had he ever waited for anyone? “Besides A’Li, who in this world is worth this prince’s wait?”
Ye Li rolled her eyes helplessly, feeling somewhat immune to Prince Mo’s constant sweet talk.
As they were joking around, Mo Xiuyao’s gaze suddenly sharpened as he looked ahead. He scooped up Ye Li and leaped up the slope beside the path, landing in an ancient tree covered in green vines.
His action didn’t startle Ye Li. Leaning in his embrace, she looked in the direction he was watching. Soon she heard clear voices conversing. A group came down from the mountain – among them were over a dozen strong men and women carrying swords. In their midst was a young woman in light purple silk robes, accompanied by six servant girls in green and two elderly matrons. At a glance, Ye Li could tell the young woman’s purple robe was made of Water Cloud Silk, the finest of the Three Treasures of Nanzhao, with a gauze outer robe of Lotus Silk.
The people of Nanzhao considered blue and white the most noble colors, so their Water Cloud Silk came in subdued shades and wasn’t produced in deep purple. This Water Cloud Silk wasn’t a tribute item from Nanzhao, and since no one else in the world could produce such exquisite silk-like Water Cloud Silk, this purple version must have been made independently. This meant someone had mastered Nanzhao’s most precious secret craft. If they produced Water Cloud Silk in large quantities, it would bring enormous wealth. Yet no one had heard of Water Cloud Silk being made anywhere outside of Nanzhao. Perhaps they simply didn’t care about this business.
Looking at the young woman’s jade pendants, hairpins, necklaces, and jewels – every piece was of the finest quality. Such luxurious attire was beyond not just common people but even imperial princesses. Without even thinking, Ye Li could guess who this young woman in their midst must be.
“Young Miss, there are so many people outside the temple gate. Shall we use the side entrance?” suggested the matron beside the purple-robed young woman softly. Though there was no one here now, that was because people thought the young miss hadn’t arrived yet. They had come up the mountain before dawn. Going through the main gate now would surely disturb the young miss.
The purple-robed young woman smiled gently, “Nurse Su, don’t worry. Those people are all heroes from across the land here for the martial arts conference. Surely they know proper etiquette.”
“That’s right, Young Miss is correct. Those people can’t wait to curry favor with Young Miss, who would dare offend her?” laughed one of her maids. “The Family Head and Great Uncle said they want to choose the most outstanding man in the world as Young Miss’s husband. They want everyone to know our Young Miss isn’t just the daughter of the wealthiest family, but also a great beauty who could topple kingdoms!”
“You silly girl, what nonsense are you speaking! Just wait until grandfather disciplines you when we return!” scolded the purple-robed young woman, though her water-clear eyes visible above her light purple veil held a gentle smile, showing she wasn’t truly angry. The little maid, knowing her mistress was always kind, wasn’t afraid and giggled, “Young Miss is too kind-hearted, you’d never let the old master punish Lü’er.” The purple-robed young woman sighed softly, “Never mind, let’s head back before grandfather and great uncle worry.”
“Yes, Young Miss.” The group continued chatting as they walked away. Only then did Mo Xiuyao carry Ye Li back down the path. Looking thoughtfully at the now-empty trail, Ye Li smiled, “Looks like we got lucky – we saw the Murong young miss without having to squeeze through that crowd.”
Mo Xiuyao gave a light snort, clearly unimpressed. Ye Li helplessly poked him, “I don’t believe you didn’t notice, Your Highness.”
Mo Xiuyao looked down at her with a smile, “Notice what?”
Ye Li said, “That Murong young miss – the hidden patterns on her clothes and the design on her hairpin were all phoenix motifs. It seems Miss Murong is quite fond of phoenixes.”
In Western Lin and Da Chu, countries with similar customs, phoenix patterns weren’t for everyone to use. With Ye Li’s current status, no one could dictate what patterns she used, but back in the Chu capital, even she had rarely used phoenix motifs. Particularly, the subtle patterns on Miss Murong’s clothes, though inconspicuous to others, couldn’t escape Ye Li and Mo Xiuyao’s eyes – they were nine-tailed phoenix patterns, the totem of the true king of birds. This alone was enough to prove that the Murong family and Miss Murong likely had extraordinary ambitions.
“Just showing off. Why should A’Li care about them?” Mo Xiuyao said quietly, one hand around Ye Li’s waist as they continued climbing toward the mountain peak.
The back mountain of Zhaoning Temple was known for its beautiful scenery, often drawing worshippers to explore. The temple had specially built a pavilion at the summit for visitors to rest. When they reached the top, they found the pavilion already occupied.
Ling Tiehan sat with Leng Liuyue and the Sickly Scholar, talking. Hearing footsteps, he turned to see Mo Xiuyao and Ye Li, showing some surprise before saying, “Prince Ding? Princess Ding?” Though Mo Xiuyao and Ye Li had made some alterations to their appearance, strangers would never connect them, but face-to-face with someone who knew them, there was no hiding.
Mo Xiuyao didn’t try to avoid them. Supporting Ye Li up the final step, he raised an eyebrow at the three with a smile, “Master Ling? What a pleasant surprise.” Seeing Mo Xiuyao’s good mood, Ling Tiehan laughed heartily, “Indeed a surprise. I thought Prince Ding wouldn’t make it this year. Yet here we meet. How about it? Is Your Highness ready to fulfill that duel promised years ago?”
Mo Xiuyao’s sword-like eyebrows rose as he smiled at Ling Tiehan, “Does Master truly want to fight with this prince now? For the martial arts conference later… I just saw Miss Murong was quite a beauty, isn’t Master even slightly interested?” If they fought with all their might, whoever could still participate in the martial arts conference afterward would only prove they had been holding back.
Ling Tiehan gave a contemptuous laugh, his eyes flashing with disdain as he said coldly, “Just a clever little girl putting on airs. This Master didn’t come for the Murong family.” Though Ling Tiehan was the leader of assassins, his character was steady and resolute – he rarely showed such contempt in public. Something about Miss Murong must have truly irritated him.
“I originally planned to find Lei Zhenting, but meeting you here makes Lei Zhenting irrelevant. How about it… would Prince Ding care to give some pointers?”
Ling Tiehan’s challenge was straightforward. Though he wanted to deal with Lei Zhenting, that could be done anytime, but chances to cross swords with Mo Xiuyao were rare. In recent years, Ling Tiehan had felt his cultivation stagnating, clearly reaching a bottleneck. A duel with a master like Mo Xiuyao might bring new insights and help him break through to the next level.
Mo Xiuyao looked down at Ye Li, who smiled faintly and patted his arm before letting go and stepping back into the pavilion. Ling Tiehan had already walked out.
Mo Xiuyao smiled, “In that case, this prince is fortunate to have the chance to learn from Master Ling’s expertise.”
In the pavilion, Ye Li merely nodded to Leng Liuyue and the Sickly Scholar. All three stared intently at the two men outside, with no time for greetings or chat.
Ling Tiehan wore plain blue clothes, his bearing even more composed and magnificent than years before. Though past forty, his profound internal energy cultivation made him appear like a man in his thirties. A cold flash of light and an ancient sword appeared in his hand. Atop the mountain, the blue-robed man stood holding his sword like a mountain, his presence commanding attention.
Mo Xiuyao also wore simple white robes, his black hair like clouds, and a faint smile on his lips. The prospect of dueling Ling Tiehan pleased him as well. His eyes flashed, and a streak of snow-white light appeared – in his hand was a gleaming flexible sword. Unlike Ling Tiehan’s ancient-looking heavy bronze sword, Mo Xiuyao’s flexible sword was as thin as a cicada’s wing, its blade trembling in the air with a flick of his wrist.
Neither made the first move, each standing still, watching the other. Their robes and hair floated gently though there was no wind.
The three in the pavilion held their breath, staring fixedly at the two men. The energy gathering around them created a pressure they could feel.
After what seemed like ages, both suddenly lifted from the ground, becoming countless phantom images flashing through the air. Ye Li couldn’t help but widen her eyes, trying hard to follow their movements, but could only see blurs of blue and white.
Ye Li knew these weren’t afterimages – their speed was simply too fast for her eyes and internal energy to track. At this moment, Ye Li understood something: while her abilities might be enough to handle ordinary masters, she was far from ready to face supreme experts like Mo Xiuyao and Ling Tiehan. Her chest ached slightly, making her frown.
A hand landed on her shoulder. Ye Li reflexively prepared to counter when Leng Liuyue’s voice spoke quietly, “Don’t force yourself.”
Ye Li turned to look. Leng Liuyue and the Sickly Scholar were no longer staring at the two fighters, only glancing occasionally. Leng Liuyue seemed fine, but the Sickly Scholar, whose condition had improved over the years, was turning pale again.
Leng Liuyue explained seriously, “When true supreme masters fight, the gap is too great – watching does us no good. It could even lead to qi deviation.”
Mo Xiuyao and the Garrison South King had fought before, but that wasn’t truly all-out combat – both had held back. This time, Ling Tiehan and Mo Xiuyao were fighting at their peak, going all out. The energy and fighting spirit between them could cause internal injuries or qi deviation in those with shallow cultivation or unstable minds. Though Ye Li’s mental fortitude ranked among the top ten in the world, her energy cultivation had started too late. At best, she was on par with the Sickly Scholar, far behind Leng Liuyue. Earlier, concentrating all her energy on watching Mo Xiuyao and Ling Tiehan’s techniques, she would likely have suffered internal injuries if Leng Liuyue hadn’t stopped her.
Ye Li naturally thanked Leng Liuyue for her kindness. Glancing at the two combatants, she sighed softly. Seeing Mo Xiuyao and Ling Tiehan’s martial prowess, she couldn’t help but feel envious, but she had simply started too late. Martial arts, especially internal energy, had to be cultivated from childhood. Those stories of people obtaining miraculous pills or secret manuals and instantly becoming great masters were just that – stories.
Leng Liuyue seemed to have taken a liking to Ye Li. Seeing her frown, she said softly, “It’s fine to watch. Just don’t force yourself. Prince Ding and Big Brother know their limits – they won’t fight to mutual destruction.” Ye Li nodded, saying, “Thank you, Master Leng.” She looked helplessly outside – while straining herself she could at least see rough outlines, but without forcing herself she truly couldn’t see anything. After considering, Ye Li stopped watching and closed her eyes, carefully listening to the sounds outside instead.
Seeing this, Leng Liuyue’s cold eyes showed a hint of approval.