The copper flute hadn’t reached Liu Yan’s lips. Liu Yan didn’t look at the three attacking in coordination, only coldly staring at Tang Lici, as if asking why you always refuse to die? Why can you always win? Can you win to the very end? Mountain wind blew up Tang Lici’s full head of silver hair. The three attacked together—in an instant, blades and swords struck his body, already touching Liu Yan’s clothes. With a crisp “clang,” the three’s weapons accomplished nothing, all being shaken back. Liu Yan seemed to have a layer of thin iron armor inside his clothes, making him difficult to wound with blades and swords.

Just as the coordinated attack failed, Liu Yan raised his flute and played. The flute sound was clear and high-pitched, like northern geese flying high across the sky. Trees around him whistled and swayed, sparrows and swallows took flight in alarm. Cheng Yunpao hadn’t recovered from Yu Qifeng’s palm injury, his chest’s true qi clashing violently. He immediately spat out a mouthful of fresh blood. His nature was extreme and he was most susceptible to sonic attacks. After spitting out that mouthful of blood, his blood boiled, and a second mouthful immediately sprayed out.

Shen Langhun concentrated his qi and blocked his ears. Though the flute sound still pierced directly into his brain, it wasn’t as uncontrollable as Cheng Yunpao’s condition. Seeing the situation was bad, he shook out his snake whip, lashing toward Liu Yan’s neck. Shao Yanping and Chi Yun, struck by Liu Yan’s flute sound, both felt their hearts greatly shaken and involuntarily retreated three steps. Could five people attacking together still not kill this demon?

Liu Yan held the flute horizontally and played. A second high note immediately arose, yet his gaze remained coldly fixed on Tang Lici. The flute sound like blade and sword rushed directly at Tang Lici. Before the high note ended, a string of low, soft melodies flowed out continuously. In an instant, the killing sound transformed into lingering, passionate lament.

At this moment, Cheng Yunpao’s third mouthful of blood burst from his mouth. Shao Yanping became anxious and reached out to support him. Liu Yan hadn’t made a single move—relying solely on his damned flute sound, he had rendered everyone helpless with bound hands and feet. Involuntarily, his gaze went to Tang Lici. Tang Lici had defeated Liu Yan at Azure Mountain Cliff, so he must have some way to resist sonic attacks.

At this time, Shen Langhun’s snake whip struck out. Liu Yan flicked his flute tip, and the snake whip coiled several times around his flute tip, blocking several flute holes. Shao Yanping was delighted. Liu Yan’s strangely shaped eyes curved upward at the corners, containing an odd smile. Suddenly he pressed the remaining flute holes, retreated two steps to straighten Shen Langhun’s snake whip, and blew forcefully.

An extremely ear-piercing sound that couldn’t be called any kind of melody struck directly into the brain. Shen Langhun’s whole body shook greatly, his true qi nearly out of control, his face changing drastically—Liu Yan was transmitting sound through the snake whip, more powerful than hearing from a distance. He desperately wanted to let go immediately, but the snake whip was stuck by Liu Yan’s true qi and couldn’t be released. In the blink of an eye, Liu Yan’s flute sound rose higher. The internal power in his dantian rolled like boiling water, about to burst through his qi gates, causing his power to scatter and killing him. Chi Yun and Shao Yanping cried out together. Cheng Yunpao covered his mouth with his sleeve and reluctantly slashed his sword toward Shen Langhun’s snake whip!

With a soft “crack,” the snake whip broke in the middle. Shen Langhun retreated seven or eight steps, his face pale as death. That defeat of years past was vivid before his eyes—back then this person had also severely injured him with one string of pipa, then killed his wife and ruined his appearance. After three years of hard training in martial arts, he still lost to this person’s sonic attacks. His nature was originally steadfast and enduring, remaining calm even when facing his enemy. But now the deep-hidden venomous hatred in his heart erupted. After being shaken back, he gave a great cry and charged forward, throwing a punch at Liu Yan’s abdomen!

After Cheng Yunpao’s sword cut the snake whip, he spat out his fourth mouthful of blood with a “wah,” feeling his heartbeat like drums, his bones and muscles about to scatter. The sword in his hand felt heavy as a thousand pounds—he could barely hold it. Tang Lici stood to one side holding Fengfeng, remaining silent and motionless throughout. Now his lips moved slightly as he stepped forward and supported Cheng Yunpao.

Shen Langhun’s punch struck out with the force of a mad tiger, attacking Liu Yan continuously with full display of fists and feet. Liu Yan’s flute still had the snake whip wrapped around it. Shao Yanping and Chi Yun, to prevent him from raising the flute to play again, both used speed against speed. For a moment Liu Yan had no time to play again, and the four were locked in stalemate.

Tang Lici placed his hand on Cheng Yunpao’s back, transmitting a steady, gentle stream of true qi to help heal his injuries. Cheng Yunpao said angrily, “Why don’t you attack?” Tang Lici slowly shook his head, still not speaking. At this moment, Shen Langhun had completely forgotten who else was beside him. With his wife’s killer before him, if he couldn’t devour his flesh and strip his bones, he needn’t live anymore. Chi Yun’s “One Ring Crosses Moon” created silver light swirling around, every move aggressively attacking. But he was greatly puzzled: Why wasn’t the white-haired fox attacking? Standing aside watching others fight desperately—what was his intention? Had his madness suddenly erupted, suddenly forgetting who he was?

Just as the three encircling attackers gradually became familiar with Liu Yan’s moves, the speed-against-speed method took effect, and they slowly gained the upper hand, Tang Lici’s treatment of Cheng Yunpao also temporarily concluded. He still didn’t join the encirclement. Now he bent down behind Cheng Yunpao and whispered, “Pretend to be severely injured and powerless. When I remove my palm, sit cross-legged.”

Cheng Yunpao had originally been very dissatisfied with him. Now startled, Tang Lici’s force at his back pressed, and he immediately couldn’t say half a word. His heart was both shocked and angry—the internal power of the Mind-Exchange Great Method was truly sinister, completely defying common sense.

“In the forest to the left, behind two large rocks, there’s a person.” Tang Lici’s voice reached his ears again, the tone low and soft. Cheng Yunpao felt heat in his ears as Tang Lici gently breathed against his ear with a soft “whoosh.” “There’s also someone in the bushes to the right. Yu Furen is crouched two zhang behind that person…” Cheng Yunpao blinked, and Tang Lici’s palm had already left his back. He followed the motion by sitting down and closing his eyes to regulate his breathing.

Liu Yan wielded his copper flute, parrying the attacks of three people, his gaze always coldly fixed on Tang Lici. Tang Lici stood to one side, mountain wind sweeping across his clothes, sleeves flowing like water. Liu Yan suddenly spoke, saying in a low voice, “This is your good chance to kill me. What are you still considering?”

Tang Lici didn’t answer. After a long while, he said quietly, “If I wanted to kill you, I wouldn’t have saved you at Azure Mountain Cliff.” Liu Yan sneered. “Saving a demon like me who commits every evil—aren’t you afraid of being drowned in spit, cursed to death?”

Tang Lici said indifferently, “To others, even if you died ten thousand times it wouldn’t be enough… A’Yan, I want to ask you something.” Liu Yan’s lips curved upward. “Even if I answer you, it might not be true.”

Tang Lici’s lips also curved upward, but without smile. “In Bodhi Valley… who stole the ice coffin, and who chopped Fang Zhou’s body to pieces and threw it in that broken coffin to feed ants and flies… was it you?” He asked in a low voice, his tone very calm, even with some meaning of peacefully and patiently listening.

Hearing this, Liu Yan was greatly shaken and suddenly turned around, asking harshly, “What did you say?” In that moment of distraction, Shen Langhun’s punch broke through with a “bang,” striking Liu Yan’s abdomen. Only metallic ringing sounds were heard as Liu Yan’s waist clothing tore, revealing a layer of silver iron armor-like undergarment—it was this silver armor that protected him from blade and sword wounds.

Having taken the punch, Liu Yan didn’t care. Swift as wind, he rushed toward Tang Lici. Two “clang clang” sounds rang out as Shao Yanping and Chi Yun’s blade and sword both heavily struck his back. Liu Yan acted as if he felt nothing, grabbing Tang Lici’s chest garment and saying harshly, “What did you say? What did you say? What did you say?” In an instant, Shen Langhun punched the back of his neck, and Shao Yanping and Chi Yun’s blade and sword were at his throat. Liu Yan didn’t care at all, his bright black eyes firmly fixed on Tang Lici. “What did you say?”

Tang Lici’s lips slowly curved upward into a very desolate smile. “Did you dump him from the ice coffin, chop his body to pieces, and throw him in that broken coffin to feed ants?” He also didn’t care that Liu Yan was gripping his chest garment, as if what was in the enemy’s grasp wasn’t his vital point, just as Liu Yan didn’t care about the blade and sword at his throat.

“What chopped to pieces…” Liu Yan’s five fingers tightened, and Tang Lici’s chest garment tore under his grip. He slowly opened his five fingers, then suddenly asked harshly, “What chopped body? What feeding ants? Who are you talking about… who?”

Tang Lici said softly, “Fang Zhou. I found his grave in Bodhi Valley. He had been chopped to pieces and thrown in a coffin with a big hole in it, covered all over with…” Before he could finish, Liu Yan suddenly gripped his right hand raised before Tang Lici’s chest. “You’re lying! I clearly buried him together with the ice coffin. When I buried him, he was still fine—except for lacking a heart, everything was the same as when alive! Who chopped his body to pieces? How is that possible? Who would chop his body to pieces? I buried him properly—I would never wrong him…”

Tang Lici said in a low voice, “But… the ice coffin is gone, and he was cut into eight pieces, fed to ants and flies.” Liu Yan raged, “You’re lying, you’re lying, you’re lying! There’s no such thing! You’re deceiving me! You’re deceiving me again! You’ve loved lying since childhood, and now you’re lying to me again!”

Tang Lici’s exquisitely beautiful eyes slowly filled with glistening moisture. When Liu Yan roared “lying to me again,” tears burst from his left eye with a “drop,” splashing onto Liu Yan’s shoe.

Liu Yan suddenly became quiet. He saw that teardrop. Tang Lici’s face was full of smiles, his hand pressed against his abdomen. Except for that one teardrop, his expression was even calm, his smile very desolate yet composed. This person basically… never cried. Having known him for twenty years, this person hadn’t even cried when detoxing at thirteen. Even three years ago when he wanted everyone to perish together, it was the same. He was someone very… proud, who would never admit to having weaknesses, so he never cried. This teardrop—was it his newly developed deception? Was he becoming so shameless that he could even use tears for show? His gaze slowly moved from that teardrop to Tang Lici’s face. “Why are you crying?” he asked coldly.

Tang Lici shook his head and smiled slightly. “Fang Zhou, he…” Liu Yan interrupted. “It wasn’t me.” He suddenly turned his head away, saying coldly, “I buried him together with the ice coffin. Why the ice coffin disappeared, why he was chopped to pieces—I don’t know.”

Tang Lici held Fengfeng tighter. Fengfeng had been curiously studying Liu Yan, as if in his small heart he also felt Liu Yan looked different from others. Now he actually giggled. “A’Yan… if someone secretly destroyed Fang Zhou’s corpse behind your back, knowing I would go look… then obviously, someone… is trying to sow discord between us, hoping we’d break apart more thoroughly.” He said softly, “Do you understand?”

Liu Yan said coldly, “What if I understand? What if I don’t?” Tang Lici said in a low voice, “If you truly understand, then stop and come with me.” He slowly raised his head, his gaze somehow carrying a coldly fierce, chilling aura. “As long as you can become the A’Yan of before, hand over the antidote to the Scarlet Ghost Nine Heart Pills, no matter how many lives you’ve taken, I can guarantee no one can touch a hair on your head. A’Yan, you’re not suited for scheming against people…”

Liu Yan suddenly smiled. When he smiled, it was truly like a flower blooming, pleasing to the eye. “Do you know what you’re saying? Nonsense…” Before he finished speaking, “slap”—his face received a heavy slap. Tang Lici said, “You can hate me. But if because of hating me, you don’t even care that someone chopped your brother’s corpse to pieces and fed it to ants, then you’re scum! If you’re scum, however many blades and swords in this world want to strike you, I can let that many blades and swords strike you.”

He neither pointed at Liu Yan’s nose and cursed, nor trampled him underfoot, yet Liu Yan felt like his entire body had been ruthlessly ground over. He leaned forward, and Shao Yanping and Chi Yun’s blade and sword pressed harder, immediately cutting two bloody marks on his neck. Shen Langhun punched heavily into his abdomen with another “bang.” His silver armor couldn’t withstand such heavy blows and suddenly split. Liu Yan’s wrist moved to raise his flute, but Shen Langhun struck like lightning, firmly restraining both his hands.

Tang Lici slowly drew the copper flute from his grasp. Liu Yan gritted his teeth and gripped tightly, but the copper flute was smooth and round. Ultimately he couldn’t prevent it from sliding out inch by inch, falling into Tang Lici’s hands. Chi Yun struck like wind, hitting over ten major acupoints on Liu Yan’s body in the moment he was firmly restrained, then picked up half the snake whip from the ground and tightly bound his hands.

Just as everyone was working together to capture Liu Yan alive, a gentle breeze stirred. From the forest left and right, two people suddenly sprang out simultaneously—one wielding a palm, one with red silk—soundlessly pressing toward Tang Lici’s back. This sneak attack was timed with exquisite subtlety, precisely when everyone had fought Liu Yan and were wounded and weary, seeing victory and relaxing their guard, yet also seeming to completely disregard Liu Yan’s life. Cheng Yunpao had been building power for a long time and almost simultaneously leaped up, his sword carrying frost-cold gleam in a move called “Desolate Cold Three Nights,” thrusting toward that emerald-clothed person’s back.

The sudden change caught Shao Yanping, Chi Yun and the others completely off guard, leaving them stunned for a moment. That emerald-clothed person’s movement was extremely fast, palm wind fierce, but Cheng Yunpao’s sword was even faster. Brilliant light flashed, sword qi desolate and ghostly. Figures crossed, and with a light “thud,” an arm flew through the air, blood splashing everywhere, falling over a zhang away.

The emerald-clothed person was suddenly attacked and her right arm was actually severed. She was experienced after all and didn’t panic in crisis. Seeing Tang Lici was already prepared, she immediately turned and fled wildly. The red-clothed person’s red silk fluttered out. Tang Lici turned around, holding Fengfeng with his left hand and grabbing the red silk with his right. The sound of tearing silk was heard as dozens of small red needles shot out from within. The red-clothed person laughed charmingly and slapped toward his face.

At this moment, Cheng Yunpao’s sword had severed the emerald-clothed person’s right arm, and his sword tip traced a bright circle as it thrust toward the red-clothed person’s waist. Tang Lici’s sleeve danced, and dozens of red needles fell to the ground. With a “slap,” he exchanged palms with the red-clothed person. That person sensed his internal power was strong, completely unlike someone severely injured. With a surprised sound, she suddenly drew a short blade from her red clothes, slashing toward Cheng Yunpao. The blade moved strangely and unpredictably, intending to break through and escape.

These two people’s attack was extremely swift. Cheng Yunpao’s surprise attack, the emerald-clothed person’s severed arm, and the red-clothed person drawing her blade all happened in just an instant. Just in that pause, a sword light flowed and struck directly at the red-clothed person’s back!

Cheng Yunpao swung his sword in coordination. This red-clothed woman’s skill was higher than he had expected. Yu Furen’s timing in striking out was perfectly calculated. He thrust his sword at the red-clothed woman’s back while Cheng Yunpao aimed for her chest’s tanzhong point. Both were first-class swordsmen of their generation. Their twin swords created a loud air-splitting sound. The red-clothed woman’s short blade sealed front and guarded rear, yet she wasn’t afraid at all, still charging directly at Cheng Yunpao.

With a “clang,” blade met sword. The red-clothed woman’s short blade parried the long sword—evenly matched. Cheng Yunpao was inwardly alert. The jianghu was full of hidden dragons and crouching tigers. His going through half a lifetime without meeting an equal was pure luck. But he had been repeatedly wounded, his true qi was unbalanced, and his sword’s power greatly reduced—he hadn’t considered this.

Just then, Yu Furen’s sword wind turned. His thrust toward the red-clothed woman’s back suddenly intensified, but it actually struck directly toward Tang Lici! Everyone was greatly shocked. Shao Yanping, Shen Langhun, and Chi Yun’s hands were still pressed on Liu Yan, constantly guarding against his escape. Cheng Yunpao’s sword was blocking the red-clothed woman, unable to rescue in time. In a moment of shock, Tang Lici raised his wrist, blocking in front of Fengfeng. With a “clang,” Yu Furen’s long sword struck the bone-washing silver bracelet on his wrist and bounced back.

Tang Lici lightly turned around, entering Yu Furen’s embrace, his elbow striking three times in succession. Yu Furen’s long sword fell from his grip as he fell forward. Tang Lici slightly shifted aside to let him lean against his body, raised his left hand to catch the dropped sword, and with three swift consecutive thrusts attacked the red-clothed woman. Seeing the situation was bad, the red-clothed woman gave a charming cry, her short blade striking horizontally in repeated attacks. Cheng Yunpao’s sword force retreated, and she broke through to escape, instantly disappearing into the forest.

Yu Furen collapsed, and everyone gathered around. Chi Yun said angrily, “This guy’s gone crazy? Why would he suddenly attack you for no reason?” Tang Lici smiled slightly. “Did you smell the flower fragrance? Like those red and white-clothed women, he’s been poisoned by Forget-Dust Flower…”

Shen Langhun stood far to one side. Tang Lici looked at Yu Furen and was about to continue speaking when his eyes suddenly moved and he turned back abruptly. “You—” Just as his “you” was about to emerge, Shen Langhun grabbed Liu Yan, whose acupoints were sealed and who couldn’t move, and disappeared in a cloud of dust.

Chi Yun and Shao Yanping were greatly shocked and gathered their qi to chase, but Shen Langhun’s figure disappeared into the bushes. He was originally an assassin, and his stealth and hiding techniques far exceeded ordinary people. In just a moment, both had lost track of Shen Langhun and Liu Yan. Chi Yun cursed loudly, “Damn that Shen Langhun, the backstabbing traitor! Where is he taking him?”

Shao Yanping smiled bitterly and shook his head. No one could have predicted Shen Langhun would suddenly pull this move. “What does he want with Liu Yan?” Tang Lici gazed in the direction Shen Langhun had left. After a long while, he sighed softly. “I overlooked it. Liu Yan is his enemy who killed his wife and destroyed his face… I guess he wants to torture Liu Yan and then throw him in the Yellow River as sacrifice to his wife.”

Chi Yun said coldly, “Hmph! Thinking yourself infallible, if you hadn’t trusted Shen Langhun too much, how could such a huge mistake occur? Now the person’s gone—what do we do?” Tang Lici smiled slightly. “He won’t kill Liu Yan for a while—it’s not urgent for now. Let’s first go see what the situation is at Shanfeng Hall.”

Shao Yanping picked up Yu Furen and nodded. “Let’s go back first and discuss.”