The bright moon hung in the sky above a place where streams babbled, with tree branches and leaves casting interweaving shadows. The human figures beneath the trees seemed fragmented by the moonlight, yet also seemed to be completely hidden within the darkness. With silent footsteps and clothes untouched by dust, someone walked through the forest. Judging by his walking posture, he appeared to have been walking in the woods for quite some time.

The sound of flowing water ahead indicated that Shelter Grove was not far away.

A person brushed past the trees and approached the door of that small wooden cabin with composed steps, gently pushing the door open to enter. This person had a tall and slender silhouette, wearing plain clothes and jeweled shoes—it was Tang Lici.

The sound of flowing water was clearer inside the house. Tang Lici walked past the tables, chairs, and benches, following the sound to a corner where he lifted a wooden plank that was lightly covering the ground. Below appeared a secret passage. He looked around, took out a fire starter from his bosom, lit an oil lamp that was placed on the table, picked up the oil lamp, and descended the steps of the secret passage.

Under the dim lamplight, beneath the secret passage was an unexpectedly elaborate underground palace. Countless rooms were arranged along both sides of several corridors, decorated in exactly the same style as Piaolin Mei Garden. This place must have been in operation for a long time—it could not have been built in just a few months. Walking forward along the corridor, there were countless doors on both left and right sides. Inside and outside the doors was the same darkness. As the gradually moving lamplight passed, the darkness in the door corners shifted into different shapes. Sometimes the lamplight suddenly illuminated strange objects inside the doors, but no matter how the dim light around him changed, his forward steps remained steady and calm, without even much change in his walking rhythm.

From the end of the corridor came the faint sound of water. It was unclear what kind of flowing water it was—only the sound of water moving and splashing could be heard. Beyond that, everything was silent as death.

Tang Lici reached the end of the corridor, where there was a door. The water sound came from behind the door. Though it sounded very close, it also seemed ethereal through the heavy door. He gently knocked on the door, and with a “dong,” there was a heavy echo—the door was actually made of bronze. Tang Lici gently placed the oil lamp on the ground and reached into his bosom to take out a pink dagger—it was precisely Zhong Chunji’s “Little Peach Red.” The sharp blade slipped into the door crack and slid downward. With a light “cha” sound, the bronze door opened effortlessly.

Inside the door was still complete darkness, with only the babbling of water entering his ears. Tang Lici trembled slightly for some unknown reason, lifted the oil lamp to shine into the door, and before he could clearly see what was inside, he had already sighed softly.

Where the lamplight fell…

A sea of blood—

The following section was mistakenly segmented for Chapter 14: Disturbing Affairs 01

Behind the bronze door was a water dungeon.

Under the oil lamp’s weak light, the water in the dungeon appeared a terrifying blood-red color. In the upper left corner of the water dungeon was a small hole through which stream water continuously flowed into the dungeon, then drained away to somewhere unknown. Something was swimming in the water—whether snakes, fish, or something else entirely was unclear. Against the stone wall facing the bronze door, there was faintly a human figure. The water in the dungeon reached the figure’s chest, with hair disheveled, making the face unclear.

With a “splash,” Tang Lici jumped into the water, walked straight toward that figure, and lifted her up in his arms. The person’s face was exposed in the lamplight, pale as death—it was A’Shui. An iron clasp fastened around her waist was connected to an iron chain nailed to the stone wall. Tang Lici slashed with “Little Peach Red,” severing the iron clasp, and carried her out of the water and away from the water dungeon.

Her skirt was covered in fresh blood—the rich blood color in the water dungeon came from her dress… Tang Lici’s expression changed slightly. She had miscarried, and judging from the situation, she must have lost a great deal of blood, yet she had not fallen unconscious. As Tang Lici carried her out of the water dungeon, her eyes moved slightly and slowly opened. She smiled faintly, “Tang…”

“Don’t speak, I’ll take you to find a physician.” Tang Lici comforted her gently, “Close your eyes and rest. Fu Cui led troops to attack Haoyun Mountain yesterday but was unsuccessful. Most of the Fengliu Shop’s forces were captured, with casualties on both sides being minimal. When I saw you weren’t among the troops that went up the mountain last night, I—” Before he could finish, A’Shui went limp and fainted in his arms.

He stiffened slightly, extended his fingers to feel for the pulse at her neck, then picked up the cold body in his arms and swept away.

The journey from Haoyun Mountain to Shelter Grove took him an entire half-day on foot. Liu Yan had been abandoned by Fu Cui as a sacrificial pawn, and what fate would befall A’Shui, who was beloved by Liu Yan and even carried his child, was predictable. She had already suffered everyone’s jealousy and suspicion; being tortured or killed was within expectation… He had walked here on foot, merely weighing… whether to come or not?

Forty-eight thousand three hundred and sixty-one steps… This woman was insignificant to the greater situation—whether she lived or died was irrelevant. If he came alone and encountered danger, the consequences would be unpredictable. Throughout this journey, if there had been anything suspicious, he would have withdrawn. And throughout this journey, A’Shui, severely injured and then suddenly miscarrying while immersed in cold water, could die at any moment, but…

But nothing had happened after all. When he found her, she was still alive—it was her luck.

Tang Lici carried A’Shui out of the small wooden cabin. Under the moonlight, he could see she was covered in wounds, having obviously been severely beaten. Her skirt was stained with blood—who knew how much blood she had lost in that water dungeon? And those things swimming in the water dungeon—had they perhaps bitten her several times? He took out a gray medicine bottle that he usually used from his bosom, poured out two white pills, stuffed them into her mouth, and with a “swish,” tore open her dress.

When the clothing was torn away, he saw she was covered in whip marks. The wounds, having been soaked in the filthy water of the dungeon, showed a terrifying grayish-white color with faint threads of blood seeping through. He took out a small golden box from his bosom, carved with a coiled dragon with raised head and angry expression. The dragon’s eyes were black crystals that gleamed brilliantly in the moonlight. From the decoration and patterns of this object, it must have come from within the imperial palace. Opening the golden dragon box revealed a layer of dark brown medicinal ointment. He applied a layer of medicine to A’Shui’s wounds, removed his outer robe to wrap her up, tied the belt securely, elevated her legs on a stone, tilted her head back to keep her breathing smooth, then pressed several acupoints on her body.

After quietly looking at her for several moments, Tang Lici sat down on a large stone by the stream. He was not a physician—being able to do this much was already his limit. Whether she lived or died depended entirely on her fate. Gazing at the stream and moon, his eyes carried traces of weariness. Sometimes his gaze was confused, sometimes bewildered, sometimes clear, sometimes triumphantly proud. Stopping by the stream accompanied by the moon, his expression changed in countless ways, yet ultimately remained melancholy and lonely, filled with solitude.

After a long while, with the sky seeming to change color several times, A’Shui’s eyelashes trembled as she slowly opened her eyes.

What entered her vision was a patch of blue sky. Streams babbled gently, and tender sunlight shone warmly in the palm of her left hand. Turning her head slightly, she saw a small blue-green bird hopping not far away, holding a thin grass stem in its beak and tilting its head to look at her. Unconsciously smiling slightly, A’Shui moved her fingers a bit and felt clothing beneath her body and a robe covering her. Suddenly, she remembered what had happened.

The smile on her face vanished instantly, replaced by pallor. She opened her mouth and called out a single word in a low voice: “Tang…”

A person turned from beside the stream stones, his face still gentle and elegant, smiling slightly, “Awake?” He wore a white undergarment, both outer robes now on her body. Clearly, the person who had broken through the door with a lamp the previous night to rescue her had not been a dream. A’Shui coughed lightly several times, “You… here… sat here all night…” Tang Lici merely smiled, “I didn’t help much. Being able to wake up on your own is Miss’s own achievement.” No trace of blush appeared on her pale face, “You… you helped me…” Tang Lici continued smiling, “I helped Miss wash and applied fresh medicine, nothing more.” She remained silent for a long while, then sighed deeply—a very weary sigh, “He… what about him?”

She didn’t specify who “he” was, but both understood. Tang Lici said gently, “He… was taken by Shen Langhun, but I suspect his life won’t be in danger for the time being.” Her eyelids moved slightly as she stared intently at Tang Lici for quite some time before slowly saying, “You’re tired too… Yesterday’s battle must have been very intense… cough cough, actually, even if I had died, it wouldn’t… matter much. There really was no need for Young Master Tang to go to such trouble…” Tang Lici walked to sit beside her, placing three fingers on her pulse, “I’m not tired.” She smiled faintly, gazing at the blue sky, “This is the first time I’ve seen Young Master Tang alone… by himself…”

“I’m not tired, and I’m not afraid of solitude.” Tang Lici smiled, “That Miss still remembers to care for others shows you’ve lived half a life in hardship and shouldn’t die miserably in a water dungeon. If Miss died in such a manner, it would be too disheartening for all people under heaven.” A’Shui continued smiling faintly, her eyelids slowly closing. She was too tired—both her body and heart. If Tang Lici were willing to speak two sincere words with her, she might have the energy to persevere, but everything he said was… all empty words. Not false, yet not true either, making her very tired to listen.

People only relax themselves in front of those they trust, which is why she had fainted in Tang Lici’s arms. But he refused to speak two sincere words in front of her, or perhaps… he had never spoken so-called sincere words to anyone. He had never relaxed himself, so he had never had any weaknesses…

In her wandering thoughts, she hazily thought of many, many things, then fell unconscious again.

Actually, it had not been just one night that passed, but a full day and night. Tang Lici picked her up in his arms and turned to head toward Haoyun Mountain. During this day and night, he had neither eaten nor rested, sitting quietly on that large stone by the stream, waiting for her to awaken. He was cold-hearted and ruthless—no matter what kind of woman fell within his calculations, even women he considered important, he would sacrifice without hesitation, never frowning. But… A’Shui was ultimately irrelevant to the greater situation. He had still walked those forty-eight thousand three hundred and sixty-one steps to rescue her and waited here for a day and night. For Tang Lici, this was already quite a lot.

Haoyun Mountain.

With Tang Lici and Chi Yun suddenly disappearing without a trace, when Shao Yanping received the news, it was truly like troubles never coming singly. If hanging himself weren’t so disgraceful, he might have already put a noose around his neck. Ever since Yu Furen’s failed assassination attempt on Tang Lici, she had been acting foolish and dazed, asking everyone she met “Where is Tang Lici?” She carried her sword everywhere, neither eating nor sleeping, becoming haggard in just a day or two. Shangguan Fei’s body had already been collected for burial, but there was no trace of the murderer. The food and clothing for over a hundred captives was also quite problematic, keeping Shao Yanping frantically busy. Fortunately, over a hundred letters had been written and sent out, asking the masters and families of these red and white-clad women to come collect them and take them back for confinement and discipline. Though there were many beautiful women, unfortunately he had no fortune to enjoy them.

Just as he was overwhelmed, a disciple suddenly reported that Tang Lici had returned.

Shao Yanping was overjoyed and went out to welcome him. He saw Tang Lici wearing a white undergarment, carrying a woman in his arms, just entering the gates. He was startled, “Who is this?” Tang Lici smiled slightly, “This is Liu Yan’s maidservant, Miss A’Shui.” Shao Yanping sighed, “There are no clean rooms available at the moment. Young Master Tang will have to take this miss back to your own room for now. You disappeared just to rescue this miss? What about Chi Yun?” Tang Lici turned, “I sent him to pursue someone. No need to worry.” Shao Yanping laughed dryly. He wasn’t worried about Chi Yun, but he recognized the miss in Tang Lici’s arms—wasn’t this the blue-clothed woman who had mysteriously come alone to find Tang Lici a few nights ago? Tang Lici was brilliantly intelligent with profound schemes, a talent in his prime—he mustn’t let his mind be bewitched by this woman of unknown origins! At this chaotic time, to abandon the Central Plains Sword Society for the sake of one woman was truly a dangerous sign. Rolling his eyes several times, he called over a disciple and instructed him to wait outside Tang Lici’s door. Should Young Master Tang have any requests, he must serve wholeheartedly and spare no effort.

Tang Lici carried A’Shui into the room, placed her on the bed, and covered her with blankets. Fengfeng was also sleeping on the bed. A’Shui remained unconscious. Tang Lici picked up the cold tea that had been sitting on the table for a long time, took a sip, then turned to retrieve a light blue robe from the cabinet and draped it over his shoulders. He made no effort to dress properly, simply draping it like that, and sat in a chair by the table. Supporting his forehead with one hand, he gazed at A’Shui. Before long, his eyelashes drooped slightly, and after another moment, he slowly closed his eyes.

Shao Yanping waited for half the day without receiving any news from the disciple about Tang Lici having any requests. Growing anxious himself, he endured as long as he could but finally couldn’t suppress his natural curiosity. At three in the afternoon, he quietly crept to Tang Lici’s window and peered inside. He saw Fengfeng sleeping sweetly, Tang Lici with his forehead supported and eyes closed, seemingly resting or perhaps sleeping from extreme exhaustion. However, the woman lying quietly on the bed had her eyes open, calmly gazing at the roof beams. Her expression showed not the slightest trace of fear or anxiety. Seeing Shao Yanping spying from the window, she didn’t startle but slowly raised her right hand and made a gentle shushing gesture. The thin blanket slipped down, and Shao Yanping saw her arms covered with wounds, which startled him. He noticed her gaze fixed on Tang Lici with a slight smile on her lips. Shao Yanping nodded repeatedly and tactfully hurried away. Only after tiptoeing seventeen or eighteen steps away did he release a long breath, his heart growing increasingly curious. What had Tang Lici done to become so exhausted? And this blue-clothed maidservant had been beaten so severely yet seemed neither angry nor resentful, showing such concern for Tang Lici. The relationship between these two must be extraordinary and unusual.

“Master Shao.” Not far away, a Sword Society disciple stood waiting at a courtyard corner, whispering, “Young Hero Yu’s condition doesn’t look good. He was just slashing wildly with his sword in his room, insisting on finding Young Master Tang. I fear his mind has become disturbed. This can’t continue.” Shao Yanping’s brow furrowed with worry as he sighed, “I’ll go take a look.” Yu Furen had been poisoned by the Dust-Forgetting Flower. This flower was a rare variety, making detoxification extremely difficult. The longer one was poisoned by this flower, the harder it became to eradicate, and the greater its effect on the mind, unless— As Shao Yanping hurried toward Yu Furen’s room, he frowned in thought: unless the poisoned person fulfilled their heart’s desire, this poison would be difficult to cure. But how could Yu Furen fulfill her heart’s desire? Let her kill Tang Lici? What a joke!

Before he had even stepped into Yu Furen’s room, a fierce killing intent struck him head-on. Shao Yanping’s feet traced the Seven Star pattern as he quickly dodged away from the doorway. Looking carefully, he silently cursed his bad luck. Inside the room, Yu Furen stood with disheveled hair wielding a sword, confronting another person. The person she faced had black hair and wore monk’s robes—it was Master Puzhu. For some unknown reason, Yu Furen had come to oppose Puzhu!