Biluo Palace.

Afternoon, Bixiao Pavilion.

Wanyu Yuedan had recently acquired a rabbit—a snow-white little rabbit, but with black eyes and drooping ears, somewhat different from ordinary white rabbits. But Wanyu Yuedan couldn’t see; he could only feel its soft, warm fur and its tiny body no bigger than a palm. He had once wanted to feed it meat, but unfortunately this rabbit would only eat grass and was scared to death of cats, quite different from the rabbit he had imagined.

“Reporting to the Palace Master, those two have been deteriorating recently. If we can’t find a solution, I fear…” Tie Jing walked slowly toward Wanyu Yuedan’s room. “We’ve tried all the usual methods, but none have shown results.”

Wanyu Yuedan held the rabbit, stroking its head, then lifted it by the scruff and placed it on the ground. “Still can’t speak?”

“Can’t speak. Not only can’t speak, but won’t eat or even sleep.” Tie Jing frowned deeply. “I’ve never seen people controlled so thoroughly. These past days, every mouthful of food and water has to be fed to them spoonful by spoonful by the maids.”

Wanyu Yuedan said, “Young Master Tang says these two are controlled by the String-Drawing Life-Seizing technique. Only the person who originally cast the spell can break it—they must hear the complete piece that was played when the control was first established. If we guess wrong and the melody is incorrect, these two will immediately suffer reverse blood flow, their meridians will snap inch by inch, and they’ll die.”

Tie Jing frowned even more deeply. “But according to Master-Uncle Wenren’s examination, these two aren’t just afflicted with the String-Drawing Life-Seizing technique. Even before being subjected to it, they had already been poisoned with a strange toxin that makes people lose their sanity and become unable even to sleep. After losing their sanity, they were then subjected to String-Drawing Life-Seizing, with the music penetrating deep into their consciousness—that’s why the consequences are so severe.”

“The String-Drawing Life-Seizing technique—Lady Hongchan might be able to break it, or if not her, then certainly once we find Liu Yan.” Wanyu Yuedan’s brow lifted slightly. “I wasn’t originally worried about String-Drawing Life-Seizing. That these two can’t regain consciousness indeed has another cause. Are they still in the guest quarters?”

Tie Jing nodded. “Does the Palace Master want to take a look?”

Wanyu Yuedan smiled slightly. “The Seven-Flower Cloud Wanderers—legendary figures. Since I have time today, why not take a look? Once they regain consciousness, I won’t be able to see them anymore.”

Tie Jing coughed lightly, somewhat puzzled. Wanyu Yuedan was blind—what did he want to see? But Wanyu Yuedan was in high spirits, stepping out the door and walking toward the guest quarters.

Tie Jing followed behind him. This Palace Master’s memory was truly remarkable. Biluo Palace had only just taken shape, with many areas newly constructed, but Wanyu Yuedan needed only to walk through once to remember the way, rarely requiring assistance. The two wound through several corridors and entered one of the guest rooms in the first row that had been built when Biluo Palace was established.

Meihua Yishu and Kuanglan Wuxing stood rigidly upright in the room, faces pale, expressions haggard, their clothing and postures identical to how they’d been on Azure Mountain Cliff. Much time had passed—if the poison and spells afflicting them couldn’t be broken soon, even with world-class martial arts, they would die of exhaustion.

Wanyu Yuedan stepped into the room, extending his right hand and slowly touching Meihua Yishu’s face, carefully feeling his features. The skin beneath his hand felt ice-cold and rigid—if not for the faint breath remaining, it would hardly seem like a living person.

Tie Jing watched as Wanyu Yuedan felt very carefully. So when he said he wanted to “see,” this was how he saw. If these two weren’t mentally unclear, they wouldn’t allow him to examine them so closely.

“So this is what Meihua Yishu and Kuanglan Wuxing look like.” After carefully feeling both their faces, Wanyu Yuedan stepped back and sat on the bed. “Tie Jing, go out first. Let me think carefully.”

Tie Jing agreed, closed the door and left. He couldn’t help feeling surprised, but since Wanyu Yuedan had become Palace Master, every decision had been astute and meticulous, never wrong. Since he wanted to contemplate behind closed doors, he must have some strategy in mind.

Wanyu Yuedan lay back on the guest room bed, quietly listening to Meihua Yishu and Kuanglan Wuxing’s breathing. Their breathing patterns were different—one fast, one slow; one deep, one shallow—clearly they practiced completely different internal cultivation methods.

What kind of poison could keep people unable to relax their joints, unable to close their eyes, unable to think clearly or even lose consciousness, even when extremely exhausted? Perhaps… He sat up and lifted Meihua Yishu’s clothing, feeling along his joints throughout his body.

Meihua Yishu was past thirty, no longer young, but his skin and bones were still supple. Since Wanyu Yuedan couldn’t see, his fingers were more sensitive than ordinary people’s. Pressing firmly, he felt deep within the arm joint what seemed like something unlike bone piercing into it.

What was it? A long spike? A small needle? Or an illusion? Wanyu Yuedan took out a magnet from his robes and pressed it against Meihua Yishu’s joint. After a moment with no reaction, that thing wasn’t made of iron.

What could it be? He pulled up Kuanglan Wuxing’s sleeve and similarly felt a thin spike at his joint. His mind stirring, he reached toward the corner of his eye.

The eye corner… beside the eye socket, he vaguely felt another object inserted there, not too deeply. Wanyu Yuedan withdrew his hand, flicked his fingers, and steel rings suddenly appeared on his right thumb and index finger, each ring bearing a slender steel needle.

His left hand gently touched Kuanglan Wuxing’s right eye while the two steel needles on Wanyu Yuedan’s fingers pierced beside his eye socket. With a gentle pinch, the thin spike was both short and small. Wanyu Yuedan manipulated the steel needles with ease—with one pinch and pull, a pale yellow spike like bamboo fiber was extracted from the corner of Kuanglan Wuxing’s eye.

Immediately feeling the eyeball move beneath his finger, Kuanglan Wuxing closed his eyes. Wanyu Yuedan smiled gently, his smile warm and reassuring. “Can you hear me speaking? If you can, blink once.”

But Kuanglan Wuxing’s eyes remained tightly shut and didn’t open again.

“Tie Jing.” Wanyu Yuedan held the small spike. Tie Jing flashed into the room. “Palace Master.”

Wanyu Yuedan handed over the spike. “What is this thing?”

Tie Jing took the pale yellow spike, so tiny it was almost invisible. “This appears to be a small thorn from some kind of tree or insect.”

Wanyu Yuedan nodded. “Please ask Uncle Wenren to examine this. These two have been pinned at various joints and even eye sockets with this type of small spike, preventing movement. This thing must be extraordinary.”

Tie Jing frowned. “How did the Palace Master discover this tiny spike?”

Wanyu Yuedan coughed lightly. “That… let’s set aside for now. If this is a poisonous spike, once we determine what toxin it is, these two will have hope of rescue.” He had felt Meihua Yishu from head to toe—if this wandering hero woke up and learned of it, it would certainly be embarrassing and might even earn resentment. Better not to mention it.

Tie Jing left on his orders. Wanyu Yuedan placed his hand on Kuanglan Wuxing and quickly felt all over his joints, slightly surprised. Kuanglan Wuxing had far more tiny spikes than Meihua Yishu—sometimes the same joint had two or even three spikes. Was this deliberate torture, or was there another reason?

With joints suffering such prolonged damage and destruction, recovery would be difficult. These tiny spikes could pin down joints and even eyeballs, but why could these two fight others as if nothing were wrong at specific times? Could someone remove all the spikes before they fought, then pin them back after completing their mission? Unlikely…

Unless—when the String-Drawing Life-Seizing technique activated, it could make these two completely forget their shackles, making them lose sensation of pain, allowing them to act as if nothing were wrong. But this method would only make their joint damage more severe and treatment more difficult. Even if rescued, they might lose mobility and be disabled for life.

What vicious methods!

Wanyu Yuedan straightened Kuanglan Wuxing’s clothing and sat back on the bed, supporting his chin with his hand, thinking quietly. After a while, he smiled slightly toward the door. “Lady Hongchan, please come in.”

A snow-white shadow flickered outside the door, and someone entered—it was Lady Hongchan. Seeing Meihua Yishu and Kuanglan Wuxing standing rigidly, Lady Hongchan’s eyes brightened slightly, but seeing their haggard appearance and dying breath, her eyes immediately dimmed. “How are they?”

“They’re fine. Perhaps they’ll recover, perhaps they’ll die.” Wanyu Yuedan smiled. “Can Lady Hongchan break the String-Drawing Life-Seizing technique afflicting them?”

Lady Hongchan stared intently at Meihua Yishu and Kuanglan Wuxing. “The String-Drawing Life-Seizing technique on them wasn’t cast by me, but I do know which melody it was. However…” She sighed softly. “Before being subjected to String-Drawing Life-Seizing, they were already mentally deranged. And someone had done something to their bodies—these two would wail all day and roll on the ground like madmen. Master saw them suffering a fate worse than death in the dungeon, so he used String-Drawing Life-Seizing to make them completely lose their reason. Breaking the technique now would only make them die in agony.” She stared at Wanyu Yuedan. “Do you really want me to break the String-Drawing Life-Seizing technique?”

“Mm.” Wanyu Yuedan sat on the bed, leaning against the fresh bedding, his posture showing he was quite comfortable. “Please sit, Lady Hongchan.”

Lady Hongchan smiled charmingly. “Do you want me to sit on the bed like you, or in a chair?”

Wanyu Yuedan’s gentle crow’s feet relaxed slightly. “Sit wherever you like. Sometimes I don’t particularly care for overly polite women.”

Lady Hongchan sighed softly and sat in the chair. “That’s an intriguing statement, quite thought-provoking.”

Wanyu Yuedan’s clear, beautiful black and white eyes looked toward her. “Do you really not know who did something to their bodies? If you say you know, perhaps… I can tell you recent news about Liu Yan.”

Lady Hongchan suddenly stood. “You’ve received news of Master?”

Wanyu Yuedan drew his feet up onto the bed, hugging his knees, sitting even more comfortably. “Mm.”

Lady Hongchan saw him stepping on the bedding with his shoes. Though his shoes weren’t dirty, as a palace master with a reputation throughout the martial world, such behavior was simply incomprehensible. After staring blankly for a moment, she bit her lip slightly. “I… though I don’t know how to cure the poison, I heard that Meihua Yishu and Kuanglan Wuxing were pierced with a type of poisonous spike—small thorns from a bamboo, a strange bamboo called Ming Huang Bamboo.”

“Ming Huang Bamboo?” Wanyu Yuedan pondered. “Where does it grow?”

Lady Hongchan shook her head. “I don’t know.” She stared at Wanyu Yuedan. “What about Master’s whereabouts?”

Wanyu Yuedan said, “Recent news about Liu Yan… well… is…”

Lady Hongchan asked, “Is what?”

Wanyu Yuedan waved his sleeve. “Is… nothing.”

Lady Hongchan was stunned. “What nothing?”

Wanyu Yuedan said gently, “Recent news about Liu Yan is that there is no news.”

A red flush appeared on Lady Hongchan’s fair face. “You—”

Wanyu Yuedan closed his eyes and leaned against the bedding, his whole being radiating contentment and ease.

She sighed deeply again. “Ming Huang Bamboo has long been extinct. No one knows where it actually grew, but in the imperial palace, I heard that among the many pearls on the golden crown worn by the Emperor, there’s one called ‘Green Enchantress.’ When cast into a well on moonlit nights, it emits an eerie green light. Powder from Green Enchantress can cure Ming Huang Bamboo poison.”

“If this is true, I can guess five parts of Lady Hongchan’s origins and background.” Wanyu Yuedan said gently, “There really is no recent news about Liu Yan, but not long ago, someone spread word that if anyone could make the new abbot of Shaolin Temple kowtow three times to him and compose a poem for him, he would tell that person Liu Yan’s whereabouts.”

“According to this, the person spreading this news should know Master’s current situation very well. Perhaps Master has fallen into his hands and is being tortured…” Lady Hongchan bit her lower lip, her face slightly pale. “Who is spreading this news?”

Wanyu Yuedan shook his head. “This is just a rumor, not necessarily trustworthy. No one knows where it originated. But…” he said gently, “Liu Yan’s situation must be very bad.”

Lady Hongchan nodded. If it weren’t bad, Liu Yan wouldn’t have vanished without a trace or allowed such rumors to spread. “What are your plans?”

Wanyu Yuedan said slowly, “To find Liu Yan, naturally we must start with Shen Langhun. Shen Langhun won’t easily give up a chance for revenge. Unless Liu Yan is dead, he definitely won’t let go. Shen Langhun bears red snake markings on his face—finding him is just a matter of time.”

Lady Hongchan let out a long breath. “Could the person spreading the news be Shen Langhun?”

Wanyu Yuedan looked up at the canopy above the bed. Though he could see nothing, his expression was serene as if he could see everything. “Someone who wants the Shaolin abbot to kowtow three times wouldn’t be Shen Langhun. What do you think?”

Lady Hongchan’s eyes moved slightly. “An arrogant, proud man who loves fame and profit.”

Wanyu Yuedan smiled. “Why couldn’t it be a woman with wild fantasies who loves fighting and is narcissistic?”

Lady Hongchan smiled charmingly. “Then we’ll see whether future events prove my words or yours correct.”

Wanyu Yuedan got down from the bed. Lady Hongchan stood and reached out to help, her slender white hand extending with five fingernails flashing red—that was “Rouge Intoxication.” Since entering Biluo Palace, she had applied this deadly poison to her nails daily. The poison transmitted into the body upon contact and would take effect within a day, causing painless death.

Wanyu Yuedan waved his sleeve slightly and stood steady himself, not needing her support, smiling. “Thank you for your kind intention, Lady Hongchan. I can walk by myself.”

As his sleeve waved, Lady Hongchan faintly caught an extremely subtle woody scent and shuddered inwardly, quickly withdrawing her fingers. He carried “Shenxiang Fir”—perhaps powder from Shenxiang Fir was applied to his person. This powder could combine with various toxins to create new poisons. If Rouge Intoxication contacted Shenxiang Fir, the consequences would be unthinkable.

What a Wanyu Yuedan! She watched him walk out with a smile, his light blue robes, gentle, delicate features, and casual, natural manner—yet carrying mutually destructive poisons on his person. Such scheming, such composure, such refined interest, such courage. She couldn’t help smiling faintly. Just like herself… Shenxiang Fir—she reached into her robes and grasped a porcelain bottle. She had it too, but even she didn’t dare apply such a thing to her body.

If she hadn’t met Liu Yan, perhaps… the person she followed would have been different.

Lady Hongchan quietly watched Wanyu Yuedan’s retreating figure. He left Meihua Yishu and Kuanglan Wuxing in the room—was he certain she wouldn’t dare tamper with these two? Then—should she act or not?

Turning to look at the two men, she pondered for a moment before making her decision.