Chi Yun gazed at the gauze curtains on the bed, thinking of Bai Suche, and his mood suddenly became extraordinarily calm. Regarding this woman, he could hardly claim to be familiar with her. Before Bai Yuming wanted to marry his daughter to him, he had never even noticed that the Bai household’s Bai Yuming had a daughter. The first time he noticed this woman’s existence was when he heard about her fleeing from marriage. Damn it, he really couldn’t understand—with him being such a magnificent man, possessing the vast estate of Meihua Mountain, decent looks, and superior martial arts, what kind of woman couldn’t he marry? Why did she have to flee from marriage? Could it be that he wasn’t worthy of her? This affront, this unprecedented humiliation in his life—no matter what, he had to get back at her. So he searched throughout the martial world for Bai Suche, even swearing that he would kill this woman who had shamed his face.
The first time he clearly saw this woman’s face was during that battle between Biluo Palace and Fengliu Store at Azure Mountain Cliff. Atop the hundred-zhang ice peak, with cold wind cutting like knives, he knocked off a woman’s veil. That woman had skin like white jade and phoenix eyes, quite beautiful—exactly his type.
She had the fine, delicate appearance of someone who needed protection, the kind he had liked since childhood. Women should look like that.
But she held the Broken Precept Treasure Blade, leading dozens of white-clothed women in a surprise attack on Biluo Palace’s Azure Mountain Cliff. She even fought him while masked, showing no mercy whatsoever. When she drew her blade and attacked, her sharpness and ruthlessness were no less than any enemy he had ever encountered. Even though her face was full of apology, even though she seemed to have had something to say, he really had no patience to listen to a woman who had betrayed her parents, the martial world, and him.
The second time he looked clearly at this woman’s face was when he carelessly fell into Liu Yan’s hands and was bound hand and foot to a bed. This woman came in to humiliate him, torture him, slap his face, poison his body, and use him as a hostage to threaten that white-haired fox. Though he couldn’t claim noble birth in this lifetime, no one had ever dared treat him this way. When she slapped his face, he had already decided to dismember this woman into ten thousand pieces—whatever he suffered that day, he would make her repay a hundredfold! But since then, he had never encountered her again.
Twice—he had only truly seen Bai Suche twice, and both times as enemies. That woman killed like hemp, with deep scheming—no matter what, she was not a good woman.
But why couldn’t he forget her? He often thought of that face that seemed delicate but was cold and vicious, those eyes that seemed to have much to say yet would say nothing, that deep and complex gaze somewhat similar to Tang Lici’s. Why did she betray the Bai household? Could joining Fengliu Store really get her what she wanted? What was so bad about marrying him, Chi Yun? As the wife of the stronghold master of Meihua Mountain’s Huoyun Stronghold, she would equally command troops and have power and influence. In that northern corner, she would be like an empress.
What exactly was she thinking?
Chi Yun stared blankly at the gauze curtains above, suddenly feeling very bitter in his heart. An indistinguishable emotion entangled in his heart, making him feel very uncomfortable. If she were only the eldest daughter of the Bai household, wouldn’t that be wonderful? But if she were truly just a delicate, naive woman, would he feel this miserable? Moaning lowly, he turned over on the bed. His head burned, seeming painful yet not painful, seeming faint yet not faint. His whole body felt indescribably uncomfortable. He couldn’t stop thinking about Bai Suche—the more he thought, the crazier he became; the more he thought, the more confused. All his myriad thoughts finally condensed into one sentence in his mind—Where exactly am I not worthy of you? Where exactly am I not worthy of you? Where am I not worthy?
With a soft “crack,” Jin Qiufu and Yu Furen had just reached the door. Before entering, they caught a strange sweet-yet-not-sweet odor from within. Yu Furen’s expression changed slightly—this was exactly the same smell as the spider gu at the bottom of the Camellia Prison. Seeing Jin Qiufu reach out to push the door while Chi Yun’s heavy breathing could be heard through the door, he immediately raised his hand to stop him. “Wait…” Jin Qiufu twisted his wrist to avoid this intervention and angrily said, “What are you doing?” Yu Furen said, “There may be trouble inside the door. Better to be cautious…” Jin Qiufu spat. “This is the Central Plains Sword Society’s territory. Fifty of our Huoyun Stronghold brothers have surrounded this place completely. What kind of accident could there be? Move aside!” He charged inward. Yu Furen only smelled the odor growing stronger, and Chi Yun’s ferocious and terrifying appearance from that day was vivid before his eyes. He immediately raised the hilt of his Qingluo sword. “Hold on!”
Very well! The Central Plains Sword Society indeed has secrets! I merely want to enter and look at our stronghold master, yet you desperately obstruct me—what exactly are your intentions? Seeing Yu Furen draw his weapon, Jin Qiufu shouted loudly and struck toward Yu Furen’s face with one palm. Yu Furen frowned tightly. “Master Jin, this matter is a long story. Please don’t misunderstand…” Seeing his excellent evasive movement techniques, Jin Qiufu inwardly praised him, brought both hands together, and used the move “Clear Wind Autumn Dew” to strike at Yu Furen’s ribs. With Qingluo still in its sheath, Yu Furen was forced to draw his sword to parry, retreating three steps. Suddenly fierce wind swept from behind—the Huoyun Stronghold men guarding outside saw Jin Qiufu under attack and all swung their blades down, shouting loudly. Yu Furen suddenly turned his wrist and parried three blades with clang, clang, clang. Jin Qiufu laughed heartily, his palm force already pressing toward the vital point at Yu Furen’s back.
“Protect our stronghold master!” Jin Qiufu called out loudly. The Huoyun Stronghold men answered in unison. Yu Furen was greatly alarmed—the situation had suddenly lost control. What could be done? “Master Jin, stop! Chi Yun he—” Before finishing his sentence, Jin Qiufu’s palm force arrived. He hastily parried, having no time to finish speaking. Some Huoyun Stronghold men had already rushed through the door to check on Chi Yun’s condition. Yu Furen wielded Qingluo, and seeing someone enter, regardless of Jin Qiufu’s mighty palm force in front of him, he shouted loudly, “Don’t go in—”
With a muffled “thud,” the person who had just stepped through the door flew out like a meteor, crashed to the ground, and didn’t move. Everyone looked back in shock, only to feel hot spatters on their cheeks. Touching with their hands, they found them covered in fresh blood. Jin Qiufu was shocked and terrified. “What’s happening?” In an instant, continuous thuds rang out as those who entered the room were scattered and blasted out, collapsing to the ground limp as mud—all killed by a single palm strike! Jin Qiufu strode through the door and saw chaos on the bed in the room. Chi Yun sat on the bed, his cheeks flushed, breathing rapidly, his eyes fierce and ferocious, glaring viciously at him. “Stronghold Master?” Jin Qiufu called out once. Chi Yun’s figure swayed, and his Moon-Crossing Ring shot through the air. Caught off guard, Jin Qiufu barely managed to dodge. The silver blade pierced his right shoulder, blood splashing three feet! Seeing blood, Chi Yun laughed long and loud. “Hahaha—hahahaha—” He swept past Jin Qiufu, suddenly pulled the silver blade from his right shoulder, and instantly burst through the door.
Yu Furen was at the door and thrust his sword to stop him urgently. Chi Yun waved his sleeve. With Yu Furen’s tiger’s mouth injured, he couldn’t grip Qingluo firmly. It flew from his hand, and Chi Yun flashed away. Yu Furen turned around and hurriedly supported Jin Qiufu. “You—”
Blood gushed like a spring from Jin Qiufu’s right shoulder wound. He pushed Yu Furen away, gritted his teeth, and flung his sleeve. A flash of fire shot into the sky. He gathered his breath and shouted sternly, “Descending cloud spirits and rainbows, martial plum valiant souls, weeping blood—” This fierce shout shook the mountain forests. Xuanyuan Long and Yin Dongchuan, who were strolling outside the guest hall, suddenly changed color. The Huoyun Stronghold disciples waiting quietly outside Shanfeng Hall leaped up upon hearing this. In the overwhelming shouts and battle cries, countless figures leaped within the walls of Shanfeng Hall.
Rumbling war drums beat like raindrops. The Huoyun Stronghold men sang the songs they habitually sang when raiding and plundering: “Descending cloud spirits and rainbows, martial plum valiant souls, weeping blood scattered across mountains and rivers, only we roam freely between heaven and earth…” The earth-shaking shouts made Haoyun Mountain tremble. Wind and clouds gathered, trees swayed, and the Sword Society disciples looked at each other in terror. Seeing robust, imposing men charging in like wolves and tigers, for a moment they didn’t know how to resist.
Tang Lici was in his room when he suddenly heard a fierce shout. His five fingers gripped, and with a crack, the crystal cup in his hand shattered. The broken crystal fragments mixed with half-congealed blood pierced deep into his palm, staining half his sleeve red. As Huoyun Stronghold’s war drums beat, he rose with a sweep of his sleeve and was about to go out when he saw peach-colored clothing flutter. Someone blocked his way with a sweet smile. “Young Master Tang, I’ve been thinking it over and feel that you and I still need to have a careful talk.”
Tang Lici’s injured right hand hung at his side, his left hand still resting diagonally on the chair back. Both his hands were injured, and bright red blood flowed down his slender fingers, dripping from his sharp fingertips like water chestnuts onto the ground. The floor and chair seemed to silently bloom with small black-red flowers. He didn’t speak, only quietly looked at Xifang Tao. In the dim, luxurious room, with shattered crystal, flower-like blood stains, and a man with blood-stained hands… everything formed a strange and beautiful picture, brewing a kind of dark danger…
“Oh…” Xifang Tao’s gaze moved from Tang Lici’s face to the ground, then to his blood-stained hands. The corner of her mouth curved slightly. “So Young Master Tang is busy practicing demonic arts and evil techniques… Your brother is out there killing people, and what are you doing here?” Her gentle voice carried an indescribable mocking tone. “You—can’t save him anymore… His fate was sealed the moment you let him pursue alone—when he jumped down the Camellia Prison, he was beyond help. Shouldn’t you also know when to stop… and give up?” She fluttered her robes slightly, her figure indescribably alluring and beautiful. “In this round with Chi Yun, I won. And—I’m making you listen and watch right here in this room—listen to the wails of those he kills, watch him kill with pleasure, but you can’t save him… can’t even save any single person from the Central Plains Sword Society.” She said softly, “Shouldn’t you submit to me? Are you starting to regret—insisting on opposing me?”
Tang Lici’s eyes slightly closed, his long eyelashes lifting, then opened his eyes. His voice was very calm. “You—are certain you can keep me trapped here?” His left hand resting on the chair back slowly rose, his blood-stained finger pointing at Xifang Tao. Fresh blood flowed down his finger like silk, making those blood-red fingernails particularly lustrous and beautiful, truly like the finger of a hell demon that could steal souls.
Xifang Tao’s rosy cherry lips held a trace of cruel smile. “You… you’ve let me discover a weakness…” Tang Lici’s finger pointing at her extended, his five fingers swift as drifting wind, instantly fastening on her neck—he simply didn’t listen to whatever she wanted to say. Xifang Tao raised her wrist to block his grip. The two exchanged fists and palms, already fighting. In the room, figures fluttered and turned, yet without the slightest wind sound—even the incense smoke curling from the table was barely affected.
These two had been in a standoff at the Central Plains Sword Society for a long time. The reason they hadn’t fought directly might have various reasons, but the most important was that both were unsure of each other’s strength. Rash action would not be wise. Even though Tang Lici had threatened to kill, that would only be after he held absolute advantage. Now with Chi Yun’s poison outbreak causing him to harm people and Xifang Tao blocking the door, Tang Lici struck to break through—conflict was inevitable.
Outside the door, Huoyun Stronghold men instantly broke through more than half of Shanfeng Hall. Yu Furen gathered more than sixty Sword Society disciples, defending desperately at the Sword-Questioning Pavilion. Facing the furiously angry Huoyun Stronghold men, the Central Plains Sword Society was full of concerns and couldn’t fight with full effort. Yu Furen held his sword at the pass, locked in confrontation with Xuanyuan Long. At another location, corpses lay everywhere as the crazed Chi Yun wielded both blade and palm, laughing strangely. Wherever he went, whether Central Plains Sword Society disciples or Huoyun Stronghold men, all suffered heavy casualties.
Could it be that the Central Plains Sword Society, which didn’t perish in the battle with Fengliu Store, would perish under Huoyun Stronghold’s cavalry? Yu Furen listened to the angry roars and mournful cries of the Huoyun Stronghold men, saw the shocked and furious expressions of Xuanyuan Long and Yin Dongchuan, looked at the unconscious and blood-covered Jin Qiufu, and felt a chill in his heart—where was Tang Lici? At such a critical moment, where was he?