With several “swoosh” sounds, the thirty-three masked figures in azure clearly practiced coordinated combat techniques. They formed a perfect circle, simultaneously raising their sleeves as string sounds rang from their short flutes. Thirty-three barely visible cold gleams flashed like spider silk, instantly catching Tang Lici’s sleeves.

Tang Lici raised his flower hoe, splashing a handful of dirt toward the masked azure figures. When the cold gleams touched his clothes, he had already struck twice more with the hoe, digging a bowl-sized hole in the ground. Seeing this, Hua Wuyan shouted, “Draw blades!” The masked azure figures immediately drew knives from their chests. The one closest to Tang Lici had a snow-bright blade, striking down toward his back. Tang Lici elbowed backward, striking the blade with a “hum” sound. The azure figure was stunned as Tang Lici reversed his grip to seize the man’s knife, slashing lightly to parry seven or eight attacking short blades with “clang clang clang” sounds, while his right hand continued digging three inches deeper with the flower hoe.

This person was equally dexterous with both hands—left hand wielding the knife, right hand the flower hoe, seemingly without difference. Miss Hong watched the battle from upstairs, her brow slightly furrowed. Tang Lici’s martial skills were profound, and beyond her expectations, he also seemed very experienced in combat, as if he frequently fought with others. From Tang Lici’s actions, clearly the Thirty-Three Assassins Formation wasn’t having much effect—he was determined to dig through the accumulated earth to find where the pills were hidden.

She gently waved her white handkerchief toward the window. Hua Wuyan’s expression changed slightly as he dropped the grass, picked up a long sword from the ground, bowed toward the tower, and drew the sword with a “swoosh.”

Hmm? Tang Lici suddenly turned back. Dozens of sharp blades crossed beside him. He had been managing to hold off ten blades with one knife, but suddenly a sword came from behind with fierce sword wind that couldn’t be ignored. He had to block horizontally—”clang” as blade met sword. Hua Wuyan was shaken back three steps, but short knives attacked his right arm, left shoulder, front abdomen, and back waist. He smiled slightly, leaning back to avoid them, glancing up at the tower. His blade technique suddenly changed—”swoosh” with one stroke, he severed the left arm of an azure figure beside him.

A piercing scream rang out as the azure figure rolled to the ground. Tang Lici struck successfully and showed no mercy—”slash slash” with several consecutive strikes, he cut down six men beside him. Blood flowed everywhere with severed limbs scattered about. In an instant, the beautiful white flower cluster became a slaughter field. With such fierce power, the remaining twenty-seven men’s courage turned cold and their movements slowed. Hua Wuyan wasn’t disturbed, smiling as he thrust his sword. “One comes, one gets hurt—Young Master Tang has such cruel methods. You claim to be righteous in the martial world, yet you maim and kill so ruthlessly. Haven’t you considered that these people also have parents, wives, and children?” Before finishing his words, he thrust five swift strikes. His mouth spoke of idle clouds and wild cranes, but his hands struck with extreme poison, every move attacking vital points. Tang Lici’s left-hand blade swept bloodily, blood droplets from the blade tip flying in the wind to splatter with a “tap” on Hua Wuyan’s refined cheek, immediately adding three parts ferocity. Tang Lici smiled and said, “When did I ever claim to be righteous in the martial world?” Before finishing his words, sword light crossed past them. Hua Wuyan shouted loudly, “Flowers Fall at Dawn and Dusk!” Suddenly sword light burst forth like an epiphyllum blooming with indescribable magnificence. Hundreds of sword beams struck directly at Tang Lici’s abdominal vital points—precisely where he had confessed his weakness earlier!

The dark red tower was indeed filled with mechanisms. As Tang Lici swung his blade to parry, when he had spoken with Miss Hong earlier, people were hidden in the tower’s secret compartments with another method of information transmission, allowing his conversation to be quickly conveyed to Hua Wuyan. Now the masked azure figures had gradually become familiar with his blade techniques and footwork. Injuring them was no longer easy, and their back-and-forth short blades came three inches closer to his body. Cold gleams shot secretly from the short flutes, making defense impossible. Amid the “clang clang clang clang” of changing blade techniques, Tang Lici gradually lost his advantage, fighting to a stalemate. With human wave tactics, once time dragged on, Tang Lici would surely be defeated.

Hua Wuyan smiled as his sword strikes became increasingly vicious. Tang Lici swept his blade across a neck—another scream as he wounded someone else. His right hand flicked and tossed the flower hoe with a crisp “crack” as a thin stone slab beneath the white flowers shattered, sending dirt flying everywhere with petals scattering and dust swirling. When the dust settled, beneath the flower cluster was revealed a stone coffin. Hua Wuyan’s expression changed as he retreated three steps. Tang Lici stepped his left foot into the pit and reached in with his right hand, grabbing what was inside the stone coffin.

With a crash, the masked azure figures all retreated. The stone coffin clearly contained a corpse. Tang Lici was also stunned. A stone coffin containing bones wasn’t particularly strange, but this was beneath the flowers, the supposed medicine hiding place—why would there be a corpse? However, as the bones were lifted, a package fell from the corpse’s chest with a “thud,” spilling many medicine bottles. Tang Lici stepped forward. The masked azure figures all stopped, their eyes fixed intensely on the medicine bottles on the ground. He smiled slightly, lightly kicking with his toe to send three to five pill bottles rolling gently into the crowd. The crowd immediately erupted in chaos. One person dove to grab them, and in an instant, short blade light flashed with a scream as that person was struck by dozens of blades and died on the spot. With blades seeing blood, the masked azure figures looked at each other, some already emitting low growls from beneath their face coverings.

Tang Lici smiled at Hua Wuyan, lightly kicking again with his toe to send another three to five pill bottles rolling out. These were ordinary gray medicine bottles, but in others’ eyes, they were heart-stoppingly precious. One pill bottle rolled to Hua Wuyan’s feet. Hua Wuyan took a deep breath. “You insisted on finding the medicine hiding place just for…” Tang Lici planted his flower hoe in the ground, his smile warm and elegant. “Things must decay before worms can bore into them. To level the Yu family sword manor, how could one begin without this?” Hua Wuyan’s eyebrows curved, revealing a smile. “Tang Lici, oh Tang Lici, you’re truly remarkable, but don’t you realize that once you seize this medicine, Fengliu Shop will be determined to kill you, and in the vast martial world, if there aren’t eight hundred people eyeing this medicine covetously, there are at least one thousand. Seizing the Crimson Ghost Nine-Heart Pills means defying the entire world and standing in a place of certain death!” Tang Lici lifted the package filled with medicine bottles. “Even if I don’t seize this medicine, after today, Fengliu Shop will still be determined to kill me.” Hua Wuyan sighed softly. “Why must someone like you wade into these muddy waters? How many people in the martial world live or die, or live half-dead—what does any of it have to do with you?” He stood holding his sword stance, the Thirty-Three Assassins Formation around him already collapsed. The masked figures fought desperately over the medicine bottles on the ground. Though the two men’s accumulated authority remained, and though Tang Lici held most of the pills in his hands, the masked figures dared not cross the line to snatch them, fighting only over the few scattered bottles on the ground.

“The origin of the medicine in these bottles might be related to a good friend of mine,” Tang Lici looked at Hua Wuyan and spoke slowly. “I’m someone who treasures friends greatly… though perhaps it doesn’t seem that way.” Hua Wuyan smiled—indeed it didn’t seem that way. “That you would fight so desperately because these pills might be related to your friend is truly hard to imagine.” Tang Lici smiled. “There are many hard-to-imagine things in the world… This medicine, you haven’t taken it?” Hua Wuyan shook his head and smiled with bared teeth. “I’ve taken it.” Tang Lici said, “I heard this medicine is taken once every two years. If you seize a bottle, the enhanced martial skills won’t be lost, and you can ensure decades of safety. For martial artists, gaining decades of safety isn’t bad.” Hua Wuyan still shook his head. “I’m very resigned to fate. After taking the medicine, freedom becomes a fantasy.” Tang Lici’s eyes moved as he glanced at the bones on the ground. “Who is this person?”

“She’s Yu Qifeng’s mother.” Hua Wuyan smiled. “The pills are hidden in Yu Qifeng’s mother’s tomb. In all the world, except for a death-defying eccentric like you, no one would dare touch this coffin in the slightest.” Tang Lici smiled. “Admirable, admirable. So this was the plan. Was this Miss Hong’s idea?” Hua Wuyan said, “Of course… A woman’s heart is unfathomable. Miss Hong is touching and moving, yet her schemes are no less than yours.” Tang Lici asked, “What is Miss Hong to your master?” Hua Wuyan laughed heartily. “Guess?” Tang Lici said, “A servant.” Hua Wuyan exclaimed, “How did you know?” Tang Lici’s lips curved slightly in a half-smile. “Perhaps I’ve seen too many women. With her bearing, she really doesn’t seem like a master.” Having said this, he glanced again at the dark red tower. “I guess after the stone coffin broke, Miss Hong is no longer in the tower.” Hua Wuyan said indifferently, “But I will fight to the death here.” Tang Lici looked at him with regret. “Your sword technique is beautiful. Draw your sword.”

Hua Wuyan’s sword stance had never changed. The sky gradually turned to dusk. This young man’s refined features were flower-like in beauty. A gentle breeze came, his clothes riding the wind like an unopened epiphyllum. Tang Lici carried the heavy package, his left-hand blade gleaming gently in the setting sun. As Hua Wuyan thrust with his sword, he turned gracefully. “Clang” as blade met sword. Hua Wuyan sighed wordlessly.

Someone sat up from the ground. “Sword techniques of Pingchuan Wuzhou—what a pity, what a pity. The boy hasn’t mastered it yet. Such half-baked famous swordplay can’t win against chaotic killing blade work.” Hua Wuyan was startled, glancing quickly to realize it was Hua Ding, who had been lying on the ground for a long time, climbing up again to sit aside and watch the show. He continued, “Hmm… you seem to be in a good mood today, actually letting him have more than three sword moves.” Tang Lici smiled without answering. His short blade techniques flowed smoothly. Though Hua Wuyan’s sword momentum looked good, he couldn’t attack within three feet of Tang Lici.

Just then, a tremendous “boom” shook the heavens. Tang Lici suddenly turned back to see the entire sword hall roof explode upward, blasted dozens of zhang away. In rolling smoke and dust, scattered fragments of human limbs and arms flew about. Some brick pieces and severed limbs were shocked into the sky, falling not far away. His face suddenly turned pale—earlier he had said “What are Yu the Sword King’s chances against Chi Yun and Shen Langhun?” and Miss Hong had answered “On the road to the Yellow Springs, having him accompany you—wouldn’t that be good?” There were spies in the dark red tower. Could Miss Hong’s words have meant that even then she had issued a kill order, sacrificing Yu Qifeng to blow up the Yu family sword hall?

Were Chi Yun and Shen Langhun safe?

He suddenly turned back, his eyes gleaming with strangely cold light. Hua Wuyan was laughing, laughing very helplessly. “I told you a woman’s heart is unfathomable. Miss Hong’s schemes are no less heavy than yours… When you broke into the dark red tower, she already knew the Yu family sword manor was exposed and couldn’t be kept unless she could kill you—but the Thirty-Three Assassins Formation and I lack the ability to kill you. Since we can’t kill you, cutting off your wings is the necessary path. The only regret is that explosives were only available in the sword hall, otherwise we could have blown you up together, flesh and blood flying, alas and alack, hahaha…” He laughed very sadly, yet laughed until he swayed back and forth. “It doesn’t matter that you seized the pills, it doesn’t matter that you made dozens of people from the Yu family sword manor fall apart, it doesn’t even matter if you kill me, Hua Wuyan, but you said you’re someone who treasures friends greatly, hahaha… You sent your friends to their deaths, you sent your friends to their deaths…”

Tang Lici’s brow furrowed slightly as he gently bit his lip, a trace of anguish rising between his eyebrows. “So that’s how it is.” The back of his left hand holding the blade lightly pressed against his abdomen. “You stayed behind prepared to die?”

Hua Wuyan planted his sword in the ground. “Blowing up the sword hall was my personal order… Are you satisfied?”

“If you want to die, fine.” Tang Lici said calmly. He stepped forward with his blade, then another step. The evening’s cool breeze brushed past his face, lifting several strands of black hair across his face. “After I kill you, I’ll go save them.”

Hua Wuyan rushed forward with a “swoosh” of his sword. Tang Lici no longer showed mercy. In a flash of the short blade, blood splattered on azure robes. Then sword light exploded like moonlight shooting skyward in brightness. The blade gleamed crystalline, rich blood color filling the blade body. With a “crack,” blood pooled three feet on the ground, winding like a dragon.

Xue Xianzi had vanished without a trace when the explosion sounded earlier, unknown whether he had fled for his life or gone to rescue people. The cold sound of weapons clashing, wordless blade light and sword shadows—suddenly a string sound rang out, gentle as spring water’s low chant, flowing out. Hua Wuyan, covered in blood, heard the sound and smiled sadly, swinging his sword again. Tang Lici heard the sound and turned back as sword wind swept past his face, cutting several strands of hair. Black hair drifted down to mix with blood and cold. Hua Wuyan stepped forward, leaping up to thrust himself and his sword toward Tang Lici’s chest opening. Tang Lici spun in a great revolution to evade. Hua Wuyan’s sword momentum seemed more fierce than before, matching that gentle shallow singing of strings, every sword seeking life…

In blade light and blood shadows, someone nearby plucked strings and sang, “Azure lotus fate, white water song, Pingchuan Wuzhou sword’s name. Pity a life loving poison grass, mediocrity not learning sword, betraying kindness. Beauty’s affinity, betraying beauty, master’s righteousness, betraying master, walking empty roads breaking night cherry…”

The song was mournful, the singer giving voice with full emotion, extremely moving and willful. Tears fell from Hua Wuyan’s eyes with his sword, dropping into the blood pool. Tang Lici’s blade light flowed like silk. Closing his eyes, one stroke pierced through Hua Wuyan’s heart. A mournful cry—the man fell to the ground. The strings rang out, singing to the line “…brushing full life all falls as snow, return return, return his body naturally pure.” Hua Wuyan fell to the ground, the song ceased, as if no one was anywhere around.

“Why do you seek death?” Tang Lici’s blade pierced through Hua Wuyan’s heart, falling to the ground with him, not yet withdrawn.

Hua Wuyan lay flat on the ground. The sky had darkened, and several stars could be faintly seen on the horizon. “I… I am…” He laughed. “An unworthy son, ungrateful all my life, not learning sword, practicing poison grass, entering Fengliu Shop, taking Crimson Ghost Nine-Heart Pills… all my willful actions, abandoning my wife, angering my master to death. I have no path of return… haha, brushing full life all falls as snow, return return, return his body naturally pure…” He slowly closed his eyes. “The Honored Master is truly so… understanding… of people’s hearts…”

The blood no longer flowed.

He was gone.

Tang Lici set him down and stood up abruptly, glancing at the dark red tower where that person sat in the building, playing the horizontal qin.

What kind of “Honored Master” of Fengliu Shop could treat a subordinate’s death as a grand dance, singing passionately for it while not considering the corpses everywhere as anything important? He picked up the package of Crimson Ghost Nine-Heart Pills and headed toward the sword hall ruins.

Tang Lici.

In the dark red tower, someone wore a black veil over their face, back turned to the window, qin horizontal on their lap, playing with disordered fingers.

A gentle and beautiful mask, extraordinarily cruel and ruthless—very much like someone.

But that person was already dead. Murdered people cannot come back to life.

He hadn’t watched the process of Hua Wuyan’s death, nor looked at Tang Lici once. From beginning to end, he had kept his back to the battle, concentrating wholly on plucking strings and singing. Song, if not performed with full emotion and strength, cannot be pure.

“Honored Master, this place is dangerous. If Chi Yun and Shen Langhun aren’t dead and the three return to intercept, escape will be difficult.” Miss Hong said softly. She had changed clothes and held a candle stand to illuminate the black-veiled figure.

“Let’s go.” The black-veiled figure said. “After they leave, bury him properly.”

“Yes.” Miss Hong said quietly, silently carrying the candle toward the tower’s underground passage. The black-veiled figure abandoned the horizontal qin in the tower and walked slowly down. Both figures quickly disappeared into the depths of the tunnel.