The dark tunnel shortened section by section, the darkness closing in segment by segment. Yu Konghou paid it no mind, but Yu Qifeng and Master Qingxu secretly gathered their true qi, their vigilance reaching ten-fold. They had already experienced Tang Lici’s martial prowess firsthand – though he possessed refined features and elegant bearing, his techniques were ruthlessly fierce and savage beyond compare. A single careless moment resulting in being struck by one of his moves would bring mortal peril.
Suddenly, Yu Konghou made an “mm” sound. “Something’s wrong!” Yu Qifeng asked in a deep voice, “What is it?” Yu Konghou’s sleeves swayed slightly. “Six oil lamps extinguished – it’s Sixth Brother.”
Someone laughed in the dark tunnel. “Oh! So Seventh Brother and I truly have a spiritual connection. I never told you that extinguishing six oil lamps meant I was coming, so how did you guess it was me?” Yu Konghou smiled charmingly. “Sixth Brother has always liked being too clever by half – how could I not know? Didn’t you go off to roam the jianghu with your master? Returning to Wangting Manor – do you have some good news to tell me?”
The person walking out of the tunnel with a swaying fan wore yellow robes and carried a red fan, with ruddy cheeks – it was indeed Fang Pingzhai. “I’ve never had any good news, only bad news. I heard you’ve recruited Third Brother to kill for you. Where is he?” Yu Konghou smiled even more sweetly. “Your desire to kill Third Brother truly never dies. It’s not that I, your seventh brother, am throwing cold water on you, but with Sixth Brother’s abilities, you could kill most of the jianghu, but killing Third Brother? Impossible.”
Fang Pingzhai waved his red fan. “Eh, you needn’t throw cold water on me. I have great self-awareness. I’m not here to kill anyone, just to ask if he’s present here.” Yu Konghou laughed delicately. “Since you can’t kill him anyway, what use is asking?”
“You’ve driven him to mental confusion, yet he hasn’t killed you and instead has been recruited by you – it must be for Miss Xue.” Fang Pingzhai also smiled. “You two have been fighting over Miss Xue for over ten years now. I’ve been watching this show for over ten years and have grown numb to it. If he’s here, I’d like to invite him out for old times’ sake. Though I want to kill him, poisoning him back then and ruining ten years of his life was truly unbecoming of a gentleman. This sixth brother sincerely wishes to apologize to Third Brother.”
“Gentleman? Apologize? What kind of person do you think Third Brother is? Whether you poisoned him, what you’ve done to harm him, or even whether you’re the sixth, seventh, or eighth brother – he simply doesn’t care.” Yu Konghou said leisurely. “In this world, aside from Xue Tao and those with martial arts superior to his own, he looks down on everyone else. If you want to speak with him, he’ll treat you like wind and rain, not listening to a word.”
Fang Pingzhai sighed. “I find this type of person and personality even more unbearable than rats, but when I’ve done wrong, I apologize. This concerns character, not seeking Third Brother’s forgiveness – in truth, whether he forgives me or not, I don’t care either. What I care about is my own character.”
“Sixth Brother, you—” Yu Konghou shook his head. “Becoming more and more of a gentleman will only bind your hands and feet more. You have talent, you have capability. If you were willing, you possess that part of ability that Big Brother and I lack. It’s a pity you don’t treasure yourself. You waste your abilities, willingly playing the role of a jesting clown. Gentleman? Clown? Is that really you? Do you often ask yourself in your heart – do you, Fang Pingzhai of Layered Petals and Heavy Flowers, truly wish to live an obscure life?”
Fang Pingzhai tilted his head to look at him. Yu Konghou had waist-length black hair and wore peach-colored robes like a painting, appearing like a young maiden. “I only want to say – dressed like this, you look better than most young, beautiful girls. Is Third Brother here? If he is, say he is. If not, say he’s not. Though I’m handsome and dashing, I have no interest in beauties.”
“He’s not here.” Yu Konghou turned around. “He left with Xue Tao.” Fang Pingzhai’s eyes widened as if he’d heard some incredibly rare and strange news. “What?” Yu Konghou said flatly, “He left with Xue Tao.” Fang Pingzhai looked at him in astonishment. “You just let him go like that?” Yu Konghou raised his head, his tone growing even more indifferent. “Correct.” Fang Pingzhai murmured, “You must have gotten something wrong…” He tapped his head with his red fan. “Since he’s not here, I’ll leave now. For the life-saving grace, this sixth brother thanks you.”
Yu Qifeng and Master Qingxu listened to the conversation between Fang Pingzhai and Yu Konghou. Fang Pingzhai and Yu Qifeng were old acquaintances, and he cheerfully greeted Yu Qifeng with a wave, but Yu Qifeng acted as if he hadn’t seen him at all. The former Sword King, now a fallen minister – the two situations couldn’t be compared. Fang Pingzhai looked at Master Qingxu several times but couldn’t recognize who this person was, so he waved his fan and prepared to turn and leave.
As he turned, a shoe suddenly appeared in the darkness before him – a white cloud shoe with light blue embroidered thread. Fang Pingzhai coughed, nearly choking. Yu Konghou turned back around. From the darkness before Fang Pingzhai, a person slowly emerged with silver-gray long hair and refined, elegant features – it was Tang Lici.
However, Shen Langhun was not at his side, having slipped away to who knows where. Yu Konghou’s gaze shifted from Fang Pingzhai to Tang Lici. “Sixth Brother, are you helping him or helping me?” Fang Pingzhai waved his red fan. “I’m merely passing through. Please continue, continue… don’t let me spoil your mood.” He walked around Tang Lici, swaying with each step forward. Suddenly, a bright flash appeared in the passage as firelight blazed up. Yu Konghou and Tang Lici both looked up to see Fang Pingzhai’s smile freeze on his face – a long halberd pressed against his chest, forcing him to retreat step by step. The halberd’s blade had been greased to prevent rust, but now,激激ited by the newcomer’s violent true qi, it actually burst into flames. With flickering fire on the blade and wild, disheveled hair, the newcomer’s presence was truly frightening.
Zhu Yan!
Both Tang Lici and Yu Konghou were somewhat surprised. By all reason, having taken Xue Tao away, he should have fled far away – how could he suddenly return? Yu Konghou was the first to change expression. “What did you do to her?”
Fang Pingzhai’s form flickered as he escaped far from Zhu Yan’s blade tip. Though he wanted to kill Zhu Yan, he was absolutely no match at this moment. Even two Fang Pingzhais might not be able to withstand one strike from Zhu Yan’s halberd, let alone the fact that he had no twin brother.
Zhu Yan didn’t answer Yu Konghou’s question. With a sweep of his long halberd, bringing forth a sharp, mournful whistle like thunder and lightning, he thrust toward Yu Konghou’s chest with terrifying, crazed eyes, as if he had fallen into madness. Tang Lici flashed aside to dodge. Yu Konghou’s hand moved like lightning, grasping the halberd’s shaft and shouting sternly, “What did you do to her?”
Zhu Yan still didn’t answer. The flames on the halberd slowly burned to Yu Konghou’s sleeves. Zhu Yan channeled his full true power forward, while Yu Konghou gripped it firmly. Their eyes met, burning like a great fire. The two spoke no more words, suddenly moving like a violent storm. The halberd shook heaven and earth, with the sound of surrounding walls crumbling endlessly. Yu Konghou fought barehanded, yet his fist wind and palm shadows were no weaker than Zhu Yan’s, every move a deadly killing technique!
Yu Qifeng and Master Qingxu both looked toward Tang Lici. If Tang Lici joined the battle now, Yu Konghou would certainly fall into disadvantage. Tang Lici smiled at the two, raising his palm with clear intent to interfere. Yu Qifeng’s black long sword swept out while Master Qingxu’s palms formed the circular rotation of Taiji, both moving forward together to block Tang Lici.
Fang Pingzhai waved his red fan again and again. If he joined the battle, whichever side he chose would win, but he clearly had no intention of joining either side. Instead, he spoke: “Third Brother, that toast of poisoned wine years ago that harmed you so – that was little brother’s fault. I humbly apologize here.” He bowed toward the battle between Zhu Yan and Yu Konghou, then leisurely prepared to leave.
“Sixth Brother, you owe me a cup of wine – do you think you can just leave like this?” someone asked in a sinister voice. Fang Pingzhai’s departing steps stopped once again, his face full of bitter smiles. He had truly come at a bad time today – every time he tried to leave, someone blocked his path. Hearing the newcomer’s voice, Zhu Yan and Yu Konghou suddenly separated, each leaping to opposite sides. Yu Konghou exhaled. “Big Brother!”
The person slowly approaching through the darkness while dragging something wore black robes embroidered with peony flowers, with a hideously terrifying appearance – it was Gui Mudan (Ghost Peony). Now four of the Seven-Flower Cloud Wanderers had gathered, and except for Meihua Yishu (Plum Blossom Divination), all the living members were present. Fang Pingzhai slowly retreated while Gui Mudan slowly advanced, dragging something in his hand – a dead mountain goat, though whether he had caught it from the mountain or stolen it from Chengfeng Town was unclear.
“Since you’ve personally come to Wangting Manor, if I can’t keep you here, that would be unworthy of my title as ‘One Verse of Yin and Yang’ Gui Mudan, leader of the Seven-Flower Cloud Wanderers.” Gui Mudan said coldly. “Since everyone’s here today, let me speak plainly. Sixth Brother, tonight I’m going to kill Tang Lici. If you help me, I’ll keep that cup of wine you owe me; if you interfere, heh heh… I’ll truly feed that cup to the dogs. From then on, you’re expelled from the Seven-Flower Cloud Wanderers. We’ll sever our brotherhood, and when we meet in the jianghu hereafter, I’ll show no mercy!” After delivering this ultimatum, his form flashed as he charged directly toward the battle between Tang Lici, Yu Qifeng, and Master Qingxu.
Yu Konghou looked at Zhu Yan with murderous intent. What Zhu Yan had done to Xue Tao, he already had some idea in his heart. With his calculating mind, after a moment of shock and grief, he had somewhat calmed down. As Gui Mudan rushed toward Tang Lici, he glanced at the battle situation. Tang Lici was naturally superior to Yu Qifeng and Master Qingxu, but with Gui Mudan added, he was slightly at disadvantage. If he fought honestly like this, after a thousand moves he would inevitably be defeated, but Tang Lici obviously wouldn’t follow his predetermined path.
Yu Konghou understood Tang Lici’s purpose clearly. After rescuing Shen Langhun, he didn’t leave but risked going deeper – he must not have seen that girl A’Shui. If his purpose was to find someone, he might not be willing to engage in prolonged combat, and though those three had a slight advantage, they couldn’t stop him from leaving. Once Tang Lici escaped today, it would be difficult to find such an opportunity where he walked into the trap again. Yu Konghou quickly calmed down, observing Zhu Yan’s every movement and Tang Lici’s changing forms, ready to strike and kill at any moment.
Hearing Gui Mudan’s words, Fang Pingzhai sighed. He had abandoned brotherhood ten years ago, but from these words, it seemed Gui Mudan and Yu Konghou still truly held some brotherly affection for him. Though his red fan waved elegantly, his heart grew somewhat melancholy. The days of high spirits were too far behind him now. What he truly wanted now, even he himself wasn’t quite clear about.
The only thing very clear was his desire to kill Zhu Yan.
He glanced at the imposing man standing beside him holding a halberd. Before Zhu Yan joined the Seven-Flower Cloud Wanderers, he and Second Brother, Fourth Brother, and Fifth Brother had been known as the “Four Wind and Moon Wanderers.” Those were truly carefree jianghu days of composing poetry and drinking wine. Back then he was Fourth Brother, still quite young, and the jianghu wasn’t lonely. In those days, he would roam the jianghu for half a year before returning home to visit his mother. As the “Four Wind and Moon Wanderers'” reputation grew, they gradually recruited Seventh Brother and Big Brother. With more and more people, things became livelier, and he had always enjoyed it.
But Seventh Brother brought his beautiful cousin. Xue Tao was charming and pure, gentle in temperament – few men wouldn’t love such a woman. She attracted Zhu Yan, with his unparalleled martial arts and cold, eccentric nature. Zhu Yan joined the Seven-Flower Cloud Wanderers, ranked third, while he became Sixth Brother. This change didn’t bring him much displeasure, but from the bottom of his heart, he detested Zhu Yan. This arrogant, self-willed eccentric had given him an ominous feeling from the very beginning.
The year the Seven-Flower Cloud Wanderers became famous, the seven agreed to visit his hometown of White Cloud Valley to admire flowers. After drinking, everyone fell asleep. He became drunk easily from alcohol, so being drunk early meant awakening early. When he woke in the middle of the night, he saw Zhu Yan standing outside admiring the moon, blood dripping from his sword blade, his expression cold.
He asked what had happened. Zhu Yan practiced with an eight-foot long sword back then, rarely drawing it from its sheath. That night, not only was the sword unsheathed, but blood poured from it like a stream – highly unusual. When asking this question, Fang Pingzhai experienced the taste of fear for the first time in his life.
Zhu Yan’s answer was very calm, but beneath the calm lay a trace of excitement. He said that while drinking and admiring flowers, he had suddenly comprehended a new sword technique. He didn’t ask what kind of technique it was, only asking, “Which family?” Zhu Yan pointed his sword toward outside the house – he had slaughtered neighbor Old Uncle Wu’s entire family of seven, simply because he had comprehended a new sword technique.
From that night forward, he had resolved to kill Zhu Yan.