On Haoyun Mountain.

Dawn had broken. When Tang Lici awoke, he found himself lying on the floor with his chair toppled to one side. He stood up, and after a while remembered that he had fallen to the ground last night and slept there. Fortunately, no one dared approach his room easily, so no one had discovered it.

The room was heavy with dampness, the winter cold penetrating to the bone. Having lain on the ground all night, he felt faint waves of aching pain in his abdomen. He raised his hand to press his stomach – the parasitic fetus within remained unchanged. If this tumor had already completely devoured Fang Zhou’s heart, then he truly had retained nothing. He didn’t know how to deal with this tumor, but still felt no regret.

Even if things happened again, he would still bury Fang Zhou’s heart in his abdomen – only he would station heavy troops at the Tang residence, not allowing anyone the chance to steal the ice coffin.

“Young Master.” Outside the door was Zi Yun’s voice. “Hero Meng requests Young Master’s presence in the great hall, saying the Wind and Moon Shop has sent a letter.”

He pushed open the door as the clear, cold air outside rushed toward his face. “Mm.” He responded faintly without looking at Zi Yun and walked away with measured steps.

Zi Yun watched his shadow on the ground. She now understood what it meant to have extravagant hopes – she could only look at Tang Lici’s shadow.

If she didn’t look down at his shadow, she wouldn’t even be able to see that.

In the great hall of Shanfeng Hall, Meng Qinglei held a letter while Cheng Yunpao sat to one side, his expression gloomy. Seeing Tang Lici approach, he stood up. Meng Qinglei said, “Gui Mudan of the Wind and Moon Shop sent a letter saying they have Xue Xianzi. If we want Xue Xianzi’s life, we must exchange it for one person’s life from the Central Plains Sword Assembly.”

“Vicious scheming,” Cheng Yunpao said coldly. “Using this letter to disturb our military morale. Once the news spreads, everyone on Haoyun Mountain will be anxious, all speculating whose life the Assembly will use in exchange. If we don’t exchange, others will call us heartless. If we truly make the exchange, others will say that in the Assembly’s eyes, some lives are precious as gold while others are worth less than pigs and dogs.”

Tang Lici smiled slightly. “Isn’t that exactly how things are? Indeed, some people are beyond price while others are worse than pigs and dogs.” He paused briefly, then said gently, “I’ll consider the matter of exchanging lives – there’s always the most suitable candidate. Besides this matter, is there any news of Miss Tao?”

Cheng Yunpao looked at him with surprise, then said after a long moment, “You hope there’s news of her?”

“I just feel there should be news by now,” he said softly. The aching in his abdomen grew heavier. He pressed and gently rubbed his stomach, sat down in a chair, and frowned slightly. “She couldn’t possibly not return.”

Meng Qinglei was quite pleased. “If Miss Tao can return safely, that would naturally be better.” Cheng Yunpao snorted coldly. “What’s good about her?”

“Miss Tao is ice-snow intelligent, and her martial arts are not weak either,” Meng Qinglei said thoughtfully. “Moreover, quite a few heroes on the mountain originally came for her. If she can return, it would greatly boost morale.” He spoke tactfully – indeed, many rough men on Haoyun Mountain had come for Xifang Tao’s beautiful appearance, their lustful courage far exceeding any sense of righteousness.

“Bah!” Cheng Yunpao turned his head away. “You truly have no suspicions whatsoever.” Meng Qinglei asked strangely, “Suspicious of what?” Cheng Yunpao looked coldly at the carved master’s chair behind Meng Qinglei. When Xifang Tao was at the Assembly, she often sat in that chair. “When she was at the Assembly, that murderous black-clothed person frequently appeared, coming without trace and leaving without shadow. On the day Meihua Mountain was attacked, the day Chi Yun died, she sent me to Feng Yi and couldn’t assist. Abbot Puzhu originally had close dealings with the Assembly, but since traveling with her and taking the position of abbot, he’s ignored all major martial world affairs. On the day Shao Yanping died, though she wasn’t at the Assembly, who benefited most afterward – wasn’t it her? During the Liren Residence incident, Gui Mudan’s intention to use Liu Yan to coerce the world’s heroes was crystal clear. She didn’t go herself but assigned me and Elder Dong to go – what were her motives? Have you truly never suspected from beginning to end?”

Meng Qinglei was greatly shocked. “You’re saying she – she’s actually an inside agent for the Wind and Moon Shop?” Cheng Yunpao sneered coldly. “Are you truly unaware, or have you also been bewitched by her and are pretending not to know?” Meng Qinglei steadied himself and said in alarm, “If she’s truly a spy for the Wind and Moon Shop, then who was the person who knocked her off the cliff? Was it you?”

“It wasn’t me,” Cheng Yunpao said coldly.

“It was me,” Tang Lici said softly, picking up the tea on the table and taking a small sip.

Meng Qinglei stared at Tang Lici speechlessly. Cheng Yunpao continued his cold smile. Tang Lici’s expression was calm. For such a major matter, these two had actually kept it completely secret. “But… but… if this matter spreads, the situation on the mountain will surely fall into chaos. Forget about attacking Bodhi Valley – I fear the Assembly itself would be hard to preserve.”

“Correct,” Tang Lici smiled suddenly. “She has already established prestige. Removing her would be no easy matter – we cannot act rashly.” He took another sip of tea. “Also because she has established prestige, she couldn’t possibly not return.”

Meng Qinglei frowned. “Strange. Since she fell off the cliff, quite some time has passed. If she had ulterior motives, why hasn’t she returned earlier?” Tang Lici smiled again. “He has difficulties preventing his return.”

“Difficulties?” Meng Qinglei was greatly surprised. “You know she has difficulties?” Cheng Yunpao was also puzzled. Actually, Xifang Tao was highly suspicious – he hadn’t truly discussed this matter with Tang Lici before. He had only mentioned it just now by chance, yet he didn’t know Tang Lici understood her so well?

“She is a man,” Tang Lici said softly. “A man disguised as a woman – a man with beautiful features.” Meng Qinglei was shocked again and cried out “Ah!” Cheng Yunpao was also stunned. Meng Qinglei couldn’t imagine that such a beautiful woman was actually a man in disguise. Cheng Yunpao thought of that day in Xifang Tao’s room when Tang Lici had passionately embraced and kissed her, feeling indescribably strange.

Tang Lici briefly explained how Yu Konghou had transformed into “Xifang Tao” and his entanglements with Xue Tao and Zhu Yan. “He was injured by Zhu Yan and cannot return for the moment, but now that Haoyun Mountain’s momentum has grown strong, if he doesn’t return soon, he’ll be sitting and waiting for death.”

“So that’s how it is, so that’s how it is,” Meng Qinglei murmured, his mind still in chaos. “He’s actually the master of the Wind and Moon Shop – truly unbelievable. Alas, now that Elder Xue Xianzi has fallen into enemy hands and he’s about to return, what should we do?”

Tang Lici supported his forehead with his hand. “This matter must not be spread. I originally hoped to obtain the antidote for the Crimson Ghost Nine Hearts Pill before he returned and launch troops against Bodhi Valley, but unfortunately, it seems this cannot be accomplished now.”

“The antidote for the Crimson Ghost Nine Hearts Pill?” Meng Qinglei’s mouth fell open. “Could it be that Liu Yan… Liu Yan is also in your hands?” Tang Lici’s gaze swept across his face as he smiled lightly. “I didn’t say that.” Meng Qinglei’s shock was filled with admiration – he had never seen anyone with such ability, truly capable of turning the tide single-handedly and manipulating the winds and clouds.

Cheng Yunpao thought a step deeper, frowning deeply. “The matter of Liu Yan being in your hands is of great importance. Once it leaks out, I fear it will draw hostility from the entire martial world – it absolutely must not be spread.” Meng Qinglei nodded. “I understand.”

Tang Lici finished his tea and slowly placed the cup back on the table. The cup was still a hair’s breadth from the table surface when his fingers trembled. With a “clang,” the porcelain cup fell to the ground and shattered. Cheng Yunpao and Meng Qinglei were startled, seeing his brow furrow slightly as his hand pressed his abdomen. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing… serious,” Tang Lici said in a low voice. He raised his right hand from his abdomen to cover his mouth, endured for quite a while, then still vomited up the tea he had just drunk. “Cough cough… cough cough cough…” After vomiting the tea, he calmly took out a silk handkerchief from his sleeve to wipe his mouth, then stood up. “I’ll go change clothes.”

He didn’t give Cheng Yunpao and Meng Qinglei a chance to ask questions, walking away slowly with steady steps, even carrying a hint of leisurely elegance.

Cheng Yunpao frowned deeply. Tang Lici’s old injuries had probably worsened – recently his complexion hadn’t been as good as before. This was also a major crisis. Meng Qinglei said, “Young Master Tang has sent people everywhere to search for famous doctors like Qiyang, Shen Xi, and Shui Duopo. According to reports, there’s already news of Imperial Physician Qiyang – perhaps he can reach Haoyun Mountain within the near future.”

Cheng Yunpao relaxed slightly. “Since there’s news of Qiyang, what about the renowned martial world figures who are close to him – Baifa, Gushe, Yuxiu, and others?”

“That will probably only be known after Qiyang arrives,” Meng Qinglei sighed. “He has been in retirement for several years – finding his whereabouts is truly very difficult.”