Behind Black Tiger Mountain were many stone caves. Luo Wen obviously hadn’t been there for some time, getting lost three or four times before finding the right direction. The so-called “doghouse” of Black Tiger Stronghold was a huge cavern. Black Tiger Mountain was rich in granite, the stone exceptionally hard. This cavern didn’t leak water or let in wind—it could be called solid. Baobao had installed a thick iron door at the cave entrance, usually keeping his pack of mastiffs locked inside. Those mastiffs varied in size—some strong as bears, some slender as foxes, some long-haired, some short-haired, some tall, some short—but they were all killing dogs carefully trained by Baobao, used to hunt down merchants who were ambushed by Black Tiger Stronghold but managed to escape while wounded.

These dogs would drag wounded people back from dozens of li away, dead or alive.

And Se Lin was also locked in this stone cave.

Tang Lici walked to the stone cave and didn’t smell the strange stench usually found in doghouses. The air was very fresh, even carrying a faint floral fragrance.

He reached out to grab the copper lock on the iron door and twisted hard. The copper lock was thick, and with his true energy unbalanced after his injuries, he couldn’t twist it open for a moment. Pausing slightly, he raised his palm like a blade and struck down at the copper lock. There was a soft crack as the spring mechanism inside the copper lock shattered and it opened easily. Luo Wen looked at him with awe. In the two years she and Se Lin had been captives, it seemed Tang Lici had lived well, even learning martial arts.

The copper lock opened, and suddenly deep dog barking erupted from inside the door. Those barks were low and rich, completely different from ordinary dogs. Tang Lici opened the large door. The stone cave was pitch black, showing only dozens of pairs of gleaming eyes flashing in the darkness, full of fierce energy. As light from outside shone into the cave, dozens of handsome-furred mastiffs came into view, followed by a slender, pale, delicate leg.

This absolutely beautiful leg rested on the back of the largest long-haired mastiff. Looking up, there were equally perfectly proportioned thighs, crystalline skin without flaw… A woman possessing such skin was leaning against that mastiff’s back, with another long-haired mastiff behind her as a backrest. One foot dangled from the dog’s back, the other foot was bent and placed on the dog’s back, her toes equally beautiful as gems.

“Se Lin…” Luo Wen staggered a step, staring blankly at the woman in the cave who was like a queen of dogs. She sat on the dog’s back, a pair of crystal-like eyes looking toward the cave entrance, her lovely figure nestled in the soft dog fur, wearing tiger skin that made her radiate brilliance, even more stunning than before.

“Hi!” Tang Lici opened the door, seeing such a scene, and smiled. “Every time I see you, you indeed give me a surprise.”

The woman sitting on the dog’s back put her feet on the ground, embracing the huge mastiff behind her. “Before seeing you, I absolutely won’t admit defeat!” She moved two steps silently like a cat. “I absolutely won’t let myself become disheveled, because I still want to live to see you. Whether before your eyes or behind your back, I will always be a queen.”

Tang Lici reached out, and Se Lin threw herself into his arms. Her voice was soft and pleasant. Compared to Luo Wen’s sexiness, she was more filled with rose-like softness and allure. “I knew you would definitely come save me.”

“Even if I hadn’t come, it seems you lived quite well.” Tang Lici lifted her in his arms. “You tamed these dogs?”

Se Lin’s hand hung down from his embrace, stroking the heads of those mastiffs one by one. “Taming dogs is much easier than taming you.” She laughed softly. “I made them go out to pick flowers for me, made them help me dig tunnels here, made them bring back food, fruit, and brooms. They’re very smart.”

“Dig tunnels?” Luo Wen followed Tang Lici inside. Beside Se Lin, she always paled in comparison, like Cinderella. “This is granite—how can you dig tunnels?”

Tang Lici carried Se Lin deeper into the stone cave, never bumping into stone walls along the way. In the depths of this stone cave, wherever there was soil had been dug out, forming a long tunnel that led straight to an underground river at the mountain’s base. The underground river water was exceptionally clear with fish at the bottom. By the riverside was a pile of firewood burning, illuminating the water surface and stone walls with flickering light and shadow—this was where Se Lin usually ate.

“Have you been living here for two years?” he asked gently.

Se Lin nodded. Luo Wen’s face was deathly pale. She had feared being locked in the doghouse and submitted to Baobao, yet Se Lin, who was actually locked in the doghouse, lived much better than her. Se Lin embraced Tang Lici’s neck. “Isn’t this place nice?”

“Very nice.” Tang Lici put her down. “You’re also very good.”

Se Lin laughed softly. When she smiled, she truly was like a rose, as if one could smell floral fragrance from her smile. “I love you.”

Tang Lici didn’t answer. Se Lin stood barefoot on the ground, reaching around his waist. “Why don’t you say you love me too?” Her cheek rubbed gently against him. “We haven’t seen each other for a long time. Don’t you miss me?”

Why don’t you say you love me too? Tang Lici was slightly stunned. Vaguely, in the past when Se Lin said “I love you,” he would naturally say “I love you too,” which could make any woman love him more deeply.

But…

But if he said “love you” to the woman who embraced and kissed him and constantly said she loved him, then… that woman who never said she loved him, who was thrown out by him to save someone yet was willing—wouldn’t she seem even more humble?

Humble like a bit of sand that seemed not to exist even without wind blowing it.

He was distracted.

Se Lin embraced Tang Lici’s waist. “What are you thinking about?”

“Mm…” Tang Lici’s fingers ran through her black hair. Her hair was different from A’Shui’s. A’Shui’s hair was smooth and straight, not much of it. Se Lin’s hair had natural waves, the longer parts more curled, thick and dense.

“Do you have other women here?” Se Lin asked gently, closing her eyes. “Is she… or are they… as good as me?”

Se Lin was very accustomed to him having new lovers. She would never make a big fuss about it. She had always been confident that no matter where he went seeking novelty, he couldn’t possibly find a woman more beautiful than her. So she never cared about Tang Lici having new lovers, because the more new lovers there were, the more it ultimately proved she was the woman among women, the emperor in the realm of women. Tang Lici would never leave her because he would never find anyone better.

This question was asked out of habit, but the person in her arms still didn’t answer. She suddenly opened her eyes. “What’s wrong?”

He obviously thought for a while before saying gently, “No…”

“Why did you have to think?” Se Lin embraced his waist, lightly kissing his hand one kiss at a time, like a small bird nuzzling a person. “You really met other women, didn’t you? And they made you a bit lovesick.”

Women were always sensitive about emotional matters, as if they could predict the future. He smiled faintly. “No, many women love me, but I’m very busy.” He said gently, “Too busy to have the mood to compare who’s better.”

Se Lin slowly released her hands. This time, every one of Tang Lici’s answers was beyond her expectations. “What are you busy with?”

“Busy with men’s affairs.” Tang Lici embraced her waist and Luo Wen’s shoulder. “Don’t be afraid. I’ll send you home first. After returning, everything will be the same as before.”

Se Lin stared at him intently. Her crystal-like eyes reflected a deep brilliance. “Send Luo Wen back. I want to stay with you.”

“Se Lin…”

“Don’t try to persuade me.” She said, “And don’t order me.” She embraced the huge mastiff behind her. When this rose-like woman turned cold, she had a soul-stirring killing aura. “I’ll be very unhappy.”

She sensed danger.

He understood why Se Lin suddenly insisted on staying by his side. They had lived together for many years. Every time, Se Lin was willing to wait for him at home, waiting for him to play enough and come home to confirm she was better. She wasn’t a woman willing to endure hardship and toil, having lived a life of luxury based on her absolute beauty. Her sudden decision to stay by his side meant she felt an unprecedented crisis.

Crisis…

Had his heart really changed?

Had he really fallen in love with another woman and overlooked the treasure before his eyes?

Gently reaching out to caress Se Lin’s soft cheek, did he love A’Shui? He felt he didn’t, but if asked whether he loved Se Lin?

That also… seemed like no…

At the same time, A’Shui, Yu Tuan’er, and Liu Yan were also on the road to Shaolin Temple.

Tang Lici had left, and no one knew where he was going. But no matter how he treated A’Shui, after a burst of anger, Liu Yan and Yu Tuan’er were equally worried about his injuries. A’Shui suggested they might as well go to Shaolin Temple, because Tang Lici carried Great Return Pills with him. Since he carried such medicine, presumably it had other uses for him. He had given all the Great Return Pills to her to save her life, so she wanted to go to Shaolin Temple to plead with Abbot Puzhu for a bottle of Great Return Pills.

Since the person was nowhere to be found, obtaining Great Return Pills was also a feasible proposal. Several people packed their luggage and hired a large cart, heading straight for Shaolin Temple.

Along the way, they heard various rumors, all saying that Tang Lici and Liu Yan were in collusion, using the enemy to strengthen themselves, intending to push the Central Plains Sword Assembly and others into traps set by the Fengliu Shop. The only purpose was to seize the martial world, and the next step would be to seize the world, harboring treasonous intentions, and so on.

Half of these rumors stemmed from that battle below Haoyun Mountain, the other half were deliberately spread by interested parties, becoming more vicious and frightening with each telling. In just a few days, Tang Lici had transformed from a nobleman everyone admired to a traitorous minister everyone wanted to beat, whom everyone wanted to devour.

Hearing these rumors, the few people in the carriage looked at each other speechlessly and traveled in silence.

A’Shui’s injuries healed very quickly under the power of the Great Return Pills. Tang Lici had left considerable silver at Wanfu Inn. Along the way, Liu Yan spent money like water, buying the best and most expensive wound medicine for her. In these six or seven days, A’Shui had greatly improved and could sit up for a while.

She rarely spoke. Fengfeng was also surprisingly well-behaved these days. Mother and child sat embracing each other, silently watching outside the window together. Seeing the look in her eyes as she gazed outside, Yu Tuan’er would grip Liu Yan’s arm tightly. Sometimes she would imagine that she and Fengfeng were both reminiscing about time spent with Tang Lici—when her gaze was gentle, she was thinking of times when he was gentle to her; when her gaze was sorrowful, she was thinking of times when he was unkind to her…

When thinking of what times would she think of now?

Think of him abandoning her, leaving her severely injured, with the vast world not knowing where to seek him?

Think of how thin the affection was from the man she loved…

Wouldn’t that be very sad?

Yu Tuan’er gripped Liu Yan’s hand tightly. She felt very fortunate that no matter who Liu Yan loved most in his heart, no matter how impatient he was, at least he had never abandoned her, never abandoned her in exchange for something more valuable to him, and never hurt her.

He couldn’t even bear to let her test poison.

Thinking about it, her eyes reddened. She unconsciously rubbed her cheek against Liu Yan’s arm, feeling the warmth transmitted from that arm, listening to the heartbeat coming from those blood vessels, feeling safe in her heart.

“What are you doing?” Liu Yan frowned slightly.

She raised her head and smiled. “I think you’re very very good.”

His mood wasn’t good. Tang Lici had left—to some extent, he had been driven away by him… He finally let go and stopped saving him, began letting him do whatever he wanted, but—driving away someone who was severely injured for his sake and who might very well die from it, his mood was very chaotic. He thought Tang Lici couldn’t lose A’Shui, couldn’t fail to get A’Shui’s love, so he painfully gave up and advised A’Shui to love him… The result was that he threw A’Shui out as a human shield, so how should he face A’Shui? The more indifferent A’Shui was, the more he regretted it. Even if he died now, he couldn’t compensate her for anything.

His mood was so troubled and painful. Seeing Yu Tuan’er’s brilliant smile, he reached out to rub her head and suddenly felt relaxed. No matter what else he had done wrong, at least this little girl—he had always protected her.

Being able to see her smile so happily made him feel at peace, as if the sunlight outside the carriage had warmed up several degrees.

The carriage rumbled along the official road toward Mount Song. On the road, they reached a town called Kui Town.

When they arrived at Kui Town, it was already dusk. Yu Tuan’er jumped out of the carriage and led the horse into the street. All along the way, she saw Kui Town decorated with lanterns and colored banners, everyone smiling, as if celebrating a festival. She curiously inquired everywhere and learned that two days ago, a hero had defeated mountain bandits from nearby Black Tiger Mountain. Today happened to be the day the bandits were escorted by the authorities to prison for trial, so everyone in town was overjoyed.

Liu Yan wore a face veil, listening to this clichéd martial arts hero story without interest. “Girl, ask him where there’s an inn.”

But Yu Tuan’er was chatty. “What did that hero look like? Male or female? Was he handsome?” She herself loved beauty and judged people primarily by appearance. Liu Yan’s face was bloody and mangled, arguably extremely ugly, yet she didn’t think so.

“That hero who defeated Baobao in one move had extraordinary appearance. His face was like white jade, his whole body draped in lotus-seat white clothes like a bodhisattva, with ruby-like red jewels inlaid on his back. With every step, ten thousand zhang of golden light flashed behind him. After three steps, he ascended clouds to heaven.” The storyteller was animated. “We only saw him flash once, then disappear.”

Yu Tuan’er frowned. “Are there really such descended immortals?”

“Of course, of course! How could there be no immortals in this world?” The old storyteller in Kui Town stroked his beard and swayed his head. “It’s just that you’re still young, Miss, and haven’t had the fate to see them.”

“If he’s an immortal, why didn’t he descend to kill bad people like Yu Konghou instead of running to this wilderness to kill a mountain bandit?” Yu Tuan’er was full of disbelief, looking suspiciously at the old man. “You’re definitely lying! I don’t want to believe you.”

“Little miss,” an older man not far away smiled, “he was a very handsome young man, carrying considerable injuries, wearing white clothes, with a full head of gray hair…”

“Ah!”

Before the old man finished speaking, Yu Tuan’er had already cried out in shock. “Could it be Young Master Tang? He would also do such righteous deeds? Where is he? Where is he?”

This old man was precisely Old Tan, who had been saved by Tang Lici from Baobao’s guan dao. Hearing this, he was also astonished. “Miss, you know that young man?”

“Know him, know him!” Yu Tuan’er nodded frantically. “Where is he? Where is he?”

“He went up the mountain yesterday to drive away the villains from Black Tiger Stronghold. Now he’s resting at an inn. I heard he’ll be traveling tomorrow.” Old Tan had happened to see Tang Lici’s figure coming down from Black Tiger Mountain. “He’s my life-saving benefactor.” He had some words he wanted to say but hesitated. Yu Tuan’er didn’t notice.

Liu Yan pulled the reins, and the carriage galloped in with rapid steps. A’Shui lifted the window curtain, looking toward the inn with concern.

She quickly saw Tang Lici.

Tang Lici was coming out of a fabric shop with two women, walking shoulder to shoulder with one of them, his arm around her waist. Under the daylight, the woman wearing a brand-new light red dress radiated an indescribable brilliance. Standing shoulder to shoulder with Tang Lici, it was as if the dozens or hundreds of people on the entire street didn’t exist, even the houses and buildings became dim.

She walked slowly, swaying with each step, but every step made people feel the beautiful curves of her waist and legs. Those eyes didn’t look at anyone, with confident, proud yet not arrogant gazes.

That kind of gaze wasn’t sharp, yet radiated light. It didn’t look at anyone, yet focused everyone’s gaze.

“Tang Lici!” Yu Tuan’er also saw this beauty in her eyes. She stared intently at this beauty’s long legs, but still remembered A’Shui in her heart. “Where did you run off to? How are your injuries? Sister A’Shui is worried about you and wants to go to Shaolin Temple to get medicine for you. She doesn’t blame you at all in her heart. She said when you threw her out, she finally understood…”

“Little sister!”

A’Shui in the carriage called out in a low voice. Yu Tuan’er stopped talking in time. She had never heard A’Shui speak in such an urgent, low voice. Then coughing sounded from inside the carriage—she had used her breath and aggravated her wound.

Liu Yan looked at this queen-like woman in red before him, unable to move at all.

This was Se Lin. She was Tang Lici’s lover since he was fifteen, and even before crossing to this realm, they had been living together.

Se Lin was different from other casual women to Tang Lici.

Se Lin had appeared, so what about A’Shui?

“Hm?” Se Lin smiled at Tang Lici. “Who is she?”

Tang Lici glanced at A’Shui but before he could speak, Liu Yan had already said, “She’s A’Li’s maidservant.”

Hearing the voice, Se Lin turned her head and asked strangely, “Vered?”

Liu Yan nodded. Se Lin glanced at his face and laughed. “This way looks a bit cool too. I used to think it was a bit creamy, but now it’s completely gone!”

Se Lin could always make everything seem calm. Even cruel things, coming from her petal-like lips, never sounded too painful. Liu Yan smiled and said to Tang Lici, “How did Se Lin get here? How are your injuries? We were all very worried about you.”

He said “we,” casually including A’Shui.

A’Shui sat in the cart, one hand gripping the car window tightly, watching Liu Yan and Se Lin chat familiarly with Tang Lici about homely matters, about topics she couldn’t understand. Her fingers were all pale from exertion.

“Mama…” Fengfeng in the cart called out timidly. She slowly withdrew her hand and embraced Fengfeng. Her heart beat so violently. Some things she originally thought would never hurt her were now violently stabbing her.

Yu Tuan’er stared blankly at Liu Yan talking with that beauty. She couldn’t understand what they were saying. She suddenly wanted to cry very much… Although she had never asked, Liu Yan had never mentioned that he knew such a beautiful woman.

If he hadn’t become ugly, would he never have been with her? She thought this for the first time.

“Little sister.” A’Shui saw her pale face and called her gently.

Yu Tuan’er turned around, and tears just suddenly fell.

She ran to A’Shui’s side. A’Shui gently wiped away her tears and said softly, “Don’t cry. Liu Yan won’t be unkind to you. He really is a very gentle person.”

“If he hadn’t become ugly, would he never have been with me? He would only be with women like that.” Yu Tuan’er buried her head in A’Shui’s embrace, completely forgetting about the wound on her chest.

A’Shui frowned, enduring the severe pain from her wound, and said gently, “No, he’s very very good to you. They… are just chatting.”

“Really?”

“Really.” A’Shui said, “He’s very gentle.”

Liu Yan really was very gentle. If he hadn’t answered that question “Who is she?” for Tang Lici, if he didn’t go up to talk now, when Tang Lici answered that she was just an unrelated woman, she would be utterly humiliated, wouldn’t she?

Gently patting Yu Tuan’er’s back, she feared Tang Lici would be hurt because of throwing her out, so she was eager to tell him she really didn’t mind, she was truly willing, and he needn’t blame himself for being incompetent because of this.

She had thus admitted to deeply loving Tang Lici and could no longer escape.

But it turned out… there was someone else who could comfort him, far more beautiful and sweet than her. She really was an irrelevant, unrelated woman. Her worries along the way were just vain sentimentality.

She looked at Yu Tuan’er in her arms. It was just that unlike the innocent girl in her arms, she had experienced too many vicissitudes. Her true feelings were few… and this only remaining infatuation was so futilely betrayed.

End of Volume 5: Two Places of Contemplation