The Central Plains Sword Society issued a letter announcing that Tang Lici would harm Puzhu, the new abbot of Shaolin Temple, calling upon heroes throughout the realm to eliminate this menace for the people by intercepting and killing Tang Lici on the road. The letter detailed Tang Lici’s expertise in hidden weapons, palm techniques, sonic killing arts, and other skills one by one, as if fearing readers wouldn’t know Tang Lici’s weaknesses. It also noted that this person was the master of Wanqiao Studio, fond of carrying extremely valuable pearls and jade for his personal enjoyment, and particularly loved using pearls and emeralds as deadly hidden weapons.

This letter spread widely throughout the martial world. Firstly, there were truly many who harbored hatred for the Romantic House and the Demon Ghost Nine Heart Pills. Secondly, quite a few were interested in Tang Lici’s wealth. Gradually, more and more martial artists began appearing around Mount Song.

As more people planned to make their move, information about Tang Lici emerged endlessly. Some said he had already reached Shaolin Temple, and that Puzhu had even been injured by his hand. Others claimed he was still killing people west of Funiu Mountain. Some alleged they had been wounded by Tang Lici and had even picked up his pearl hidden weapons. Still others declared that Tang Lici had already been killed by them, and they had obtained the antidote to the Demon Ghost Nine Heart Pills.

Rumors in the martial world grew rampant, impossible to distinguish truth from falsehood. Where Tang Lici had actually gone, perhaps only he himself knew.

Apart from the shocking secret that Tang Lici was actually the mastermind behind the Romantic House, another major concern among martial artists recently was the decisive battle between the Central Plains Sword Society and the Romantic House.

Now everyone in the martial world knew that the Central Plains Sword Society had gathered a thousand people to enter Qihun Mountain for a final battle with the remaining forces of the Romantic House hidden in Piaoli Mei Garden. It was said that even the imperial court was involved, and one of the leading figures on the Central Plains Sword Society’s side was actually Princess Langya.

The court had dispatched Lord Jiao Shiqiao to lead one hundred eighty Imperial Guards to participate in the battle against the Romantic House. Though this wasn’t a full military campaign for annihilation, it clearly expressed the court’s position—the Romantic House was indeed the target of universal condemnation, and Tang Lici was thoroughly evil.

However, the Central Plains Sword Society’s expedition against the Romantic House was not proceeding smoothly.

Piaoli Mei Garden was located deep within Qihun Mountain, where trees grew thick, poisonous snakes and mosquitoes proliferated, and many previously unseen poisonous flowers and grasses flourished. Travel was difficult. The thousand-plus rabble had charged fifty li into Qihun Mountain with initial enthusiasm, but over three hundred had already departed under various pretexts.

The remaining six hundred plus were divided by Miss Hong into twenty groups, with every ten groups forming one rotation—half exploring paths, half resting. They walked for three full days before finally finding Bodhi Valley behind Piaoli Mei Garden.

Miss Hong held a rough map of Piaoli Mei Garden obtained through these days of pathfinding and reconnaissance, her brow tightly furrowed. With Yu Konghou present in the Central Plains Sword Society, she couldn’t avoid discussing methods to break through Piaoli Mei Garden with Yu Konghou. In this densely wooded terrain, no matter how many people they had, they couldn’t leverage their numbers effectively. The terrain made it difficult to arrange formations or observe the overall situation. The result of rashly engaging in battle would be falling into chaotic fighting.

This place had poisonous insects and grasses, mechanisms and hidden weapons. The outcome of chaotic fighting was predictable.

So she had been considering—since they couldn’t penetrate deep, could they lure the snake from its hole and make Gui Mudan bring his people out himself?

Or—force him out?

On this day, Miss Hong issued her first command since establishing camp in Bodhi Valley—cut down and dry the trees around the campsite, clear open ground, coat the tree trunks with oil, and prepare to roll them to various exits of Piaoli Mei Garden to burn down Piaoli Mei Garden!

She also collected poisonous powders that could create smoke from various poison experts. When the fierce flames rose, they would scatter these into the fire. At that time, over ten masters with profound internal energy and splitting-air palm techniques would assist her in controlling the wind direction.

This idea seemed good. Everyone worked together to cut trees, blowing poisonous smoke into Piaoli Mei Garden. Unfortunately, after busying themselves for two full days, they still hadn’t seen anyone come out from inside.

Piaoli Mei Garden extended deep underground. Merely blowing in poisonous smoke couldn’t shake it.

Miss Hong wasn’t discouraged. She had people continue cutting trees, lighting fires, and releasing smoke, finally adding one more element—splashing water. Though the poisonous smoke couldn’t handle Gui Mudan, those courtyard walls of Piaoli Mei Garden couldn’t withstand the alternating assault of fierce fire and cold water. Finally, sections collapsed in pieces, with a thunderous crash exposing a large hole wide enough for four people to enter and exit side by side.

Wall bricks fell and shattered. Cold arrows and hidden weapons shot out from within, crackling and striking for quite some time before quieting down. The crowd setting fires outside focused their gaze and saw that inside, tables and chairs remained intact, along with a zither. What they had burned through to was apparently a young lady’s boudoir.

After the poisonous smoke dispersed, a person in black robes cackled sinisterly, standing before the breach.

They heard him say coldly, “Little Hong, you’ve always been loyal and devoted to this master. Have you specially brought people to deliver themselves to death this time?”

From the distance, Miss Hong hadn’t seen Gui Mudan clearly. She whispered something to Cheng Yunpao, then smiled charmingly and led Yu Konghou, Zhang Hemo, Liu Hongfei, Master Wenxiu, and others forward.

Just as she led everyone forward, there was a tremendous “boom” that shook the earth and mountains. Gui Mudan threw something that exploded among the crowd, creating thick smoke with an intense fragrance. Suddenly, some people in the crowd began changing color—among the fighters recruited by the Central Plains Sword Society, quite a few were already poisoned by the Demon Ghost Nine Heart Pills and had come seeking an antidote. The thick smoke could immediately trigger the pills’ toxicity. Many people immediately cried out miserably and began rolling on the ground.

Gui Mudan laughed sinisterly in the thick smoke, “Your lives are in my grasp. To think of opposing me is no different from seeking death!” With a wave of his hand, arrows shot from the thick smoke. Female figures in red and white clothes flickered in the smoke, and explosions continued endlessly, creating even more smoke.

Just then, Miss Hong shouted, “Rolling logs! Burn again!”

The Sword Society members who hadn’t been poisoned worked together, pushing burning massive logs toward the house’s breach, completely ignoring the smoke that could induce toxic outbreaks! The thick smoke not only obscured Miss Hong but also Gui Mudan. Those massive logs rolled along the ground, crushing and burning the drug triggers, crashing into walls and igniting great fires again. Rolling logs in succession gradually sealed the wall breach. The Sword Society members didn’t seem to intend to enter Piaoli Mei Garden through this breach as Gui Mudan had imagined, but merely appeared to be setting fires to burn the buildings.

When Gui Mudan realized something was wrong, Miss Hong waved her hand and said calmly, “Enough! Withdraw!”

The Sword Society members who had been lying on the ground wailing suddenly got up, casually dusted off their clothes as if nothing had happened, and quickly retreated to the camp along with those responsible for the rolling logs, moving away from Piaoli Mei Garden.

The agonizing toxic outbreak just now was actually a performance that Miss Hong had trained in advance! She had actually calculated that Gui Mudan would use this kind of smoke to induce toxic outbreaks and had specially brought people who weren’t poisoned to set fires.

When everyone returned to camp, just as even Yu Konghou was surprised by Miss Hong’s series of actions, several figures quickly entered the camp.

As the newcomers landed, several drops of fresh blood rolled down with them.

Miss Hong urgently asked, “Is anyone injured?”

Cheng Yunpao shook his head. Fresh blood was still dripping from his sword blade, showing he had just experienced combat. Following behind him were actually Bi Lianyi, Gu Xitan, Fu Zhumei, and others. Bi Lianyi was also covered in blood, saying calmly, “We killed twenty-two in total.”

Miss Hong nodded.

Yu Konghou’s brow furrowed slightly. Only now did he understand the series of strategies Miss Hong had employed—she not only wanted to burn down Piaoli Mei Garden and eliminate the Romantic House right under his nose, but she also intended to achieve this goal with the least sacrifice and safest means!

She used fierce fire, rolling logs, and water to forcibly demolish the above-ground portions of Piaoli Mei Garden, using herself as bait to draw Gui Mudan’s attention. She cleared the forest outside to remove obstacles and establish an encirclement, then dispatched several first-rate masters to suddenly enter Piaoli Mei Garden through other entrances. Whoever they encountered, as long as they were from the Romantic House, they would kill if they could—kill as many as possible. When the rolling log sounds stopped, they immediately retreated, using the thick smoke and fierce fire as cover, making escape very easy.

This was slowly boiling the frog.

No matter how many people the Romantic Palace had, being trapped inside, each one killed was one less.

No matter how many mechanisms Piaoli Mei Garden had, each corner burned was gone forever.

Gui Mudan might not fear having a mere wall of the vast Piaoli Mei Garden burned away, nor might he care about twenty-two servants dying.

But burning one corner per day, killing twenty-two people per day—what if it continued for two days, three days… or even if Miss Hong burned it outside for a full month or two months?

Piaoli Mei Garden would eventually be burned to bare ground, and how many lives could the Romantic House afford to lose?

Yu Konghou was horrified. This was completely different from his original estimation.

This woman Little Hong actually intended to exchange the cost of a feather for the death of his entire mountain and city!

A siege strategy must have supply lines for support—Yu Konghou immediately knew that at this moment, the first priority was to cut off the Central Plains Sword Society’s retreat.

But the Central Plains Sword Society’s retreat was Princess Langya and Jiao Shiqiao.

To cut off this retreat, the most effective method was to have the Central Plains Sword Society personally eliminate its own retreat—for example, kill Princess Langya.

Yu Konghou gazed at the mountain forest where thick flames were gradually dying down, pursed his lips, and smiled charmingly.

The righteous path of the martial world couldn’t harm people based on empty words. For the Central Plains Sword Society to kill someone… they would certainly need to make her crimes irrefutable and leave her unable to defend herself—then invite a sage to pronounce judgment and finally kill her in a completely righteous manner.