Drifting in Mei Garden at Bodhi Valley.
The Central Plains Sword Association and Wind and Flow Shop had clashed three times.
Ren Qingchou and Xifang Tao both perished at the hands of Wind and Flow Shop’s Kuanglan Wuxing.
It was said that the valley battle that day turned heaven and earth dark and stripped sun and moon of light. Kuanglan Wuxing’s Chi Mei Tu Zhu Qi burned vast stretches of forest into white wasteland. His famous weapon, the eight-chi long sword, was also left at the scene, shattered into several pieces—showing just how fierce the battle had been.
Such shocking news spread throughout the martial world in less than half a day, leaving everyone quite horrified—Wind and Flow Shop possessed such power that one Kuanglan Wuxing, unseen for many years, could kill the promising young disciple of Qu Zhiliang, Ren Qingchou, and the renowned Miss Tao.
That Miss Tao was so beautiful, yet she was so easily killed by Kuanglan Wuxing? Truly a waste of heavenly gifts.
When this news reached the Central Plains Sword Association, Miss Hong smashed several teacups that day. Though her face appeared calm, who didn’t know the princess was furious, greatly displeased by the deaths of Ren Qingchou and Xifang Tao? But what could be done? With Wind and Flow Shop’s such power and Kuanglan Wuxing’s such ferocity, after Miss Tao’s death, the Central Plains Sword Association’s morale was low. For many days they had not provoked Drifting Mei Garden.
Ren Qingchou’s death was beyond Miss Hong’s expectations. She had merely arranged for this youth to hold back Yu Konghou while Tang Lici released Zhu Yan. But she never imagined Ren Qingchou would die under Yu Konghou’s “Ten Thousand Li Peach Blossoms.”
But this battle also had benefits. Yu Konghou could no longer maintain his “Xifang Tao” appearance. According to Tang Lici’s reply, what Yu Konghou and Fu Cui practiced were remnant pages of “The Rebirth Chronicle.” The Rebirth Chronicle contained a rapid cultivation method—first cultivate oneself, then ferry others. The rapid achievement chapter was called “Dream of Yellow Millet,” and what Yu Konghou practiced was the incomplete “Long Hatred That This Body Is Not My Own” from Dream of Yellow Millet.
Even though it was incomplete, for masters like Yu Konghou and Fu Cui, the rapid achievement methods of Dream of Yellow Millet were sufficient to break through realms and see greater possibilities in martial arts. Though “Long Hatred That This Body Is Not My Own” was incomplete, with their intelligence and wisdom, combining it with their own martial arts schools to complete it wasn’t difficult. Therefore, though both Fu Cui and Yu Konghou wore women’s clothing, the Dream of Yellow Millet they practiced was different.
Yu Konghou’s realm was far above Fu Cui’s. He didn’t know that practicing Dream of Yellow Millet ultimately meant making wedding clothes for others—he only thought that once mastered, he could be invincible under heaven. In the fierce fire, he used the “Long Hatred That This Body Is Not My Own” he had practiced for years to heal Kuanglan Wuxing Zhu Yan. Logically, his Dream of Yellow Millet should have been largely depleted on Kuanglan Wuxing. Best case scenario: years of bitter cultivation given away in one morning, becoming a waste from then on. Worst case: severe internal injury requiring legendary elixirs to recover.
Ren Qingchou didn’t know—this was the so-called “backup plan.”
Killing Yu Konghou was no easy matter. Being able to strip away a layer of his skin and destroy his disguise in the Central Plains Sword Association was already a great victory.
Yet no matter how great the victory, it couldn’t bring back Ren Qingchou’s life.
Tang Lici had calculated victory, but also calculated defeat.
The green-robed figure brought Ren Qingchou back to Jiang Youyu’s small courtyard below Funiu Mountain.
He buried Ren Qingchou under the bodhi tree.
Mo Ziru wore blue today, slowly emerging from the house. “You treated another person to death?”
The green-robed figure wiped away the disguise from his brow, revealing a small red mole—it was the Bright Moon Gold Doctor, Shui Duopo. He sighed, “I truly treated him to death. He died without regrets. The regret is that before I could treat him, he was already dead.”
Mo Ziru’s clear eyes looked at the small mound under the bodhi tree, saying lightly, “People die, people live, people live, people die. The Great Way is formless, human life impermanent. Don’t grieve.”
Shui Duopo said, “I’m soft-hearted, easily saddened, can’t help it.” Though he spoke of sadness, his handsome young master’s face remained as usual. “When sad, must eat. Where’s lunch?”
“No food.” Mo Ziru was very calm. “Tang Lici isn’t here.”
“Where’s that short-lived ghost?” Shui Duopo sighed. “Ordering us two to help him—truly audacious.”
“He just came by and sent you a great gift.” Mo Ziru yawned. “He brought a cook from Shaolin Temple to make food. The only problem is this cook only knows vegetarian dishes.” Standing in sunlight, though his appearance was also like a youth with clear eyes, that wasn’t a youth’s clarity.
Just like Shui Duopo’s oval face with widow’s peak and the mole at his brow center—though still sounding like a youth, when he stepped forward, his bearing wasn’t that of a youth.
Mo Ziru and Shui Duopo had lived in seclusion for years. Though Bright Moon Gold Doctor had some reputation, it wasn’t enough to shake the martial world.
Who knew what names they might have left in the martial world years ago, and who they once were?
“Oh, where’s the cook?” Shui Duopo asked.
Mo Ziru said calmly, “Meditating.”
“What?” Shui Duopo said angrily, “I traveled thousands of li, wasted enormous effort, and you tell me my cook is meditating? Where are the vegetarian dishes?”
“I thought you never liked vegetarian food. As a good friend, I just helped you eat them.” Mo Ziru said, “No need to thank me or be polite.”
As the two were bickering, a “bang” came from next door, like the sound of qi bursting. Mo Ziru and Shui Duopo both froze, stopping their quarrel to enter the room together for inspection. In the guest room they saw a young man in white monk robes with black hair flowing over his shoulders, gripping an iron sword tightly, lying unconscious on the bed.
Shui Duopo was furious. “This is my cook?”
Mo Ziru coughed lightly. “This is the great gift from that promising young man you favor.” With one glance at the hair-wearing sword monk, he knew this person’s true qi had clashed, his qi sea shaken, causing unconsciousness—not life-threatening. “If Tang Lici learns you treated that child to death, and now treated this cook to death, I fear…”
“Aiya!” Shui Duopo was greatly annoyed. “Tang Lici is sinister and vicious. Huijing Mountain’s Bright Moon Pavilion is in danger.” He rushed to the sword monk’s side, took his pulse, shaking his head. “This monk is poisoned with seventeen or eighteen severe toxins… eh?” His face showed surprise. “Bee Mother Frost Dew?”
Mo Ziru also made a sound of surprise. “Wouldn’t that mean there’s also ‘Three Sleeps No Night Sky’?”
“Correct.” Shui Duopo said. “‘Bee Mother Frost Dew’ and ‘Three Sleeps No Night Sky,’ plus other toxins I’ve never seen.” The red mole at his brow center flashed slightly. “Could ‘Summoning Lamp Order’ still have disciples?”
“‘Summoning Lamp Order’ died at Great Crane Zen Master’s hands twenty-three years ago.” Mo Ziru pondered. “Such poison-spreading sects harm others and themselves. Everyone has the right to eliminate them. Even if Great Crane hadn’t come knocking, someone else would have. But if Great Crane had done things cleanly back then, today ‘Bee Mother Frost Dew’ and ‘Three Sleeps No Night Sky’ wouldn’t be harming people.”
“Aiya, Shaolin Temple monks are slow and fussy,” Shui Duopo waved his sleeve. “If you had gone to handle it back then, today wouldn’t have so many troubles. ‘Bee Mother Frost Dew’ and ‘Three Sleeps No Night Sky’ together—one breeds poison, the other cleanses souls. This monk can actually cook vegetarian food. If ‘Summoning Lamp Order’s’ Wang Lingqiu were alive today, he’d probably die of anger.”
“Wang Lingqiu’s poison arts were heaven-sent talent even within ‘Summoning Lamp Order,’ but Great Crane killed him with one sword. Back then, Shaolin’s Great Crane was no weaker than ‘Sword King Yu Qifeng.'” Mo Ziru still spoke slowly. “Pity that masters always die early.” After a pause, he slowly pointed at the white-robed sword monk on the bed. “I heard this cook is Great Crane’s nominal disciple. Do you think… it’s coincidence?”
“Ha…” Shui Duopo tilted his head. “You’ve read story books for so many years—what do you think?”
“Story books all say these ancestral grudges, with all the fighting and killing, end up in happy marriages.” Mo Ziru sighed. “‘Summoning Lamp Order’ actually has disciples. If you don’t cure this cook, he’ll slowly become the Mother of Ten Thousand Poisons, eventually consuming and fighting all worldly poisons… eh?” Mo Ziru blinked slowly. “Do… people who take Nine Heart Pills… count as poison?”
Shui Duopo paused unusually. “That depends on what Wind and Flow Shop added when making Nine Heart Pills.” He helped Puzhu sit up, opened his monk robes, and began carefully examining his entire body. “If ‘Summoning Lamp Order’s’ disciple was already entangled with Wind and Flow Shop, then ‘Nine Heart Pills’ probably aren’t Liu Yan’s work alone. He’s likely… only part of this pill.”
Mo Ziru lowered his eyelashes. “This matter is serious. You…” He hesitated. “You…”
“I don’t kill people.” Shui Duopo said. “Bright Moon Gold Doctor Shui Duopo’s healing is expensive, but not impossible.” He had examined Puzhu from head to toe. “This little monk practices well, with firm will. Though deeply poisoned, it’s not incurable. My best strategy is catching ‘Summoning Lamp Order’s’ disciple and forcing him to provide the antidote. The middle strategy is opening this little monk up, searching his organs and meridians to find the ‘Bee Mother’ planted inside.”
“What about the worst strategy?” Mo Ziru said calmly. “The worst strategy is me killing this little monk with one sword, ending it all?”
“Exactly…” Shui Duopo shook his head. “Years of close friendship, minds in sync. How about you kill this harmful thing with one sword to save all living beings from suffering? Once ‘Bee Mother Frost’ is completed, Great Crane’s nominal disciple, Shaolin Temple’s future abbot, our cook will become a monster full of cold poison, seeking poison. If ‘Nine Heart Pills’ contain the severe poison that ‘Bee Mother Frost’ loves to eat, then…” He spread his hands. “What do you think the righteous-evil battle at Qihun Mountain will become? In the Central Plains Sword Association, those who’ve taken ‘Nine Heart Pills’ aren’t fewer than in Wind and Flow Shop.”
“And if by chance… Wind and Flow Shop’s poisons are all different—for example, the ‘Nine Heart Pills’ distributed and those they take themselves aren’t the same, then…” Mo Ziru said slowly, “‘Bee Mother Frost’ becomes a controllable killing move, like Kuanglan Wuxing—though his divine skills are peerless, he’s calculated by scheming people into endless conflict.”
As the two chatted casually, someone outside walked slowly in, approaching the bedside silently.
“How is he?” the newcomer asked softly.
Mo Ziru stepped back three paces. Shui Duopo coughed. “We were just discussing…”
The newcomer wore plain white clothes—even his sleeves lacked complex dark patterns. This was just simple white clothing. The person still spoke softly: “Discussing how to kill him with one sword?”
Mo Ziru shook his head repeatedly. “How dare we… that was all this quack doctor’s idea. He couldn’t save the young friend under the tree outside, felt sorrowful, lost his mind, greatly affected. Please forgive him.” With his scholarly youth appearance and clear eyes, he spoke with genuine emotion. Anyone unfamiliar would think this was a sincere gentleman, like pine or orchid.
Tang Lici smiled slightly. Mo Ziru stepped back another pace. Shui Duopo said with a grin, “Wind and Flow Shop has ‘Summoning Lamp Order’s’ disciple. To save this cook, best find that person and make him hand over the antidote.” Then he pointed at Mo Ziru. “This person has a grudge with ‘Summoning Lamp Order’s’ Wang Lingqiu. Send him.”
Mo Ziru immediately pointed at Shui Duopo. “This person once had a nickname called ‘Sword Emperor…'”
Tang Lici raised his eyes to look at Shui Duopo. The red mole at Shui Duopo’s brow center was demonic and gorgeous. Suddenly exposed by his treacherous friend, he was also startled.