By the time the conversation reached this point, Bi Lianyi had already retreated to the courtyard entrance. The Drifting Brow Garden had sunk underground, and what was originally a courtyard had become a vast cavern. Bronze oil lamps were lit on the cavern walls, most of their lamp holders already turned green. These mechanisms had been set up for many years without ever being used, and their owners had long since died.

Although Bi Lianyi had retreated to the courtyard entrance, Yu Konghou didn’t regard a completely martial-arts-disabled Bi Lianyi as any threat. “Ten Thousand Li Peach Blossoms” was still wrapped around Bi Lianyi. With a shake of his hand and a chiming tremor, he pulled Bi Lianyi up into the air and threw him at Wang Lingqiu’s face.

Wang Lingqiu was startled and frantically caught Bi Lianyi.

“Ten Thousand Li Peach Blossoms” retracted again. Yu Konghou paid no more attention to the two and walked toward his sleeping quarters.

Bi Lianyi freed himself from the silver silk chains of “Ten Thousand Li Peach Blossoms” and exchanged several moves with Wang Lingqiu before being subdued when Wang Lingqiu struck his pressure points. Bai Suche stood to the side, head lowered, looking at the bloody marks in her palm, her face pale and saying nothing.

After a moment, Wang Lingqiu had already taken Bi Lianyi away. In the entire courtyard with dim light and ghostly fires flickering all around, only Bai Suche still stood there.

She stood with her head lowered for a long time, as if lost in spirit.

After another long while, she put away the broken precept blade and walked out listlessly.

As she passed through the circular doorway, her sleeve drooped and she flashed past the door’s edge.

Wang Lingqiu brought Bi Lianyi back to his own residence. Bi Lianyi had been injured by Yu Konghou’s “Ten Thousand Li Peach Blossoms” and had his pressure points struck by Wang Lingqiu. The wound on his chest had burst open and blood flowed continuously—he was already barely breathing. Wang Lingqiu held up an oil lamp, shining it on his face, his long eyebrows drooping, not knowing what he was thinking.

Bi Lianyi closed his eyes and awaited death. Wang Lingqiu shone the light on him for a while, then suddenly spoke: “‘Northern Cold Drink’ has no antidote and fights ‘Bee Mother Congealing Frost’ to the death. Do you want to live or die?”

Bi Lianyi didn’t answer and remained motionless.

“I can refine you into a poison pill.” Wang Lingqiu said slowly. “The poison of ‘Northern Cold Drink,’ even if you were burned to ash, could not be removed. If Yu Konghou ate this poison pill made from you… then his martial arts would be completely ruined, and dying at the hands of the mad Puzhu would not be impossible. Are you willing to gamble?”

Bi Lianyi opened his eyes and let out a cold laugh. “To refine me into a poison pill, does the pill need to be willing?”

Wang Lingqiu smiled slightly, appearing quite gentle. “If you’re unwilling, this old monk can send you out and refine another poison pill instead.”

Bi Lianyi furrowed his brow. He finally looked at this harmful bald old man.

Wang Lingqiu held the oil lamp, and in the dim lamplight, his expression was unclear and indistinct.

“Who exactly are you?” Bi Lianyi asked flatly.

“An enemy of Shaolin Temple.” Wang Lingqiu answered. “This old monk repays kindness with kindness and revenge with revenge, taking not a cent more nor returning a hair less.” His face was peaceful and benevolent. “Biluo Palace has no grievance or enmity with me—killing you would serve no purpose. Wanyu Yuedan is meticulous and has the ambition of a wolf. I can spare your life and send a favor to him, but you need to deliver a message for me.”

Bi Lianyi didn’t answer, but was quite surprised in his heart.

This strange poison-wielding old man wasn’t of the same mind as Yu Konghou. Who exactly was this person?

“You tell him—what Biluo Palace seeks can be conspired with the Six Princes.” Wang Lingqiu spoke slowly. “As for Yu Konghou, he fell into Tang Lici’s trap and transferred most of his power to Kuanglan Wuxing. He’s now half a cripple. To kill Yu Konghou, now is the best opportunity. And Kuanglan Wuxing’s power has surged dramatically, his sanity has collapsed and he’s already mad. He’s been poisoned with String-Drawing Life-Seizing for a long time—to kill or flay him is just a matter of Young Master Tang’s word.” Wang Lingqiu smiled. “But Yu Konghou can’t bear to let him die, and Young Master Tang probably can’t bear to let him die either. After all, how many people in this world can truly master the ‘Gaya Bodhi Blue Rebirth Manual’? Back then, Zhao Shangxuan’s ‘Rolling Snow’ and Bai Nanzhu’s ‘Jade Bones’ were merely single chapters of the ‘Gaya Bodhi Blue Rebirth Manual.’ Yu Konghou’s ‘Dream of Yellow Millet’ is half a broken scroll. In this world, is Young Master Tang the only one who can obtain the complete ‘Rebirth Manual’? But has Young Master Tang truly mastered it? The person in this world who has truly mastered the ‘Gaya Bodhi Blue Rebirth Manual’… is it Kuanglan Wuxing?” This strange old man with bald head and long eyebrows said slowly, “And after mastering this technique, what wondrous effects it might have—this old monk is also very curious. What if… some miraculous effect is witnessed? Young Master Tang would be guilty of possessing a treasure, his guilt multiplied… how delightful and congratulatory.”

Bi Lianyi’s heart was stirred by tremendous waves. This old man’s schemes were vast—he was definitely no ordinary person.

Wang Lingqiu saw that although his expression changed, his demeanor remained unshocked, and gained some appreciation. “This old monk will send you out first…”

Before he finished speaking, a muffled震響 was heard from not far away. Crackling sounds of rupture came one after another, as if some giant thing was moving through the depths of the earth. Before Wang Lingqiu could finish his sentence, the ground in the room cracked open, sand and gravel fell from overhead, dust flew, and the four walls shook. It was as if an earth dragon was turning over, about to collapse the Drifting Brow Garden.

In Bai Suche’s boudoir in the distance.

Someone stood in her almost empty room, hands behind their back, contemplating a sword on the wall.

Bai Suche’s expression changed slightly.

The person looking at the sword with hands behind their back had white clothes and gray hair, with no pretense whatsoever—it was Tang Lici.

The sword on the wall was unremarkable, just a blue steel sword with two small characters carved on the hilt: “Like Pine.”

“A good sword.” Tang Lici didn’t turn around, his tone very light. “Hanging it here, are you certain Yu Konghou won’t come here to see you?”

“No one in this world… should come here to see me.” Bai Suche said flatly.

“Including me?” Tang Lici turned around. “Seeing me, you’re not pleased?”

Bai Suche said, “You’ve come to kill someone—what’s there to be pleased or not pleased about?” After a slight pause, she had already understood. “You heard what I said to Young Master Yu and came here specifically to see me?”

Tang Lici smiled slightly. Even though he wasn’t wearing fine clothes today, he still had the color of spring flowers. “I heard you have feelings for me?”

Bai Suche said flatly, “So what if I do?”

She actually didn’t deny it, then continued, “I indeed stole Chi Yun’s corpse and sank it in the cold pool at Cold Jade Peak.”