Several hours earlier.

Wang Lingze had tacitly allowed Bai Suche to become the master of the Pleasure House.

She had brought three “Ghost Peonies” and one of her trusted female disciples, who were now assisting Chai Xijin outside in battling the Central Plains Sword Society.

These people were originally her creations under poison techniques. Years ago, when Master Dahe had attacked the Wang family, she had feigned death with the wounded Wang Lingqiu and fled, hiding in Shaolin Temple. Dahe never imagined that the remnants of the “Lamp-Calling Order” were not only alive but hiding right under his nose.

Due to her life-and-death struggle with Dahe, Wang Lingze’s martial arts were completely destroyed, leaving only her poison techniques. As a woman hiding in Shaolin Temple was quite inconvenient and fraught with danger at every step. It was then that she encountered someone.

That person was Fang Hongyan, Chai Xijin’s adoptive mother. With Fang Hongyan’s assistance, Wang Lingze escaped from mortal danger and formed an alliance with Tianqing Temple, beginning the so-called “Spirit Transfer” technique. But it wasn’t Qinghui, the abbot of Tianqing Temple, who saved her from fire and water, and no one knew better than her what those “Ghost Peonies” truly were—Old Qinghui deceived himself and others, but she could never submit to her own creations. However, if she could use this to secretly replace and cultivate power, why not? Could only Old Qinghui in this world become a demon through delusions and make decisions for all under heaven? If he could do it, why couldn’t she? Everyone claims to repay kindness—what difference in status is there?

The bald donkey Dahe died too early and never got to see her day of rebellion. What a pity.

When Wang Lingze saw Bai Suche seize the position of Pleasure House master and imprison Yu Konghou in the dungeon, she was not angry but rather somewhat admiring.

This girl had her style from years past.

The principle of this world is not that anything “men” can do, “women” can also do.

But rather, things that others can do, I can do, and things that others cannot do, I can also do.

Wang Lingze, with all her martial arts destroyed, pressed her fingers against the pulse point of the half-dead Yu Konghou, leaning on her cane before Bai Suche, and said with sinister coldness, “Girl, since I have already come, with thousands of troops outside wanting to level this place, what are your plans?”

Bai Suche slowly walked to Wang Lingze’s front, showing no fear, “Master Wang commands heavy troops and possesses secret techniques. Can you not crush the remnants outside to dust and ashes and welcome back Master Liu?”

Wang Lingze was slightly stunned. She released Yu Konghou’s pulse point and let out a sharp laugh, “Are you truly devoted to Liu Yan with deep affection, wholeheartedly just to save your lover?”

“Master Wang commands heavy troops and has laid plans for years. What you scheme for is definitely not just commanding the martial world…” Bai Suche spoke without evasion, “If deep devotion can make Master Liu assist me, Bai can be both deeply devoted and love like madness.” She knelt on one knee before Wang Lingze, “We women, wanting to walk the path to heaven, how difficult it is. Master Wang holds the secret techniques of deadly poison, Master Liu holds the methods of detoxification. If you two could cooperate… not only would those remnants outside instantly crumble and kneel begging for mercy, but Master Wang’s schemes would also have three more parts chance of success.”

Wang Lingze placed her hand on her head, feeling the venomous spiders on Bai Suche stirring restlessly, all under her control. She smiled grimly, “So obedient and well-behaved. If I succeed, after a hundred years, you may replace me.”

Bai Suche smiled slightly, “Thank you, Master Wang.”

The two women looked at each other and smiled. As they spoke, rows of red-robed figures slowly emerged from the dark underground passage. These people did not speak but stood quietly behind Wang Lingze and Yu Konghou. These were Wang Lingze’s own guards, all under the secret technique of the “Lamp-Calling Order,” obeying only her commands. Behind these red-robed figures, the red-robed female attendants that Bai Suche usually commanded also slowly emerged, lining up behind the red-robed figures.

Bai Suche lowered her head, not looking at them, her face expressionless.

Wang Lingze glanced at her, the sword scar on her face twitching once, “You needn’t be surprised. These people are under the ‘Soul-Devouring Incense.’ Besides obeying your ‘Soul-Devouring’ command, they obey my ‘Soul-Consuming’ command even more.” She spoke slowly, “After all, it’s my Wang family’s ancestral secret technique.”

The Pleasure House could command so many beautiful young women and drive so many martial arts masters not only through the poison of the Nine Heart Pills but also with the secret assistance of “Soul-Devouring Incense” that could manipulate people’s minds. Bai Suche controlled the “Soul-Devouring Incense,” so she could command the red and white female attendants. Today, as soon as Wang Lingze arrived, these people no longer obeyed her.

Bai Suche nodded. She didn’t ask about those white-robed female attendants who still retained their sanity. Those people weren’t poisoned as deeply as the red-robed female attendants, but their absence now might not be a good thing.

“I heard that under Yu Konghou, there are several with strong martial arts who learned a few supreme skills from the ‘Rebirth Manual,'” Wang Lingze said. “There are women who can practice the supremely fierce ‘Rolling Snow’ and others who can practice the sinister and vicious ‘Jade Bone.’ These people are truly exceptional talents. I wonder which ones they are?”

Bai Suche pointed to several among the red-robed female attendants, “This is Lin Rusong, this is Shao Yuanbai, this is Sha Tangzhou… and also…” She spoke calmly, “Me.”

Wang Lingze clicked her tongue in wonder. These girls were truly martial arts prodigies. Unfortunately, under the Nine Heart Pills and Soul-Devouring Incense, even with peerless talent, they were merely making wedding dresses for others.

Those who recklessly practiced the “Rebirth Manual” would devour and kill, forget their souls, go mad and die.

Perhaps they would die even faster than those who fell under her Soul-Devouring technique.

“Outside, the Central Plains Sword Society is entangled in battle with Chai Xijin’s sound attacks,” Wang Lingze said with sinister coldness. “You take these girls through the secret passage and first kill Wanyu Yuedan and Little Red.” She turned around, “I will personally bring Liu—”

With a muffled “thud,” Wang Lingze had only spoken halfway when a blade silently inserted from behind her. She only felt heat in her lower back, followed by sharp pain. The blade twisted in her flesh and blood, then flew out in reverse, falling into Bai Suche’s hands.

“One Ring Crossing Moon.”

Bai Suche held that bloody white knife, still kneeling on one knee, looking at her expressionlessly.

Wang Lingze pressed the wound on her lower back. For an instant, disbelief, shock, suspicion, rage, and even absurd ridiculousness… various expressions crossed her face. She stepped back, and Bai Suche slowly stood up.

The masked red-robed figures and red-robed female attendants around them stirred in commotion, changing formation to surround the two completely. Bai Suche could hear the breathing of the surrounding crowd change from barely audible to the excited panting of beasts before combat.

She threw down the bloody “One Ring Crossing Moon” and stood with her sleeves fluttering.

“You said—’You dream of ascending to heaven’!” Blood flowed from Wang Lingze’s lower back wound, but a black strange insect slowly poked its head out from the wound. With the appearance of this insect, the blood flow slowed. It wagged its head and tail in the wound, slowly spitting out white threads to bind Wang Lingze’s wound together. Wang Lingze looked at Bai Suche, “You said ‘We women, wanting to accomplish heavenly deeds, how difficult it is.’ Little girl! I am sixty-three this year. In my lifetime, I have only heard you speak such words. I took you for promising material! Yet you betray your benefactor—you’re actually a spy for those waste outside!”

Bai Suche smiled faintly.

“Stubborn and unrepentant, what a pity! What a pity!” Wang Lingze struck her cane, and the red-robed figures swarmed forward. From her cane, a cloud of dust dispersed, and various strange insects crawled from her body, surrounding Bai Suche completely.

In an instant, red shadows surged, strong winds shot in all directions, and Bai Suche was pounced upon and knocked to the ground by several people. Even if she had mastered some supreme skill from the “Rebirth Manual,” facing several or even dozens attacking together, she was powerless.

Wang Lingze’s brow twitched—something’s wrong!

Bai Suche had worked painstakingly to reach today. If she didn’t have complete confidence, why would she suddenly attack herself? The busy venomous insect at her wound was connected to her mind. Suddenly it stopped spinning silk and weaving nets for the wound, about to burrow back deep into her flesh.

At this very moment, a hand moved slightly. Just as the insect was about to return but hadn’t yet, it dug the creature from Wang Lingze’s wound.

It moved too naturally, the distance was too close, and the hand’s owner was too unlike a living person.

With a “wah” sound, Wang Lingze spat out a large mouthful of blood and collapsed to the ground. Bai Suche’s knife hadn’t severely injured Wang Lingze, but this hand digging away the venomous insect made Wang Lingze spray blood wildly and suddenly age ten years.

This venomous insect was the key to Wang Lingze’s very life!

She glared with wide eyes at the person who had dug away her venomous insect—that person still looked like a skeleton, but immediately stuffed the insect into their mouth and swallowed it. Wang Lingze shouted fiercely, “Yu Konghou! You—”

Yu Konghou, covered all over with spider webs as if wearing layers of web garments, still had empty eyes, as if dying but not dead, but the corners of his mouth had already slightly curved up, revealing a trace of a smile.

“Aren’t you afraid—” Wang Lingze grasped dozens of poison techniques for manipulating hearts, but having lost the Insect King, when she activated the venomous spider poison, the venomous spiders on Yu Konghou and Bai Suche responded, but both remained unmoved. She activated the “Soul-Devouring” poison to command the red-robed figures to attack Yu Konghou, but suddenly felt that the red-robed figures she could sense seemed much fewer.

Suddenly turning back—she saw that where Bai Suche had fallen, dust seemed to rise and flames ignite.

With a tremendous roar, flames shot skyward. Wang Lingze even saw countless dense threads around being burned to nothing by the fire, flowing with extremely brilliant light—those were the spider silks everywhere in the great hall. The red-robed figures that pounced on Bai Suche were ignited together with her. The flames were terrifyingly fierce, instantly becoming fire dragons sweeping in all directions along the ground. With a thunderous second blast—the palace doors here closed, iron gates dropped, and the sound of gates falling rang continuously outside. This place had now become a dead end!

Yu Konghou had just swallowed the Insect King and was equally pale with shock! This vile servant Bai Suche had actually prepared this beforehand, wanting to burn everything in the Pleasure House, including herself, to death in this great hall!

This woman’s cruelty could reach such extremes!

Wang Lingze had lost her martial arts and the Insect King, was severely wounded, and her poison creatures and venomous insects had nowhere to deploy in this flaming pit. She saw several staggering, bloody fire-people walking through the flames and black smoke. Those people extended their burned, misshapen hands, grabbed her, and dragged her into the most intense and vigorous fire.

Wang Lingze was terrified out of her wits. Her face was dragged on the ground, scraped by the scorching surface, screaming miserably all the way.

In the raging flames, Bai Suche, covered in fire, turned sideways and extended her charred hand toward Wang Lingze.

She pulled her into the fire.

Embraced her.

Burned to ashes.

In this world, besides chaotic survival.

There is also mutual destruction.

Bai is not a spy for the righteous Central Plains sects.

It’s just… feeling unwilling, perpetually unconvinced, unable to submit, unable to accept fate.

People like “Pine Sword” Lin Rusong, “Mountain Gazer” Shao Yuanbai, “Zither Listener” Sha Tangzhou… such people shouldn’t have lived like this. Even children like Qingyan and Guan’er, if not for the Pleasure House’s vicious teachings, they might not have gone astray and died unnaturally.

So since Bai was fortunate enough to retain her sanity, she swore to heaven that even if it meant sacrificing her liver and gallbladder, going through fire and water, she would seek justice for everyone.

Even if Wang Lingze controlled countless venomous insects and could command thousands of troops, even if her thoughts were treacherous with countless schemes, so what?

Bai had no desire to live, so naturally she didn’t fear death.

If I don’t fear death, how can death frighten me?