Beneath the vast sea of clouds, winds and storms surged. On this night of howling winds, the gales blew so fiercely that mountain peaks and rocks cracked, pine trees clinging to the cliffs swayed precariously, like a hell devoid of human presence.
A black shadow broke through the clouds and plummeted down, instantly falling dozens of zhang. Behind it, a gray shadow accelerated downward, and when the black shadow was still dozens of zhang from the ground, grabbed hold of it. The two connected, their falling momentum intensifying. At this moment, there was a loud “crack” from the gray shadow’s waist, and two red sashes shot skyward, instantly extending twenty to thirty zhang in length and over three feet in width, suddenly appearing like a pair of bright red wings. With the force of these sashes and the power of the howling wind, the two men’s rapid descent slowed. Just as they were about to hit the ground, the gray-robed man struck out with his palm, splitting the air. The pristine white snow suddenly exploded with a thunderous sound, carved with a bowl-sized depression, and instantly the ice layer burst apart, cracking in spider web-like patterns. With the combined force of the sashes, fierce wind, and palm strike, both men landed safely. The gray-robed man, affected by the rebound force from the ice layer, felt his chest qi surge violently. Suddenly another surge of true force penetrated his body, shaking his internal organs. The corner of his lips curved slightly, “You—”
The black-robed man rescued by the gray-robed figure had long since had his black face veil blown away by the wind, but the black cloth covering his head remained, concealing most of his face—this was Liu Yan. He could be heard laughing in a low voice, “Hahahahahaha… hahahaha… Just as I said before, you’re too sentimental… Why would someone so sentimental drive away brothers and kill friends? I truly cannot understand, but with your methods, you’ll never be able to kill me, hahahaha…” The black-robed man covered his face with his sleeve and strode away, leaving almost no traces in the snow.
“Ugh…” Tang Lici pressed his hand to his chest and abdomen, kneeling in the snow. Blood spilled from the corner of his lips, making his half-smiling mouth even more red and vivid. “Haha, defeated by my hand at the mountain peak, you jump off the cliff to commit suicide… I risk my life to save you… and you give me a palm strike… A’Yan, you… you truly surpass your teacher… and…” Speaking in a low voice to this point, he suddenly coughed up a mouthful of blood with an “ugh” sound, covering his lips with his hand. Between his fingers and on the snow were bloodstains, just like that day when he personally dug out his dear friend’s broken heart and buried it in his own abdomen.
Now… Fang Zhou rests in peace… what meaning was there in everything he had done with such painstaking effort?
And the consequences… how should they be dealt with?
Tang Lici knelt in the snow, his silver hair flying in the fierce wind and blizzard, blood staining half his body, the bright red sash around his waist trailing on the ground, its ends fluttering in the wind like banners, resembling a statue of crimson and white ice—both beautiful and wildly mysterious.
At the edge of the cracked ice layer, someone made a light “tap” sound, stepping onto this snow field that had been devastated by the storm. Seeing the bright red sash extending twenty to thirty zhang, they softly exclaimed “Ah” and said, “Young Master Tang…”
Tang Lici raised his head and saw through the swirling wind and snow a person in dark fur robes walking slowly toward him, coming to his side and crouching down, “What happened to you?” The moonlight was dim, and the snow reflected the moonlight, making it brighter than other places. The newcomer had proper features and clear, handsome looks with a slight hint of weariness—no more than twenty years old, a young woman in fur robes with her hair pinned up, wearing no jewelry.
“A’Shui…” Tang Lici’s lips curved slightly, revealing an elegant smile like his usual manner, “I trust you’ve been well.”
The fur-robed woman’s gaze moved, looking at the bright red sash tied around his waist and the fresh blood on his body and the ground, “He… he fell off the cliff, and you saved him?”
Tang Lici smiled, “Mm.”
“And after you saved him, he injured you?” the fur-robed woman asked gently, the weariness in her eyes deepening by three degrees, “Sigh…”
“Mm, Miss A’Shui…” Tang Lici stood up from the ice and snow. Though he had fallen into the abyss and suffered serious injuries, Tang Lici’s demeanor remained graceful in every gesture, showing no signs of stumbling or struggling. A bright pearl stained with blood was still a bright pearl. “The ice and snow are cold beyond measure. Since he has safely returned, please return as well, miss. Otherwise, if you catch cold, wouldn’t that be my fault?” He finished speaking with a smile, his expression beaming.
The fur-robed woman nodded but stood without leaving, “My child, he… has he been well recently?”
“Very well.” Tang Lici’s smile remained, without the slightest hint of strain, “Miss, following by his side, he has a strange temperament—please be careful.”
“He—” the fur-robed woman said slowly, “he goes his own way, acting recklessly. Once his heart is set on something, even if it means traveling a thousand li at night or crossing a hundred rivers, he must do it. However…” she looked at the blood stains covering Tang Lici’s body, “he’s not particularly cruel, just willful and arrogant. Perhaps he’s suffered too great a harm… If he truly intended to kill you with this palm strike, you would already be dead. It’s just that perhaps even he himself doesn’t understand…”
“I understand.” Tang Lici said gently, “Miss A’Shui, please rest assured and return. I will definitely resolve the matter of the Romantic Shop’s Crimson Ghost Nine Heart Pills. Please don’t mention meeting me here tonight.”
The fur-robed woman smiled faintly, her expression pure and clear, “A humble person, a drifting soul—what kind of person is Young Master Tang that you need not be so polite to me. The great kindness of entrusting the orphan to you, A’Shui will never forget for all eternity.” She bowed, then said in a low voice: “Young Master Tang bears heavy responsibilities and suffers greatly. Please take care of yourself.”
Tang Lici smiled slightly, about to speak but ultimately didn’t, watching as the fur-robed woman slowly walked away.
She was Fengfeng’s mother, Liu Yan’s maidservant, and also the woman Liu Yan kept in his heart—someone he didn’t want to love yet couldn’t help loving, a good person.
Looking up at the snow peak hundreds of zhang above, he pressed his hand between his chest and abdomen, his brow slightly furrowed. Then he shook both sleeves, and the bright red sash wrapped around his waist suddenly returned, grasped in his hand—no more than a handful. This bright red sash was the life’s work of the most renowned Master Pu Juan from Luoyang’s Lotus Convent, woven from silk spun by a type of crimson small insect. This silk was a hundred times finer than silkworm silk, far stronger and more resilient, impervious to blades, swords, water, and fire—a rare treasure indeed. However, precisely because this material was difficult to cut with blades and swords, it couldn’t be tailored into clothing. From the time it was woven until now, it remained a piece of fabric more than three feet wide and forty to fifty zhang long, worth a fortune. Master Pu Juan had woven countless items in her lifetime but treasured this one above all others, refusing to sell it. Several years ago, Tang Lici became acquainted with her through circumstances, and when Master Pu Juan passed away peacefully, she gave this item to him. For this snow mountain journey, Tang Lici had thought carefully and anticipated the danger of falling off cliffs, so he had brought it with him early on. After putting away the red silk ribbon, he leaped up and ascended the snow mountain again. Despite his severe injuries, his movements still resembled those of an eagle or falcon, and in moments he had climbed dozens of zhang high.
Chi Yun climbed down the rock face—though extremely dangerous, he relied on his martial arts to turn danger into safety. He slipped several times during the process but was fortunate enough to avoid injury due to his great luck. When he finally reached the mountain base, dawn was breaking. He searched the mountain bottom thoroughly but found no trace of Tang Lici. He only saw cracked snow and bloodstains everywhere. The damned two had vanished without a trace—not just no bodies, but not even a scrap of clothing left behind. Unable to find anyone, he noticed shallow footprints in the blood-stained snow that seemed to belong to a woman. Puzzled, he followed the tracks.
Shortly after Chi Yun left, Wanyu Yuedan and Zhong Chunji arrived at the base of the peak. After circling Mao Ya Peak once, they didn’t find this blood-stained ice field. After several circles, Wanyu Yuedan sighed softly, “Not finding anyone means those who fell from the cliff may not necessarily be in trouble. This place is cold—let’s return.” Zhong Chunji looked around in all directions, “If they fell down and got caught on the mountain wall, wouldn’t they also… also…” Wanyu Yuedan said gently, “Mao Ya Peak is steep with few slopes—that’s mostly unlikely.” Zhong Chunji said in a low voice, “Then… what if he was smashed to… smashed to pieces, wouldn’t we also be unable to find…” Wanyu Yuedan smiled, “Miss Zhong, please don’t let your heart become confused. Wanyu Yuedan believes that with Tang Lici’s abilities, he would never die from falling off a cliff.” When he spoke the words “don’t let your heart become confused,” Zhong Chunji’s cheeks flushed. Suddenly, not knowing what to say, she stared blankly at Wanyu Yuedan. This person’s features were still so delicate and elegant, his demeanor still so composed. If it had been him who fell from the cliff, what would she have done?
“What should we do now?” Zhong Chunji asked softly, “We successfully subdued sixty-three people from the Romantic Shop, but he didn’t say what to do after subduing them.” Wanyu Yuedan said, “Now… return to the palace and say those two are fine, then sit quietly and wait for him to return.”