As Cai Zhao had always believed since childhood, Ning Xiaofeng was the luckiest person in the world.
Two days later, she arrived at Mount Jiuli with Cai Han and his mother. To prevent unnecessary worry, her elder brother, Master Juechan, had kept her husband’s disappearance a secret. She only knew that the Qingque Sect had been attacked, but her daughter was safe. Upon arrival, she saw her husband, who had recovered about 40-50% of his strength, and only then learned of the heart-stopping events of the past half month. Throughout this ordeal, she had never experienced a single day of the same anxiety and worry as her daughter.
Standing outside the medicine hut, Cai Zhao watched her mother embrace her father, weeping bitterly. She couldn’t help but sigh, “Actually, Elder Master Yin was mistaken. Women don’t necessarily need to train hard to be strong. Look at my mother – everyone around her protects and cherishes her, unwilling to let her suffer even the slightest hardship. If you’re not capable enough, people won’t expect you to bear responsibilities. When the sky falls, let the tall ones hold it up… Right, Senior Sister Lingbo?”
Qi Lingbo snorted heavily and left haughtily, her nose in the air.
Upon returning this time, Qi Lingbo had changed the most, surprisingly no longer eager to argue with Cai Zhao. When the two women with a history of animosity met, Qi Lingbo either looked at Cai Zhao with a complex expression or walked away proudly without a word.
“What’s wrong with Senior Sister? Her temper has improved so much,” Cai Zhao marveled. She had just faced death on the snowy mountain and now saw things differently, but Qi Lingbo had been safely by Su Lianfu’s side. How had she changed as well?
“You don’t know,” Fan Xingjia lowered his voice. “After you stubbornly left the mountain that day, Junior Sister had a big argument with the Master’s wife. Once, when I went to the Twin Lotus Pond Palace to deliver calming pills, I overheard Lingbo complaining to the Master’s wife. She said it was all the Master’s wife’s fault for never urging her to train hard since childhood, only encouraging her to be lazy and seek comfort.”
Cai Zhao was astonished. “Senior Sister said such things?”
“Indeed,” Fan Xingjia, finally finding someone to share gossip with, spoke animatedly. “Junior Sister Lingbo said that not only did the Master’s wife fail to encourage her to improve and practice, but she also always told stories about the unfortunate fates of skilled female martial artists… uh…” He hesitated.
Cai Zhao shrugged it off. “You can just say my aunt’s name. I know about Su Lianfu.”
Fan Xingjia smiled awkwardly. “Anyway, that’s what she said. Now, Junior Sister Lingbo doesn’t even like to follow the Master’s wife’s instructions.” He changed the subject, “Chaochao, have you seen Senior Brother? He’s finally speaking today.”
Cai Zhao sighed, “Ah Senior Brother was unfortunate. He was under the influence of the Chaos Soul Needle for too long. His cultivation was already low, and when he woke up, he was confused and couldn’t speak properly.”
Though they had rescued him, the interrogation was far from over. Sect Leader Song tirelessly continued to shine. Through questioning the captured Dark and Light Hands of the Demonic Sect, they finally pieced together the whole story.
It all began with Nie Zhe. After being the acting leader of the Demonic Sect for ten years, he suddenly decided six months ago to remove the word ‘acting’ and become the official sect leader.
Song Shijun laughed upon hearing this: “Everyone knows Nie Zhe’s capabilities. Nie Hengcheng must be thoroughly embarrassed to have such a nephew. Years ago at the Nine Curves Valley treasure hunt, if it weren’t for Lu Shinan’s horse coming to his rescue in time, I would have torn him apart alive.”
Zhou Zhizhen pondered, “It’s not unprecedented for someone with low cultivation to become the sect leader of the Demonic Sect. It’s said that the eighth-generation leader was sickly from childhood, but he was cunning and full of schemes. His subordinates were fiercely loyal, and he gave our Six Northern Sects quite a hard time in his years, earning the title of a formidable opponent.”
Song Shijun scoffed, “You’ve dealt with Nie Zhe before. Do you think he’s cunning or full of schemes?”
“He might not be, but there must be someone formidable behind him, advising him,” Zhou Zhizhen replied.
Song Shijun fell silent.
As a sect leader for ten years, he could see the peculiarities in this whole affair.
“This matter is strange in every aspect, inexplicably so,” he hesitated. “This series of actions by the Demonic Sect… it always makes me feel that something doesn’t add up, as if… as if…”
Cai Zhao, remembering Mu Qingyan’s deduction, couldn’t help but interject, “As if the plans were brilliantly conceived, but poorly executed.”
Zhou Zhizhen clapped his hands in agreement, “Chaochao, you’ve hit the nail on the head. That’s exactly it.”
According to the confessions of the captured members, they learned that the Demonic Sect had accidentally captured a remnant of the Thousand Faces Sect a year ago. This prompted Nie Zhe (or whoever was behind him) to devise the entire plan.
Taking advantage of the 200th death anniversary of the Northern Chen Ancestor, they planned to capture all Six Northern Sects in one fell swoop, or at least capture the sect leaders. Once Nie Zhe could throw Qi Yunke and the other leaders before the Demonic Sect members, who would question his right to become the official leader?
The key to this plan was chaos – first to disrupt and weaken the sects, causing panic, and then to replace key figures amidst the confusion.
However, they didn’t anticipate that Luo Yuanrong would cause a disturbance at the memorial ceremony, leading to its hasty conclusion. As a result, the various sects, each with their concerns, chose different routes home. In the end, only a small portion of Nie Zhe’s hidden forces achieved their goals.
Nevertheless, the plan proceeded as originally set.
The first to be replaced was Zeng Lou.
As the person in charge of sect affairs, his frequent comings and goings made him the easiest target. Then, with the help of the fake Zeng Lou and bribed outer sect managers, they gradually smuggled Demonic Sect members into Qingque Town.
According to the original plan, Qi Yunke and Song Yuzhi should have been seriously injured in Wu Gang and Wu Xiong’s sneak attack, making it easy to replace them and subsequently replace Song Shijun, who would rush back worried about his son. However, due to Cai Zhao’s interference, the former was only lightly injured, and the latter, though severely wounded, remained clear-headed and immediately summoned Guangtian Gate guards to protect him.
This forced them to risk using the Chaos Soul Needle. The fake Zeng Lou brought the masked Qiu Jie into the sect, and it took two of them to subdue the bedridden Qi Yunke before replacing him.
They managed to stay undetected for two days, but Cai Pingchun, who according to the original plan should have returned to Luoying Valley, arrived in Qingque Town and was scheduled to meet Qi Yunke the next day. To avoid being discovered by Cai Pingchun, the fake Zeng Lou used the same trick that night, capturing Cai Pingchun with the Chaos Soul Needle.
Little did they know, this action would provoke Cai Zhao – an element that was never part of the original plan.
Before Qiu Jie could use the pretext of “discussing how to counterattack the Demonic Sect’s ambush on the righteous path during their return journey” to recall the sect leaders, Cai Zhao killed the fake Zeng Lou in front of everyone, completely exposing the body-switching technique.
By this point, the original plan had already fallen apart, and everyone began to suspect whether those around them had been replaced.
“Chaochao’s quick thinking, bravery, and intelligence will surely lead her to great achievements in the future,” Zhou Zhizhen said, both proud and wistful. “I remember the year when Pingchu hid your snacks, and you cried with your little face all red. It seems like it was just yesterday, but now you can shoulder such responsibilities on your own. Ah if your aunt knew from the afterlife, she would be so proud.”
Song Shijun couldn’t help but add, “Yuzhi is also remarkable. Despite his unhealed severe injuries, he held himself together to stabilize the situation. Brother Yunke and Xiaochun’s safe return is primarily thanks to him!”
“Father,” Song Yuzhi frowned.
Cai Zhao, however, strongly agreed with this sentiment. “Sect Leader Song is right. The happy ending we have now is largely due to Third Senior Brother’s quick thinking and insistence that Uncle Li surround Muweixgong Palace, allowing entry but no exit.”
“I’m glad you understand,” Song Shijun said proudly.
As Zhou Zhizhen had predicted earlier, after sending out several groups and suffering significant losses, Nie Zhe was running short of available forces. The first group sent to overthrow the Qingque Sect was all he had left, and they were led by the fake Zeng Lou to Wanshui Qianshan Cliff, waiting for the sect leaders to arrive. Even if they couldn’t replace them, they planned to take advantage of the confusion to massacre everyone, as they had done to Qingfeng Observatory years ago, establishing Nie Zhe’s authority and striking fear into the world.
However, they hadn’t anticipated that within two days of Cai Pingchun’s capture, Cai Zhao would violently rebel. Subsequently, Song Yuzhi and Li Wenxun, under the pretext of “protecting the sect leader,” trapped them in Muwei Palace, preventing anyone from entering or leaving.
As a result, they indeed had extra hands to escort Qi and Cai back to the Demonic Sect. However, due to the hasty turn of events, they didn’t even have time to deal with the two sect leaders before ascending Mount Jiuli. Meanwhile, the hidden scouts at the coffin shop, bound by earlier orders to keep the captives alive, never dared to harm the two sect leaders and Zeng Lou on their initiative.
Cai Zhao and Fan Xingjia marveled at the luck of their master and Cai Pingchun before deciding to deliver medicine to Qi Yunke together. Unexpectedly, as they reached the small garden in Muwei Palace’s inner courtyard, they overheard Yin Sulian and her daughter arguing behind a rockery.
“…I won’t go, I won’t!” It was Qi Lingbo’s voice. “You were the one who initially told me Third Senior Brother’s martial arts were completely ruined and that I should make other plans. Now that you see Uncle has arrived and Third Senior Brother is gradually recovering, you want me to eagerly curry favor with him. Is Third Senior Brother a fool that you can manipulate at will, getting close when you want and distancing when you don’t?”
“Child, why are you being so stubborn with me? I’m doing this all for you!” Yin Sulian said urgently. “If Yuzhi’s skills were completely ruined, at best he’d be a rich idler in Guangtian Gate. What would be the point of marrying him? What your aunt and I initially agreed upon, Yuzhi is well aware of. There’s no deception involved!”
“I still won’t go!” Qi Lingbo cried. “Third Senior Brother has never liked me since childhood. No matter how nice I am to him, he always has a cold face. This time he was severely injured, and I only visited him twice. Now you want me to act as if nothing happened and get close to him again. I don’t have such thick skin!”
Yin Sulian was shocked and angry. “You foolish girl! Our Yin family has been established in the sect for generations. Do you want to watch the position of sect leader’s wife fall into someone else’s hands?”
“Years ago, Mother first got engaged to that Qiu fellow, then married Father. Now you’re forcing me to fawn over Third Senior Brother. It’s all because our martial arts are mediocre, and we can only maintain power through our husbands. If you and Aunt had Cai Pingchu’s skills, if I had Cai Zhao’s abilities now, we could inherit the sect leader position ourselves. Why would we need to rely on others?”
Yin Sulian scolded, “What nonsense are you spouting? How dare you criticize your elders!”
Qi Lingbo burst into tears. “It’s all Grandfather’s fault! Everyone says he loves his daughters, but deep down he looks down on women. He never even considered that a woman could be a sect leader! It wasn’t until he met Cai Pingchu that he realized women could also possess world-shaking skills. Mother and Aunt saw through Grandfather’s prejudice and became resentful, always at odds with the Cai family. They even used Cai Pingchu’s misfortune to warn me, making me follow the same path as you.”
“But if I could live a glorious life like Cai Pingchu, even if it meant living a shorter life, it would be worth it!”
Enraged, Yin Sulian slapped her daughter across the face.
Qi Lingbo, holding her cheek, ran away crying.
Cai Zhao and Fan Xingjia remained motionless behind the rockery.
Yin Sulian stood still for a long time before finally sighing and walking away.
Fan Xingjia, watching her retreating figure, said softly, “Elder Master Yin himself was exceptionally talented. How could his two daughters’ aptitudes be poor? It’s just that because of Elder Master Yin’s weak constitution, both childbirths were difficult, causing Qinglian and Sulian to be born weak and sickly. I think Elder Master Yin doesn’t look down on women; he’s just worried about his daughters and doesn’t want them to suffer.”
Cai Zhao retorted, “Isn’t that stating the obvious? Whether you have poor aptitude and can’t learn advanced martial arts, or you have good aptitude but are too sickly to practice, what’s the difference? By that logic, Aunt Qinglian and Aunt Sulian have even more reason to hate my aunt — they were born weak, while my aunt was robust and energetic. Isn’t that more infuriating?”
“At least try to sympathize with the Master’s wife a little,” Fan Xingjia said with a wry smile.
“I won’t,” Cai Zhao said bluntly. “They only see the thief eating meat, not getting beaten. My aunt may have been talented, but her skills didn’t fall from the sky. She earned them through hard work and suffering. From my childhood to now, unless I was too sick to get out of bed, my aunt never let me slack off for a day, even if it was raining knives. I can only imagine how much harder she pushed herself. Senior Sister Lingbo talks a good game now, but if she had to endure that hardship, I wonder how long she’d last.”
Cai Zhao remembered when she first started practicing internal martial arts. To open the eight extraordinary meridians, sixty-four minor acupoints ached day and night. She had to maintain focus and guide her internal energy through her meridians to avoid going berserk. At the time, she bit her lips until they bled, her body drenched in cold sweat, unable to sleep. Her aunt would rather stay up all night holding her than let her rest for a moment.
After that ordeal, Cai Zhao understood her aunt’s intentions even more.
Upon returning this time, she noticed the change in everyone’s attitude towards her. It wasn’t about flattery or disdain; rather, she was no longer just a “child” but someone who could participate in important discussions.
The martial arts world isn’t a utopia, but a place where the strong prey on the weak and ability speaks louder than words. Qingfeng Observatory was once renowned, but after being massacred by Duan Jiuxiu, most people like Yin Dai only “considered the bigger picture and made long-term plans.” Besides Cai Pingchu, who else stood up for them?
Family background might earn you a second glance, but ultimately, you have to establish yourself.
“Ah Junior Sister Lingbo spoke rashly. Not just among women, but even among men, how many in the world are like Lady Cai? Most people are ordinary. Living an ordinary life with self-awareness isn’t bad. The problem with the Master’s wife and Junior Sister is…”
Fan Xingjia didn’t finish, but Cai Zhao understood his meaning.
The Yin sisters’ issue wasn’t their lack of martial arts skills, but their desire to maintain a status and power inconsistent with their abilities. At least Yin Qinglian had some cunning and strategy, while Yin Sulian lacked even that. If they had chosen husbands based on love, they could have lived comfortable lives relying on Elder Master Yin’s remaining influence.
Fan Xingjia shook his head and sighed, then suggested, “The Master’s wife must be distraught and might still be wandering in the garden. Let’s go through the back door to enter the inner room to avoid running into her.”
Cai Zhao agreed.
Unexpectedly, as soon as they snuck into the adjacent room, they heard Yin Sulian and Qi Yunke talking.
“…I’m talking to you about Lingbo and Yuzhi’s matter, why are you bringing this up? Have you forgotten what you promised my father and sister years ago?!” Yin Sulian’s voice was high and shrill.
“I haven’t forgotten,” Qi Yunke’s voice was low. “I promised Master to take good care of you, not to let you suffer even the slightest grievance, and I haven’t broken that promise. I also promised your sister to nurture Yuzhi well, which I haven’t neglected either. But Lingbo and Yuzhi’s marriage should be based on their willingness. If they have no interest in each other, what’s the point of forcing them to marry?”
“What do you mean no interest? Lingbo has admired Yuzhi since childhood. It’s Yuzhi who has always been cold and indifferent, making her give up! Yuzhi listens to you, his master, more than he listens to my brother-in-law. Can’t you persuade him properly? I see you’re just standing by and watching! Isn’t Lingbo your daughter too?”
“Precisely because Lingbo is my daughter, I hope she’ll be happy every day in the future, not choosing the wrong marriage partner for the position of sect leader’s wife!”
The room suddenly fell silent. After a long while, Yin Sulian said, “You… what do you mean? Did Senior Brother Qiu… did Qiu Jie say something?”
Qi Yunke replied, “He didn’t say anything. He didn’t say a word until his death.”
“He… he’s dead?” Yin Sulian’s voice trembled.
“Just yesterday. He tricked Yuzhi’s father, saying he wanted to confess about the Demonic Sect’s internal affairs, and took the opportunity to commit suicide.”
Yin Sulian staggered and sat down. Before her teary eyes, the image of a handsome, smiling young man from twenty years ago appeared — the gentle youth who would catch birds and pick flower buds for her, always indulging her wishes.
He had always been good to her, but she had always felt he wasn’t outstanding enough. First, she coveted Zhou Zhizhen’s handsome appearance and superior martial arts, then married Qi Yunke, who was about to succeed as sect leader.
Qi Yunke said softly, “I don’t mean anything else. I’ve ordered Senior Brother Qiu to be buried in the back mountain. When you have time, go pay your respects. Even if he wronged the whole world, he didn’t wrong you. If he had truly meant to deceive you, he wouldn’t have repeatedly kept you at arm’s length. A real spy, even if pretending, would have at least feigned closeness to you. To protect your reputation, he refused to let you get close at all costs, which is how Yuzhi saw through the ruse.”
Yin Sulian left her mind in a daze.
Cai Zhao and Fan Xingjia felt very awkward, having unintentionally overheard their master and his wife’s private conversation. They wondered whether they should enter or slip away.
“You two can come out now,” Qi Yunke unexpectedly called out, exposing their presence.