It wasn’t without reason that Chang Haosheng was nicknamed ‘Granny Chang’.
Though reputation was valuable, practical benefits were even more precious. During youthful adventures, when encountering treasures, while other privileged youths might ignore them, he would meticulously collect everything like an old accountant, even if only to later aid down-on-their-luck martial artists.
At that victory banquet, he noticed Yang Yi intentionally misleading the martial arts world about Nie Hengcheng’s death, and Yin Dai reluctantly accepted it. His first thought wasn’t anger or disappointment at these respected martial arts elders stealing credit, but rather, “Now Luoying Valley is safe.”
This wasn’t out of malice or using Yin Dai as a shield for Luoying Valley. He assumed the Qingque Sect leader would be well-guarded, making it difficult for the Evil Cult to exact revenge, while Luoying Valley was vulnerable at the time.
However, man’s plans are no match for heaven’s will.
Just months after the banquet, the confident Old Sect Leader Yin was ambushed during a trip by a large force led by Nie Hengcheng’s disciple, Zhao Tianba. With no escape route and no reinforcements, he was hacked to pieces.
On the same day, Old Master Yang Yi, enjoying spring with his concubines at a countryside manor, was attacked at night by Nie Hengcheng’s third disciple, Han Yisu, and his men. They slaughtered for an entire night, leaving no one alive. Yang Yi’s head was found in the manor’s cesspool.
Furthermore, these two remaining disciples of Nie Hengcheng vowed to exterminate the Yin and Yang families, leaving no descendants. They also promised that whichever Evil Cult elder could contribute most to avenging Nie Hengcheng would gain control over Nie’s remaining forces.
The Evil Cult’s minions were restless.
“A centipede dies but never falls. Though Nie Hengcheng is dead, he ruled for decades and has many loyal followers. Old Sect Leader Yin and Old Master Yang celebrated too early,” Chang Ning said casually. Cai Zhao sensed a hint of schadenfreude in his tone. Of course, she felt the same.
Claiming undeserved glory comes at a price!
“Was Great Hero Chang guarding Luoying Valley to protect us from the Evil Cult’s revenge?” she asked quietly.
Chang Ning replied, “Yes, my father anticipated that Nie Hengcheng’s disciples wouldn’t let the matter rest after his death. He stayed at Luoying Valley, not daring to return home. We waited and waited, but instead of an Evil Cult attack, we received news of Yin and Yang’s deaths.”
Cai Zhao was silent for a moment, then said, “I didn’t know any of this. Thank you to your father for his tireless efforts in protecting Luoying Valley.”
It was the most perilous time for the Cai family. All the elders were dead, Cai Ping Shu had lost her martial arts skills, Cai Pingchun hadn’t yet made a breakthrough, and Ning Xiaofeng only knew some mechanism and formation techniques. If the Evil Cult had launched a full-scale attack, Luoying Valley would have been defenseless.
Chang Ning glanced at her, “No need for thanks. Protecting the weak is our duty.” He emphasized the latter part.
Cai Zhao put down her chopsticks and sighed, “Rest assured, I’ll do my utmost to protect you until you recover, to repay Great Hero Chang’s immense kindness.”
“Good that you understand,” Chang Ning smiled, his eyes twinkling, making even his poisonous sores seem charming.
Fan Xingjia sat awkwardly beside them, feeling the atmosphere at the table was overly jubilant. He bravely interrupted his junior disciples’ joy, “Ahem, so what happened next? How did the Evil Cult give up?”
Cai Zhao pointed at the lively Yin and Yang family members, nodding, “Indeed, since so many of them are still alive, it seems the Evil Cult’s revenge wasn’t successful.”
“That was thanks to the clever Lady Qinglian,” Chang Ning smiled.
In the months following Yin Dai and Yang Yi’s deaths, many of their relatives met tragic ends. The Yin family, being numerous, was a large target – Yin Dai had promoted many family members after becoming Qingque Sect leader, making them easy targets for the Evil Cult.
One day it was Uncle Yin Six, responsible for Qingque Sect’s purchases, was found disemboweled on his bed. The next, it was Aunt Yin Three, in charge of the sect’s gardens, hanging from a tree with her throat slit. A few days later, the mutilated bodies of Uncle Yin Two and his brother, who managed the carriages and horses, appeared in the stables… The Yin clan lived in fear, fleeing Nine Li Mountain before they could even hold funerals, hiding in remote corners to save their lives.
Nie Hengcheng’s followers even reached into Guangtian Gate, targeting Yin Dai’s eldest daughter and her two young grandsons – Song Maozhi and Song Yuzhi.
Despite Yin Qinglian’s careful planning and precautions, she discovered the wet nurse and nanny secretly poisoning the children. The former cried that her family was held hostage by the Evil Cult, while the latter confessed to being promised endless riches. The Northern Chen Six Sects couldn’t guard against all these threats.
Yin Sulian, newly married and childless, only needed to protect herself. But Yin Qinglian had young children to worry about. She knew the Evil Cult had wealth and would stop at nothing, clinging like parasites. She had to take the initiative.
Most importantly, she needed to spread the truth that it was Lady Cai who killed Nie Hengcheng.
But this truth, unspoken before and after the victory banquet, now had to be hurriedly revealed during the Evil Cult’s revenge. How would the world view her wise and powerful father, Old Sect Leader Yin? They couldn’t let his reputation die with him.
Soon after Yang He’ying’s two young sons were mysteriously killed, Yin Qinglian couldn’t delay any longer. She quickly summoned her newly appointed brother-in-law, Sect Leader Qi Yunke, and Zhou Zhizhen, who had just finished his father’s funeral, to discuss a plan:
First, they had to reveal that Cai Ping Shu killed Nie Hengcheng, but not openly. They needed to manipulate the Evil Cult members into leaking the information themselves, while the Northern Chen Six Sects feigned ignorance.
The Yin and Yang families were scattered and difficult to protect from assassination attempts. However, the Cai family, with only three members, remained hidden in Luoying Valley, which was easily defensible with only one entry point. With a concentrated target, the Evil Cult’s attacks would also be focused.
After setting up false leads for half a month, Yin Qinglian’s spies finally brought confirmed information.
On a moonless, stormy night, Qi Yunke, Zhou Zhizhen, and Song Shijun led carefully selected disciples from various sects to set up an ambush near Qingluo River, not far from Luoying Valley. After a night of fierce battle, they finally annihilated the Evil Cult’s large force attempting to raid Luoying Valley.
Zhao Tianba was killed on the spot by Chang Haosheng, his head was sent to the Qingque Sect as an offering. Han Yisu was severely wounded by Song Shijun, his fate unknown. Qi Yunke moved freely through the battlefield, half-covered in blood, personally killing over ten Evil Cult experts.
In this battle, almost all of Nie Hengcheng’s remaining core elites were wiped out, ending their revenge.
Thus concluded the bloody era created by Nie Hengcheng. The Evil Cult entered a period of decline, marked by factional disputes and internal strife. Meanwhile, the new “Three Heroes of Northern Chen” officially took charge, commanding the martial arts world.
At the same time, the fact that Cai Ping Shu killed Nie Hengcheng could no longer be hidden and became widely known. Yin Qinglian then spread the rumor that “Old Sect Leader Yin reluctantly took credit for killing the villain to protect Luoying Valley, while Old Master Yang got into trouble by kindly helping.” This brought a satisfactory conclusion for the Northern Chen Six Sects.
Hearing the full story for the first time, Fan Xingjia remarked, “Even Nie’s remnants were so vicious and fearless. Fortunately, Lady Cai eliminated their leader, otherwise, the Evil Cult would have been even more unrestrained.”
Reflecting on those tumultuous, scheming days, Cai Zhao sighed and finally said, “…Lady Qinglian was quite clever.” It’s a pity Yin Sulian doesn’t have even half her sister’s intelligence.
“The most intelligent, the most cunning, the most powerful, the most brutal, the most loyal, the most benevolent – all perished. Those who survived were the mediocre and ordinary – perhaps this is the way of heaven and earth,” Chang Ning mused, his expression unreadable, like a mysterious face behind temple incense. Cai Zhao stared at him, lost in thought.
The atmosphere at the table grew somber, with all three silent. This rare moment of quiet ended with young Cai Han’s burp.
Chang Ning glanced over, “Junior Sister, you should control him. If he eats any more, he’ll turn into a ball again.”
Exasperated, Cai Zhao lifted her little brother from the table, discovering his belly was round once more. She scolded, “You little piglet, haven’t you ever seen food before?”
Cai Han hiccupped and cried, complaining about having to eat vegetarian food at their grandmother’s for a long time. Fan Xingjia smiled wryly and called for servants to bring tangerine peel digestive tea.
“You wretched girl, so this is where you are!” a shrill female voice came from nearby. Cai Zhao and the others turned to see a beautifully dressed woman in her mid-twenties glaring at them. One hand was on her hip, the other holding a thin, sickly-looking boy of six or seven in fine clothes.
Before Cai Zhao’s group could react, Yang Xiaolan hastily stood up and bowed, “Greetings, Mother.”
Yang Xiaolan was the daughter of the Siqi Gate’s leader, so this woman must be Yang He’ying’s wife, Madam Sha.
Madam Sha approached her son, reaching out to pull Yang Xiaolan’s ear while berating her, “You heartless girl, sitting here eating and drinking while neglecting your brother! It’s so late, and you let Tianxi play outside on an empty stomach without bringing him anything to eat or drink…”
The woman’s long, sharp nails left Yang Xiaolan’s ear instantly red and swollen.
Yang Tianxi clapped and laughed, “Sister’s ear is red again, like braised pork, hehe!” Born frail, his face was sickly. Even speaking a few sentences left him breathless, worrying Madam Sha.
Fan Xingjia, unable to watch silently, quickly said, “Madam Sha, please wait. Young Master Yang had plenty of snacks before going out to play. He shouldn’t be too hungry. Besides, he refused Miss Yang’s company and had four or five servants with him. How could anything happen to him in Muwei Palace…”
“Of course, you don’t care, he’s not your son!” Madam Sha turned and scolded, “Master Yang has only this one child. If anything happened, could you take responsibility? Even Sect Leader Qi couldn’t protect you then!”
Fan Xingjia, unfamiliar with such a shrew, was at a loss. Suddenly, Cai Zhao stepped forward past him.
“Madam, what’s your rank in the family?” Cai Zhao asked with a smile.
Madam Sha was confused, “What rank? I’m an only daughter…”
“I’m not asking about the Sha family, but the Yang family. What’s your rank there?” Cai Zhao’s smile made Fan Xingjia uneasy. “You look so young and beautiful, I guess you must be after the sixth – seventh wife? Eighth, or ninth?”
“How dare you insult me?!” Madam Sha trembled with anger.
Cai Zhao replied sarcastically, “I’m complimenting your youth and beauty.”
“Junior Sister misunderstands. There are no seventh or eighth wives. Madam Sha is the only wife,” Chang Ning calmly interjected. “After Master Yang’s two sons died at the hands of Nie Hengcheng’s followers, he took in twenty or thirty concubines. Madam Sha became his wife after giving birth to young Master Yang.”
“Twenty or thirty?” Fan Xingjia wasn’t sure if he was amazed or shocked.
Cai Zhao feigned sudden understanding, “Oh, I see. To stand out among twenty or thirty, Madam Sha must be quite capable.”
Though arrogant in the Yang household, Madam Sha wasn’t completely foolish. Noticing Cai Zhao’s fine clothes and Chang Ning’s pockmarked face, she realized the former was not to be trifled with and the latter couldn’t be touched. Biting her lip, she angrily stomped her foot and turned away, “You wretched girl, come quickly! I’ll let your father deal with you!” She left, dragging Yang Xiaolan along with one hand and leading her son with the other.
Fan Xingjia watched worriedly, “Oh dear, I hope Miss Yang will be alright. With the ceremony approaching, it wouldn’t be good to have fighting and scolding now.”
“What good can come from having a father like Yang He’ying? Though even tigers don’t eat their cubs, so her life probably isn’t in danger,” Cai Zhao said, displeased.
“I’ve heard that Siqi Gate has had only single heirs for five generations, so the Yang family values offspring greatly. Poor Miss Yang, she’s fourteen or fifteen but looks only twelve or thirteen. Tsk, Junior Brother Chang, what do you think? Eh, Junior Brother Chang…?”
Fan and Cai turned their heads to find Chang Ning already seated at the table. “What’s there to say? If I were Miss Yang, I’d rip out that woman’s tongue along with her throat,” he said flatly, his words chilling.
Fan Xingjia laughed nervously, “Junior Brother Chang must be joking.”
“I’m not joking,” Chang Ning replied coldly. “That Yang brat is born weak; it’ll be good enough if he doesn’t turn out useless. But Miss Yang has excellent potential. Even with average comprehension, if she practices diligently, she’ll achieve greatness one day.”
While Cai Zhao hadn’t noticed the siblings’ differing potentials, Fan Xingjia considered it and agreed, “That’s true. Though Miss Yang is small, her potential isn’t bad.”
“Forget the future. With Miss Yang’s current skills, if she wanted to, that Sha woman couldn’t even touch her clothes. She’s just too timid to resist,” he said, never pitying the weak-willed.
Chang Ning’s sharp words surprised Cai Zhao. She frowned, “Madam Sha is one thing, but what about Master Yang? How could Miss Yang defy him?”
“It depends on whether she wants to endure silently for ‘filial piety’ or stand up for herself. The world is vast; she could find a place anywhere. One must walk their path; others can’t do it for them.”
Fan Xingjia found this too extreme and laughed it off, “Junior Brother Chang is a man, so naturally you think the whole world can be home. It’s not so easy for Miss Yang as a woman.”
Chang Ning looked directly at Fan Xingjia, “Cai Ping Shu was also a woman.”
Fan Xingjia was stunned.
“When she went to Tu Mountain to face Nie Hengcheng, she went alone, without anyone to boost her courage.”
“Some people can’t resist, which is understandable. Others can but are unwilling, only knowing self-pity. Miss Yang’s background and potential are already better than many women’s. If she’s willing to endure beatings and scolding, nothing others say will matter.”
Fan Xingjia was speechless.
Cai Zhao lowered her head, holding back tears.
After drinking the tangerine peel tea, Cai Han still had a stomachache. Fan Xingjia offered to take the boy to the medicine pavilion. Cai Zhao, worried, wanted to go along. This alarmed Fan Xingjia – if Cai Zhao went, Chang Ning would surely follow, and who knew what trouble these two might cause.
So Fan Xingjia volunteered to take Cai Han alone, asking his junior disciples to ‘behave’ and stay put, promising to return quickly.
Watching Fan Xingjia leave with the whimpering Cai Han, Cai Zhao turned to Chang Ning, “Were those words all from Great Hero Chang?”
Chang Ning nodded, “Yes, Father said Lady Cai was the person he respected most in his life. Strong but not bullying, powerful but not tyrannical, kind-hearted and open-minded, joyful and accepting of fate. Father always regretted arriving a step too late at the Tu Mountain battle.”
Cai Zhao shook her head, “Actually, Uncle Qi was supposed to accompany Aunt up the mountain, but Aunt had already decided to perish with the evil leader, so she incapacitated Uncle Qi beforehand.”
Seeing the girl’s lingering sadness, Chang Ning smiled lightly, “Let’s not dwell on these sad memories. Let’s talk about something interesting. When Father told stories about your aunt, I often wondered – she and Sect Leader Qi faced life and death together so many times, fighting side by side. How come no one ever speculated about any… uh, romantic feelings between your aunt and the Sect Leader?”
Cai Zhao burst out laughing, “Of course not.”
“Why?” Chang Ning was intrigued.
“Because my aunt had a fiancé.”
Chang Ning was shocked, a rare occurrence for him.
Cai Zhao suppressed her laughter, “Great Hero Chang is truly kind-hearted not to have told you this.”
“Who was it? Have we met him?”
“We just did. It’s the Lord of Peiqiong Manor, Great Hero Zhou Zhizhen. My mother said that when Uncle Zhou was young, he was noble and refined, like a piece of fine jade. He and my aunt were engaged since childhood, but the marriage didn’t happen, so people don’t mention it anymore to avoid awkwardness.”
Suddenly, they felt someone blocking the light above them. Looking up, they saw an elegant, handsome middle-aged scholar standing in front of their table.
“Zhaozao, why didn’t you come to greet me?” Zhou Zhizhen asked with a smile, one hand behind his back.