Qi Yunke stepped in to mediate as usual: “This Sima An is guilty of heinous crimes, and Brother Qiu acted out of a sense of justice. Since this matter is settled, let’s all enter the hall.”
Song Shijun remained noncommittal, deciding to swallow his anger for now and plot his revenge later.
However, Qiu Yuanfeng refused to let it go. With a provocative smile, he said, “Since Master Qi has spoken, Taichu Temple naturally has no objections. But I advise Master Song to thoroughly clean house when he returns…”
Song Shijun’s face darkened. “What do you mean by that?”
Qiu Yuanfeng continued, “Those who know will say Guangtian Gate was too busy to notice Leigong Stronghold’s plea for help. Those who don’t might think Sima An bribed the elders with gold and silver, causing them to turn a blind eye.”
These words were particularly venomous. Song Shijun had never suffered such humiliation in his life. Before he could react, his eldest son, Song Maozhi, lost his temper and shouted, “Qiu, what nonsense are you spouting?” Following his lead, the disciples of Guangtian Gate surged forward, hurling insults in a frenzy.
Taichu Temple’s disciples, who had come in large numbers, weren’t mere bystanders. They raised their voices, returning insult for insult.
Suddenly, the area in front of Muwei Palace resembled a marketplace, filled with crude and vicious language. Fortunately, because of today’s ceremony, disciples were forbidden from using martial arts; otherwise, chaos would have surely erupted.
Master Jingyuan remained silent, merely lowering her head to chant sutras—as an outsider, it wasn’t her place to intervene in the internal disputes of the Six Northern Sects. However, Venerable Fakong couldn’t bear it any longer. He advised Cangqiong Zi, “Originally, it wasn’t my place to comment on your sect’s affairs, but infighting among brothers is not the way of righteousness. As the elder of all the sect leaders, you should say something to quell this dispute.”
Cangqiong Zi replied, “Nephew Yuanfeng acted righteously. How can I, as an elder, reprimand him? Besides, I’m now a useless man. Even if I wanted to intervene, I couldn’t.”
Venerable Fakong shook his head, at a loss for words.
Seeing this situation, Qi Yunke and Zhou Zhizhen furrowed their brows. Yang Heying quietly stepped back, not wanting to get involved, while Cai Pingchun stood by impassively.
Meanwhile, Ning Xiaofeng was bored. She asked her attendant to fetch some oranges from the fruit baskets outside. As she ate, she realized that the soil and water of Wanshui Qianshan Cliff were indeed excellent, producing particularly sweet and delicious oranges. She then instructed the attendant to send some to her daughter.
The attendant, carrying an armful of oranges, approached Cai Zhao. He overheard Chang Ning saying with some schadenfreude, “…truly united, these Six Sects are.” Turning his head, he saw the young girl clumsily peeling the orange bit by bit. He quickly snatched it away, saying, “That’s not how you peel an orange.”
With deft movements, he broke open the bottom of the orange and swiftly peeled it from both sides. He then placed the intact orange segments in Cai Zhao’s delicate hands, his voice filled with affection: “Here, eat.”
The orange was indeed delicious. Cai Zhao smiled cheerfully at Chang Ning.
Seeing the young girl’s radiant smile, Chang Ning experienced for the first time the peculiar feeling of ‘being happier watching someone else eat than eating himself.’ Though he didn’t understand why, he felt inexplicably joyful and began peeling another orange with enthusiasm.
Fan Xingjia thought to himself, “…Actually, I’m not very good at peeling oranges either, Senior Brother.”
As Ning Xiaofeng and her daughter were happily enjoying their oranges, Yin Sulian could no longer contain herself. She rushed to the front and shrilly exclaimed, “Today is the second anniversary of our ancestor’s death! If you want to cause trouble, pick another day! This raucous behavior, disregarding your status and embarrassing yourselves in front of allied sects, isn’t this deliberately shaming our Qingque Sect?!”
As the daughter of Qingque Sect’s former leader and wife of the current one, Yin Sulian had been accustomed to giving orders for decades. At her command, the Qingque Sect’s disciples immediately called for silence. Yin Sulian’s move was quite clever. As a woman of high status but with poor martial arts skills, if Qiu Yuanfeng were to confront her directly, he would appear to be bullying a woman. If he didn’t respond, he would admit defeat.
However, Qiu Yuanfeng’s eyes flickered, and he smiled, “Oh, it’s Sister Yin. Has your Brother Qiu returned today? Ah come to think of it, it’s been many years since I’ve seen Brother Renjie.”
At these words, Yin Sulian’s face flushed red with shame and anger. However, apart from some older disciples, ninety percent of those present didn’t understand the meaning behind Qiu Yuanfeng’s words.
“Who is this Qiu Renjie?” Cai Zhao asked, also unaware.
Fan Xingjia had heard some rumors but hesitated to speak.
“This Qiu Renjie was the most outstanding of Old Sect Leader Yin Dai’s seven disciples, and the original heir apparent for the sect leader position,” Chang Ning answered cheerfully. “My father said he and Lady Sulian were once engaged.”
“Then what happened?” Cai Zhao inquired.
“Later, Sect Leader Qi broke through the ‘Heavenly Fire Dragon’ meridian bottleneck, making tremendous progress in his skills. In a grand competition within the Qingque Sect, he astounded everyone and took first place—and that was the end of the story for Master Qiu and Lady Sulian,” Chang Ning explained.
Cai Zhao was stunned. She unconsciously glanced at Qi Lingbo, Song Yuzhi, and even Dai Fengchi. “This Yin family is…”
She suddenly thought of her mother, Ning Xiaofeng.
Everyone in the Six Sects probably knew about the animosity between Ning Xiaofeng and Yin Sulian. Ning Xiaofeng surely knew about Yin Sulian’s past, but no matter how angry she got, she only ever mocked Yin Sulian for being ungrateful and two-faced, never mentioning Qiu Renjie in public.
Cai Zhao suddenly felt a surge of pride and looked at Qiu Yuanfeng with contempt—some Taichu Temple leader he was, with less magnanimity than her mother, a mere woman!
Seeing Qiu Yuanfeng’s frivolous manner and insulting tone towards his wife, Qi Yunke finally lost his temper. He gathered his qi and shouted in a thunderous voice, “This matter ends here!” These six words resonated like a great bell from the earth, each word full of power, exuding a profound sense of pressure that startled everyone.
“The Leigong Stronghold affair is for Guangtian Gate and Taichu Temple to discuss and handle. Qingque Sect does not wish to interfere. Punishing evil and promoting good is inherently righteous. I ask Master Qiu not to turn it into a knife for scheming and expanding influence,” Qi Yunke said, looking directly at Qiu Yuanfeng and enunciating each word. “I say this matter ends here. If there are other grievances, we can address them another day—does Master Qiu understand?”
Qiu Yuanfeng held his gaze for a long moment before reining in his arrogant demeanor. “Very well, I’ll heed the Sect Leader’s words.”
Song Shijun, still seething with anger, wanted to step forward and taunt Qiu Yuanfeng further, but Cai Pingchun held him back. He angrily said, “Xiaochun, are you meddling too?”
Cai Pingchun calmly replied, “Guangtian Gate was indeed at fault for leaving Leigong Stronghold with nowhere to turn for help. Elder Brother Shijun should clean house upon your return to prevent others from exploiting such opportunities in the future.”
Hearing the first part, Qiu Yuanfeng grinned, but his smile faded in the latter half. “What do you mean, Valley Master Cai? Are you implying that my Taichu Temple took advantage of the situation?”
Cai Pingchun responded evenly, “It’s not about taking advantage. Guangtian Gate’s wealth is known throughout the world. To suggest that Master Song would tolerate Sima An’s betrayal of his masters for a mere trifle—no one would believe that. However, acting chivalrously is always commendable. Next time Master Qiu feels the urge to uphold justice, feel free to do so within Luoying Valley’s jurisdiction. Our humble sect will certainly welcome you with open arms. Though Luoying Valley is small and insignificant, we can at least offer steamed buns with soy sauce to host you all.”
Song Shijun burst out laughing. “Xiaochun, you were so honest as a child. Now your sharp tongue rivals Ning Xiaofeng’s!”
“I speak only the truth. If Taichu Temple is willing, Luoying Valley can compile a list of injustices from various regions for our Taoist brothers to address,” Cai Pingchun added.
Song Shijun couldn’t stop laughing, while Qiu Yuanfeng’s face darkened as he stormed off.
The dispute finally ended. With Venerable Fakong’s chant of a Buddhist phrase, the chief disciples of each sect entered Chaoyang Main Hall, taking their designated positions. They stood solemnly, eyes lowered, maintaining silence. Incense smoke rose from the altar, and amidst the swirling mist, Qi Yunke held a yellow silk scroll and began reading the eulogy in a clear voice:
“In this year of great peace, with the world at ease, we disciples remember our ancestors. Today, we offer three animals, three sacrifices, fresh flowers, and fruits to honor the spirit of our ancestor, the North Chen True Lord in heaven. In times when demons ran rampant, people suffered, and bones whitened the earth for a thousand li, heaven fortunately sent our ancestor, the North Chen True Lord. He accepted a perilous mission, shouldering the responsibility for the common people and the way of righteousness, taking the safety of all living beings as his duty, serving all under heaven…”
Cai Zhao frowned as she listened. “Where did Elder Brother find this ghostwriter? The writing is so poor. Even the local playwright in our town could do better.”
“…How do you know the writing is inadequate?” Fan Xingjia wanted to ask how she knew this wasn’t written by their master but decided not to upset himself.
Chang Ning chimed in, “Because she can understand every sentence.”
Cai Zhao: ╰_╯
Chang Ning:
Fan Xingjia: …
After the eulogy, the six sect leaders took turns offering incense to the ancestor. When it came to Taichu Temple’s turn, Qiu Yuanfeng caused another scene—insisting that Cangqiong Zi step forward to offer incense.
Cangqiong Zi feigned anger, “Only the sect leader can offer incense. Nephew Yuanfeng, what are you implying?”
Qiu Yuanfeng, acting like a star on stage, said tearfully, “Uncle, you suffered at the hands of the evil cult for the sake of Taichu Temple. How could we, your nephews and nieces, be so ungrateful? If not for your misfortune, you should have taken over as the temple master after my father’s death! Though I unworthily serve as the leader, in my heart, you are the pillar of Taichu Temple!”
Cangqiong Zi repeatedly declined, while Qiu Yuanfeng persistently pleaded. Uncle and nephew wept, moving hearts until Cangqiong Zi finally ‘reluctantly’ agreed.
Everyone around watched their performance expressionlessly, without a word.
Finally, after the incense offering was complete, disciples from each sect began presenting various offerings: a pure white tiger skin, an underwater coral tree, a jade tablet as large as a wall, a golden couch carried by two people, century-old ginseng fruit, life-extending fairy spring water, and a blood-written scripture that looked terrifying…
Cai Zhao was dazzled by the sight. “With so many rare treasures, do they all belong to the Qingque Sect now?”
Fan Xingjia quickly explained, “No, after the ceremony, they’re taken back by each sect.”
Chang Ning scoffed lightly, “Don’t listen to Fifth Senior Brother’s whitewashing. When faced with a powerful Qingque Sect leader, the other five sects can’t wait to curry favor. If the sect leader fancies any offering, the sects will leave it behind after the ceremony.”
Cai Zhao sounded disappointed, “Then Uncle Qi probably won’t keep anything.”
Fan Xingjia: “…” Please don’t underestimate our master like that.
As the three were chatting, they suddenly heard Ning Xiaofeng’s sharp rebuke—”Who are you?!”
They saw Ning Xiaofeng looking vigilant, one hand tightly holding Cai Han, the other pointing straight ahead. Everyone followed her finger to see a Taichu Temple disciple.
The disciple had his head lowered, carrying a golden bamboo basket about two feet tall on his back, slowly walking towards the altar—or rather, towards the two sect leaders standing on either side of the altar.
Qiu Yuanfeng said displeased, “Lady Ning, don’t make trouble out of nothing, deliberately giving my disciple a hard time…”
Ignoring him, Ning Xiaofeng continued shouting, “Someone come quickly! Surround this person!”
She then sneered at the man, “Stop pretending. I was mastering disguise techniques when you were probably still nursing! Daring to play tricks in front of me, are you tired of living? Speak up, are you from the evil cult here to ambush us?”
Everyone was shocked—this person was actually in disguise.
Qi Yunke, having witnessed Ning Xiaofeng’s unorthodox skills years ago, knew this couldn’t be false. He immediately shouted, “Someone, surround him!”
Before his words faded, a flash of cold light appeared. Song Yuzhi leaped high from behind the crowd like a nimble dragon soaring. His three-foot sword struck unstoppably, slashing several times at the disguised disciple—truly a sight of beauty and deadly grace. Dai Fengchi and Ding Zhuo followed a step behind, raising their swords side by side, while other Qingque Sect disciples formed a sword formation to surround him.
Song Yuzhi struck again, aiming to trap the man’s lower body. Unexpectedly, the man’s movements were exceptionally nimble. As he repeatedly dodged, there was a ripping sound—Song Yuzhi’s sword had cut the ribbon holding the bamboo basket to the man’s shoulder. The golden bamboo basket tumbled to the ground.
Upon learning someone had infiltrated Wanshui Qianshan Cliff in disguise, everyone’s first reaction was ‘The evil cult is attacking.’ Each sect huddled together for self-protection.
Song Shijun was both worried for his son and proud of his outstanding skills. His mixed emotions ultimately turned into a resentful glare at Qi Yunke.
Just as he was about to mock Qi Yunke, he was suddenly shoved hard by Zhou Zhizhen beside him, nearly falling. As he turned to curse, he heard Zhou Zhizhen shouting with all his might—”It’s the Torrential Thunderstorm! Everyone take cover!”
Song Shijun’s face changed dramatically.
It turned out that when the golden bamboo basket fell earlier, the disguised person was startled and tried to reach for it. Song Yuzhi’s successive sword strikes forced him back several steps. The man seemed to panic and shouted directly, “Plans have changed, act now!”
Suddenly, two more disciples sprang from the Taichu Temple group, swinging their swords at Song Yuzhi and others to help the disguised person escape. With his hands free, the imposter immediately pulled out two black spheres from his bag, each as large as a child’s head, and hurled them toward the crowds on either side.
When Zhou Zhizhen saw the familiar black spheres, his pupils dilated in shock. Years ago, his father, the old manor lord Zhou, had been injured by these very weapons in a fierce battle, languishing for years before finally succumbing to his illness.
Without a word, Chang Ning pulled Cai Zhao behind a massive pillar. Fan Xingjia quickly followed. Fortunately, the pillars in Chaoyang Main Hall were so thick that two or three people could barely encircle them with their arms, providing ample cover for the three.
With two thunderous “booms,” debris from the ceiling rained down, mixed with needle-thin poisoned darts shooting in all directions. Cries of pain echoed throughout the hall, and the air filled with the terrifying scent of black powder, intensifying everyone’s fear.
Sheltered by Chang Ning’s wide sleeves, Cai Zhao felt dizzy. “Wasn’t the Torrential Thunderstorm technique lost after Elder Tianxuan’s death? Oh no, where are the poison darts flying?”
Fan Xingjia stood dumbfounded nearby, glancing between the serious-faced Chang Ning and the poison darts floating in another direction.
In the main hall, Qiu Yuanfeng was the first to shield Cangqiong Zi. Zhou Zhizhen repeatedly waved his palms upward, using his qi to force the poison darts toward the ceiling. Song Shijun seized the opportunity to pull his son back under the altar for cover. Qi Yunke grabbed Dai Fengchi and Ding Zhuo, one in each hand, pulling them to safety beside him. Cai Pingchun had already rushed to protect his wife and child.
The two Torrential Thunderstorm spheres were mainly aimed at Taichu Temple. Most of the other sects escaped unscathed if they took cover quickly enough.
As the shower of poisoned darts finally settled on the ground, a sudden, heart-wrenching cry came from Madam Sha of Siqimen: “Help! My son Tianci! Someone save my son!”
Earlier, finding the lengthy ceremony boring, young Yang Tianci had grown restless and wanted to play. Fearing he might cause a scene and embarrass Siqimen, Madam Sha had allowed his nanny and maid to accompany him as he ran back and forth along the wall in a side hall.
Hidden behind the crowd, no one had noticed them. But when chaos erupted, people scrambled to escape, separating the nanny and maid from the boy in the panicked crowd. Yang Tianci was left unattended.
When the Torrential Thunderstorm exploded, he thought it was like the morning’s ceremonial cannons and found it amusing, covering his ears with a grin as he stumbled towards the main hall. In the confusion, the disguised intruder dragged the golden bamboo basket to his side. Seeing the richly dressed child approach, he grabbed him to use as a hostage.
Yang Heying emerged from behind the sacrificial curtain to see his beloved son crying and struggling in the imposter’s grasp. Terrified, he held a handful of hidden weapons but didn’t dare use them. The other experts in the hall froze in place.
As Cai Zhao peeked out from Chang Ning’s embrace, she witnessed this scene. The urgent situation left no time for thought. She pushed Chang Ning aside and rushed out. The crowd saw a young girl flash out from behind a pillar, immediately striking at the golden bamboo basket on the ground with one palm, then at the disguised man with another.
The imposter hurried to protect the basket. The girl swiftly delivered two more palm strikes, her force like a mountain gale—slow yet powerful—employing the eighth form of the Dragon-Capturing Technique, “Gentle Breeze.” These two strikes forced the disguised man to dodge sideways.
At this moment, Song Yuzhi had just broken free from his father’s protection. Seeing the situation, he tore off a bead from his clothes, channeling his energy to launch it forcefully at the imposter’s wrist.
Caught between protecting the basket and dodging, the disguised man was already flustered. Suddenly feeling a sharp pain and lightness in his hand, he realized the child in his grasp had been yanked away like a kite on a string.
Song Yuzhi exclaimed in admiration, “Excellent!”
It turned out that Cai Zhao, taking advantage of Song Yuzhi’s strike on the imposter’s wrist, had used the fifth form of the Dragon-Capturing Technique, “Unique Joint Force,” to “pull” Yang Tianci towards her.
Seeing her fiancé praise Cai Zhao, Qi Lingbo pouted in displeasure, “What’s so great about that? Would it kill her not to show off her martial arts for one day?”
Zhou Zhixian, who had been protecting her, overheard this comment. Though she didn’t reprimand Qi Lingbo, she couldn’t help but think that Qi Yunke and Yin Sulian had raised this girl poorly.
With his hands now empty, the imposter immediately struck back at Cai Zhao with a heavy palm. Cai Zhao, holding Yang Tianci with one hand, blocked with the other. She felt a powerful internal force hit her, causing her blood to surge. Unwilling to show weakness, she forcibly endured it.
Madam Sha was the first to rush over, wailing as she snatched her son from Cai Zhao’s arms, running off without a word of thanks.
Seeing this, Chang Ning became furious. He dragged Cai Zhao back, scolding, “Did you see that? You need to be more selective when playing the hero! What if you encounter an ingrate?”
Cai Zhao forced a smile, “It’s fine, I just acted on impulse.”
“What impulse? Your face is pale as a sheet!” Chang Ning was so angry he wanted to hit someone.
“I’ll be fine after catching my breath,” Cai Zhao said, clutching her chest. “Stop shouting. Help me rest for a bit. Oh no, my mother’s coming. Please, spare me the lecture…”
Chang Ning helped Cai Zhao sit down nearby, then stomped off angrily.
Cai Zhao wondered, “Why is Brother Chang so angry?”
Fan Xingjia thought to himself, “He probably thought your rescue of him was unique, but now he realizes you’d save anyone, so naturally, he’s upset.”
Ning Xiaofeng quickly rushed over, taking out two “Medicine King’s Heart-Nourishing Pills” from a porcelain bottle. Unlike Chang Ning, she didn’t scold her daughter for saving someone, but instead criticized her for her lack of skill, telling her to avoid embarrassing herself in the future if she wasn’t confident.
The pills need to be dissolved in hot water. As Ning Xiaofeng was about to look for some, Chang Ning appeared with a cup of hot water.
Ning Xiaofeng praised him, “Ning’er is so thoughtful, unlike you! With so many people here, did you need to step forward?”
“I was afraid that if we delayed even a moment, young Master Yang might be in danger!” Cai Zhao protested.
“Not necessarily,” Chang Ning said stiffly. “That person had no intention of harming the Yang boy.”
Cai Zhao asked, “How do you know?”
“When the Yang boy ran over, poison darts were still flying everywhere, but not a single one hit him. I guess the imposter deflected the darts before grabbing the boy,” Chang Ning explained.
Ning Xiaofeng praised him, “You were behind the pillar and didn’t see everything, yet you guessed it all correctly. Ning’er, you’re very clever indeed.” After a pause, she added, “Back then, Sister Xue was also quick to understand things.”
Chang Ning hesitated, unsure whether to say “You’re too kind.”
Cai Zhao sighed, “Oh, Mother, you know how to bring up the wrong topics.” The poor guy’s birth mother went mad, and if that wasn’t enough, she died young. Is this supposed to be a compliment?
At this moment, Venerable Fakong’s resonant voice echoed through the hall: “Everyone, please hold your actions and listen to this old monk for a moment!”
As the most senior elder present, everyone stopped their actions and fell silent.
Venerable Fakong stepped forward, “This old monk doesn’t know who you are, but your actions just now don’t seem to be those of a vile person. Since you’ve gone to such lengths to reach Wanshui Qianshan Cliff, you must have a purpose. Why not speak it directly?”
Qiu Yuanfeng, seeing that Taichu Temple disciples were the most injured, roared angrily, “Show your true face first! I want to see which evil cult scoundrel you are!”
The disguised person remained silent for a moment, then nodded to his two helpers behind him.
The three began to tear off their facial disguises. With a few rustling sounds, their true faces were revealed. The leader turned out to be a beautiful, cold-looking middle-aged woman, while the other two were rugged men in their thirties.
While Ning Xiaofeng and her daughter didn’t recognize these three, the Taichu Temple members’ expressions changed dramatically.
Yin Sulian cried out in shock, “…Sister Yuanrong, you’re… you’re still alive?!”
Wang Yuanjing also exclaimed, “Fourth Junior Sister, you… why are you here?!”