Twenty years ago, Cai Pingshu wasn’t the only renowned female hero in the martial world. There was also Luo Yuanrong from Taichu Temple.
She was the daughter of the then Taichu Temple leader Canghuan Zi’s late sister. Her uncle took her in from a young age, carefully nurturing her skills.
Unlike the straightforward, fist-first Cai Pingshu, Luo Yuanrong was the epitome of a refined lady – beautiful, talented, and cold as ice. The martial world gave her the elegant title “Frost Fairy.”
She had three renowned senior brothers: The eldest, Wu Yuanying, was bold and heroic, with exceptional martial arts skills, most respected among his peers; the second, Wang Yuanjing, was handsome and gentle, meticulous and kind; the third, Qiu Yuanfeng, was fiery-tempered and unruly.
For a long time, she was Canghuan Zi’s youngest disciple and the most beloved girl in Taichu Temple.
When her eldest brother Wu Yuanying visited Wanshui Qianshan Cliff with his wine jar, she often accompanied him, thus getting to know the Yin sisters.
She particularly liked the understanding of Yin Sulian, who had early on discerned her feelings and always arranged for her to sit next to Wu Yuanying at banquets. The eldest brother was a bold man who loved drinking and chatting with his brothers. Though she couldn’t understand most of what they said, just being near her eldest brother filled her heart with joy.
Sometimes she thought, that if her eldest brother didn’t want to be her Taoist partner in the future, she would quietly remain a celibate Taoist nun in Taichu Temple. That would be good enough.
But even this wish was destined to go unfulfilled.
Qiu Yuanfeng’s face turned ashen: “Fourth Junior Sister, haven’t you caused enough trouble? Wu Gang, Wu Xiong, why are you joining in this nonsense?” The latter half of his statement was directed at the two middle-aged disciples behind Luo Yuanrong.
“Today is the 200th death anniversary of our ancestor, such a solemn occasion, yet you dare to cause trouble. It seems Taichu Temple needs to clean house!” Cangqiong Zi said ominously. “Your senior brother has been lenient with you because your parents died early, but today you’ve injured many. As your uncle, I can no longer allow you to continue your reckless behavior. Yuanfeng, apprehend this unfilial disciple, dead or alive!”
Wang Yuanjing, deeply worried, pleaded repeatedly: “Uncle, Brother, for the sake of our master, Yuanrong may be stubborn, but her crime doesn’t warrant death!”
Qiu Yuanfeng shrugged off Wang Yuanjing with a sleeve wave, arrogantly stepping forward: “Sister, for our master’s sake, surrender yourself. I won’t harm you.”
Luo Yuanrong ignored him completely, looking directly at Qi Yunke: “Sect Leader Qi, may I say a few words?”
Qi Yunke sighed deeply: “Lady Luo, I know what you want to say. Not just me, but our peers and friends all pretty much know your meaning. Who doesn’t grieve over Brother Yuanying’s death? But the dead cannot be brought back to life. You… you should let it go.”
Cai Zhao turned her head: “Mother, what are they talking about?”
Surprisingly, Ning Xiaofeng also looked confused: “I don’t know. Your father never mentioned it.”
Cai Zhao gave her a disapproving look: “Didn’t they say all your peers know about it?”
Ning Xiaofeng tilted her head in thought: “Ever since your aunt broke Taichu Temple’s prized sword at the Six Sects’ Grand Tournament that year, our two sects haven’t been on good terms. Of course, Luoying Valley wouldn’t know about their internal affairs!”
She continued, “Huh, what’s so great about that broken sword? If it was so precious, why bring it out for a competition? It snapped with just one twist, even your aunt was dumbfounded. It was more brittle than a carrot!”
Cai Zhao sighed heavily: “Aunt should have at least apologized for breaking their precious sword.”
“She did apologize! Your aunt sincerely told Taichu Temple that had she known the sword was so delicate, she certainly wouldn’t have used her full strength. She really didn’t mean to,” Ning Xiaofeng said indignantly.
Cai Zhao stared in disbelief – This was an apology?!
Chang Ning frowned slightly: “If they couldn’t accept such a sincere apology, then Taichu Temple is in the wrong.”
Fan Xingjia and Cai Zhao were once again speechless, while Ning Xiaofeng looked at Chang Ning more favorably.
At this moment, Luo Yuanrong spoke again: “Venerable Fakong, I didn’t intentionally cause trouble on our ancestor’s death anniversary. But without the presence of our fellow righteous heroes, I fear this great injustice cannot be made known. Venerable Fakong, please, for the sake of my late uncle, allow Yuanrong to say a few words.” Her reference to her uncle rather than her master clearly showed she no longer considered herself a disciple of Taichu Temple.
Venerable Fakong pondered for a moment, looking towards Qi Yunke and others, advising: “Given the situation today, rather than forcibly suppressing it, why not let everything be said openly? Clearing up misunderstandings before our ancestor’s spirit wouldn’t be a bad thing.”
As Qi Yunke was about to speak, Qiu Yuanfeng said displeased: “Venerable, you speak too lightly. How can this be cleared up?! The ‘Torrential Thunderstorm’ was Elder Tianxuan’s lethal weapon back then. How did Luo Yuanrong obtain it? She must have colluded with the evil cult! That’s one point. Secondly, so many brothers in the hall were innocently injured, should we just let that go? In short, Taichu Temple must clean house!”
Hearing this, even Venerable Fakong found himself in a difficult position.
Cai Pingchun suddenly spoke up: “I don’t know if Taoist Friend Luo has colluded with the evil cult, but Luoying Valley has plenty of antidotes for the ‘Torrential Thunderstorm’. There’s no need to worry.”
“That’s true,” Zhou Zhizhen said. “Back then, Elder Tianxuan relied on the ‘Torrential Thunderstorm’ to injure countless righteous heroes, including my father. Thanks to Uncle Cai Changfeng’s sacrifice in killing Elder Tianxuan and bringing the antidote back to Luoying Valley for analysis, countless lives of our allies were saved.”
A bearded man stepped forward, loudly saying: “That’s right, my master and senior master were cured of the poison by Luoying Valley. They’re still basking in the sun and boasting at home now!”
Everyone laughed while expressing their gratitude to Cai Pingchun.
Cai Zhao gently tugged at her mother’s clothes: “Mother, is this why Grand-uncle passed away from severe injuries?”
“Yes, but it was worth it,” Ning Xiaofeng gently stroked her daughter’s hair. “That Elder Tianxuan loved creating poisons. To create the world’s most yin and toxic substance, he would do anything, no matter how evil. Don’t be sad, your grand-uncle passed away peacefully.”
Fan Xingjia sighed softly: “…How many villains are there in the evil cult?”
Chang Ning remained impassive.
Seeing her daughter was unharmed, Ning Xiaofeng gave a few more instructions before returning to look after Cai Xiaopang.
At this time, Venerable Fakong suggested once more: “Since those injured in the hall are out of danger, why not let Lady Luo speak her piece? It would prevent hatred among fellow disciples, which is a great kindness. Moreover, we’ve all witnessed the power of the ‘Torrential Thunderstorm’ in the past, and these two are far inferior. It’s too early to say Lady Luo has colluded with the evil cult.”
Hearing the latter half, Zhou Zhizhen nodded slightly, also feeling that these two ‘Torrential Thunderstorms’ were much weaker compared to what he had seen years ago.
Seeing their disciples and sons were safe, Song Shijun and Yang Heying were happy to watch the show, especially Taichu Temple’s internal strife – they’d pay to watch it with their tea; Zhou Zhizhen and Cai Pingchun were indifferent.
Qi Yunke looked around and said: “Lady Luo, go ahead and speak.”
Luo Yuanrong carefully handed the bamboo basket to Wu Gang and Wu Xiong, then walked to the center of the main hall and bowed deeply to Venerable Fakong.
Qiu Yuanfeng bit his lip hard, suddenly shouting: “I’ll speak first, to prevent you from slandering me groundlessly!” Without waiting for Luo Yuanrong to speak, he hurriedly began—
“Everyone knows that our eldest brother Wu Yuanying died in the battle at Dinglu Mountain twenty years ago. Many heroes witnessed it personally. But my junior sister refuses to believe it, insisting that my eldest brother isn’t dead. For over a decade, she’s been pestering us, either forcing us to rescue him from the evil cult or accusing me of harming my eldest brother! Hmph, it’s absurd!”
Cangqiong Zi slammed his wheelchair hard, adding: “That’s right! In battles with the evil cult, casualties are inevitable. If everyone acted like this unfilial disciple, endlessly pursuing it, wouldn’t that cause chaos? Besides, you and Yuanjing weren’t even at Dinglu Mountain at that time, so how can you be sure Yuanying didn’t die? It’s pure fantasy and reckless behavior!”
Many in the hall had never heard of this matter and immediately began discussing—
“How could the great hero Wu Yuanying not be dead?”
“That’s impossible! My senior brother was on Dinglu Mountain that year and saw with his own eyes Elder Yaoguang of the evil cult killed Wu Yuanying with one strike. It’s just that everyone retreated hastily and couldn’t retrieve the body.”
“Then why is Lady Luo so persistent about this matter?”
“Hey, I’ve heard that Lady Luo was deeply in love with Wu Yuanying. She just can’t let go.”
“Ah there are indeed lovesick people in this world. Lady Luo is one with a devoted heart. Having such a beauty remembering him for over a decade, Wu Yuanying can rest in peace in the underworld.”
“Wu Yuanying may rest in peace, but the living is being tormented by this Luo Yuanrong!”
Hearing this, Fan Xingjia looked at Cai Zhao questioningly.
Cai Zhao: “Don’t look at me, I don’t know. I only know that Taichu Temple led the ‘Dinglu Mountain’ battle, inviting many martial world heroes, but our family didn’t go that time.”
Chang Ning: “Of course, you had just broken their prized sword. Of course, they wouldn’t invite you.”
Cai Zhao gave him a sidelong glance.
After hearing Qiu Yuanfeng’s words, Luo Yuanrong showed neither shock nor anger. Her once beautiful features, after more than a decade of hardship, now only displayed indifference and age. She slowly opened her lips: “Third Senior Brother needn’t rush. Everyone, please listen to me speak slowly.”
“That year, we learned that the evil cult was committing atrocities on Dinglu Mountain, using living people to refine pills, severely harming the surrounding civilians. Eldest Brother decided to eliminate this threat for the people’s sake and widely invited heroes and close friends to join in eradicating the evil. However, we didn’t expect that the one occupying Dinglu Mountain wasn’t an ordinary evil leader, but Elder Yaoguang, one of the Seven Star Elders of the evil cult.”
“Elder Yaoguang had many followers. After the close combat began, Eldest Brother realized we were outmatched and called for everyone to retreat. But Third Brother Qiu Yuanfeng, seeking glory, took advantage of the moment when the Twin Heroes of Lingnan and Zen Master Juefang were desperately holding back Elder Yaoguang to cover our retreat, and rashly attempted to ambush Elder Yaoguang… Third Brother, am I mistaken about this?”
Qiu Yuanfeng’s face turned dark.
Although ambushing an evil cult villain wasn’t wrong, Wu Yuanying had already ordered a retreat, and three heroes were sacrificing themselves to cover it. His ambush at this time, if successful, might have been justified, but its failure only endangered others.
Seeing Qiu Yuanfeng’s current expression, the crowd could guess that the ambush must have failed without needing to hear more.
Luo Yuanrong continued: “Third Brother’s hasty ambush only provoked that evil leader’s ferocity. He endured Third Brother’s sword strike, using his ultimate technique ‘Venomous Snake Heart-Piercing Claw’ to brutally split open Zen Master Juefang’s skull, then heavily struck the Twin Heroes of Lingnan with a palm each, before turning to deal with Third Brother.”
She smiled bitterly, “Now Third Brother is the esteemed sect leader with world-shaking skills, but back then, Third Brother’s kung fu was merely ordinary, wasn’t it?”
“That’s true, I can testify. Back then, Sect Leader Qiu was only slightly stronger than Junior Sister Luo,” Song Shijun cheerfully interjected.
The Taichu Temple disciples all glared at him angrily, while the Guangtian Gate disciples returned identical glares.
“With Elder Yaoguang’s power, even ten of the Third Brothers wouldn’t have survived. But Eldest Brother, Eldest Brother he…” Luo Yuanrong’s tears fell, “Without a second thought, he turned back to save Third Brother, fighting desperately with that evil leader. And my Third Brother, taking advantage of this opportunity, fled for his life!”
Many heroes knew that Wu Yuanying had died on Mount Dinglu, but they were hearing the true circumstances for the first time. The crowd erupted in an uproar. Even the young disciples from the Six Sects were shocked. People’s gazes toward Qiu Yuanfeng turned unfavorable, with some hot-tempered individuals even spitting on the ground in contempt.
Facing the various looks, Qiu Yuanfeng struggled to maintain composure. “Yes, Senior Brother did save me back then,” he admitted. “However, I didn’t flee out of cowardice. He ordered me to escape!”
“Oh?” The Taoist priest Yun Zhuan spoke again, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “When Wu Yuanying told you to retreat earlier, you didn’t listen. But after causing trouble and provoking the demon, you suddenly remembered to flee? So you take credit for the achievements but leave others to clean up your mess? No wonder people say Master Qiu has a ‘true nature’ – indeed, what a true nature it is!”
Song Shijun could barely contain his laughter. He loudly agreed, “Taoist Yun speaks the truth! Master Qiu, you should bear responsibility for the trouble you caused. Running away after creating chaos – didn’t you essentially send your senior brother to his death?”
Cang Qiongzi angrily retorted, “Slaying demons is the duty of all righteous heroes. Even if Yuanfeng was a bit hasty, it can’t be considered a grave mistake! Yuanying sacrificing his life to save him shows their deep brotherhood. Neither of them did anything wrong!”
Taoist Yun responded coolly, “Fine, if you say there’s no fault, then there’s no fault.”
Cai Zhao whispered, “When I leave the mountain someday, I must invite Taoist Yun for a drink.” His retorts were so satisfying!
“Save your breath,” Chang Ning glanced at the girl’s rosy cheeks.
Seeing the tense atmosphere, Qi Yunke quickly interjected, “Sister Luo, this incident was indeed unfortunate. However, what’s done is done. Please try to accept it and move on. I believe Brother Yuanying willingly sacrificed himself to save his junior brother.”
Wang Yuanjing wept, murmuring, “It’s all my fault. I should have gone with them that day.”
“Second Senior Brother was recovering from injuries then. How could you have gone?” The handsome young Taoist quickly defended him.
“No, Senior Brother isn’t dead!” Luo Yuanrong wiped away her tears. “I know it. These past years, I’ve visited every survivor from Mount Dinglu. Not one saw Senior Brother die with their own eyes!”
Her conviction made the crowd hesitate.
Qiu Yuanfeng laughed bitterly. “The last time I looked back before leaving, I saw the Yaoguang demon’s Venomous Snake Heart-Piercing Claw grab Senior Brother’s chest. Ask anyone—has anyone ever survived that attack in decades? Even Master Juefang, the great disciple of Fakong, wasn’t as strong as Senior Brother. Yet one claw from that demon split his skull, killing him instantly!”
The crowd nodded in agreement.
The Venomous Snake Heart-Piercing Claw was infamous back then, said to be fatal without exception. It was Elder Yaoguang’s signature move, still chilling to recall. However, its overwhelming power drained so much energy that even Elder Yaoguang couldn’t use it repeatedly.
Zhou Zhizhen spoke gently, “Sister Luo if Wu truly fell victim to the Venomous Snake Heart-Piercing Claw, there’s no chance he survived. Please try to accept it.”
“If hit directly by the claw, death would be certain,” Luo Yuanrong agreed. “But what if an object shielded Senior Brother? My family has an heirloom, the Mysterious Iron Heart Mirror.” She pointed to the giant gong outside. “It’s made of deep-sea mysterious iron, like that gong. My father left it to me on his deathbed.”
The crowd was stunned.
“Before Senior Brother left that day, I begged him to wear the Heart Mirror under his clothes. I wouldn’t let him leave otherwise,” Luo Yuanrong said sorrowfully. “He finally agreed.”
She raised her head abruptly. “With the Mysterious Iron Heart Mirror, even the Venomous Snake Heart-Piercing Claw might not have been fatal!”
Qiu Yuanfeng, shaken to his core, roared to avoid thinking further, “That’s just your claim! No one has tested it—who knows if your mirror works? Besides, I didn’t know Senior Brother was wearing a heart mirror!”
“Even if Senior Brother died, even if just a corpse, you should have brought him back!” Luo Yuanrong screamed hoarsely. “You’ve always been jealous of Senior Brother, always thinking you’re better, always feeling you’d never succeed with him around. That’s why you abandoned him! You thought with Senior Brother gone, you could inherit Taichu Temple!”
Qiu Yuanfeng trembled with rage. “You… you’re spouting slander! It’s absurd, utterly absurd!”
Zhou Zhizhen interjected, “That’s going too far. At the time, Master Qiu’s skills were far below his Second Senior Brother Wang Yuanjing. By rank and martial arts, Wang should have succeeded as leader after Brother Yuanying. Sister Luo, your accusation is too serious.”
“Exactly! It’s this unrepentant disciple’s stubbornness that got her master killed!” Cang Qiongzi finally reacted, shouting, “I was in the Northwest then, and my senior brother was ill. When we heard of Yuanying’s tragic death, he immediately coughed up blood! This disciple still insisted everyone go to the demonic cult to save someone! He was already dead—what was there to save?”
“Then why did Elder Yaoguang send a message to Master?” Luo Yuanrong cried out.
The crowd was incredulous. Even Master Jingyuan stepped forward, saying sternly, “Master Canghuanzi despises evil. He would never collude with the demonic cult. Miss Luo, mind your words!”
Back then, the righteous and evil factions were already locked in a bloody feud. Anyone suspected of communicating with the enemy would instantly become a foe of the righteous path.
Luo Yuanrong spoke with a trembling voice: “The day after the Mount Dinglu battle, Master received a flying letter from Elder Yaoguang himself. It said Senior Brother wasn’t dead—that demon wanted to exchange him for Elder Kaiyang. Master dared not believe it, but hoped Senior Brother might truly be alive. So he took the letter to Nine Li Mountain to consult Old Patriarch Yin.”
“How many more of these powerful figures does the demonic cult have?” Cai Zhao muttered to himself.
Chang Ning reassured him, “Don’t worry, only two of those seven old monsters are left now.”
The crowd’s attention turned to Qi Yunke.
Qi Yunke sighed reluctantly, “Actually, before the Mount Dinglu incident, the demonic cult’s Elder Kaiyang had already been captured by my master and his peers. He was imprisoned in the dungeon of Wanshui Qianshan Cliff. Elder Yaoguang was quite close to Elder Kaiyang, so…”
Yang Heying exclaimed, “Could it be that Master Canghuanzi wanted Old Patriarch Yin to exchange that demon for his beloved disciple? Surely not. Did Old Patriarch Yin agree?”
“Of course not!” Song Shijun shouted. “Back then, my father-in-law, his senior brother Cheng Hao, and junior brother Wang Dingchuan were known as the ‘Three Elders of Qingfeng.’ They were as close as brothers and renowned. It was to capture the demon Kaiyang that two of the Three Elders of Qingfeng fell! My father-in-law was grief-stricken, bedridden for months—Master Fakong knows this.”
Master Fakong chanted a Buddhist phrase, “Indeed, it was so.”
Everyone in the hall thought: How could they give up the great demon that Qingxue Sect paid for with two Grand Masters’ lives to exchange for Wu Yuanying, especially when they weren’t even sure if he was alive or dead?
Qi Yunke continued, “Master and Elder Canghuanzi had decades of friendship. He shouldn’t have refused, but remembering how Elder Cheng and Uncle Wang died horribly, he found it hard to decide. Finally, the Master decided to accompany Elder Canghuanzi to the meeting. If Brother Wu was truly alive, they planned to work together to capture Elder Yaoguang and rescue Brother Wu. But who knew…”
“There’s nothing more to know,” Cang Qiongzi interrupted. “This whole thing was indeed false—a trap set by that demon from start to finish. My senior brother returned gravely injured from the meeting and passed away soon after. Fortunately, he and Old Patriarch Yin managed to kill the demon Yaoguang together, ridding the martial world of a great evil!”
Qiu Yuanfeng added, “Master spoke clearly on his deathbed—Senior Brother was dead, and we should never believe anything the demonic cult says! Fourth Junior Sister, you were by Master’s sickbed too. Didn’t you hear?”
Cai Zhao was confused and suspicious: “So Elder Yaoguang deceived Elder Canghuanzi? What happened to Elder Kaiyang then?”
“I know this,” Fan Xingjia rarely had a chance to contribute. “Thunder Senior Uncle said that when Elder Kaiyang heard Elder Yaoguang had died, he recklessly tried to escape and was killed at the cliff’s edge that night.”
Cai Zhao exclaimed, “Wow, I didn’t expect such deep brotherly loyalty among evil cult members.”
Chang Ning glanced sideways, “…Loyalty indeed, but brotherly? Not necessarily.”
Cai Zhao didn’t understand, his attention drawn back to Luo Yuanrong’s words.
“I heard,” Luo Yuanrong said calmly. “At the time, I blamed Master in my heart. Only later did I understand—he did it for me. He had no other choice then.”
She continued, “Elder Kaiyang, exchanged for the lives of two Qingxue Sect uncles, couldn’t be traded for Senior Brother. Master was also near death—who would support me after he was gone? People soon forget the dead.”
“The day after Master passed, Uncle took over as sect leader, followed by Third Senior Brother. Those who respected and remembered Senior Brother were gradually pushed out of Taichu Temple.”
“Now, no one remembers him anymore.”
A wave of sadness washed over the crowd. The once-mighty young hero of the righteous path had been forgotten.
Luo Yuanying suddenly raised her head: “But I remember him. I will never, ever forget him!”
“Enough!” Qiu Yuanfeng exploded in anger. “Senior Brother is truly dead. Why do you keep dwelling on this? Show us some irrefutable evidence! Don’t bring up that heart mirror again—who knows if it even works!”
“Ironclad proof? Of course,” Luo Yuanying’s smile was desolate and vengeful. “Without rock-solid evidence, how dare I come to Wanshui Qianshan Cliff today?”
The crowd tensed.
Luo Yuanying turned back: “Wu Gang, Wu Xiong… be careful.”
The two men carefully opened the golden bamboo basket, which seemed to contain a thick, soft blanket. All eyes focused on it as they revealed a person wrapped inside.
They uncovered the head first, then shoulders, chest, abdomen, and then… nothing more.
Nothing more?
Cai Zhao, standing far away, craned his neck curiously to see clearly. Suddenly, he heard Yin Sulian in the main hall let out a terrified scream before fainting.
Everyone finally saw clearly what remained of ‘this person.’
His eyes had been gouged out, tongue cut off, and once-prominent nose flattened, leaving only two holes for breathing. His limbs were severed, leaving just a torso. The body was covered in wounds—even the exposed skin showed signs of whipping, cutting, tendon severing, burning, charring, flesh carving…
Perhaps it could no longer be called a person.
In the hall, only heavy breathing could be heard.
“This… this is…” Yang Heying’s voice trembled, barely recognizable even to himself.
“Brother Yuanying!” Taoist Yun Zhuan cried out, rushing to embrace the ‘person’ like a madman. He wailed, “Brother Yuanying, how did you end up like this? How… how could this happen to you!”
His cry seemed to wake everyone from a nightmare. Many in the hall had met Wu Yuanying before. Despite the passage of twenty years, despite his current horrific state, they could still vaguely recognize that this was indeed Wu Yuanying, once the pride of Taichu Temple!
“The demonic cult is inhuman, worse than beasts!” Song Shijun roared.
Even the usually gentle Zhou Zhizhen gritted his teeth in extreme anger.
Cai Zhao had heard the crowd’s clamor many times today—cheering, mocking, threatening—but none as thunderous as now. Everyone was screaming, lamenting, cursing, exclaiming, creating a deafening uproar!
A fate worse than death had befallen this once-celebrated prodigy.
Cai Zhao felt a chill deep in his core.