“I had considered that Zhaozao, being so clever, might guess the secret afterward,” Mu Qingyan seemed to be talking to himself. “I didn’t expect you to figure it out even sooner than I thought.” He frowned slightly. “I originally believed Fan Xingjia was working for the mastermind, but now it seems he was unaware of the truth and was deceived.”
Cai Zhao’s heart trembled. “You… you know who instructed Fifth Senior Brother?”
“No,” Mu Qingyan calmly replied. “But I’ve pretty much guessed. Fan Xingjia lived in Jiangnan until he was ten, then joined the Qingque Sect. The person who could make him do this must be either Qi Yunke, whose orders he couldn’t disobey, or Zhou Zhizhen, who controls his family’s fate.”
Neither name was one Cai Zhao wanted to hear. She struggled to speak, “How do you know there isn’t a third person?”
“That’s why I went to ask Song Xiuzhi.”
“Song Xiuzhi? What did he say?”
Mu Qingyan smiled sarcastically. “He said that one night, a man in black suddenly came to tell him about a secret that occurred a thousand miles away in Qimu Mountain. From Yang Heying’s madness to the fate of the Yellow Sand Gang and the villagers, everything was clear. What happened afterward was all Song Xiuzhi’s careful planning.”
Cai Zhao’s heart sank. “This mastermind knew that just by giving Song Xiuzhi a reason, he could leverage the entire Guangtian Gate. This person, this person…”
Mu Qingyan continued, “This person understands Song Xiuzhi and the factions within Guangtian Gate very well. This can’t be achieved through hearsay; it requires close interaction. Qi Yunke is Song Shijun’s brother-in-law and can freely enter the Song family. Zhou Zhizhen is famous in the martial world for his benevolence, inviting young disciples from various sects to stay at Peiqiong Manor every few years. Although you’ve only been once, the other sects have gone many times.”
“Among the other renowned figures of the Six Sects, some lack the cultivation to escape detection silently, while others are not close enough to the Song family. Only Qi and Zhou fit the bill!”
Cai Zhao grew more confused. “If you knew they were the main suspects, why did you let Fifth Senior Brother take the night orchid? Why did you hide it from me and watch me find the Purple Jade Golden Sunflower?” A terrifying thought flashed through her mind. “Was the man in black at Xuankong Temple sent by you? Did you steal the Purple Jade Golden Sunflower? Did you also take a cutting of the night orchid that night at the Blood Swamp? Are you also trying to cultivate the ‘Purple Wei Heart Sutra’?”
Mu Qingyan stomped heavily on the rock, leaping down to Cai Zhao. “Do you think I would send someone to hurt you and force you to jump off a cliff?” The rock behind him cracked and then shattered completely.
Cai Zhao stepped back, shouting, “My aunt trusted Mu Zhengyang back then, which led to her brothers’ tragic deaths! She had to go to Tu Mountain alone to fight Nie Hengcheng! Now you’re also deceiving me about this. How can I trust you?”
Mu Qingyan suppressed his anger. “I can’t cultivate the ‘Purple Wei Heart Sutra’ at all!”
Cai Zhao scoffed, “If my master and Uncle Zhou can practice it, why can’t you?!”
“Because I have no blood relatives left in this world!”
Cai Zhao was stunned. “What… what do you mean? What does this have to do with blood relatives?” She stepped forward, pleading softly, “At this point, why don’t you just tell me everything? Please, don’t hide anything anymore.”
Mu Qingyan turned his head, his eyes growing fiercer. “Fine, if you want to hear it, I’ll tell you everything!”
He explained that after Mu Zhengyang forged Elder Qu’s notes, he destroyed the original. However, Mu Qingyan found another copy elsewhere, which differed from Mu Zhengyang’s forgery in three key points:
First, Mu Song’s eldest son wasn’t killed by his siblings. Mu Song had kept his children’s factions separate to prevent internal strife. When the eldest son died, none of Mu Song’s other children or their confidants were even in the Extreme Pleasure Palace.
Cai Zhao was shocked. “Then who killed Mu Song’s eldest son?”
Mu Qingyan’s eyes darkened further. He explained that if the son had been killed by someone within the sect, Mu Song would have searched for traitors. If it were an outsider, he would have sought revenge with the entire sect’s power. But Mu Song did nothing. He tried to erase all traces of his eldest son’s existence. The official history of the Divine Sect doesn’t even mention Mu Song having a frail eldest son.
Cai Zhao had an unbelievable thought. “Was… was it Mu Song himself who killed his eldest son?” She could hardly believe her own words. “How is that possible? They were father and son!”
Mu Qingyan then revealed the second point of Mu Zhengyang’s forgery: The back garden of the Extreme Pleasure Palace wasn’t accidentally burned during the power struggle among the children. Mu Song himself burned it, destroying all the night orchids, the Snow Scale Dragon Beast’s saliva, and the Purple Jade Golden Sunflower.
Cai Zhao realized, “So that’s when the Purple Jade Golden Sunflower was burned into a black stone?”
“Correct. After the fire was extinguished, someone found the melted Purple Jade Golden Sunflower and threw it back into the storehouse,” Mu Qingyan said. “Why do you think Patriarch Mu Song did this?”
Cai Zhao hesitated. “He… he didn’t want his eldest son to cultivate the ‘Purple Wei Heart Sutra’?”
“Correct.”
“What do you mean ‘correct’? It doesn’t make sense,” Cai Zhao said, growing more confused. “Your family forbids future generations from cultivating the ‘Purple Wei Heart Sutra’ because it either kills or cripples the practitioner. But Mu Song’s eldest son seemed fine after mastering it, even curing his congenital weakness. So why would Patriarch Mu Song disapprove?”
Mu Qingyan then revealed the third point of Mu Zhengyang’s forgery: During the chaos of the power struggle, what was found at the foot of the mountain wasn’t the mummified bodies of seven experts, but the dried corpses of two children.
“What?!” Cai Zhao was shocked.
Mu Qingyan explained that one child was born to Mu Song’s favorite concubine in his later years and was only four years old. The other was Mu Song’s first grandchild, still an infant, born to his second son. Mu Song had taken the infant to raise personally. When these two children disappeared one after another, Mu Song searched extensively but eventually gave up.
Both children had their vital energy drained, but there were differences. When killing the four-year-old, the murderer wasn’t yet skilled in the Ghost Leech Technique, so the child’s bones were broken into segments. With the infant, the killer was more proficient, reducing the bones to powder, leaving only a shriveled husk.
Cai Zhao felt a chill. “Was this all done by Mu Song’s eldest son? How could he be so inhuman? Why would he do such a beastly thing?”
Mu Qingyan reminded her of what Grandma Jiang had said about Mu Zhengyang wanting to kill Nie Zhe but being unable to explain why. He also reminded her of why Mu Zhengyang had injured his father, trying to take the infant Mu Qingyan.
Cai Zhao’s eyes widened in horror as she began to understand.
Mu Qingyan continued, guiding her thoughts. He pointed out that Nie Hengcheng couldn’t break through the third level even after draining so many top experts, yet Mu Song’s eldest son had succeeded. So what was the correct method?
“Oh God, oh God!” Cai Zhao gasped, hardly able to believe such evil could exist in the world. “How could this be? No wonder Mu Song killed his son! This is terrible, utterly inhumane! How could anyone think of such a vicious and horrifying method? Was he insane?!”
Mu Qingyan murmured, “Who would have thought that to master this unparalleled, world-shaking technique, the final step would be to drain the life force of one’s flesh and blood?”
“Mu Zhengyang is also insane!” Cai Zhao cursed, breathless. “He wanted to kill Nie Zhe to cut off Nie Hengcheng’s path, fearing he might suddenly gain enlightenment. He wanted to take you because he… he wanted to practice it himself!”
She realized why Mu Qingyan said he couldn’t practice it – all his close relatives were dead. Even if he had a child now, the night orchid would lose its effectiveness in six months. However, both Qi Yunke and Zhou Zhizhen had children readily available!
Cai Zhao pointed at Mu Qingyan, cursing, “And you! You’re also insane! Knowing all this, why did you let everything happen? What if the mastermind knows this secret?”
Mu Qingyan pondered briefly, “I want to practice the Purple Micro Heart Sutra.”
“Have you lost your mind? How could you possibly practice that?” Mu Qinghan suddenly looked up. “Haven’t you considered that besides Mu Song’s eldest son, two others have mastered the Purple Micro Heart Sutra in the past two hundred years?”
Cai Zhao racked his brain. “Who?”
“The first-generation leader Mu Xiujue and his frail, short-lived eldest son,” Mu Qingyan replied.
“Another frail, short-lived eldest son?” Cai Zhao’s mind wandered. “Was he also killed by his father?”
“No,” Mu Qingyan denied. “Father and son died half a year apart. Moreover, I’ve thoroughly checked the records. Among Mu Xiujue’s children, the eldest son died first—he didn’t use blood relatives for cultivation. Additionally, the night orchid was brought by a traveler from India over fifty years later. No one in the sect grew such plants then.”
Confused, Cai Zhao asked, “Then how did he master it?”
Mu Qingyan spoke softly, “I’ve thought carefully—the Purple Micro Heart Sutra is a peerless technique left by the Northern Chen Ancestor for his descendants. How could it be an evil art requiring draining blood relatives? This means there must be another cultivation method, righteous and honorable.”
“After much consideration, I finally understood,” he continued. “Practicing the Purple Micro Heart Sutra doesn’t require saliva, night orchids, or purple jade golden sunflowers. These were forcibly invented by Mu Song’s eldest son to enhance the technique. To cultivate the Purple Micro Heart Sutra, one only needs help from someone who has already mastered it to break through the first level.”
He explained further, “The Northern Chen Ancestor helped Mu Xiujue master the Purple Micro Heart Sutra. Mu Xiujue married in middle age and only had an adult eldest son when he died. His other children were still young, so he helped his eldest son pass the first level. The eldest brother should have then helped his younger siblings, but he died young, causing the Purple Micro Heart Sutra to become lost.”
“You’ve thought of all this?” Cai Zhao said coldly. “It seems you’re waiting for someone else to drain their blood relatives to master the Purple Micro Heart Sutra, then have them help you break through the first level. However, no matter how well you plan, things might not go your way! Why would someone invincible listen to you?”
Mu Qingyan calmly replied, “Since I’ve guessed the mastermind is either Qi Yunke or Zhou Zhizhen, I’ve naturally made arrangements. There are many ways to control people—reason, emotion, and… poison. Coincidentally, our sect excels at such minor skills.”
Cai Zhao grew anxious, stomping her foot. “Why are you doing this? Isn’t your current power enough? If you had stopped Fan senior brother then, none of this would have happened! Can’t we just live peacefully?”
“You won’t live peacefully with me,” Mu Qingyan’s brow furrowed coldly. “Remember the cave by Suchuan? No matter how I begged or threatened, you left without looking back.”
“In this life, I hate being abandoned most,” he said deliberately, with a touch of desperation and madness. “I thought after my father’s death, no one could abandon me again, but you hurt me once more! I won’t let this happen again.”
“It’s just the grudge between the Divine Sect and Northern Chen, just sectarian conflicts! When Qi Yunke and Zhou Zhizhen commit unforgivable crimes, I’ll expose them publicly, ruining their reputations. Then I’ll send out troops to destroy Northern Chen completely! Who will dare discuss our affairs then?”
Unable to argue, Cai Zhao could only repeat, “Have you gone mad? Do you know how many people will die for your wishes? Senior sister Lingbo and Zhou Yuqi are innocent!”
Mu Qingyan’s expression was terrifyingly calm. “Their fathers want to kill them. What does that have to do with me?”
Unable to tolerate it anymore, Cai Zhao shouted, “My aunt said there are two types of evil people: those who do evil and those who watch evil happen. You’re worse because you not only watch but allow and even anticipate it! Mu Qingyan, I despise you! Even if Northern Chen is destroyed or the world unites, I’ll never be with someone like you!”
As she spoke, she had already gripped a handful of pebbles in her palm. At the last word, she flipped her hand, sending over a dozen pebbles flying toward Mu Qingyan like sharp blades.
Mu Qingyan raised his sleeve and tilted his head to dodge. Cai Zhao seized this opportunity to dart into the dense forest of giant trees ahead. Mu Qingyan brushed off the pebbles with his sleeve, only to find the girl had vanished without a trace.
He let out an angry cold snort, and a small firework slid from his sleeve into his palm. He struck it with two fingers, and it shot upwards, exploding in the air. In the pitch-black night sky, a bright silver circle suddenly bloomed.
Seeing this, Shangguan Haonan, guarding outside the ‘Forbidden Tomb’, said, “The leader wants us to seal off the mountain. What’s going on? Did they have such a big argument? Should we ask Lian Shisan to go in and check?”
You Guanyue thought for a moment. “It’s best to ask Elder Cheng to come out too. Lian Shisan won’t mediate; he’ll just watch the show.”
“Alright, I’ll lead some men to block the Path of Netherworld Bamboo first.”
The night wind howled, and the huge black trees twisted like demons. Cai Zhao ran desperately, striking any obstructing trees or rocks with her palm as she passed until her palm edge began to ache. Behind her came urgent calls, alternating between furious and gentle, irritating her.
“Zhao Zhao, come out quickly! This is a dead end; you can’t escape!”
“If you insist on opposing me, I won’t be kind!”
“Be good, Zhao Zhao. You’re still injured. Come out, let’s talk properly.”
If they were on flat ground, Mu Qingyan would have caught up to Cai Zhao by now. But the terrain was rugged, with dense black giant trees. Cai Zhao’s small figure could easily hide behind a tree, making it difficult for Mu Qingyan to spot her.
After calling for a long time without a response, he angrily moved to strike. Just as he was about to unleash a palm strike, he saw the splintered fallen tree and felt afraid. Unable to strike, unable to call her out, and unable to set fire to the forest—this was, after all, the ancestral burial ground.
Mu Qingyan stopped and shouted, “Don’t think hiding will work. I’m sending for hunting dogs now. They’ll sniff you out in no time!”
Cai Zhao’s heart jumped, and she darted forward. This movement exposed her position, and Mu Qingyan followed like an arrow.
Cai Zhao fled blindly until a huge rock blocked her path. She tried to break it with her qi, but the rock was incredibly hard, only chipping off a few brittle pieces. Seeing Mu Qingyan about to catch up, Cai Zhao, in desperation, drew her Yan Yang Knife. Gathering all her strength, she leaped and slashed. The rock shattered, revealing two identical cave entrances side by side.
As Cai Zhao looked back, she could already see Mu Qingyan’s tall figure. In a panic, she plunged into the right cave without thinking.
Just a step behind, Mu Qingyan arrived to find two sudden appeared cave entrances, identical in size and shape. The Fallen Petal Valley’s Flower Crossing technique was incredibly light, leaving no trace of the girl’s passage. For the first time in his life, he was at a loss.
He snorted lightly and, as if out of spite, entered the left cave.
The cave was pitch black, emitting a cold, sealed air, yet not stuffy—somehow ventilated. Mu Qingyan was about to light a torch when he noticed a faint glow on the nearby cave wall. Upon closer inspection, it was a fist-sized luminous pearl.
The long cave wound and twisted, sometimes narrow, sometimes wide. Every few zhang, a fist-sized luminous pearl was embedded in the wall. In wider areas, oil lamps even hung.
Although curious about the cave’s arrangement, Mu Qingyan was eager to catch up with Cai Zhao, so he lightly bounded forward. Despite the cave’s enclosed nature, Mu Qingyan sensed he was constantly descending. After sprinting for over a hundred zhang, he suddenly hit a dead end. Enraged, he unleashed a powerful palm strike into the void. The large rock blocking the way shattered with a boom, and dawn light immediately streamed in.
Mu Qingyan was stunned. He pushed aside the dense vines covering the cave mouth and stepped out, finding himself at the foot of a mountain, with peaks floating like clouds above.
Looking back, he was shocked to see the Path of Netherworld Bamboo behind him! If the cave he had taken led outside the Path of Netherworld Bamboo, the other one probably did too!
Mu Qingyan quickly let out a clear whistle. Shangguan Haonan, who had been guarding the Path of Netherworld Bamboo, heard the signal and rushed over.
With an ashen face, Mu Qingyan ordered, “Quickly gather all your men, mount the fastest horses, and spread out along every small path to search. Bring Zhao Zhao back to me!”
Shangguan Haonan was startled. “Has Miss Zhao Zhao already left? That’s impossible. I’ve been guarding the Path of Netherworld Bamboo the whole time. No one passed through!”
Mu Qingyan shouted, “Don’t waste time talking. Hurry and chase her! When we catch her, I’ll break her legs myself!”
As Shangguan Haonan was about to obey, Lian Shisan arrived leisurely, wearing a loose short garment. He said carelessly, “No need to search. You won’t catch up anyway.”
Shangguan Haonan looked questioningly at You Guanyue behind Lian Shisan. You Guanyue wore a bitter smile.
Lian Shisan explained, “As we were coming over, the leader’s golden-winged roc flew overhead. We saw a girl riding on one of them. By now, she’s probably flown beyond the Hanhai Mountain Range.”
Alarmed, Mu Qingyan immediately pulled out a thin gold chain from inside his collar. In the end, instead of the golden whistle he used to summon the golden-winged roc, there was a bamboo-shaped earring of similar size. He instantly recalled the girl’s suppressed smile yesterday evening when he mentioned borrowing her ride on the golden-winged roc.
Lian Shisan craned his neck to look. “Oh, so she swapped the golden whistle? Leader, you didn’t notice at all? When did she make the switch? Not bad craftsmanship.”
The lingering sensation of the girl’s warm, soft skin during their intimate moments seemed to still cling to him. Mu Qingyan’s face alternated between red and white. The air stagnated for a long moment before he clenched the earring and roared in fury, “No need to chase. Let her go die!”