The night lay heavy as ink on the mountaintop, without a glimmer of light. Howling winds swept across the unguarded Fengyun Peak, while distant owls screeched, each cry more eerie than the last. Cai Zhao and Yang Xiaolan huddled silently behind a massive boulder, enveloped by the frigid air for who knows how long.
Yang Xiaolan flexed her numb fingers, feeling the last warmth leave her chest. She couldn’t help but ask, “Are you sure that person will respond to your request?”
“Yes,” Cai Zhao said firmly. “If my master completes his demonic cultivation, the person he cares about most will surely die.”
Days earlier, Cai Zhao had sought out Yang Xiaolan to borrow Siqimen’s carrier pigeons. After burying Yang’s mother, Lady Zhuo, the two girls stormed Siqimen. When Yang Heying’s lackeys protested, Yang Xiaolan silenced them with her blade, leaving the entire sect frozen in fear. The girls proceeded unhindered to the pigeon coop, where Yang Xiaolan slaughtered all but two birds, which Cai Zhao kept.
“He’s here,” Cai Zhao whispered sharply.
Following her words, a black lightning-like shape accompanied by the heavy clang of metal chains whizzed by. Two chains, each thicker than an arm, struck the cliff face of Fengyun Peak with dull thuds, their ends locking firmly onto iron rings embedded in the rock.
Cai Zhao emerged from behind the boulder, lightly stepping onto the chain. Yang Xiaolan hesitated briefly before following. Fierce winds whipped through the misty ravine, causing the girls’ clothes and hair to dance wildly. Even the heavy chains swayed under the wind’s brutal force.
Cai Zhao leaped nimbly along the chain, noting that Yang Xiaolan, though pale, maintained her footing. “You hesitated before stepping onto the chain. Was something wrong?” she asked, her voice clear despite its low volume.
Yang Xiaolan, initially startled, quickly composed herself. “I wanted to ask if you were certain about that person. What if it’s a trap on the other end of the chain?”
“Why didn’t you ask then?” Cai Zhao pressed, still moving forward.
“Our mission is already a gamble with death. If we’re afraid of everything, we might as well not climb Wanshui Qianshan Cliff at all,” Yang Xiaolan replied.
“Well said!” Cai Zhao praised.
Yang Xiaolan shook her head, a bitter smile on her face. “I’ve lived in fear since I was old enough to understand—fear of my father’s anger and abuse, fear of him taking it out on my mother, fear of Madam Sha’s bullying… But the more you fear something, the more it seems to happen. Now, I’m alone with nothing left to fear.”
Cai Zhao sighed inwardly. “Things will get better, Sister Xiaolan. You have a long life ahead of you.”
“Yes,” Yang Xiaolan replied flatly. “Once Yang Heying faces justice, everything will be fine.”
Cai Zhao faltered, unsure whether to wish her success in killing her father.
As they approached the chain’s end, the looming black cliff face resembled a beast’s gaping maw. Cai Zhao steeled herself and leaped up, landing softly near the chain’s anchor mechanism. However, the vast Wanshui Qianshan Cliff was eerily silent, with no sign of the guards who should have been on duty.
Yang Xiaolan, catching up, whispered in surprise, “Why is there no one here?”
“Because I’ve drugged them all unconscious,” a soft voice suddenly answered. A figure stepped forward, remaining hidden in the shadows.
Cai Zhao, seemingly unsurprised, asked directly, “Where is Senior Sister Lingbo?”
“I’ve searched everywhere without success. I didn’t dare ask openly,” the voice replied.
“What about Lady Sulian?”
“No trace of her either.”
Yang Xiaolan was puzzled but remained silent, trusting Cai Zhao’s judgment.
Cai Zhao anxiously wondered, “Senior Sister Lingbo hasn’t been… harmed by ‘him’, has she?”
The figure shook his head. “‘He’ just broke through the second level yesterday at dawn. I haven’t seen ‘him’ since daybreak; he’s likely started cultivating the third level. I’ve been worried sick, fearing you wouldn’t come.” His voice trembled with fear.
Looking at the two girls, he asked, “Is it… just the two of you?”
Cai Zhao replied, “Before leaving, I sent pigeons to my uncle and Aunt Zhixian. They should arrive soon, given the travel time.”
“That’s good,” the figure sighed in relief. “Don’t alert anyone else yet. I’ll go back and see if I can learn anything from Li Wenxun.”
“Alright,” Cai Zhao agreed. “How much time do we have?”
“Less than two hours before dawn,” he answered.
Cai Zhao frowned, surveying the area. “The cliff guards change shifts hourly, with two patrols nearby also changing hourly. Any disturbance triggers an alarm. How did you arrange two hours for us?”
He explained, “I’ve drugged the current three teams of guards and hidden them in the bushes. I also snuck into the dormitories and drugged the next three teams set to relieve them. For these two hours, no one on Wanshui Qianshan Cliff will notice anything amiss. I couldn’t risk doing more without raising suspicion.”
Cai Zhao questioned, “Won’t their roommates grow suspicious when they don’t return or leave for their shifts?”
He replied, “I’ve been planning since I received your pigeon days ago. I checked Li Wenxun’s guard roster and, under the pretext of termite extermination, relocated many disciples, including tonight’s six teams, to two separate courtyards.”
Cai Zhao nodded approvingly. “My aunt was right; you’re indeed cautious and meticulous. The sleeping drug must be reliable then?”
“It’s the knockout drug your mother taught me to make,” he said softly. “It lasts for three hours. I… I’ve always been grateful for Lady Cai’s kindness.”
“Oh? I thought you only cared about the Yin mother and daughter!” Cai Zhao sneered. “Alright, you should go now!”
The man stumbled back, and as moonlight illuminated his face, it revealed Zeng Dalou. Shame-faced, he turned and left quickly.
Yang Xiaolan watched him leave before speaking, “Are we going to wait here for Zhou Nüxia and the others to climb up?”
“No, we can’t afford to wait. The sooner we find my master, the better chance Lingbo Shijie has of survival. Let’s scout Muwei Palace first,” Cai Zhao replied. “We’ll return here in about two hours to meet Aunt Zhixian and the others.”
Yang Xiaolan eagerly agreed. The two girls quickly vanished into the misty night.
About an hour later, the chains at the cliff edge rattled softly. A black-clad young man in flowing robes leaped up, his elegant figure gliding through the night air. The intricate gold embroidery on his robe shimmered faintly in the dim light as he landed on the cliff. After a glance around, he sprang towards the inner disciples’ quarters.
Half an hour later, a large group of armed martial artists swiftly climbed Wind Cloud Peak under cover of darkness. Master Juexing and Zhou Zhixian led the way, followed by a mix of Long Spring Temple monks, Pei Qiong Manor disciples, and various jianghu heroes led by Daoist Yunzhuan.
Noticing two chains already secured at the cliff edge, Master Juexing called out to the group behind him, “Don’t waste time! Quickly climb the Wanshui Qianshan Cliff!”
Daoist Yunzhuan shouted his agreement and moved to ascend first. However, the cautious Zhou Zhixian held them back, “How do you know this isn’t a trap set by the other side? We don’t even know if Zhao has arrived!”
Suddenly, You Guanyue emerged from the crowd, his expression mockingly amused. “What’s the big deal? You righteous sects are too precious, but we’re expendable. I’ll call some brothers from the foot of the mountain to scout ahead. Life and death are in heaven’s hands, so there’s no need for all this fuss.”
Zhou Zhixian thought to herself that the Demonic Cult members were indeed ruthless and fearless. She replied sternly, “Sect Leader Mu has already promised me that your forces won’t set foot on Mount Jiuli unless the situation becomes critical!”
Shangguan Haonan could no longer contain himself. “For your Northern Chen’s troubles, I’ve gathered forces from fourteen divisions day and night to come to your aid. Yet you remain wary of us, allowing only a few of our members up the mountain while forcing the rest to stay below. What logic is this? At this point, why cling to such empty reputations!”
Zhou Zhixian remained calm. “Chivalry is an empty name, Northern Chen’s legacy is an empty name, even the two-hundred-year foundation of the Six Sects is an empty name. But without these empty names, we might as well disband the Six Sects and let your cult rule the world!”
Daoist Yunzhuan snorted coldly, “Ultimately, that troublesome ‘Purple Micro Heart Sutra’ originated from your Demonic Cult. If Qi Yunke truly masters those demonic arts, how can the Hanhai Mountain Range stay uninvolved?”
“You…!” Shangguan Haonan sputtered in anger.
“Alright, alright!” Master Juexing intervened, “Stop arguing and listen to this poor monk’s explanation, will you?” He pointed his monk’s staff at a strange series of marks resembling flowers and birds carved in the corner beneath a large rock. “Look, this is our Ning family… Amitabha, a monk shouldn’t dwell on family ties. This was my family’s mark before I became a monk. It means, ‘I’ve arrived, gone ahead, should be safe.'”
Zhou Zhixian relaxed, “I see.” The Ning family had few members left – Lady Ning and her grandson Cai Han were hiding in a heavily fortified mountain bunker, while Master Jingyuan was protecting a group of nuns and the Cai Pingchun couple in Luoying Valley. The only two Ning family members out in the open were Master Juexing and Cai Zhao.
You Guanyue and Shangguan Haonan exchanged glances, both thinking that if Cai Zhao had crossed over, their Sect Leader Mu Qingyan, who had rushed ahead on the Golden-Winged Dapeng, must have crossed as well. As loyal subordinates, they had to follow.
Only Ding Zhuo remained curious about the markings, “… How can such few marks convey so much?”
With only two chains available, Master Juexing organized everyone into an orderly line with proper spacing to prevent overcrowding and falls. Ding Zhuo was placed at the front so he could set up more chains after reaching the other side.
Muwei Palace was shrouded in darkness, with only a few large night pearls embedded in the massive pillars emitting a faint glow. Cai Zhao and Yang Xiaolan darted nimbly across the ceiling beams like agile swallows, but found the first seven halls empty and dark, with only a few ghostly disciples patrolling.
“It seems Sect Leader Qi isn’t in Muwei Palace,” Yang Xiaolan mouthed silently from her perch on a beam.
Cai Zhao replied wordlessly, “Not necessarily. Muwei Palace has secret rooms.”
“Where are the secret rooms?” Yang Xiaolan asked.
Cai Zhao smiled wryly, “Over the past two centuries, each Sect Leader built secret rooms when they felt like it. With so many now, I’m not sure which one my master might be in.”
Yang Xiaolan remained patient, “It’s still early. Let’s search each hall carefully while avoiding the guards.”
“Agreed.”
Though Cai Zhao wasn’t very familiar with Muwei Palace, having only visited the hidden library alcove with Song Yuzhi, she had been trained in the Ning family’s principles of mechanisms. She knew that indoor secret rooms and passages typically utilized one of three locations: above, below, or between walls. By observing air currents with incense ash or gently tapping bricks to discern sounds, Cai Zhao often managed to discover hidden mechanisms.
Yang Xiaolan couldn’t help but admire her skills, “The Luoying Valley truly has a deep heritage.”
Cai Zhao proudly replied, “This isn’t from Luoying Valley. My grandfather taught me; he dotes on me so much.”
Yang Xiaolan’s expression darkened, “My grandfather doted on me too. For over a decade, he secretly sent us money and goods to ensure my mother and I wouldn’t suffer hardship.”
Remembering the tragic fate of Yang Xiaolan’s family at the hands of Yang He’ying, Cai Zhao sighed softly and patted her shoulder comfortingly.
As dawn approached, the two girls continued their fruitless search through the silent, pitch-black halls of the seven-tiered palace. Thanks to their exceptional lightness skills and quick reflexes, they managed to avoid alerting the guards or silently incapacitate them when necessary.
After thoroughly searching three great halls without success – either finding no secret rooms or discovering long-abandoned ones with nearly blocked entrances – Cai Zhao wiped away her sweat in frustration. “Not to speak ill of my ancestors, but why did a righteous sect need so many secret passages and rooms? The last time I saw such a maze was in the Demonic Cult’s Jile Palace!”
Yang Xiaolan pondered, “Sometimes the line between righteousness and evil is blurry. Look at my father – he’s selfish, cruel, and probably more vicious than any Demonic Cult villain. I’ve resolved to avenge my grandfather’s family. If heaven allows me to succeed today, I wonder how the world will judge me. Sister Cai, do you think I’ll be considered righteous or evil?”
She spoke of patricide with unsettling calmness. Cai Zhao was taken aback but quickly replied, “Avenging the murdered Hero Huang and his family is certainly righteous!” She hesitated before adding, “Actually, I could do it for you…”
“I must do this myself, or I’ll never overcome my inner demons,” Yang Xiaolan shook her head. “Sister, you don’t know, but I’ve been able to come and go freely in the Siqimen since I was twelve. Last year, I even discovered several major flaws in my father’s martial arts. I often think, if I hadn’t been so cowardly if I had taken my mother to seek refuge with my grandfather earlier, maybe many lives could have been saved.”
Cai Zhao felt a heavy weight in her heart. “You can’t think like that. Maybe… maybe…” She couldn’t bring herself to say that both Yang Xiaolan’s mother and the Huang family might have been wiped out together. Instead, she changed the subject: “Let’s go meet Aunt Zhixian and Uncle at Wanshui Qianshan Cliff soon. With more people, we’ll have a better chance of finding what we’re looking for.”
Upon reaching the Zhenyi Hall in the fourth tier of Muwei Palace, Cai Zhao noticed that the eastern hall seemed several feet shorter than the western one. Her heart leaped with excitement, but before she could investigate, Yang Xiaolan hissed, “Someone’s here!”
A tall figure moved furtively through the hall, seemingly searching for something. Sensing movement in the eastern wing, the figure lunged towards them with incredible speed and silence, like a bat in the night. Only the faint rustle of clothing alerted the vigilant Yang Xiaolan.
Cai Zhao reacted swiftly, pulling Yang Xiaolan into a pitch-black side chamber without knowing the intruder’s identity.
“Zhao-Zhao, come out,” a familiar male voice called in the quiet hall.
Cai Zhao tensed, inwardly cursing this troublemaker. In the dim light of the night pearls, the young man’s high nose and thin lips were visible, his profile sharp and handsome.
Yang Xiaolan recognized him. “Sect Leader Mu?” She turned to Cai Zhao, surprised to see the girl’s pretty face contorted with anger.
“Zhao-Zhao, come out,” Mu Qingyan’s voice rang clearly in the silent hall. “I’ve seen you.”
Yang Xiaolan hesitated. “Sister, should we…?”
“Ignore him. He’s bluffing!” Cai Zhao bit her cheek.
Mu Qingyan surveyed the long hall. “Zhao-zhao, are you coming out or not?”
Cai Zhao smirked in the darkness, thinking he should find her himself if he was so capable.
“Zhao-Zhao, do you remember the giant iron gong outside Chaoyang Hall?” Mu Qingyan suddenly said. “I’ll count to three. If you don’t come out, I’ll strike that gong. It’ll alert everyone, and all our plans will be ruined!”
Yang Xiaolan was stunned. “Surely Sect Leader Mu is joking. How would alerting everyone benefit him? He’d be surrounded too. He must be trying to scare us.”
Cai Zhao gritted her teeth. “Who knows? A madman is capable of anything!”
“One, two, three… Well, you’re brave. I’ll do as you wish!” Mu Qingyan turned to leave.
Cai Zhao had no choice but to emerge, hissing, “Mu, when will you stop this nonsense?”
Seeing her, Mu Qingyan’s eyes lit up. He reached for her, but Cai Zhao coldly avoided his touch.
“Stay away from me!” she said icily. “We’ve said all there is to say between us. It’s best if we remain strangers from now on!” Despite her harsh words, she worried about provoking him too much. Feigning teary eyes, she added plaintively, “If my master masters those demonic arts, I don’t know if I’ll survive today. If you have any conscience left, please don’t interfere.”
Yang Xiaolan hesitated in the shadows, unsure whether to intervene or let Cai Zhao continue her performance.
Mu Qingyan frowned, unmoved. “I allowed the Fang Xing family to take the blood orchid, leading to Qi Yunke’s opportunity to practice the Purple Micro Heart Sutra. You’re not holding that against me? Your sense of justice seems half-hearted.”
“How dare you say that?!” Cai Zhao’s eyes flashed with anger, no longer feigning tears.
Mu Qingyan continued, “Miss Cai, who takes the world’s peace as her duty, wouldn’t you want to take my life to right this wrong if my selfish actions led to widespread suffering?”
Furious, Cai Zhao spat, “…You think I don’t want to?” Knowing she couldn’t overpower him and needing to focus on Qi Yunke’s situation, she slammed her palm against a nearby pillar, careful not to alert the guards. Dust and cobwebs rained down in the secluded hall.
Yang Xiaolan quietly emerged from her corner, brushing off the cobwebs that had fallen on her.
As Cai Zhao turned to leave, Mu Qingyan blocked her path. “Wait, I have two more things to say.”
“Then say them!” Cai Zhao snapped, nearly colliding with his iron-hard chest.
“First,” Mu Qingyan said, slightly spreading his arms, his gold-embroidered sleeves falling to reveal slender, jade-like fingers that seemed to glow in the dim hall, “Zhao-Zhao, if you promise never to be angry with me again or run away from me, I’ll forgive all your past unkindness.”
“What… what are you saying?” Cai Zhao could hardly believe her ears, rage building inside her. “If you hadn’t let the Fang Xing family escape, none of this would be happening! Although my master has been scheming for years and would have acted with or without the Purple Micro Heart Sutra, the current dire situation forcing my uncle and Aunt Zhixian to risk their lives – isn’t it all your fault?!”
Mu Qingyan smiled. “Zhao-Zhao, you forget – I’m the Demonic Cult’s leader. Don’t you always say that good and evil can’t coexist? Harming Northern Chen’s leaders and sowing discord among the Six Sects is my duty.”
Cai Zhao was momentarily speechless. Yang Xiaolan’s hand slowly moved behind her back, fingertips touching cold metal as she remained alert.
“Fine, fine, you’re right!” Cai Zhao laughed bitterly, turning to leave again.
Mu Qingyan blocked her once more. “I still have one more thing to say.”
“Get out of my way!”
“I added something to the blood orchid branch I stole from the Fang Xing family.”
The air suddenly froze. Cai Zhao whirled back around, and Yang Xiaolan stopped mid-step.
Mu Qingyan slowly backed away, enunciating each word: “Did you think I would allow Qi Yunke to practice the Purple Micro Heart Sutra without taking any precautions?”