Mu Qingyan’s words seemed to make the snowy night even colder.
Qian Xueshen was bewildered. “Who’s Chen Shu?”
Cai Zhao questioned, “Chen Shu has a brother?”
While they were still exchanging confused glances, Zhou Zhiqin stepped forward and asked gravely, “Young Yan, are you certain about this?”
Mu Qingyan explained, “After the Yunnan master who created the Five Poison Palm technique joined the demonic cult in his later years, the secret manual fell into the hands of the cult leader. Subsequently, Nie Hengcheng passed this skill to his second disciple, Chen Shu.”
Qian Xueshen couldn’t help but whisper, “Isn’t Master Mu being too presumptuous? Couldn’t someone outside the demonic cult have learned the Five Poison Palm technique?”
Cai Zhao replied in a low voice, “Don’t be foolish. The demonic cult has strict rules. To learn their techniques, one must first join the cult. Even the leader can’t casually teach internal skills to outsiders.”
Zhou Zhiqin approached Chen Fuguang, his voice intense. “When I first saw you yesterday, I thought you looked familiar. So you’re Chen Shu’s brother! Indeed, you bear a striking resemblance to that demon. Well, well, how interesting!”
Chen Fuguang stammered, clearly flustered, “I… I… Don’t falsely accuse me…”
Mu Qingyan continued, “Chen Shu caused havoc outside, but few knew he had a brother with poor physical aptitude, unsuitable for martial arts. Despite his vileness, Chen Shu cared deeply for his sibling. To ensure his brother’s safety, he kept Chen Fuguang away from cult affairs and secretly taught him the Five Poison Palm. However…”
He glanced at the dead rabbit on the ground and smirked. “Unfortunately, after all these years of practice, Brother Fuguang has only mastered the first two levels of the Five Poison Palm, barely enough to kill a rabbit.”
Qian Xueshen, unable to see the significance, remarked, “That seems quite impressive to me. Why is it only considered the first two levels?”
“Master Lei from our sect once said that as one progresses in the Five Poison Palm technique, the palm print’s green color deepens,” Cai Zhao explained quietly. “When Chen Shu used it, his palm prints were dark green, with the wind carrying poison. Look at this rabbit – the palm print is only light green.”
Qian Xueshen examined the dead rabbit again, confirming Cai Zhao’s observation.
In reality, the Five Poison Palm was a deviant technique that showed quick results but lacked long-term potential. Given the same aptitude and training period of three to five years, the Five Poison Palm would yield faster results and allow one to dominate opponents initially, but it would eventually plateau.
Compared to Qi Yunke, who couldn’t defeat Chen Shu in his youth, if Chen Shu hadn’t died, Qi Yunke would have easily overpowered him after a few more years.
To contend with Duan Jiuxiu, Nie Hengcheng had also practiced the Five Poison Palm for several years in his youth. He quickly discovered its limitations and switched to other techniques. He had originally planned the same for his impatient second disciple, Chen Shu – first establishing a reputation with the Five Poison Palm, then switching to other skills once he secured a position in the cult.
Unexpectedly, the Five Poison Palm’s power allowed Chen Shu to repeatedly defeat righteous martial artists, earning him great fame. Tasting success, he refused to change techniques. Only when Cai Pingzhu broke through the palm’s toxicity did Chen Shu regret his decision. Without a life-saving skill and no time to learn a new one, he was left vulnerable.
Zhou Zhiqin, his face cold as frost, said slowly, “Chen Shu killed innocents, his crimes innumerable. How many righteous heroes suffered and died from his Five Poison Palm? Chen Fuguang, come here and face death!” He stepped forward menacingly.
Chen Fuguang, pale with fear, stammered, “I… I… My brother was indeed Chen Shu, but I never joined the demonic cult!”
Zhou Zhiqin paused, startled.
Chen Fuguang fell to the ground, pleading, “It’s true, I swear! You’ve fought the demonic cult for years. Have you ever heard of me? When you hunted my brother, you investigated everything about him but never knew he had a brother. That’s because I never joined the cult or participated in their affairs!”
Zhou Zhiqin stopped, turning to look at Dong Fangxiao.
Dong Fangxiao said quietly, “I think he’s telling the truth. If he’s not part of the demonic cult… the sins of the father shouldn’t extend to his family.”
Everyone understood Zhou Zhiqin’s hesitation. Though crimes shouldn’t affect family members, letting the brother of such an evil person go free felt somewhat wrong.
“So, Chen Shu broke the cult’s rules,” a leisurely voice interjected.
Everyone turned to see Hu Wei approaching slowly, accompanied by his concubine Qinong and a mute old servant.
Hu Wei looked at Chen Fuguang and said, “Nie Zhe, as acting cult leader, still shows some consideration for his uncle’s former confidant. Zhao Ba’s family is well cared for even now. I clearly remember Chen Shu having a brother, yet he never appeared after Chen Shu’s death. I see now – you feared the cult would discover your brother’s violation of the rules by secretly teaching you the Five Poison Palm.”
Zhou Zhiqin frowned, his body slowly gathering energy. “From your words, it seems you’re also part of the demonic cult.”
Hu Wei grinned, “I keep my name and title. I am Hu Wei, the chief disciple of Elder Ji.”
Zhou Zhiqin immediately unsheathed his sword, launching into a technique called “Bright Moon in the Sky,” thrusting directly at Hu Wei.
Cai Zhao recalled her aunt mentioning this move – a rare, fierce technique in the Peiqiong Manor swordsmanship. She had tried practicing it but lacked the power to make it effective. Watching Zhou Zhiqin use it now, she couldn’t help but admire how it truly resembled moonlight flooding the earth, leaving the opponent exposed.
Hu Wei twisted sideways, his palms striking out in quick succession. With a loud clap, he deflected Zhou Zhiqin’s sword, bending it back.
Seeing this, Dong Fangxiao also joined the fight with his sword. The two friends attacked from both sides, but Hu Wei’s palm techniques were vicious and domineering. Even against two opponents, he held his ground.
Cai Zhao watched in awe. “As expected of Elder Ji’s chief disciple, Hu’s skills are impressive.”
Qian Xueshen, following behind, asked, “Could you beat him?”
“…Not right now,” the girl’s voice was uncertain.
Qian Xueshen teased, “You’re not like your aunt. I heard that at your age, Heroine Cai was already feared by both demonic cult members and petty criminals alike.”
“You’re right,” Cai Zhao sighed lightly. If she had known what awaited her upon leaving Luoying Valley, she wouldn’t have slacked off after her aunt’s death. If she had trained diligently for those three years, she’d be much more confident now.
Qian Xueshen asked again, “Could Young Master Yan defeat this Hu?”
Cai Zhao glanced at Mu Qingyan standing a few steps away and whispered, “To be honest, I still can’t gauge the depth of his skills.” She had never seen Mu Qingyan forced to use his full power.
As they spoke, the three combatants had exchanged over ten moves. Hu Wei’s palms were gradually overwhelming the two swordsmen.
Suddenly, Qinong cried out, “You righteous sects resort to outnumbering your opponent?!” She flung a handful of plum blossom needles, glinting coldly in the moonlight with a dark blue sheen, clearly poisoned. Zhou Zhiqin and Dong Fangxiao immediately leaped back.
After steadying himself, Hu Wei turned and delivered a heavy slap to Qinong, scolding, “When did I allow you to interfere in my duel with these two experts? Go help Master Chen up now!”
Qinong’s cheek swelled, tears welling in her eyes. She dared not talk back and obediently went to help Chen Fuguang.
The guards behind Jin Baohui couldn’t help but express sympathy.
Cai Zhao was furious. “What kind of man hits a woman?!”
Qian Xueshen held her sleeve with all his might. “Calm down! It’s just a lovers’ quarrel. Besides, aren’t you supposed to be acting delicate?”
Remembering Mu Qingyan’s instructions, Cai Zhao reluctantly held back her anger.
Hu Wei laughed and said to Zhou Zhiqin, “One-on-one, you’re no match for me. Two-on-one would tarnish your righteous reputation. Why don’t we set aside our sect differences for now and let me ask a couple of questions?”
Zhou Zhiqin grunted and stepped back.
Hu Wei turned to Mu Qingyan. “Young Master Yan, even our cult didn’t know Chen Shu had a brother. How do you know all this? Who exactly are you?” His eyes flashed dangerously as he finished speaking.
Zhou Zhiqin and Dong Fangxiao also looked at Mu Qingyan curiously.
Mu Qingyan merely smiled softly.
Hu Wei, displeased, demanded, “What are you smiling at?”
Mu Qingyan replied calmly, “I just thought of something amusing. Brother Hu, you said ‘I keep my name and title’… Well, when Heroine Cai Pingzhu was eliminating Elder Ji’s disciples, it would have been better if you had kept your name and title then. Perhaps I could have paid respects at your grave, which by now would be overgrown with three-foot-tall grass.”
His words were extremely sarcastic, causing snickers among the crowd.
“What are you saying, brother?” Cai Zhao smiled sweetly. “When Heroine Cai exterminated Ji’s remnants, their bodies were either thrown into mass graves or fed to swamp crocodiles. There are no graves for you to pay respects to.” — Cai Pingzhu’s deep hatred for Ji’s faction’s cruelty towards Qingfeng Temple led her to show no mercy, and deliberately brutal in her actions.
Mu Qingyan feigned surprise: “Oh, is that so? Thanks to Heroine Cai, we can save money on incense and candles.”
These words elicited more laughter from the crowd. Even Zhou Zhiqin and Dong Fangxiao’s gloomy expressions lightened, shaking their heads with amusement.
Hu Wei’s face turned ashen. He coldly said, “Enough nonsense. Answer my question!”
Mu Qingyan calmly adjusted his sleeves. “If you can, reveal my background. If not, stop your prattling. I’ll say this though — Duan Jiuxiu is a pig, Nie Hengcheng is a dog, and the top members of the demonic cult are no better than pigs and dogs.”
As adoptive sons of Mu Qingyan’s great-grandfather, Nie Hengcheng and Duan Jiuxiu were ambitious and selfish, disregarding the Mu family’s kindness. For ten years, they undermined the Mu family’s power, eliminated opposition, and expanded their influence. Their followers, each with their agenda, fought openly and secretly, eventually causing the death of Mu Qingyan’s father. Indeed, they were worse than pigs and dogs.
While Cai Zhao understood this, others might not.
They assumed Mu Qingyan’s family or sect must have a deep-seated grudge against the demonic cult, hence their years of investigation into the cult’s secrets for future revenge.
Zhou Zhiqin and Dong Fangxiao’s attitudes softened.
Hu Wei stepped closer, growling, “So you refuse to answer honestly?”
Mu Qingyan replied calmly, “If you want to fight, I’m ready. Let’s see if you can discern the origin of my martial arts.”
Hu Wei hesitated.
Cai Zhao inwardly laughed.
Mu Qingyan’s great-grandfather and grandfather were both weak and disliked fighting. Although Mu Zhengming had high martial skills, he never entered the martial world or even showed his abilities within the cult. By now, the Mu family’s martial arts hadn’t been seen for three or four generations — it would be impossible to guess their origin!
Unlike her situation — Cai Pingzhu had been widely known in her day, and Cai Zhao’s techniques would be immediately recognizable. Realizing this, she couldn’t help but sigh.
“What’s happening?!” Lan Tianyu suddenly exclaimed, staring at the sky.
Unnoticed by the group, thick black clouds had gathered, slowly obscuring the bright moonlight. Everyone had been too focused on their confrontation to notice the gradually darkening night.
A wave of cold air surged over them, seeping into their bodies. The darkness deepened, becoming as opaque as thick ink. With a series of pops, the wind extinguished the fires in the open-doored cabins, leaving the snowy ridge in pitch blackness.
“Quick, back to the cabins!” Lan Tianyu’s urgent voice cut through the darkness.
As the last moonlight was obscured, Cai Zhao saw Mu Qingyan’s robes fluttering towards her. She felt her right hand firmly grasped in his, while Qian Xueshen called out in panic beside her.
Due to the snow’s reflectivity and the previous bright moonlight, they hadn’t lit torches. Being midnight, everyone had flint, but only the ever-cautious Lan Tianyu had lit a weak flame.
As the group fumbled their way back to the cabins, a deep, beastly roar resonated, seemingly right beside them.
The roar was neither tiger nor leopard, but indescribably eerie — like an old owl’s sinister laugh or a cat’s dying screech. The more timid among them covered their ears. Even Cai Zhao did so.
While she wasn’t afraid of facing strong enemies, this unknown terror made her tremble slightly.
Mu Qingyan quickly struck Qian Xueshen’s mute and paralysis points, causing him to fall stiff and silent, only his eyes moving frantically. Ignoring him, Mu Qingyan embraced Cai Zhao and pressed them both to the ground.
As terror gripped the group, a white flash appeared. A massive beast-like creature leaped from mid-air, lunging towards the only light source — where Lan Tianyu stood.
Lan Tianyu reacted swiftly, immediately extinguishing his light, and plunging the area into total darkness.
Cai Zhao could see nothing but heard screams from Jin Baohui’s direction, mixed with the frantic sounds of weapons being drawn. Zhou Zhiqin’s calls for calm were drowned out by the deafening beast roars. The heavy scent of blood quickly spread across the hillside.
Cai Zhao, gritting her teeth, wanted to help save lives, but Mu Qingyan held her firmly in his arms, one hand pressing on her wrist’s pulse point, immobilizing her.
“Let me go!” she demanded.
“The situation is unclear. We can’t act rashly,” he replied.
“Are you practicing the Turtle Art of Cowardice? You’ll live a thousand years being so timid!” Cai Zhao said, intentionally provoking him. Of course, Mu Qingyan wasn’t cowardly — he could be quite wild when he chose to be.
Mu Qingyan’s voice remained cool, “That’s unnecessary. Living as long as you are enough.” As he spoke, his breath warmed her ear, making Cai Zhao feel hot despite the icy surroundings.
Fortunately, the black clouds dispersed quickly. In the faint light, they saw an enormous white beast, its mouth bloodied, its front paws tearing open a guard’s abdomen before carrying the body away in a swift leap.
As the moon hung high again, the ground was strewn with mangled corpses.
Mu Qingyan helped Cai Zhao up, then bent to release Qian Xueshen’s pressure points.
Qian Xueshen scrambled back to the hunting cabin, shouting that he’d never come out again.
Cai Zhao surveyed the scene.
Jin Baohui’s group suffered the heaviest losses. Over half of his strong guard unit was dead or severely injured, either mauled to death or with limbs torn off, lying on the ground in agony. The scene was horrifically bloody.
Jin Baohui and Lan Tianyu had rolled into a snow pit two zhang away, hiding under the snow and escaping harm.
Two of Chen Fuguang’s guards were bitten.
One had half his chest cavity torn away, his still-beating heart exposed on the snow. The other had lost half his head, brain matter strewn across the ground, red and white.
The terrified surviving guards screamed hysterically at the sight.
Chen Fuguang, who had fallen earlier, had been pulled behind a snow mound by Qinong, narrowly escaping danger. He now held her hand tightly, his expression dependent, unwilling to let go.
Hu Wei was unharmed, though his mute old servant had suffered some flesh wounds on his left arm from a swipe of the beast’s claws.
“…Yulin, did Yulin encounter this creature?! Was Yulin torn in half by this beast?!” Zhou Zhiqin stared at the scattered limbs and corpses, his voice trembling in shock.
Dong Fangxiao sighed, stepping forward to grasp his arm. “Don’t look anymore. Let’s go back inside.”
“I… I must avenge Yulin!” Zhou Zhiqin’s heart ached with pain and hatred, imagining the fear and suffering his only son must have endured.
Lan Tianyu pushed away the shaking Jin Baohui, brushing snow off himself and saying bitterly, “I’ve said it before — early spring is the worst time to be in the mountains. Wild beasts are starving after winter, at their most ferocious and hungry now.”
Mu Qingyan asked with interest, “Oh? You’ve said this before? To whom?”
Lan Tianyu was suddenly speechless.
“So…” Hu Wei circled the remains on the ground, “What exactly was that thing?”
“It was a Snow Mountain Bai Hound,” Jin Baohui spoke up. Though pale with fear, his speech was clear. “A mythical fierce beast that guards gates. Legend says the Northern Chen Ancestor kept two as gatekeepers. Adult Bai Hounds can grow over two zhang tall, with strong bodies and sharp teeth. They move as fast as lightning and crave the flesh and blood of living creatures.”
Mu Qingyan looked towards the distance, smiling slightly. “It seems this great snow mountain holds many unknown ‘surprises’ for us.”