Song Yuzhi joined the Qingque Sect at seven years old. From the age of eight, Qi Yunke personally taught him martial arts. Although Zeng Dalou and Dai Fengchi had entered the sect earlier, they had mediocre talents. Zeng soon abandoned cultivation to focus on mundane affairs, while Dai grew up close to Yin Sulian.
Throughout his childhood, Song Yuzhi witnessed the daily lives of Qi Yunke and Yin Sulian. As most people would expect, Qi Yunke was very accommodating towards Yin Sulian. Whenever the couple argued about Yin Sulian’s public behavior or her spoiling of their daughter, Qi Yunke would readily reconcile with her if she showed any vulnerability. Sometimes, even if he appeared cold initially, he would soon make amends. Then, inevitably, they would argue again.
Although Song Yuzhi never voiced his opinion about this situation, he strongly disapproved of it from a young age. In his view, Yin Sulian’s actions had already crossed the line for the leader of a sect.
He remembered one year when Qi Lingbo took a fancy to a newly admitted disciple’s dagger. Truthfully, the dagger was exquisitely crafted, but it was also a family heirloom. Qi Lingbo, spoiled from childhood, always wanted to possess whatever caught her eye. Song Yuzhi reported this to Qi Yunke several times. Despite reprimands and persuasion, Qi Lingbo would cry and act pitifully in front of her father, but then, with Dai Fengchi’s help, she would continue to harass the disciple.
Eventually, the disciple tearfully “gifted” the dagger to Qi Lingbo. Qi Yunke initially intended to punish his daughter severely, but due to Yin Sulian’s unreasonable interference, the matter was dropped. This angered the twelve-year-old Song Yuzhi so much that he couldn’t eat.
Furious, he said nothing but beat Dai Fengchi, who was older than him, half to death in front of Qi Lingbo. No one could stop him, not even Yin Sulian’s outburst. Frightened, Qi Lingbo quickly returned the dagger. From then on, she feared Song Yuzhi more than her father.
Later, when Song Yuzhi returned to Guangtian Gate to visit his family, he told Song Shijun about this incident. His usually unreliable father surprisingly offered some sensible words:
Qi Yunke had grown up in poverty, raised with great difficulty by his widowed mother. To secure an outer disciple position for her son, she worked day and night, begging everywhere. Finally, she managed to get a recommendation letter from a renowned local hero and scraped together enough money for travel expenses.
Unfortunately, Qi Yunke made no progress in his first few years at the sect. His mother died in poverty and illness, filled with regret. Just two years later, Cai Pingshu accidentally discovered Qi Yunke’s “Heavenly Fire Dragon” aptitude. With her encouragement, Qi Yunke finally broke through his limitations and soared to great heights.
Song Shijun asked his son to put himself in Qi Yunke’s shoes. How would a lowly outer disciple, after countless nights of disappointment and sleeplessness, have imagined Sect Leader Yin Dai and his daughter Yin Sulian? They must have seemed like celestial beings on cloud nine to him.
Then, Song Shijun told his son to understand Qi Yunke. He had sent his young son to Mount Jiuli because he trusted Qi Yunke’s character. While Qi might be weak and pedantic, he was undoubtedly kind-hearted and wouldn’t play favorites.
Indeed, Qi Yunke cared for Song Yuzhi more than his flesh and blood, teaching him everything he knew.
However, this time was different. When Yin Sulian tried to reconcile with her husband, Qi Yunke remained cold and showed no intention of seeking her out. Song Yuzhi patiently waited for several days. Yin Sulian sent supplements to Muweixiong twice more but was still turned away.
This aroused his suspicion.
After hearing Song Yuzhi’s account, Cai Zhao let out a long sigh of relief. “Thank you, Third Senior Brother, for clearing up my confusion.”
Song Yuzhi had harbored doubts for several days but was concerned about Cai Zhao’s situation. He hesitated, “Junior Sister… what have you discovered?” Before the girl could answer, he quickly added, “If you’d rather not say, there’s no need to force yourself.”
Looking at her considerate senior brother, Cai Zhao nearly shed tears of gratitude. After spending so much time with the sarcastic and half-mad Chang Ning, she had almost forgotten that kind of people existed in the world.
She playfully slapped Song Yuzhi’s arm and said heartily, “What are you saying, Third Senior Brother? You were willing to share your doubts with me, so how could I keep secrets from you? After this current situation, I’ll come back and tell you everything…”
“What are you two doing?!” Chang Ning’s wide sleeves fluttered as he approached like a dark cloud from afar.
He had also removed his disguise.
Seeing the newcomer, the guards of Guangtian Gate immediately placed their hands on their sword hilts, ready for action.
Upon seeing Chang Ning, Song Yuzhi raised his hand, signaling the guards to stand down.
Chang Ning’s expression was extremely unpleasant, with the poisonous sores on his face emanating a black aura as if he had been poisoned again.
Cai Zhao was happy to see Chang Ning had escaped safely. “You’re here so quickly! I thought we’d have to wait another half hour.” Before infiltrating the compound, they had agreed to meet at the tea pavilion on the corner of the east end of town if they got separated.
Chang Ning sneered, “It seems I should have come later to avoid interrupting your conversation with Young Master Song.”
Song Yuzhi detected the jealousy in his words and frowned.
In most situations, Chang Ning’s words could infuriate anyone, but unfortunately for him, he was dealing with Miss Cai.
Cai Zhao smiled brightly. “Don’t worry about interrupting. When we return to the sect, I’ll have plenty of time to talk with the Third Senior Brother. No one will be interrupting then.”
Song Yuzhi couldn’t help but laugh out loud.
“How can you say such things?! Have you no shame?!” Chang Ning was so angry his chest heaved violently. For the girl’s safety, he had been prepared to risk his life, only to witness such an outrageous scene!
As he was about to strongly condemn Miss Cai’s faithlessness, a sudden roar came from the tea pavilion across the street.
Everyone instinctively turned to look.
“How can you say such things?! Have you no shame?!” At the tea pavilion, a burly owner with tears in his eyes shouted at his middle-aged wife, “I’ve been working day and night for this family, even risking my life. Who knew that as soon as I lit the stove in the back kitchen and came out, I’d see you flirting with some pretty boy… Have you no shame?!”
Chang Ning: …
Cai Zhao: …
Song Yuzhi: …
The guards: This is too damn coincidental.
They all turned their heads in unison, their gazes intensely focused on Song Yuzhi’s left arm, where Cai Zhao’s small hand rested.
Chang Ning’s eyes were practically shooting flames.
Cai Zhao quickly withdrew her hand, although she didn’t understand why she should feel guilty.
“Alright, alright, I’ve finished talking with Third Senior Brother. Let’s hurry and leave,” she said, knowing that continuing the conversation would lead nowhere good. “Third Senior Brother, please go about your business. We’ll meet again… Farewell!”
Then she grabbed Chang Ning’s sleeve and was about to leave. Before departing, she hesitated and turned back, “Third Senior Brother, have you heard of the ‘Thousand Faces Sect’?” Seeing Song Yuzhi’s pupils contract, she added, “I think your suspicions aren’t unfounded.”
With that, she ran away as fast as she could before Chang Ning could react as if fleeing from debt collectors.
Song Yuzhi stood motionless.
A moment later, he bowed respectfully towards the direction they had disappeared, bidding them farewell.
…
Cai Zhao dragged Chang Ning to the restaurant where she had stolen the teapot. They requested the top floor room with windows on three sides and left the door wide open before sitting down.
Chang Ning elegantly adjusted his sleeves. “You’re quite cautious, choosing a room like this to avoid eavesdroppers. It’s a pity you ran so quickly earlier. Otherwise, we could have invited Young Master Song to join us.”
Cai Zhao paused in pouring tea and glared at Chang Ning. “We’ve found my father, so stop arguing! It would’ve been ridiculous to chat with Third Senior Brother while desperately escaping.”
Heaven knows, Chang Ning hadn’t cared about anyone’s feelings since he was five. Thanks to Miss Cai, he’d recently relearned this skill. Seeing the girl’s patience wearing thin, he could only snort softly, indicating he’d let the matter drop.
Cai Zhao quickly recounted Song Yuzhi’s suspicions.
Chang Ning’s expression changed slightly. “So, Sect Leader Qi has already been…” He stopped abruptly as three or four waiters approached with large plates of food.
The waiters, having received a generous tip, efficiently served all the dishes. Cai Zhao then instructed them not to return unless called.
Once the waiters disappeared down the stairs, Cai Zhao lowered her voice. “So, I wanted to ask about this… ‘body-switching technique.’ What’s the Thousand Faces Sect? I’ve never heard of it.”
Chang Ning gathered his thoughts. “It’s not surprising you haven’t heard of it. Even if one occasionally… peruses ancient texts in the Nine Provinces, they’d only know that such a sect once existed.”
Cai Zhao seemed not to notice his odd pause, listening intently.
Somewhat relieved, Chang Ning continued, “According to the texts, records of this body-switching technique date back to two hundred years ago. During the great battle between the Northern Chen Ancestor and various demonic forces, there was reportedly a man with extraordinary abilities. He possessed the power of natural transformation, capable of altering a person’s appearance and physique imperceptibly, leaving no trace. After the Ancestor’s demise, Northern Chen split into six branches, and this talented individual went into seclusion. His name was never heard again in the martial world. Due to the passage of time, later generations regarded this as a mere legend. I was shocked to see the true form of that Thousand Faces young master earlier. I hadn’t expected anyone from that sect to still be alive.”
Cai Zhao listened, entranced. “How incredible! Why hasn’t Aunt ever mentioned this?”
Chang Ning continued, “About seventy or eighty years later, a descendant of this gifted individual suddenly appeared in the martial world. He established the Thousand Faces Sect, recruiting disciples and building forces. The sect then flourished for a time, but as they say, what goes up must come down…”
Cai Zhao scoffed, “It’s not just about rising and falling. The Thousand Faces Sect couldn’t last long. Their specialty was essentially becoming someone else – in other words, deception! How could a sect based on trickery expect to reach great heights? Even evil cults work hard to cultivate their skills, devise schemes, and expand their territories through murder and arson.”
“Zhao Zhao, your words are a bit crude,” Chang Ning said, habitually piling food into her bowl. “The Thousand Faces Sect caused havoc in the martial world for nearly twenty years. Later, a sect leader nicknamed ‘Thousand Faces Demon Butcher’ emerged. It’s said his family met with disaster when he was young, and all his relatives were brutally killed.”
Cai Zhao felt a chill.
Chang Ning continued, “While the Demon Butcher’s background was indeed pitiful, his revenge was excessively brutal. He implicated many innocents – killing infants, young children learning to speak, and even servants who cooked and tended fires. How could the righteous sects stand by? So, he had to lead his entire sect to seek refuge with the evil cults. Initially, the evil cults valued the Thousand Faces Sect, but as that hook-nosed man said today, the bigger their sect grew, the more others became wary. So…”
“So the evil cults destroyed the Thousand Faces Sect?!” Cai Zhao asked tensely.
Chang Ning smiled. “No, the evil cults didn’t make a move. After all, they had recruited them; it wouldn’t make sense to turn on them without reason. They simply leaked information about the sect’s hiding place and the surrounding traps and formations.”
Cai Zhao was surprised. “…The righteous sects took action?”
Chang Ning nodded. “That day, under the pretext of celebration and rewards, the evil cults gathered all the Thousand Faces Sect disciples at their hideout. Then, the six Northern Chen sects sent their best fighters, along with almost all renowned martial artists of the time… In short, blood flowed like a river, and no one from the Thousand Faces Sect survived.”
Cai Zhao felt this was too tragic and shook her head slightly. “They should have just severely punished the evildoers, not completely eradicated them…”
Chang Ning smiled meaningfully. “No, if it was just about punishment, they wouldn’t have needed to eliminate everyone.”
Cai Zhao froze. “…They… they wanted to completely eradicate the sect’s techniques?”
“Correct,” Chang Ning said. “As long as someone knew their techniques, no one could sleep soundly.”
It was, at its core, a massacre carried out with the tacit agreement of both righteous and evil factions.
Cai Zhao was stunned for a while, then murmured, “No wonder there’s no mention of this in our family’s ancestral records. I suppose other major sects wouldn’t record such things either. Even Aunt might not know about it.”
Collaborating with evil cults and destroying an entire sect out of fear were hardly glorious deeds.
Perhaps even the evil cults were happy not to mention it. So, everyone worked together to erase all traces of the sect’s existence, burying this history in the river of time.
“We’ve talked so much, but how do we counter this technique?” she finally remembered their ultimate goal. “Acupoints can be unblocked, but how do we expose someone who’s been transformed by the Thousand Faces Sect?”
Chang Ning spread his hands. “I don’t know either.”
He added, “Few people have even heard of this technique, so how would anyone know how to counter it?”
Cai Zhao mused, “We should have captured that Thousand Faces young master. We didn’t make much commotion, but Senior Brother Zhuang discovered the drugged Senior Brother Fan. They’ll probably search the surrounding alleys soon. How will that person evade questioning?”
“How to evade? It’s simple,” Chang Ning looked out the window towards the west side of town. “Burn it all down.”
Cai Zhao was shocked and rushed to the window. Indeed, fierce flames and thick smoke were rising from the western part of town. She exclaimed, “They’re setting fire to houses?”
“Burning it all leaves no traces. Once things calm down, they’ll find another residence to hide in,” Chang Ning poured himself a drink. “We won’t know where to look for them next.”
“Those people, are they from the evil cults?” Cai Zhao sat back at the table. “How many people have they replaced? Did they kidnap my father to replace him with an impostor?”
“For now, your father should be safe,” Chang Ning piled more food on her plate. “Remember, that Thousand Faces young master said his last transformation was half a month ago, but your father only disappeared yesterday.”
He continued, “Besides, do you know how difficult it is to impersonate someone?”
Cai Zhao guessed about accents, handwriting, and habitual movements, all of which Chang Ning dismissed. “It’s about martial arts. Especially for someone of your father’s skill level – where would the evil cults find a comparably skilled expert to impersonate him? …Damn it!”
He suddenly put down his chopsticks. “Now I understand why they attacked Sect Leader Qi! Only if he was injured would an impostor be able to avoid demonstrating his skills!”
Cai Zhao had a sudden realization.
Chang Ning slammed his chopsticks on the table. “Originally, Sect Leader Qi was supposed to be ‘seriously injured,’ but he was only lightly wounded because someone intervened. That’s why the impostor later had to claim ‘the poison hasn’t cleared, and the injury has worsened’!”
After thinking for a moment, he added, “Perhaps they originally planned to replace Song Yuzhi! Hey, could Song Yuzhi already be an impostor?”
Cai Zhao replied irritably, “If Song Yuzhi were fake, wouldn’t everyone at Guangtian Gate be blind? I’ve heard that among the returning protectors, two watched Song Yuzhi grow up, and two spent seven or eight years with him at the Qingque Sect!”
Chang Ning made a disappointed sound.
“I don’t think they’ve replaced that many people,” Cai Zhao said thoughtfully.
“From what the Thousand Faces young master said, the longer the impersonation, the more energy it consumes. Replacing Senior Brother Fan for just a few days left him exhausted. For someone in an important position, they’d need to maintain the disguise for at least a few months. Moreover, I think they must have multiple ‘Thousand Faces young masters’.” She reasoned that if replacing people were easy, they would have replaced Manager Chen or bribed him instead of all the formalities.
Chang Ning considered this and agreed.
Cai Zhao took out a handkerchief-wrapped golden needle from her pocket. “This was taken from the back of Senior Brother Fan’s neck. Do you recognize it? Manager Chen called it the ‘Soul-Confusing Needle’.”
Chang Ning examined the needle. “Yes, that’s it. It’s a trivial tool of unorthodox sects.”
“Trivial? It seems powerful. Senior Brother Fan didn’t wake up even with all the commotion we caused nearby.”
“It is trivial,” Chang Ning tossed the needle aside disdainfully. “The Soul-Confusing Needle’s power lies not in the needle itself, but in the drug it’s soaked in. It renders a person unconscious immediately when inserted into an acupoint. However, it has a major flaw – the drug has an extremely strong odor that lingers. Unless you have no sense of smell, you can detect it from two or three zhang away.”
“To use the needle, one must carry a small, odor-proof syringe. The moment it’s opened, the scent disperses instantly, alerting everyone nearby. In other words, the Soul-Confusing Needle can only be used for sneak attacks, striking vital points with lightning speed. But if you can sneak attack, why not just use a poisoned blade or needle without any smell? This tool is only used when they want to capture someone alive. Given the effort they’ve expended to capture them, I believe your father and Sect Leader Qi are likely still alive.”
Cai Zhao stared blankly for a moment before saying, “No wonder I always liked the bitter medicinal smell in Master’s room. Now I realize it was probably used to mask the Soul-Confusing Needle’s scent.”
“We’ve learned a lot today, but we face two challenges. First, how many people have been replaced? Second, how do we counter this body-switching technique? To answer these questions, we need to interrogate that Thousand Faces young master. However, after today’s events, who knows where they’ve moved him.”
Chang Ning tapped his wine cup with a chopstick, looking every bit the elegant, carefree drinker.
“I know,” Cai Zhao suddenly said.
Chang Ning stopped tapping, thinking he’d misheard. “What did you say?”
Cai Zhao: “I said, I might know the general area where the Thousand Faces young master is.”
Chang Ning’s eyes were clear, untouched by alcohol. “…What pill did the young master take earlier?”
Cai Zhao smiled wryly. “Like the Soul-Confusing Needle, it’s another rather useless thing.”
She looked at the sky outside the window. “It’s almost time. Let’s go buy a hunting dog.”
…
Qingque Town backed onto the majestic and treacherous Mount Jiuli, surrounded by dense, vast forests.
Where there are forests, there’s abundant wildlife.
Where there’s wildlife, there are hunters.
Where there are hunters, there are hunting dogs.
Thus, Cai Zhao easily found a hunter’s shop at the edge of town. She spent all the gold and silver in her purse to buy a small, keen-scented hunting dog. In a secluded spot, she took out a small wax ball from her pocket, crushed it, and smeared the oil inside onto a handkerchief. She then let the dog sniff it.
As night fell, Chang Ning and Cai Zhao strolled through town with the dog, appearing quite refined to onlookers.
Cai Zhao explained in a low voice as they walked.
“The thing the Thousand Faces young master ate is called the ‘Hidden Fragrance Pill,’ made by my mother.”
“In her youth, my mother loved fragrances. Well, many girls do. But who has time to burn incense when traveling? Pouring perfume directly on oneself leads to embarrassing sweating during fights. So, my mother wondered if there was a pill that could make the body naturally emit fragrance. Unfortunately, she couldn’t figure it out until the Battle of Mount Tu.”
“After settling in Luoying Valley, she finally had the leisure to perfect the ‘Hidden Fragrance Pill.’ Those who take it begin to emit a fragrance after half an hour. Alas, it’s time-consuming and expensive to make, and the scent isn’t even pleasant. Aunt joked that it smells like cheap perfume used by a flirtatious innkeeper to attract customers, left for three years, rained on, and then doused with vinegar.”
“Mother was so angry she threw away the entire box of pills. Aunt said it was a waste and retrieved them to experiment. We fed them to chickens, ducks, pigs, dogs, horses… and naturally, people too.”
“The fragrance lasts longer on humans, about two hours. It’s shorter for animals. After that, the scent disappears completely. Later, Father said that while the fragrance might not smell good, it could be used for tracking. But in practice, it proved quite useless.”
Chang Ning was intrigued. “How so?”
Cai Zhao sighed, “Anyone with internal energy can easily expel the drug’s effects once they notice it.”
Chang Ning chuckled, “Well, nothing’s perfect.”
He then stopped and turned to the girl. “How confident are you? Do you think the Thousand Faces young master won’t expel the fragrance?”
Cai Zhao tilted her head and counted on her fingers: “First, the young master’s martial skills are weak, and he just expended a lot of energy using the ‘body-switching technique.’ Even if he had some energy left, it’s probably depleted now.”
“But he could ask others to help him expel it,” Chang Ning questioned.
“True,” Cai Zhao said, “But secondly, this young master loves beauty and was already wearing perfume. They’re in a hurry to hide after setting the fire, so they might not notice the Hidden Fragrance Pill’s scent. We can take a gamble.”
Chang Ning nodded, then smiled with a hint of warmth.
“We don’t need to gamble. That young master isn’t willing to be imprisoned,” he said. “You might not have noticed, but when he was groping Fan Xing, he slipped a paper ball into his palm. After completing the technique and collapsing next to Fan Xing, he quickly retrieved the paper when he heard they were going to kill Fan Xing and hid it in his sleeve.”
Cai Zhao’s eyes widened. “You mean…” She found men touching men unsightly, so she hadn’t paid close attention.
“I guess that paper ball had some plea for help written on it,” Chang Ning said.
For the first time in two days, Cai Zhao showed a genuinely relieved smile.
…
Qingque Town had two main gates: the South Gate and the East Gate, with Mount Jiuli to the west and north.
Chang Ning and Cai Zhao first took the hunting dog to both gates, confirming that the group hadn’t left Qingque Town—they were still inside.
Then they walked through all the residential areas, including the recently burned alley, in case the group had doubled back.
But they found nothing.
So they wandered through taverns, teahouses, and restaurants. These places were full of alcohol and food smells, but the ‘Hidden Fragrance Pill’ had a unique scent. Cai Zhao had tested it in Luoying Town’s busy market, and the hunting dog could distinguish it.
Still, there was no trace.
As the two-hour mark approached and the pill was about to lose effect, Cai Zhao grew anxious.
Chang Ning suddenly said, “Let’s check Mount Jiuli.”
Cai Zhao was stunned.
At first, she thought Chang Ning was being absurd. Only a madman would voluntarily walk into danger. Even if Qi Yunke had been replaced, there were many skilled martial artists among the inner and outer disciples, and hundreds of disciples weren’t pushovers. A fake who only dared to hide in the sick room couldn’t control everything. But then why did they need to replace Fan Xing?
But then she reconsidered—what if?
So they hurried to the northwest. As soon as they reached the foot of Mount Jiuli, the hunting dog began barking fiercely. Well-trained hunting dogs instinctively rush towards their prey’s location. If Chang Ning hadn’t held the leash tightly, the dog would have raced up the mountain.
A chill ran down Cai Zhao’s spine as she looked fearfully at Chang Ning.
Chang Ning scooped up the dog and said in a low voice, “Quickly, up the mountain.”
Using their internal energy, they flew through the forest like birds, startling sleeping fowl as they raced up the mountain.
Reaching Windy Cloud Peak, Chang Ning quickly set down the dog.
It immediately ran towards the cliff, barking incessantly.
The dog’s barking attracted the attention of the disciples guarding Windy Cloud Peak.
It was late, and the iron chains should have been locked away, but earlier, Song Yuzhi had instructed them to let Cai Zhao cross if she came, to avoid any accidents.
Song Yuzhi’s authority in the Qingque Sect was second only to Qi Yunke’s, and his fairness even surpassed him. The guards naturally obeyed.
So, in the deep night at Windy Cloud Peak, the horn sounded again. After seeing the correct flag signals and recognizing Chang Ning and Cai Zhao, the disciples on the other side quickly released the iron chains.
Chang Ning and Cai Zhao swiftly crossed with the dog. As soon as they landed on Thousand Mountains and Rivers Cliff, the dog in Chang Ning’s arms struggled free and raced away—Chang Ning followed with a quick step.
A young disciple by the chain box smiled and asked, “Did Junior Sister buy a dog for company?”
Cai Zhao smiled awkwardly, “Haha, yes.”
“The dog seems well-behaved. Junior Sister will need to take good care of it,” the disciple thought, assuming Cai Zhao had bought the dog to comfort herself over her father’s disappearance. How young and naive.
Cai Zhao hurried after Chang Ning. Not far along, she found Chang Ning and the dog near a bush.
The dog was sniffing and circling the bush but could no longer determine the direction.
Chang Ning stood nearby, frowning.
Cai Zhao looked up at the sky.
It was the first hour of the Zi period, with the moon directly overhead. The pill’s effect had worn off.