“If I don’t eat my fill, how will I have the strength to help you explore the way? You old fellow have it easy—just moving your mouth is enough.” Perhaps having eaten too much of what shouldn’t be eaten, Prince Su spoke with a strange, eerie tone. “I advise you to hurry up, otherwise when there’s no next meal, your old bones will have to make their contribution.”

“Brother Mo, let me go kill him.” Zan Jin sought Mo Zi’s opinion.

This Prince Su deserved to die. He was the black hand who harmed the entire Yuan family, and also the true culprit who killed her parents. If the mechanisms of the Min family ancestor couldn’t take his life, perhaps heaven was giving her a chance to personally witness him die and descend to the netherworld.

As soon as she nodded, Zan Jin flew down.

“You’re back early this time—” Prince Su saw a human figure, then realized something was wrong. “Who’s there?”

In that instant, Mo Zi discovered she’d made a mistake. First, mistakenly thinking only two people remained. Second, mistakenly thinking Prince Su’s martial arts were terrible.

She immediately shouted, “Zan Jin, it’s not just the two of them. Prince Su’s martial arts are probably unfathomably deep—be careful!”

After Prince Su and Zan Jin rapidly exchanged two moves and separated, he laughed heartily. “There’s a road to heaven but you don’t take it; hell has no gate yet you come knocking. Songstress Official, these past days have made this prince wait so bitterly.”

Mo Zi was shocked, but when she spoke she certainly wouldn’t yield. “We already held a memorial service for Prince Su—why aren’t you dead yet?”

“Memorial service?” Prince Su was furious. “This prince is the true son of heaven—how could I be dead?”

“Psycho!” With no one else listening, Mo Zi cursed in modern style. “If you’re so confident, try slitting your throat. If you don’t die, I’ll acknowledge you as the true son of heaven.”

Prince Su hadn’t eaten vegetables recently—nutritionally imbalanced and lacking vitamins, so his temper was explosive. He actually raised a sword and stamped his feet. “You stinking girl, if you have the guts, don’t hide your head and show your tail—come out!”

“I won’t come out—infuriating you gives me peace of mind.” Mo Zi unhesitatingly removed the pack from her back, found an iron vest with many pockets to put on, inserted a knife into her boot shaft, and after fully arming herself with crossbows in both hands, knelt on one knee, aiming toward Prince Su’s direction.

“Zan Jin, how confident are you?” In killing this old bastard.

“Ten out of ten.” Zan Jin slowly drew the Emerald Heart Sword. “Today I will definitely avenge Brother Mo.”

With Zan Jin able to handle Prince Su, Mo Zi began watching carefully for the third person. Earlier when Prince Su laughed, even the silver jumped—that person would definitely have heard. Just as she was thinking this, cold rose at the back of her neck. She immediately turned her head, shot two arrows whooshing toward the approaching black shadow, and simultaneously stepped down the stone steps toward outside the cave.

“Your Highness, the dead girl came from this cave. I noticed there are no markers—it seems she has the maze diagram on her.” All evildoers are cockroaches that can’t be killed to death, so Yuan Qiaoniang was also alive.

“Kill her—no, keep her alive. Find the diagram then kill her.” Prince Su knew Zan Jin was an expert, but his own experience was more seasoned. As for Yuan Qiaoniang dealing with a Song Mo Zi who knew no martial arts—easy as turning over her palm. As long as they captured her, Zan Jin would also surrender without a fight.

“Without Your Highness saying so, I would do the same.” Yuan Qiaoniang’s face was ashen. She hadn’t expected Mo Zi to have a crossbow—her arm had already been grazed by an arrow.

Mo Zi made no sound and shot two more arrows.

Yuan Qiaoniang said angrily, “I haven’t finished speaking yet—don’t you understand martial world etiquette?”

Right, this one came from the Southern Hua Sword Sect—a famous orthodox school.

Mo Zi narrowed her eyes in a cold smile, not uttering half a word, and shot two more arrows. Her archery was very accurate. Although the force was insufficient, it was enough to annoy Yuan Qiaoniang, who couldn’t just flick her sleeves—she had to dodge.

“If you want to die, hand over the diagram and I’ll grant your wish.” Yuan Qiaoniang jumped down, her blue-edged treasured sword flashing with cold light.

The arrows were spent. Mo Zi didn’t dodge but met her, her speed no slower than Yuan Qiaoniang’s, but she bent her body and lunged forward.

Yuan Qiaoniang only felt pain in her leg and looked down to discover three silver needles inserted. She practiced martial arts, yet was toyed with by such childish tricks. Fire rushed upward. She gathered full force in her palm and delivered a strike to Mo Zi’s back.

Although Mo Zi was knocked staggering two steps, Yuan Qiaoniang didn’t gain any advantage either—her palm was covered in blood. That iron garment seemed to have thorns that stabbed with piercing pain.

Only at this point did Mo Zi say one sentence: “Why isn’t there poison?”

Yuan Qiaoniang was made utterly disheveled and cursed furiously. “You little slut, you dare repeatedly use dirty tricks on me?”

Mo Zi didn’t speak—not deliberately to anger her, but because she needed to concentrate. Min Feng had prepared lethal hidden weapons, but the quantity was small, generally only used in close combat, which was also out of consideration to avoid harming the innocent. She’d brought iron thunder bombs, but couldn’t determine if the power would cause the underground cave to collapse. She wasn’t greedy for treasure, but greedy for life—there was only one way out; better not block it.

Yuan Qiaoniang shook her sword into a flower, bringing murderous energy. “It’s more convenient to search for things on a corpse.” She was about to take Mo Zi’s life.

Mo Zi’s martial arts naturally couldn’t compare with Yuan Qiaoniang’s, but she had her own advantages. Yuan Qiaoniang underestimated her—that was the first. She was clever—that was the second. Fighting also required using one’s brain. River-Flipping Rat Jiang Ping from the Seven Heroes and Five Gallants was a typical example. She needed to create opportunities favorable to winning. Aside from close combat, she had no second thought.

Mo Zi thought it and moved. She threw out several Heavenly Maiden Scattering Flowers needles to frighten Yuan Qiaoniang—actually without force or poison, landing on the body like rain. Taking advantage of Yuan Qiaoniang lowering her head to swing her sword and dodge backward, she quickly circled behind and flew up to kick.

Yuan Qiaoniang discovered she’d been tricked, but felt pain at her waist, pushed down by a surge of force, immediately followed by her sword flying from her hand.

“Don’t move.” Mo Zi half-knelt, speaking coldly, the short knife from her boot already横 across Yuan Qiaoniang’s eyes.

“You tell me not to move, so I won’t move?” Yuan Qiaoniang hadn’t expected to be threatened by someone who knew no martial arts. “You dare kill me—I’m your husband’s birth mother—ah—” She looked in terror at the short knife inserted in her rear shoulder.

Mo Zi’s eyes didn’t blink. “Final warning.”

“I don’t believe you dare kill me. No matter how I’ve treated Yuan Cheng, I’m still the one who gave birth to him. If you kill me, you husband and wife are finished too.” Yuan Qiaoniang’s gaze was predatory.

Before Mo Zi could answer, Wang Yang’s voice came from behind her.

“You truly cannot kill her. The heavenly way and human relations—you’re the daughter-in-law, she’s the mother-in-law. If word gets out, even if your husband can tolerate it, the people of the world won’t tolerate you.” He held a dagger in his hand, approaching her.

Mo Zi’s expression was blank. “If everyone’s dead, how will word get out?”

“The world sees me as mad, but you’re even madder—not only wanting to kill me but also wanting to kill your own maternal grandfather.” Yuan Qiaoniang laughed crazily. “The treasure’s secret has already been over a hundred years, yet in the end we still discovered it. All secrets can’t be hidden, as long as someone searches.”

In this cave were either geniuses or madmen, with only a thread stretching between them.

Prince Su’s desperate fighting style meant Zan Jin was temporarily evenly matched with him, unable to divide his attention. A person who could command thousands of troops and had planned rebellion twenty years ago couldn’t possibly be that easy to deal with.

“Kill me then.” Yuan Qiaoniang saw reinforcements arrive and became exceptionally arrogant. “Kill me, then kill Old Wang. Even if I become a ghost, I’ll still watch how you live this comfortable life.”

Mo Zi suddenly saw Wang Yang’s lips move soundlessly, her gaze instantly condensing.

Her left hand had a small crossbow—with just one pull, the poison needle could take Yuan Qiaoniang’s life, but the two words Wang Yang transmitted to her made her hesitate. She wasn’t afraid to kill Yuan Qiaoniang. Even if one day word truly got out and the people of the world wouldn’t tolerate it, as long as Yuan Cheng could tolerate it, that was enough. But for Wang Yang, her not moving had great significance.

“If you don’t make your move, you’re going to be in trouble.” Yuan Qiaoniang was still clamoring.

Wang Yang raised his dagger.

Yuan Qiaoniang of course wouldn’t think Mo Zi would sit and await death, but as long as she retreated one step, she herself could turn passive into active.

“Brother Mo!” Zan Jin shouted distractedly, unexpectedly allowing Prince Su to strike him with a palm.

This was a life-and-death struggle—each strike aimed at the opponent’s life. Even with Zan Jin’s deep martial arts foundation, he was struck until his vital energy churned and he was injured.

Mo Zi didn’t hear, didn’t see—only stared at what was before her eyes. She wouldn’t joke with her own life. Wang Yang or Yuan Qiaoniang—if they acted ruthlessly, she absolutely wouldn’t be soft-hearted.

“After all, good people don’t live long!” Yuan Qiaoniang thought Mo Zi was distracted and was about to make her move.

Ah—

A shrill, miserable scream resounded throughout the cave.

Mo Zi slowly stood up and retreated several steps.

Wang Yang didn’t look at the corpse and said to Mo Zi, “Whether or not word gets out, I cannot let you bear the crime of killing your mother-in-law.” Just now, the two words he soundlessly uttered were—I’ll do it.

Mo Zi looked at this gaunt old man, her heart surging with emotion, yet not knowing what to say. Had he truly repented with sudden enlightenment, or was he trying to gain her forgiveness in order to use her to escape with his life? She’d trusted many people—encountering half betrayal and half sincerity. Wang Yang was too clever. She saw clarity in his eyes, but she couldn’t see through to his true heart.

“You don’t trust me?” Wang Yang smiled. “Very good, don’t trust me. I may have great enlightenment now, but perhaps once outside I’ll become a muddled old fool again.”

Mo Zi discovered she wouldn’t be Wang Yang’s match, because right now she didn’t know what to do.

At this moment, Prince Su’s mind was disturbed by Wang Yang’s action. “Wang Yang, you undying old thing, you’ve long planned to kill us and monopolize the treasure, haven’t you?”

“Prince Su, your momentum is already gone—why continue this cornered beast’s struggle? The world will belong to these young people. Give up. A real man—what is there to fear in death?” Wang Yang turned, looking coldly at Prince Su who was already at a disadvantage.

“Bullshit!” Prince Su was tenacious. Facing Zan Jin’s increasingly dense attacks, he had almost no room to counterattack, but still desperately defended. “When this prince was born, my imperial mother had priests observe the stars and worship heaven. This prince is the emperor star descended to earth, destined to unify the world. This prince won’t die here. Falling into the treasure cave is heaven helping me—”

Pain in his heart. Looking down at that red and green reflecting each other. “How—could this be?”

Prince Su also died.

Zan Jin wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth with one hand and strode over to Mo Zi, seemingly-accidentally blocking in front of her.

“Are you alright?” Mo Zi worried.

“I’m fine.” Internal injury, but not life-threatening.

“You should go.” Wang Yang returned to the fire.

Mo Zi didn’t move. Zan Jin didn’t move either.

The firelight reflected Wang Yang’s withered face. He again saw through Mo Zi’s psychology and smiled. “What, afraid I’ll follow behind you out, then empty out the treasure?”

“Brother Mo, only he remains alone. Even if we bring him out, there’s nothing to fear.” Zan Jin’s heart softened.

“Go ahead. With all this, your husband will win the world.” Two clever children who didn’t flaunt themselves—he could see hope for the world’s unification.

“We don’t want to win the world—we only want to live peacefully in a time of great peace.” Mo Zi decided to trust once more. “Come with us. I’ll take you out.”

Wang Yang suddenly laughed with genuine sincerity. “Having you say this is enough. The Wang family will soon suffer catastrophic disaster, but at least you and Dou Lu can be safe and sound. I bear a lifetime of sins that cannot be repaid. These years I indulged my children and grandchildren, leading to today’s evil consequences. The only one I cannot let go of is the one I personally raised—”

Old tears streaming down his face.

“Shiniang.” Mo Zi continued his words.

“This child has a pure and kind nature. If she can be saved, then—” Shaking his head, shaking his head, crying with laughter. “Forget it, forget it, everything depends on heaven’s will. I go—”

His great robe suddenly billowed with wind as he flew toward the stone wall.

Blood, like flowers. Sound, still trembling.

This life, debts cleared.