Chapter 103

The rainwater that washed away that night did not clear only Chen Shu’s fever.

The fighting in the Valley of Villains still hadn’t ceased. It’s easier to sack a city than to eradicate every foe.

The vicious bandits, large and small, had lived their whole lives within the Valley of Villains. How could Wei Mian’s single sketch of the military camps truly negate their intricate knowledge of the valley’s layout? Besides, while the rainy night had camouflaged the raid by the members of the Wulin community, it had also flung open avenues of escape within the valley for these scoundrels.

Even when captured alive, some of them could simply abandon all shame, pretending to be rough-and-tumble Members of the Wulin Community. Such eccentrics were hardly rare in the martial world, and drenched as everyone was by the torrential downpour, who could tell them apart clearly for a while?

By morning, as clear dawn light bathed the valley’s towers and terraces, the battle still raged.

Both sides had fought through the day and night, bone-tired and utterly weary, relying solely on sheer will. Consequently, the struggle had lost some of its life-or-death intensity from the previous day. Late into the night, some within the Valley of Villains even managed to launch several counterattacks. Relying on the high martial skills of a few key figures and the terrain’s narrow chokepoints, they managed to barely hold a few storerooms and courtyard houses. Now, they were locked in stalemate, fighting for breath on narrow ridge paths and overhangs, each side waiting for the other to buckle first.

If the Valley of Villains buckled, it went without saying—capturing their leader would be the key. With the Valley of Villains completely seized, all of Yubei, including the heavily guarded Fangcheng, would surely follow. But if the imperial forces collapsed first, all their efforts would have been wasted. Liu Mao hadn’t brought many troops in the hurried mobilization, and with losses mounting, achieving another surprise attack like this would be far more difficult.

Chen Shu, bringing Yun Shen along, first “soared skyward,” flying straight up the cliff face nearly retracing the path they’d fallen down. Landing atop the nameless bluff, she practically dropped Yun Shen into a corner.

Yun Shen steadied himself, hastily pulling on his grey robe, but paused midway, his sharp eyes fixing on the secret passage entrance.

At once, they both noticed the conspicuous trail of fresh blood. A closer look revealed Wei Mian’s body, still perfectly upright near the passage entrance!

One had to understand that Wei Mian, though not a peerless master, possessed martial skill far beyond the ordinary Member of the Wulin Community – hence his rise to a sect leader position within the Valley of Villains. Furthermore, this secret room was built by his own hands upon Xiao Zhong’s orders. How could such a figure die in the place he knew intimately best?

One glance, and Yun Shen’s brows knitted tightly. He seemed half-inclined to step forward, but held back – Chen Shu was still there, and she presumably saw Wei Mian as just another common bandit. So, his expression grave yet silent, Yun Shen finished pulling on the robe and glanced at Chen Shu.

To his surprise, Chen Shu didn’t show anger or frustration either. Her expression was pure curiosity, eerily reminiscent of Shen Jie’s, as she reached out and dragged the corpse into the sunlight. She examined it carefully, musing, “Killed by a blade. Dead about a night. Was this place caught up in the fighting within the valley?”

“…That seems unlikely,” Yun Shen stated, deliberately skipping over the events concerning the map delivery. He vaguely added, “This area should have been secured by the imperial troops yesterday afternoon.”

“Then, the imperial forces caught this person robbing… and then…” Chen Shu mimed stabbing a knife into her own body. She paused, tilting the corpse to look at it in the light, her tone shifting to doubt. “…No… this doesn’t look like he died in a fight. More like he was ambushed while his guard was down. The killer likely added some cuts later to mimic struggle wounds… but the blood…”

Listening, Yun Shen also stepped closer. After a look, he spoke thoughtfully, echoing her, “Indeed. The only really heavy bloodstain surrounds the fatal wound. But ordinary thieves are ever vigilant. How could such an expert die unawares in this place? Not to mention…”

Not to mention Wei Mian’s character wasn’t rash.

Chen Shu wouldn’t know this, but Yun Shen did. Regardless of her true nature, Wei Mian had climbed the ranks in the Valley of Villains for years and was highly skilled in reading situations. She shouldn’t have lowered her guard enough to be ambushed.

She must have recognized her killer and let her guard down. Yet the killer struck so cleanly, clearly either prepared beforehand or deciding to kill Wei Mian on sight.

So, few in the Valley of Villains could disarm her, and few could pursue her to the secret room under martial blockade; Xiao Zhong couldn’t. But if the killer hailed from the imperial side, the righteous army, why would they strike to kill upon seeing Wei Mian?

Either the killer was innately bloodthirsty, or… they recognized Wei Mian. That was the only other explanation.

Recognizing Wei Mian, they naturally knew of the existence of this secret room. And across this vast Central Plains, there happened to be a certain shadow who, while in Diancang Pass, sent a letter to Xiao Zhong, planning that catastrophic deluge. When they arrived in Fangcheng, that shadow again delivered a message, delivering news of Chen Shu to Xiao Zhong long in advance. And now this time, Wei Mian’s corpse was abruptly laid out before the two of them.

Perhaps many knew of Wei Mian’s status within the valley, but those aware of her involvement in the construction of numerous buildings, watchtowers, and even the secret room numbered few enough to count on one hand; not even Yun Shen had obtained that map except through probing.

Of course, without that map, Yun Shen, with his inhuman observational skills, could naturally sketch out a roughly seventy to eighty percent accurate diagram himself. But sometimes the crucial part lies precisely in the last ten to twenty percent.

Anyone who had seen the map and was privy to the inside story concerning the Savage Valley wouldn’t find it difficult to surmise that Wei Mian had betrayed them, delivering the map to this disciple of Qin Xin Bluff.

Although this skipped the most crucial points regarding Yun Shen’s role, just by looking at the beginning and end, it truly was hard to mistake. Consequently, this inevitably bred murderous intent towards Wei Mian.

Pity this Wei Mian, whose hands were stained with the blood of countless innocents. She had finally awakened somewhat, only to end up steeped in her own blood, receiving retribution. It was difficult to say whether she deserved it or met an apt end.

Who knew if, facing that hidden stake she had always investigated yet never uncovered before her death, she had again sensed something?

After a moment of Yun Shen’s pondering, he saw Chen Shu wave her hand in front of his face, startling him back to the present.

“I was thinking about what this person told me before she died,” she said. “She said she came for gold and treasures, and she dealt with the bald man… but the bald man came here precisely to retrieve the sword, didn’t he…?”

Before she could finish speaking, she shot to her feet. Her gaze swept past Yun Shen, landing on the secret room nearby—

It was morning now. Sunlight spilled onto the bluff, just as it had filled the cave moments before, vibrant and bright, illuminating this secret room. With a single glance, they could tell the door to the secret room was different from when they had fallen down the cliff; now, it stood wide open!

Reaching this point in her thoughts, how could Chen Shu possibly spare the time to explain in detail to Yun Shen? Immediately, she rushed forward in swift steps to the entrance and peered inside.

She saw gold, silver, jewels, medicinal herbs, equipment—all kinds of things were complete and present. Only one thing, even after the two of them entered and searched meticulously, could not be found—

Chen Shu’s sword. Or rather, the sword resembling the one forged by Chen Shu.

—

The two of them searched the mountain for quite some time, while down below in the valley, the battle was finally reaching its end.

Thanks to the efforts of a certain individual…

Following that, the bad news of the night was indeed confirmed.

Xiao Zhong had indeed escaped.

When first learned late at night, they feared he might merely have vanished amongst the remnant Savage Valley forces. Neither the soldiers personally storming the Small Turret nor the imperial commanders dared announce a definitive conclusion. But now, with the valley conquered and a thorough count conducted, they had almost all the captured individuals accounted for by name and title, yet they couldn’t find a single person whose build resembled Xiao Zhong’s.

Simultaneously, it wasn’t just Xiao Zhong who had disappeared—

Even after a general headcount, aside from several individuals of renown within the Savage Valley who could be identified upon inquiry, those who remained unfound, even temporarily, naturally only fueled suspicion.

But it was different with those on the imperial side.

Or rather, it was different with the martial artists who had come at the invitation of the Martial World Alliance to participate in the assault.

Each belonged to a distinct sect with unique styles. Even bloodied faces could be recognized by their fellow disciples and masters. Therefore, the absence of one person, or even the absence of several, was particularly obvious.

Especially when these missing individuals were part of the group leading the charge against the Small Turret.

How could Liu Mao not be furious? He stood atop that Small Turret from the end of the fighting until now, a full half-hour, repeatedly interrogating the officers under his command, yet receiving only the same reply over and over.

After all, the imperial troops outside the valley only charged in upon seeing the fight erupt within, hence they had remained hidden on the mountains. Those from Lingxi Pavilion had reached the Small Turret first. Liu Mao’s personal close guards raced straight for the Small Turret upon entering the valley, but they still arrived one step too late. They witnessed the Lingxi Pavilion members enter the turret as if encountering no resistance, then vanish into the surrounding, winding mountain ranges of the Savage Valley, alongside Xiao Zhong, seizing the chaos of the intense slaughter and the cover of the heavy rain to scale walls and traverse rooftops.

—And confronting that moonlight, one of Liu Mao’s guards even recognized one of the Lingxi Pavilion disciples leading Xiao Zhong’s escort.

None other than Qi Ban, who had always maintained good relations with the military and had surrendered to join Lingxi Pavilion!

The matter was of such grave importance that only a few men knew for the time being. Among them was one man who happened to overhear—He Yu.

When Chen Shu and Yun Shen came down the mountain searching, he was on his way up to find Chen Shu, and they happened to bump right into each other.

After enduring so many twists and facing murder cases, how could He Yu not have tears welling up upon seeing Chen Shu again? Unable to wait for Chen Shu to greet him first, he rushed forward and embraced her tightly, holding her for a long while before finally letting go.

He Yu, such a sturdy man shedding tears – how sorrowful. It was the first time Chen Shu had seen such a scene, yet she didn’t find it particularly rare. Hesitant, she didn’t know where to place her hands. Seeing He Yu still holding back tears, she gave an awkward smile. Noticing Yun Shen by her side, who was watching the spectacle with his arms crossed without uttering a word, she steeled herself, reached out, and gently wiped away He Yu’s tears.

“Oh, right! Your sword.” He Yu said, suddenly stopping his tears. He extended his hand and fumbled around his waist belt while speaking. “I followed Xiao Zhong’s messenger to that secret room… You’ve been there too, haven’t you? When I arrived, I happened to encounter someone and met a large band of thieves… Later, I ran into the Leader of the Martial Arts Alliance after leaving the chamber. It was only upon his reminder that I remembered your sword was still there. I turned back to retrieve it for you!”

As his words ended, he finally unhooked the sword hanging at his waist, sniffled, and handed it to Chen Shu.

Indeed, as Chen Shu had described, the sword was recognizable by its slender hilt. Including the blade, the entire weapon measured well over two feet long. Though appearing slender, it was far from light. Hefting it felt like holding a truly peerless weapon – surprisingly weighty, even heavier than a cast-iron Great Axe. Under the clear daylight, a crimson trace could be seen glinting along its length.

Chen Shu deftly took it. For a moment, even Yun Shen held his breath, awaiting her reaction. Yet she only frowned, her expression puzzled, clearly noticing something but refraining from voicing it outright. Instead, she took a breath, replaced her confusion with a bright smile, looked up, and nodded towards He Yu, saying:

“…Thank you!”