Chapter 8: The Grand Path and Yang Pass, Do You Know?

Chapter 8: The Grand Path and Yang Pass, Do You Know?

That day, Gu Fengchen ran until both he and his horse were exhausted. As dusk fell, he came upon an abandoned manor facing water and backed against a mountain slope. He couldn’t help but think inwardly: This manor boasts favorable Feng Shui. Yet, for some reason, it has fallen into ruin. It seems the winds of fortune howl without cease throughout the world. He wondered whether his own journey would bring blessing or calamity.

As he pondered, he led his horse inside. Fortunately, half a room still stood to offer shelter from wind and rain. He tethered the horse outside to graze, entered the structure himself, gnawed on some stale flatbread, and immediately lay down to sleep.

He didn’t know how long he’d slept when suddenly, Gu Fengchen felt light pierce his closed eyes, as if someone had lit a candle. Opening them, sure enough, a lantern floated into the room. The figure behind it hung the lantern on a crumbling wall, then approached Gu Fengchen, squatted before him, and grinned coldly.

Gu Fengchen vaguely thought this person looked intensely familiar, absolutely seen somewhere before, but couldn’t recall where.

The man wore yellow robes. His narrow eyes were sharp as an eagle’s. His voice shrieked like a strange bird: “Well? Did your father bite the dust or your mother vanish? Why’d you scamper like a hunted hare? Gave me no damn moment to heed nature’s call!”

Gu Fengchen felt the face was terribly familiar. Suddenly he remembered and exclaimed, “Yang Guan Thief!”

The man snorted coldly through his nose. “Remembered, eh? Good. Come with me!” Gu Fengchen felt something was off. “You’ve always seized treasure. When did snatching people become your trade? Has ‘even thieves honor their code’ evolved?”

Yang Guan Thief snorted. “Enough blather! Hurry back to the Valley of Ten Thousand Flowers with me. If you refuse, don’t blame me for what follows.” Gu Fengchen said, “You never harm men. Rules changed?” Annoyance flashed across Yang Guan Thief’s face. Suddenly, his form flickered, closing the gap between them. He thrust a finger towards Gu Fengchen’s Tanzhong acupoint.

Had this been just a fortnight prior, Gu Fengchen could never have dodged this strike. But now, his body brimmed with the Heaven-Defying Divine Art. His mind sparked like lightning, and his body reacted instinctively. Without the slightest sway, he slid laterally backward several feet. The strike met only air.

Yang Guan Thief froze, an astonished “huh?” escaping his lips. He lunged again, but Gu Fengchen raised a hand. “Hold! How do you know of the Valley of Ten Thousand Flowers? Why summon me back?”

Yang Guan Thief grunted. “Hmph! After I was wounded, I didn’t flee far. I trailed you, right into a valley. Somehow, I passed out. Didn’t wake till past noon the next day. Then, I was cornered by two beings, neither man nor ghost. They forced poison down my throat, commanding me to track you. If you pushed West, they said, I needn’t show myself. But if I sensed you trying to flee, I must capture you and haul you back. Who’d guess your horse flew so swift? And I… wary of the poison flaring if I raced after you too hard… well, I lost your trail. Had to scour every hamlet for whispers. Finally heard you’d surfaced in Datong City. Rushed there… only to find you gone again! Hah! I chased you straight to Mount Taiyue, then caught sight of you. Trouble was, too many strong fighters surrounded you. So, I had to draw them away first. The moment I shook those pests, I circled back trailing you. Chased you for days! Only now did I finally snare you. My poison’s deadline? Less than half a moon away! So hurry! Back with me!”

Gu Fengchen finally understood the predicament. Yet, burdened with urgency himself, he knew returning to the Valley of Ten Thousand Flowers meant failing to reach Mount Huang within twenty days. “I cannot return with you,” he stated. “I journey to Mount Huang to preserve a life. Delay means death.”

Yang Guan Thief roared, “I couldn’t give a damn about another’s life! My skin’s at stake! Refuse? Then the hard way commences.”

Gu Fengchen asked, “Do you desire a duel?” Yang Guan Thief snickered darkly. “Those two fiends require you breathing. Kill you myself? They’d refuse the antidote. I merely challenge you. Harming you? Not intended.” Gu Fengchen queried, “Challenge how?”

Yang Guan Thief shifted the lantern closer, trimming its wick brighter. Two distinct shadows cast upon the wall. Pointing at them, he declared, “Same game as before. Whose shadow pierces the wall first, wins.”

Fengchen knew Yang Guan Thief recalled losing this very contest at the inn a month prior and craved redemption. “And if I win?” Fengchen asked. Yang Guan Thief laughed coldly. “Win? I’ll vanish forever. Find myself a quiet ditch to perish in. Lose? You instantly return with me to the valley.”

Gu Fengchen said, “Sworn pact?”

Yang Guan Thief, aware Gu Fengchen once cultivated the stout but slow-progressing foundational skills of the Shaolin Sect, recalled how vastly inferior Fengchen’s Internal Energy had been merely a moon ago. Constant training couldn’t possibly bridge such a gap so fast. Though slightly startled by the earlier dodged strike, Yang Guan Thief remained utterly confident. He never dreamt the Internal Energy within Gu Fengchen was no longer Shaolin’s at all.

Without waiting for further protest, Yang Guan Thief pressed Gu Fengchen to sit against the wall. He took position a few steps away, sitting parallel. Midnight ensured shifting sunlight or moving lantern light wouldn’t affect the contest; this duel, Yang Guan Thief felt certain, couldn’t end in loss.

Both sat cross-legged, channeling Internal Energy with full concentration. Burning to erase that previous humiliation, Yang Guan Thief pushed doubly hard, aiming to blast through the wall instantly. Gu Fengchen, guided by the circulation techniques inscribed in the Heaven-Defying Formula, drew his Internal Energy through the extraordinary meridians, cycling it through his entire bodily cosmos. Immediately, his Qi and blood surged wildly, potent force yearning to erupt outward.

A thunderous BOOM erupted. Before Gu Fengchen, a hole appeared, over three feet high and more than one foot wide. Dust billowed. Gu Fengchen turned, glancing at Yang Guan Thief. The man sat stunned, face ashen, eyes wide as bells.

Utterly inconceivable! Yang Guan Thief reeled at Gu Fengchen’s unfathomable Internal Energy mastery. Suspecting trickery, fury ignited him. He seized Gu Fengchen’s left wrist, raging, “Whelp! What devilry is this?!” Trapped by the wrist-lock, Gu Fengchen felt a wave of piercing numbness flood his frame. A chilling dread coiled within him—fear that Yang Guan Thief might break his vow. Desperately, a surge of profound Yin-cold Internal Energy erupted from his own pulse point, channeled directly into Yang Guan Thief’s grasp.

The instant Yang Guan Thief clamped onto Gu Fengchen’s pulse point, he sensed something deeply unnatural. Before he could grasp it, an icy tide of Qi flooded from the other’s body into his own right arm. Blood flow ceased instantly. The limb became paralyzed, rigid.

Terror seized him. What uncanny technique was this?! He frantically marshaled his own Internal Energy to resist, but the cold intensified relentlessly! It surged from his arm upwards, numbing half his body as if frozen solid. He wanted to wrench his hand away, but Internal Energy couldn’t reach his paralyzed limb! Panic-stricken and helpless, he could only endure the glacial onslaught.

Gu Fengchen watched Yang Guan Thief’s face instantly morph to a ghastly blue-white. Features contorted grotesquely, like one bitten by a monstrous beast. Tremors radiating through his captured wrist confirmed Yang Guan Thief strained against it with all his might, yet resisted like a mantis trying to stop a chariot—utterly futile. Unwilling to let this man die by his unintended power, Gu Fengchen slowly withdrew his Internal Energy. Fearful of a counterattack if energy ebbed too fast, he reined it in painstakingly slow. Only after countless moments, enough time to finish a cup of tea, did he fully retract it.

Even so, Yang Guan Thief slumped as if after a severe illness. His body lay emptied, wracked by violent shivers. Sweat beaded his brow. Gu Fengchen pressed Yang Guan Thief’s hand between both his palms. A stream of pure Yang Internal Energy poured out. Moments later, Yang Guan Thief revived slightly, the blue-white pallor fading.

Yang Guan Thief stared into Gu Fengchen’s eyes, face etched with sheer disbelief as though beholding a visitor from beyond the heavens. Only after a long pause did he rasp, “You… what… what art is this?” Gu Fengchen smiled bitterly. “I scarce know. Nor did I choose it. It merely… clings to me.” Yang Guan Thief heaved a profound sigh. “Done for… Cannot defeat you by force. Cannot compel you by request… No hope remains…”

Staggering to his feet, he ignored the lantern. Step by step, he limped out. The vibrant predator who’d entered now walked as one drained of vitality—a figure hollowed of blood and essence, like one long plagued by wasting sickness.

Witnessing his torment, a pang of guilt twisted in Gu Fengchen’s chest. He shouted, “I—” He’d almost blurted, I’ll return with you! But at his lips, he recalled Lian’er’s peril. He swallowed the words.

Yang Guan Thief halted mid-step. Hearing silence follow, he resumed his faltering exit without another pause.

Whoosh—

(Because during that earlier ambush when Yang Guan Thief snatched the Heaven-Defying Formula, Gu Fengchen had been deep in cultivation, unaware that the Twin Shades of the Netherworld had called out Yang Guan Thief’s name. Thus, he remained oblivious to the fact that the Formula still resided on this very man. Seeing Yang Guan Thief’s halting gait vanish into the consuming darkness, Gu Fengchen asked nothing more.)

Gu Fengchen sighed inwardly. Fearing the Yang Guan Thief might ambush him, he dared not sleep any longer. Urging his horse into a gallop, he sped away swiftly along the main road.

He raced for several dozen li until the sky gradually brightened. Suddenly, the urgent sound of hooves clattered behind him. Five or six riders caught up and swept past him like a gust of wind. The men on horseback were all clad in tight-fitting martial attire, with swords and knives belted at their waists – unmistakably men of the Jianghu (Martial World), their movements exceptionally agile.

As one man whisked past Gu Fengchen, he glanced his way and said to the others, “This fellow rides fast, seems like he might be heading the same way.” Another replied, “Whether he is or not, speed to Broken Heart City! It’ll be trouble if we’re late.”

Gu Fengchen’s heart gave a start at this. Broken Heart City? That’s the name of an evil Jianghu faction! What are they going there for?

After the group passed, more horses galloped onto the main road from a side path before long, heading the same direction as the previous riders.

He’d traveled less than twenty li before over twenty people in total had passed him, all going the same way.

Gu Fengchen knew something significant must have happened, but since it didn’t concern him, he didn’t dwell on it. Pressing forward, a vast expanse of mist-laden lake soon appeared ahead. Upon inquiring, Gu Fengchen learned they had reached Lake Chao, the largest lake within hundreds of li. Boats traversed the shimmering expanse, fishermen’s songs echoed back and forth across the water, presenting a scene of serene vitality.

Gu Fengchen asked the directions to Mount Huang. The nearest route was straight across the lake. Taking the land route around it would add an extra day. Seeing a fishing village ahead, Gu Fengchen dismounted, intending to hire a boat.

The village was mostly women, many mending nets. Many stole glances as Gu Fengchen arrived, which he ignored. He hired a small uncovered boat operated by two young women. After settling the price, the women went off for breakfast.

Gu Fengchen washed his face by the lake. Seeing his clothes were filthy beyond recognition, he took them off and washed them in the lake water. He then built a fire to dry the clothes while eating a little himself.

For a long time, Gu Fengchen had worn the outer robe given by Qin Tangguan. After washing it, he spread it near the fire, revealing the bright red lotus pattern embroidered on it. Gazing at the red lotus, Gu Fengchen thought to himself: Who exactly was that Hong Linger? Most likely also a member of the Red Lotus Sect. The Bright Summit of Mount Huang was the old lair of the Red Lotus Sect. They’ve laid low for over ten years; coming out of hiding now, they must be planning some earth-shattering move. Jianghu is probably going to get lively, seems much more interesting than sitting around a forge hammering iron.

Then another thought crossed his mind: What do I care if it’s lively? I just seek freedom. To have wine when I wish, meat when I hunger, to sleep when drowsy, to drink myself senseless – that’s the true carefree life. Toiling in Jianghu involves both scheming against others and guarding against their schemes; what enjoyment is there in that? Hmph, once this job is done, I’ll ride for home and live in blissful ease.

Just as this thought settled, someone called out behind him. He turned to see the two young women standing before him. Gu Fengchen checked his clothes – they were thoroughly dry. He dressed himself, turning the outer robe inside out again so the red lotus pattern was concealed.

The two young women scrutinized Gu Fengchen closely, but said nothing more. They rowed the boat over. Gu Fengchen coaxed his horse on board, then sat himself at the prow. Listening to the squeak-squeak sound of the oars, the small boat drifted and swayed its way into the waters of Lake Chao.

Riding his horse in the past, Gu Fengchen had never paid attention to the scenery. Now, moving at the boat’s leisurely pace, the entire lake’s beauty unfolded before his eyes. Emerald waves rippled, the lake’s color merging with the sky. Patches of lotus leaves and duckweed drifted with the wind, seemingly alive. Sweet, clear singing drifted to his ears intermittently:

The lotus fragrance fades, its jade-green leaves decay;

The west wind stirs sorrow amidst the emerald waves.

Sharing decline with passing time’s fleeting ray,

Unfit to see this fading sight always.

Fine rain recalls the dream of distant frontier pass;

By the small tower, jade flutes play cold airs.

How many teardrops, boundless grief alas,

Leaning on railings, burdened by despair.

Gu Fengchen sighed inwardly. In my thirty-plus years, when have I ever seen scenery like this? We Jianghu folk run around scheming and fighting. Even if you win supreme power over all Jianghu, how could it compare to these women rowing boats upon the lake? Without a care, happy as celestial maidens.

Just then, one of the women approached him, handing him a bamboo tube. “Sir, would you like some water to quench your thirst?” Gu Fengchen took the tube. “Thank you,” he said before gulping down half its contents in hearty swallows. The cool water tasted remarkably sweet. He wiped his mouth. “This water is truly sweet. The songs you sing are sweet too. Lake Chao really ought to be renamed Sweet Lake.”

The woman giggled. “That wouldn’t do! Lest everyone in the world comes here to drink. Our lake, big as it is, wouldn’t be enough for all.” Gu Fengchen asked, “Rowing like this, Miss, how long will it take to reach the opposite shore?” The woman answered, “Very soon! Just sleep a little while, Sir, and you’ll be there when you wake.”

Gu Fengchen shook his head vigorously. “How could I bear to miss a single sight of such fine scenery? Who could think of sleeping?” The woman chuckled. “Truly don’t want to?”

Suddenly, a wave of dizziness washed over Gu Fengchen. His head felt as heavy as if filled with lead. The woman in front of him doubled, endlessly swaying. Alarm shot through him. Not good! I’m drugged! The narcotic, it went without saying, must have been in the bamboo tube’s water.

Gu Fengchen cursed his own carelessness. Already tricked once by Hong Linger, and now I’ve fallen to women again!

To be fair, even a veteran Jianghu might not guard against such seemingly innocent girls drugging someone. Gu Fengchen still had two types of potent poison within his system. Had the woman used a true poison, it likely wouldn’t have held him. But narcotics differ in nature. Thus, Gu Fengchen felt faint and slumped over, asleep.

This lasted only a mere moment. In his stupor, Gu Fengchen could still consciously circulate his true qi. The narcotics these two women used were far less potent than Hong Linger’s Mandragora incense. Her incense could paralyze one’s true qi. This drug merely induced unconsciousness.

Slowly, Gu Fengchen guided his true qi through his body. The two potent toxins, encountering this foreign substance, immediately united against the invader. Within less than it takes to drink a cup of tea, Gu Fengchen’s mind began to clear.

He opened his eyes a slit. He saw the two women suddenly rowing with frantic speed, heading for the lake’s center. After a while, Gu Fengchen spotted a small island appearing in the heart of the lake. Green and vibrant, it wasn’t large, yet white birds dotted the sky around it. A light mist drifted over the isle, making it seem a wonderland.

When asking for directions earlier, Gu Fengchen had heard about this island. Its peak was called Mother Mountain, a renowned scenic spot. Were he not pressed with urgent matters, he might have explored it thoroughly. Seeing the women steer the boat precisely toward this island, it seemed he was destined for an unscheduled visit.

Before long, the boat reached shore, landing in a harbor filled with boats of all sizes lining its shores. It was only natural for a tourist spot to have many vessels. The two women carried Gu Fengchen off the boat and gave a sharp whistle. Moments passed with no response. They exchanged puzzled glances and whistled again. Still, nothing stirred. Their faces abruptly changed color. “Not good!” they exclaimed simultaneously. “Headquarters might be compromised…”

Hoisting Gu Fengchen, they sprinted onto the island. From their running gait, Gu Fengchen could tell their martial skills were ordinary, certainly no match for him. But eager to learn what had happened yet unfamiliar with the island’s paths, he decided to feign unconsciousness for now, playing along to see how things developed.

Carrying Gu Fengchen, the two women darted into dense woods. They weaved swiftly left and right along confusing paths, clearly familiar with the terrain. In less than half an hour, they reached the foot of a small mountain. The woods were deep, the rocks oddly shaped, the scenery truly beautiful, worthy of its fame. However, Gu Fengchen, preoccupied with events on the island, paid it little heed. The women circled around the mountain’s back and ascended via a narrow trail.

As they walked, they came upon a flight of stone steps, some dozens of levels ahead. Before the steps stood a stone tablet inscribed in vermilion ink: Any man who dares ascend even one step shall die, ten thousand needles piercing his heart.

The two women carried Gu Fengchen side by side up the first step when they discovered the body of a woman lying before them, covered in blood. They screamed in shock, lowered Gu Fengchen, and hurried to support the gravely injured woman. “A-Lan,” they asked urgently, “what happened?”

The woman A Lan sounded extremely weak, but with his Internal Energy greatly increased, Gu Fengchen’s hearing became exceptionally sharp. He heard her say, “Several groups of people have come, about fifty or sixty in total, many skilled fighters. The sect leader… they are at the headquarters… almost can’t hold out…”

One of the women anxiously asked, “Is it the Red Lotus Sect?” But they saw A Lan’s head tilt to the side, her eyes wide open as she passed away.

Those two women were filled with grief and anger, saying, “Let’s go help quickly.” One woman pointed at Gu Fengchen, “What about this person?” The other woman said, “He might be one of them, let’s carry him up as a hostage.”

The two women carried Gu Fengchen as swiftly as the wind to the mountaintop. The terrain here was flat, and on a piece of land about a hundred zhang wide, a large hall had been built, bearing three big characters: Broken Heart City.

Gu Fengchen’s heart stirred, and he thought to himself: So this is where Broken Heart City is located. Hmph, I heard that Broken Heart City is a sinister and poisonous sect, where all the members are women, ruthless schemers. They hate men their whole lives because the followers have all been bullied or deceived by men. A deep-seated hatred makes them view men as poisonous snakes and fierce beasts, seeking to eliminate them at all costs. Broken Heart City has a rule: any visitors to Lao Mountain, if they are women, can pass freely with free food and lodging; but if they are men, they must stay below the mountainside. If one dares take even one step onto the stone steps leading to the mountaintop, they will be captured and taken up the mountain, killed by the piercing of thousands of needles.

Gu Fengchen secretly felt grateful—if he had truly been drugged, he would have woken up to become a porcupine. At this thought, he felt an itching all over his body and desperately wanted to scratch himself, but he dared not move.

The two women saw that the doors of the Main Hall were wide open, bloodstains splattered everywhere, clearly indicating that this fierce battle had been extremely brutal. Their eyes reddened, and they charged inside with angry shouts.

The fierce fighting inside the hall had reached its climax. Over a hundred people were divided into two groups: the inner seventy to eighty were all women, each injured badly from knife or sword wounds, yet they gritted their teeth, faces showing no fear. The outer forty had varied clothing styles, suggesting they were not from a single sect, and they wielded a range of weapons all over the place. Around them were a dozen or so corpses, mostly women, clearly indicating that the Broken Heart City forces were no match and had been defeated.

At this moment, the fighting in the hall had already stopped, and a deep, hoarse voice shouted, “City Lord Hua, your defeat is certain; why still struggle like a cornered animal?” Gu Fengchen stole a glance and saw that the speaker was a purple-faced Daoist holding a sheathed long sword. This sword was exceptionally long, over five chi.

In the Jianghu (Martial World), there were definitely no more than three who used such a long sword. Gu Fengchen vaguely remembered Guang Xing mentioning it before, but he had forgotten the name. As he pondered this, a cold yet seductive voice said, “Tianping old Daoist! You came onto this island ignoring its rules and killed people right away; what choice do we have but to fight like a cornered animal!”

Gu Fengchen then recalled that this person was called Tianping Daoist, a renowned swordsmanship expert from the Huainan region. His one-of-a-kind “Pointing Heaven and Drawing Earth” swordsmanship was truly difficult to resist.

Tianping Daoist sneered coldly, “Hua Yuehen, if you just hand over the antidote, all of us will leave immediately and never set foot on Lao Mountain again. How about that?” That City Lord Hua coldly laughed back, “Even if there was such a thing as an antidote, I wouldn’t give it to you. At most, the hundred or so lives of Broken Heart City will be buried here on Lao Mountain, but I’ll definitely not let you get what you want.”

Tianping Daoist roared in anger, “Well then, I have no choice but to offend.” Saying this, he exerted force, and that long sword leapt from its scabbard, the sound like a dragon’s roar echoing endlessly. A flash of lightning burst through the entire Main Hall, showing how extraordinary this sword was.

Tianping Daoist swung the six-chi sword and, amid cheers from the people behind him, stepped forward.

Just at that moment, the two women who had carried Gu Fengchen in shouted, “Everyone stop! If any of you dares move again, I’ll kill him first…” Everyone had been paying attention to the Broken Heart City forces inside the hall and hadn’t expected anyone to burst in from outside. First startled, they all turned to look.

The two women pressed their daggers against Gu Fengchen’s neck, glaring angrily at everyone.

Tianping Daoist scrutinized Gu Fengchen for a moment, then turned and asked, “Who is that? Which sect is he from? Does anyone recognize him?”

Everyone shook their heads, saying one after another, “Don’t know, never seen him.” Some shouted loudly, “Hua Yuehen! Is this Broken Heart City’s secret treasure? So that’s what they use it for.” Others impatiently said, “Kill him, but your daggers are too short, Sisters. Use this instead.” Kicking a single-bladed sword from a pool of blood, they added, “This knife is sharp; one swing and the head falls off.”

The two women never expected that the hostage they held was not one of the other side’s men, leaving them at a loss.

Tianping Daoist sneered coldly, lowered his sword slantingly, and walked towards Hua Yuehen.

Hua Yuehen was not yet thirty years old, born with an enchanting figure and a face as beautiful as a peach blossom. Her captivating eyes always seemed to hold a pool of clear water, truly pitiful and delicate enough to inspire pity at first sight. Only, a scar slanted diagonally across her cheek, marring this perfection—probably the origin of her name’s trace.

Hua Yuehen wielded a long whip that was over nine chi long, two chi longer than an ordinary soft whip. Such weapons become harder to wield the longer they are, as the tip is harder to control and often risks self-injury. Hua Yuehen daring to use it as a weapon showed she must be a master of unusual methods.

Everyone watched intensely—this battle between a long sword and a long whip was definitely a rare spectacle of intense fighting.

Tianping Daoist made a sword gesture with his left hand but glanced down at his arm. Hua Yuehen saw a greenish aura traveling straight up to his elbow, deducing it was a sign of poisoning. Though she wasn’t an expert in toxins, she knew that once this green aura reached the shoulder joint, it would attack the heart, and by then there would be no saving him.

Tianping Daoist himself was certainly more aware of the danger he was in at that moment but said nothing more. He raised his sword and thrust it towards Hua Yuehen.

When he attacked, the crowd gasped “ah” because this thrust landed a full two chi away from Hua Yuehen’s body, as if another person were beside her. Hua Yuehen was also slightly surprised to see the sword miss her.

But Tianping Daoist’s swordsmanship was indeed a step above others. As his sword move ended, the blade suddenly bent in the middle. The over-two-chi-long blade curled back like a flexible snake, striking flash-fast towards Hua Yuehen’s left rib.

This sword stroke was unexpected, achieved by bending the long sword with Internal Energy. An ordinary three-chi sword would have broken in half from such a bend; only this long precious sword could withstand it—the unique essence of Tianping Daoist’s swordsmanship.

Hua Yuehen hadn’t anticipated the sword changing direction mid-thrust and couldn’t dodge in time. Yet the City Lord of Broken Heart City was no ordinary person either. Her long whip shot out, aiming to loop around Tianping Daoist’s neck.

Her long whip was woven from dark-gold silk, capable of both softness and rigidity, and covered with extremely short barbed hooks. If it wrapped around a neck and pulled hard, the head was sure to come off. Hua Yuehen’s move was a mutual destruction tactic: you stab me, I’ll hook off your head.

Tianping Daoist had no desire to trade lives with her, so he sidestepped sharply, avoiding the whip, and withdrew his inner force to straighten the sword before thrusting straight to the center. Hua Yuehen flicked her long whip wildly, creating multiple circles that coiled straight for Tianping Daoist.

After several exchanges, Tianping Daoist fought increasingly urgently. Though his sword techniques were exquisite, Hua Yuehen clung to a do-or-die mindset. Whenever she faced a dangerous move, she would recklessly attack back without caring for her own safety, making Tianping Daoist quite passive.

Right as the fighting intensified to a fierce peak, suddenly a person behind Tianping Daoist screamed and collapsed to the ground, rolling about. People nearby hurriedly pinned him down. They saw his tongue protruding, already bitten bleeding, and someone quickly dislocated his jaw to prevent him from biting off his own tongue.

The man couldn’t cry out, only emitting hoarse, gurgling sounds from his throat, extremely terrifying.

Seeing his condition, everyone knew the poison had taken effect. They involuntarily glanced at their own arms, their faces turning deathly gray. Suddenly, someone yelled loudly, “Let’s rush together! Our lives are at stake! Forget notions of fighting fairly…”

This shout was met with immediate agreement. The clang of weapons colliding rang out chaotically within the main hall. Forty or fifty men gripped their weapons tightly and surged forward as one.

Hua Yuehen let out a piercing shriek. The long whip in her hand twisted and coiled like a black dragon emerging from the sea, swirling to guard an area five feet around her. It was as if she had cast a large net around herself. Weapons striking this net were all knocked back. However, using the whip like this consumed Hua Yuehen’s Internal Energy massively. After just moments, sweat already beaded on her temples, and the whip’s movements gradually slowed.

This group included many skilled fighters. Seeing the situation, they knew she couldn’t last much longer. They resorted to harassing her from the periphery, wasting her energy.

The circle protected by Hua Yuehen’s whip shrank smaller and smaller, finally less than two feet wide. Tianping Daoist let out a fierce cry. His long sword thrust forward through a gap in the whirling whip, aiming straight for Hua Yuehen’s throat.

The women behind her cried out in alarm simultaneously.

Just as Hua Yuehen was about to be killed by the sword thrust, suddenly, someone above them let out a light laugh. Following the laughter, a figure drifted down slowly from the air like a heavenly maiden scattering flowers, landing in the center of the area. With a casual grab, the figure seized Tianping Daoist’s long sword. Simultaneously, the other hand grasped Hua Yuehen’s whip.

This person, appearing out of nowhere, had instantly subdued the two hardest-to-control weapons. Taken aback, everyone stepped back.

Before them stood a beautiful woman in green clothes, smiling kindly. She held one lethal weapon in each hand, yet not even a scratch marred her skin.

Tianping Daoist didn’t recognize this woman. He merely felt humiliated by his captured sword. He secretly exerted force, trying to pull his treasured weapon back, but it felt as if it had been forged into solid rock—utterly immobile. Hua Yuehen fared no better on the other side.

Seeing this woman restrain both weapons bare-handed, everyone was secretly astonished. Uncertain of her intent, they all concentrated, assuming defensive stances.

Tianping Daoist shouted, “You… who are you?”

The woman in green asked, “So many skilled warriors, bullying a group of women? For what purpose?” Tianping Daoist retorted angrily, “How are we bullying her? It was clearly the people of Broken Heart City who poisoned us in secret, trying to kill us! Hah! If it were an open fight, we’d gladly die honorably! But Broken Heart City is deceitful and vicious! We had no choice!”

The woman in green smiled. “How were you poisoned? Tell me?”

Tianping Daoist had been straining to pull his sword free. Suddenly, he felt the woman’s hand tighten, threatening to wrench the weapon from his grasp. In a panic, he used every ounce of strength to stabilize it. But then the green-clad woman released her grip. Tianping Daoist secretly sighed in relief. He knew if she had let go while he was pulling with all his might, he would have either fallen flat or been thrown into dreadful disarray. Yet, she had let him stabilize the sword first before releasing it, allowing him to stand firm. Clearly, this woman had spared him embarrassment.

With this realization, Tianping Daoist’s resentment lessened considerably. He also knew the woman in green possessed martial skills far superior to his own. He ceased hiding the truth and recounted the entire story from beginning to end. Many behind him nodded, for they had experienced the exact same thing.

Several days prior, Tianping Daoist had been at his own Tianping Temple when he suddenly received an anonymous letter. It ordered him to meet at Red Pine Forest at the third quarter (11:45 AM) – a matter concerning his very life was to be discussed. Half skeptical, he arrived at Red Pine Forest to find dozens already waiting. The messengers had delivered the anonymous letters at different times, calculated so everyone would arrive precisely at the third quarter.

Uncertain, they waited for the sender to appear, who never came. After the third quarter passed, everyone suddenly felt unwell. They saw a purple mist rising from their wrists. Upon circulating their Internal Energy, they realized they had been poisoned.

They had arrived from different directions; some hadn’t eaten or drunk anything. The simultaneous poisoning meant an ambush. They searched frantically but found no trace of anyone, only a wooden box on a tree. Inside was a note. It read: “Nüwa, the True Sovereign, severely punishes unfaithful men.”

After discussion, they concluded Broken Heart City must be the culprit, as Broken Heart City worshipped the Goddess Nüwa. They rushed at top speed to demand the antidote. However, the City Lord Hua Yuehen despised men and had a strict rule forbidding them from setting foot on the mountain. With their lives hanging by a thread, the men cared little for rules. A fierce battle ensued, resulting in casualties on both sides.

Hearing this, the woman in green turned to Hua Yuehen. “Did Broken Heart City secretly poison them?” Hua Yuehen, filled with grievance but unwilling to seem afraid by denying it outright, merely sneered, “So what if we did?” The woman in green responded, “If it was you, then produce the antidote. If Broken Heart City has a vendetta against these men, I won’t interfere. But according to them, there was no prior feud. Doing this seems rather excessive.”

Hua Yuehen sneered, “Who are you? Daring to interfere like this!”

The green-clad woman laughed heartily. “My name is Tie Furong. Knowing someone schemes in the shadows, I want to help you out. Hmph! If you think you can manage on your own, then take your whip back!”

Hua Yuehen had wanted to withdraw her whip long before this. But each attempt to exert force felt like a dragonfly trying to shake a tree. She knew the viciousness of her own weapon. The woman before her held the whip in her bare palm – her hands were impervious even to blades. She was hopelessly outmatched.

Unlike Tianping Daoist, she cared little about saving face. With a cold laugh, she said, “I am not your match. But if you try to threaten us by force, Broken Heart City will never submit. At worst, we all die together!”

Tianping Daoist erupted in fury, “If you don’t produce the antidote, I’ll take your life first…” and made to rush forward to attack again. Tie Furong raised a hand, releasing Hua Yuehen’s whip. “Hold,” she said. Tianping Daoist stiffened warily. “What do you intend?” Tie Furong stated, “This affair is strange. If Broken Heart City truly wanted your lives, why not use a lethal poison? And if Broken Heart City possessed such a potent toxin, how could you have fought your way up the mountain so easily?” Tianping Daoist was stunned, thinking silently: What she says makes sense. Could someone be trying to frame them?

Tie Furong continued, “You didn’t see anyone from Broken Heart City administer the poison. Accusations based on mere conjecture are hard to justify…”

Suddenly, a sharp groan of pain cut her off. Another man collapsed to the ground, writhing and moaning loudly.

Chaos erupted among the men:

“Too complicated! Just give us the antidote now…!”

“We’re dead anyway! Kill the Broken Heart City girls first!”

As they shouted, they flung themselves forward once more.

Tie Furong placed herself protectively in front of Hua Yuehen and yelled, “The truth is unclear! I won’t let you kill indiscriminately!” Though aware of her formidable skills, the men, driven by desperation and the immediacy of death, threw caution to the wind. “Where are you from? Step aside or we’ll kill you too…!”

Abruptly, Tie Furong’s right arm shot out, bending at an impossible angle. She plucked one man straight out from the crowd. It was the very one who had just shouted about killing her. Held in her grip, he was as helpless as a dead fish pinned to a cutting board, unable to move an inch.

Everyone was greatly startled. None had expected Tie Furong’s martial arts to be so bizarre. They promptly closed their mouths, fearful that one ill-spoken word might get them snatched away as well.

The man was tall and burly, while Tie Furong only reached his neck. Yet she held him aloft with one hand, as effortlessly as if lifting a chick. Their faces turned ashen. They all thought: With such a person protecting Broken Heart City, it seems we’re all going to meet our end—truly, there’s no remedy left.

The captured man held twin blades, yet both arms hung limp as if broken, displaying a heroic helplessness. Holding him with one hand, Tie Furong reached for his arm with the other. Everyone thought: Since Tie Furong could catch swords and spiked whips barehanded, she surely means to tear this man into eight pieces.

To their surprise, Tie Furong inflicted no cruelty. She merely rolled up the man’s sleeve, glanced at his arm, gave a faint smile, produced a green pill, flicked it into his mouth, and then released him.

As soon as the pill entered his mouth, the man paled with terror and tried to vomit it out. But the pill had slid down his throat; he felt a coolness and indescribable comfort wash over him.

Baffled, he pointed at Tie Furong. “You… what did you give me?”

Tie Furong smiled faintly. “I thought it some potent toxin, but it’s merely Three Flowers Corrupting Bone Scent. Tell me, did you observe three peculiar flowers — one red, one purple, one white — in the forest where you gathered?”

Tianping Daoist replied, “Indeed. The three flowers formed a triangle in the forest clearing. We all inhaled a strange fragrance.” Tie Furong nodded. “Just as I thought. Let me tell you: the red is called Brocaded Exuberance, found solely around Dongting Lake. The purple is Frontier Blood, native to Longxi. The white is Jade Dragon Scale, originating from Changbai Mountain. Each flower’s scent contains faintly dizzying properties. Smelling one alone is harmless, but when all three are placed together, their mingled fragrance creates a deadly poison — the Three Flowers Corrupting Bone Scent.”

Everyone clamored, “How do you know this?”

Tie Furong offered a faint, cryptic smile. “Their origins are distant from each other, and each flower is exceptionally rare and precious. I suggest you ponder: who could possess all three marvels at once?”

A keen-witted man guessed first, shouting: “You mean— the Four Great Clans?” Another wave of shock gripped them. They silently wondered where they’d offended the Four Great Clans. Without Tie Furong’s revelation, even if they slaughtered everyone in Broken Heart City, they’d never find the antidote.

One asked, “I’ve never offended the Four Great Clans! Why would they target me?”

Tie Furong replied coolly, “That, I don’t know. Perhaps you unknowingly angered a disciple or vassal. That’s not my affair. But as fate brought me here, I cannot stand by. One person has already swallowed my antidote pill. Time will tell if it’s effective.”

The man who swallowed the pill pushed up his sleeve. Joy mingled with shock on his face as he bellowed, “The poison! It’s gone! Neutralized!” The crowd surged closer. Seeing the purple qi slowly retreating down his arm, they erupted in cheers.

Tianping Daoist clasped his fists deferentially. “Forgive us for our earlier discourtesy. If Sister could cure this poison, I pledge henceforth to serve you with utmost loyalty.” At his words, others echoed similar vows of fealty.

Tie Furong chuckled, “Such honors are undeserved. Expedience guides us now. Let’s dispel the poison from all of you first.” She took a porcelain vial from her waist, poured out a handful of identical green pills. Seeing this, the crowd surged forward eagerly. Tie Furong gave pills to two men writhing in agony from the poison. Swallowing them, their torment swiftly subsided, and they poured out breathless thanks.

This sight filled the rest with wild hope, and they heaped praises upon Tie Furong’s immense kindness.

At that very moment, a scornful, cold sneer suddenly rang out from behind them.

Tianping Daoist had just raised a pill to his mouth. Startled by the sneer, he froze mid-motion and turned. There stood the man the two young women had earlier coerced, glaring with sharp eyes and laughing coldly, while the two women lay crumpled on the ground.

So focused had everyone been on Tie Furong, no one paid attention behind them. The two women holding Gu Fengchen dared neither release him nor kill him. In this hesitation, a surge of icy Internal Energy slammed into them, sealing several major acupoints. Without a sound, both women collapsed, utterly subdued.

Unfamiliar with Gu Fengchen, Tianping Daoist asked, “Friend, have you been poisoned as well?”

Gu Fengchen retorted, “Even poisoned, I wouldn’t touch that woman’s antidote. Escaping a dragon’s pond only to leap into a tiger’s den — a poor trade.”

Tianping Daoist frowned. “What do you mean by that?”

Gu Fengchen pulled over a chair and sat heavily. “Nothing consequential. Whether you live or die is none of my concern.”

“Then why sneer?” Tianping Daoist persisted.

Gu Fengchen gave another chilling laugh. “I laugh where I will. Are fools beyond mockery just because they’re deceived?”

Thoroughly suspicious now, Tianping Daoist stole a glance at Tie Furong and murmured, “You say we’re deceived? By whom?”

Gu Fengchen countered scathingly, “Veterans of the Jianghu (Martial World), aren’t you? To wander so utterly lost into a trap, oblivious to the snare closing? Wonders never cease you survived this long!”

This exchange prompted many who’d placed pills into their mouths to surreptitiously spit them back out. Tie Furong’s face darkened with displeasure. She strode towards Gu Fengchen. “Who are you? Daring to flaunt such insolent mockery!” She didn’t recognize him. This Gu Fengchen differed vastly from him a month ago — days and nights of relentless travel carving exhaustion into a face now bristling with coarse stubble. But he remembered her. The moment the green-robed woman emerged, a flicker of familiarity touched him. Suddenly, he recalled: she was one of the seven whose table he and Lian’er had shared at that wilderness tavern. Therefore, she was a subordinate of Hong Linger. As for those green pills, he’d seen them before too, on Mount Taiyue. Wu Yazi had chosen death over consuming them. They promised torment worse than dying.

Had Gu Fengchen failed to recognize this elegant green-robed woman, he’d long since vanished into the night. But now, his resolve hardened. He intended to stay.