The Su River stretched across several regions, its long banks dotted with numerous valleys, both visible and hidden. The abundant rainfall nurtured dense vegetation, making it impossible to distinguish between mountains and valleys even when viewed from atop the Golden Winged Roc—just vast or small patches of green. The thick layers of foliage also obscured any signs of human habitation below.
"What a perfect place for seclusion," Cai Zhao murmured to herself, looking around in awe.
The plump elder sister—the eldest daughter-in-law of the Shi family—chuckled. "Father said this place was actually discovered by your aunt. Back then, when Uncle was 'once again' severely injured, your aunt found this place while searching for medicinal herbs, following the trail of lotus bellflowers."
"What?!" Cai Zhao exclaimed in surprise. "My aunt found it? But she told me she didn’t know where Hero Shi had gone into seclusion!"
The eldest daughter-in-law shrugged. "I wouldn’t know about that. But the old man always rambles on about how our family’s peaceful life today is all thanks to your aunt finding this place."
Puzzled, Cai Zhao changed the subject. "Lotus bellflowers? Those purple flower clusters?"
"Yes. Without those flowers, Uncle’s old and new injuries wouldn’t have healed so quickly." The eldest daughter-in-law had a round, cheerful face that radiated warmth when she smiled.
Four days ago, Cai Zhao and Mu Qingyan had been carried here. Exhausted from battle and drenched by the rain, both had fallen ill. Mu Qingyan, already severely injured, had developed a fever that very night. By the time Cai Zhao was well enough to stroll through the valley, he was still lying in bed, delirious.
Cai Zhao gazed into the distance, where children played, men tilled the fields, women wove cloth, and cooking smoke curled into the sky. For a moment, it felt as if she had returned to Fallen Blossom Valley, and she couldn’t help but smile. "It’s nice to have a lively family."
"Ah, but it’s not easy. Most people can just pack up and go into seclusion with their immediate family. But our clan has always lived together—uncles, aunts, great-aunts, second cousins, fourth granduncles—over a hundred people in total. Without a place like this, seclusion would be impossible," the eldest daughter-in-law sighed.
This nameless valley was hidden somewhere along the Su River’s banks. Knowing the Shi family wished to remain secluded, Mu and Cai had deliberately avoided asking for its exact location. Most of the Shi clan lived here, with only a few, like the eldest daughter-in-law, maintaining an external shop to procure necessities like salt and cloth—and to serve as a lookout, ensuring they weren’t caught off guard by potential dangers.
"Why is this called Seven Cherry Village? There aren’t any cherry trees," Cai Zhao suddenly asked as they passed a newly built round brick kiln.
The eldest daughter-in-law blinked. "Huh? It’s not called Seven Cherry Village." She walked ahead and pulled aside the vines covering a Half-Man-tall stone tablet. "Maybe you misheard?"
The vines parted, revealing the tablet’s inscription: Secluded Abode Village.
Cai Zhao: "..."
After walking halfway around the valley and stretching their limbs, the eldest daughter-in-law noticed the darkening sky and tugged Cai Zhao back home, chattering along the way. "You should take your medicine before dinner. That young man—the way he glares is downright eerie. My husband doesn’t dare go near him. Hmph, last time we met, he seemed so polite. But now that he’s injured, he’s turned downright fierce. Gives me the shivers..."Cai Zhao fell silent. When she returned to the thatched cottage, sure enough, the Painted-Skin Demon was lying gloomily on the straw bed, while Hero Shi stood awkwardly nearby holding a bowl of medicine. Shi's daughter-in-law promptly pulled her husband away. Cai Zhao took the medicine bowl and sat down huffily by the man's bedside. After helping him sit up, she began feeding him the medicine spoon by spoon. "Why are you giving Hero Shi such a look? He saved both our lives, you know!"
Mu Qingyan sipped the bitter medicine silently without complaint. "...If you were injured or ill, I wouldn't leave your side for a moment."
Cai Zhao was speechless. "I took care of you the entire night you had that fever—didn't even blink. And when you started getting better day by day, wasn't I allowed to step out for some fresh air...?"
Under Mu Qingyan's dark, unwavering gaze, her voice gradually trailed off.
"What is this place, and what is my identity here? Weren't you worried they might harm me in your absence?" Mu Qingyan said.
Cai Zhao sighed. "Alright, alright, I'll go out less from now on. If they wanted to harm you, they would've done it long ago—why wait till now? Fine, fine, stop glaring at me. I get it, I get it... I mainly went out to scout the area."
Mu Qingyan frowned. "I already had people sweep both banks of the Su River, and we visited every nearby village together—all to no avail. For this place to remain so hidden, there must be something unusual about it. What could you possibly discover from wandering around a couple of times?"
Unable to win the argument, Cai Zhao resorted to her trump card. "If you keep scolding me, I'm going to lose my temper."
Now it was Mu Qingyan's turn to relent. He drank the rest of the medicine in silence.
Watching his lowered lashes and striking profile as he took the medicine, Cai Zhao couldn't help but sigh. "You're really tough. That night when you were burning up with fever, you didn't make a sound. My mother said when I was little and had a fever, I'd cry and fuss, babbling all sorts of nonsense."
"I got used to it before I turned five," Mu Qingyan said quietly. "Crying or fussing only matters if someone's there to hear it. If no one's around, what's the point?"
Cai Zhao paused, her heart aching at his words.
Half an hour after the medicine, Hero Shi brought in a fragrant meal.
There was a bowl of steamed pork with rice flour, a plate of stir-fried cured pork with garlic stems, a pot of blanched green vegetables whose name she didn't know, a tenderly braised eight-treasure duck, and a ginger-tofu soup made with some kind of fish—each dish not only delicious but exquisitely prepared, leaving Cai Zhao beaming with delight.
"The cooks at the Azure Tower Sect should be ashamed!" The oil-lipped girl declared indignantly. "These people have been living secluded in the wilderness for who knows how long, yet they can still serve up dishes like this. Meanwhile, those so-called master chefs in the kitchen of the 'Number One Sect in the World,' drawing the highest salaries, dish out bland, mediocre fare every day—how dare they call themselves chefs?!"
"Wipe your mouth first," Mu Qingyan said, putting down his chopsticks and shooting her a reproachful glance. But when he looked down at the dishes, his brow furrowed. "Our meals these past few days have been mostly light. I wonder why today's spread is so rich."
"Because you'll be leaving tomorrow," a steady, elderly voice came from behind the door curtain.
Cai Zhao quickly stood up.
Shi Tieqiao stood at the doorway, smiling. "Your injuries and illnesses have mostly healed. It's time for you to go."
Cai Zhao was puzzled. "All healed? I'm fine, but he—" She turned to see Mu Qingyan already throwing off the covers and sitting up straight.
"You—!" She immediately realized the Painted-Skin Demon had been pretending again.
"Hero Shi, I won't mince words. We came here with an important matter to discuss," Mu Qingyan said, cupping his hands in respect."I know." Shi Tieqiao nodded. "I meant to tell you earlier, but one of my brothers has been seriously ill these past few days, and I dared not leave his side. Whatever you wish to ask, you may do so tonight."
Mu Qingyan immediately shot Cai Zhao a look that said, See how one properly attends to the seriously ill?
Cai Zhao angrily returned a glare that screamed, You faker, how dare you say that!
Watching the silent exchange between the young pair, Shi Tieqiao burst into laughter. "Alright, follow me."
Shi Tieqiao's residence was a tranquil and comfortable bamboo cottage, secluded and quiet in the wilderness.
Lighting a curling incense burner and brewing a pot of fragrant wild herbal tea, they gathered around the table.
"Since my late wife passed, I've lived here alone," Shi Tieqiao sighed. "In my youth, I was reckless and combative, never considering my family's feelings. My wife worried herself sick over me, and it took a toll on her health. Ah, I failed her. At least after we retired here, she had a few peaceful years. When she left, she was at peace."
His gaze shifted to Mu and Cai. "Truthfully, whatever Zhao Zhao's aunt knew, I likely know as well. What is it you wish to ask?"
Mu Qingyan was brimming with questions, but before he could even part his lips, Cai Zhao eagerly blurted out first: "Who was my aunt's true love? It couldn’t really have been Lu Chengnan, could it?!"
Shi Tieqiao chuckled in surprise. "That’s what you want to ask?"
Mu Qingyan covered his face with one hand and turned away.
"How could it be Lu Chengnan?" Shi Tieqiao laughed. "But as for who it really was, I don’t know either."
Cai Zhao's eyes widened. "?!"
"Actually, Ping Shu had long considered breaking off the engagement with the Zhou family. But most of the people close to her were rough-and-tumble types, and the only woman among them—Zhao Zhao’s mother—was even less perceptive than the men!" Remembering Ning Xiaofeng, Shi Tieqiao couldn’t help but smile. "Among all our brothers, only Haosheng and I had married early, so we noticed some hints."
"My father and master knew too," Cai Zhao murmured.
Shi Tieqiao nodded. "Xiaochun has always been observant, so it’s no surprise he noticed. Brother Yun Ke was closest to your aunt—he might have seen something."
"I always thought Uncle Zhou was wonderful," Cai Zhao said sadly, recalling the gentle and refined Zhou Zhizhen.
"He was. But your aunt could never have lived happily with him."
Shi Tieqiao poured boiling water into the teapot. "No offense to Brother Zhou, but for all his virtues, talent, and family standing—and despite being childhood sweethearts with Ping Shu—he never understood what kind of life she truly wanted. He was always mild and yielding, willing to endure injustice for the sake of peace, and expected those around him to do the same."
Cai Zhao sighed. "But my aunt was never one to swallow her pride."
"Exactly." Shi Tieqiao seemed lost in thought. "She was a breeze and a wildfire—a breeze that caressed the mountains, a wildfire that burned the demons."
"Well said—poetic and fitting," Mu Qingyan praised.
Shi Tieqiao grinned. "I’m not that eloquent. Those words came from Zhao Zhao’s master."
Cai Zhao blinked. "But my master isn’t that eloquent either!" The literary prowess of the Qi Sect Leader was like the virtue of the Song Sect Leader—practically nonexistent.
"As if Yun Ke had that much learning!" Shi Tieqiao roared with laughter. "We all figured he must’ve picked up the phrase somewhere and just wanted to show off.""So even Hero Shi doesn't know who Heroine Cai's beloved was?" Mu Qingyan steered the conversation back.
"No idea," Shi Tieqiao continued shaking his head. "But it definitely wasn't Lu Chengnan—when he escaped severely wounded, it was Ping Shu's first time meeting him."
"How disappointing," Cai Zhao sighed deeply.
Seeing the young girl's crestfallen expression, Shi Tieqiao spoke kindly, "Did your aunt ever tell you about my place of seclusion?"
"No," Cai Zhao pursed her lips. "She even lied to me, saying she didn't know where the Shi family had retired to."
Shi Tieqiao stroked his beard. "That's just like your aunt—outwardly bold and resolute, but actually meticulous in thought. When she wants to keep something hidden, she can seal it tight without a trace."
Cai Zhao sighed softly, recalling how her mother, Ning Xiaofeng, had once described her father, Cai Pingchun: 'Orphaned young and raised under others' roofs—how could he not have any schemes?' In truth, the same could be said of her aunt, Cai Pingshu.
She looked up. "Hero Shi, I have another question—did you know that Great Hero Chang's entire family was slaughtered?"
"I knew," Shi Tieqiao lifted the teapot lid and glanced inside. "Wu'an Mountain is barely ten days' journey from here—how could I not know?"
"Ah!" Cai Zhao was shocked. "Then why didn't you..." take any action?
"Zhao Zhao wants to ask why I stood by and did nothing? When I left, your aunt repeatedly warned me: 'If you're going to leave, leave cleanly. The worst thing when retiring from the Martial World is dragging your feet. From now on, whether the Martial World is drenched in blood or piled with heads, it has nothing to do with you.'"
Shi Tieqiao lifted the teapot, pouring pale green tea slowly into a cup. "Your aunt also advised Brother Haosheng—either live like an ordinary sect, teaching martial arts and recruiting disciples as needed, so as not to be easily wiped out, or follow my example and resolutely vanish into the wilderness, ignoring the storms of the Martial World. The worst choice is to be 'half-retired' like Brother Haosheng."
Mu Qingyan was deeply moved. Holding his tea, he sighed, "Heroine Cai was truly wise. Over the years, the older generation of brave warriors in the Chang family either aged, fell ill, or passed away, with no new blood to replace them. The Chang family long lost the ability to defend itself. Yet Great Hero Chang still kept an eye on the martial world, occasionally descending the mountain to involve himself in its affairs..."
He frowned. "Earlier, when I saw your eldest daughter-in-law's martial skills, I thought you were overcorrecting. But now I realize this was true sacrifice, true wisdom. Back in Peach Blossom Village, had I detected even a hint of cultivation in Brother Shi and his wife, I would have grown suspicious."
Conversely, precisely because the Shi couple showed no signs of cultivation, appearing no different from ordinary villagers, he never suspected...
"Ah, those two are just untalented. Even if they learned martial arts, they'd only be mediocre—better off as common folk." Shi Tieqiao waved his hand. "But I can tell you one thing—the labyrinthine array outside the Chang family's stronghold was set up by me and Zhao Zhao's aunt. Unless someone guides you, it's impossible to break through."
"Could there have been a traitor?" Cai Zhao's gaze drifted meaningfully toward someone on her left.
Mu Qingyan shot her an exasperated look.
"Whether it was a traitor or an outside enemy, the Chang family's array must have been deciphered within the last four years," Shi Tieqiao said. "Because the 'feng shui eye' at the array's center must be moved every four years. Once it's shifted, all the paths in the array change."Mu and Cai were taken aback, exchanging glances.
Mu Qingyan cupped his hands again: "Thank you for your guidance, Hero Shi. This narrows down our investigation considerably. Next, I'd like to ask about Lu Chengnan—why exactly did he flee the Demonic Cult, and why were you and Lady Cai willing to take him in..."
Shi Tieqiao raised a hand, and Mu Qingyan immediately fell silent.
"This matter indeed requires careful explanation," the old man said with grave solemnity.
—The time Lu Chengnan escaped was the first time Cai Pingshu had met him, but not the first time for Shi Tieqiao.
"Truth be told, even within the Demonic Cult, there are reasonable individuals. For instance, your father Mu Zhengming once saved the life of my sworn brother Haosheng. And Lu Chengnan also spared me when I was severely injured. Unfortunately, after Nie Hengcheng began his tyrannical reign, his methods grew increasingly cruel. The righteous factions suffered heavy casualties and were hard-pressed to resist. I had no choice but to bury my gratitude for Lu Chengnan's life-saving act deep in my heart."
At that time, the situation grew increasingly tense. Shi Tieqiao had just secretly relocated his family to a river valley Cai Pingshu had found when he received her carrier pigeon summoning him to Chang Family Fort for urgent discussions. Two days into his journey, he encountered a man covered in blood.
"Indeed, Lu Chengnan had originally come looking for me. When he learned I'd left home, he pursued me," Shi Tieqiao said.
Shi Tieqiao initially intended to first get his savager medical treatment, but the barely conscious Lu Chengnan kept murmuring in delirium that he needed to see Cai Pingshu. So Shi Tieqiao simply brought Lu Chengnan along to Chang Family Fort.
"During those days, the Martial World was in a state of panic. Nie Hengcheng dispatched all his minions to hunt for Lu Chengnan while spreading rumors that his fourth brother had been killed by the Big Dipper Six Sects and was now missing. Fortunately, the Demonic Cult never imagined Lu Chengnan had connections with me. Disguised, I managed to bring him safely to Chang Family Fort."
Shi Tieqiao continued: "When we reached the fort and Lu Chengnan saw Ping Shu, he handed her an object and revealed a shocking secret about Nie Hengcheng."
Mu Qingyan's eyes darkened: "Was that object the Purple Jade Golden Sunflower?"
"Exactly! The Purple Jade Golden Sunflower!" Shi Tieqiao slapped his thigh. "I'd seen it before—when Ping Shu was treating my second brother. At the time, I found it strange that Lu Chengnan, even while hovering between life and death, would solemnly entrust that thing to her. Who would have thought... Ah, Lu Chengnan was truly a man of honor!"
On that stormy night, in the dimly lit chamber of Chang Family Fort with only a flickering oil lamp for illumination...
[The once handsome and robust man now lay pale as death on the bed, smiling bitterly. "My master's skills had already reached their peak years ago. At his age, further breakthroughs should have been impossible. Yet suddenly, his cultivation advanced by leaps and bounds. Don't you find that suspicious?"]
Mu Qingyan's eyes flashed: "So Nie Hengcheng was indeed practicing some unspeakable Demonic Art!"
—This matter had been suspected by Yin Dai, Old Master Zhou (Zhou Zhizhen's father), and Old Sect Leader Song (Song Shijun's father). However, they all met with failure in their investigations, with the latter two even suffering severe injuries and passing away shortly after each other.
According to Lu Chengnan's account, he had begun noticing something amiss about half a year earlier (though Cai Pingshu believed he'd realized it much sooner).
The Martial World all said that recently, Nie Hengcheng had inexplicably begun acting against reason, slaughtering heroes far and wide. Not only were the righteous sects of the martial arts world unable to escape, but even many not-so-clean leaders of unorthodox factions fell victim.However, Lu Chengnan knew the truth—those sent to exterminate the families had not been ordered to "kill," but to "capture."
Whether distant relatives lived or died didn’t matter, but those with superior cultivation were to be taken alive at all costs—broken limbs or severe injuries were acceptable, as long as they still drew breath.
Yet Nie Hengcheng’s fearsome reputation preceded him. Believing their doom was at hand, the victims fought desperately to the death, forcing the Nie Clan disciples to resort to brutal slaughter. This was how the world came to believe Nie Hengcheng was annihilating entire bloodlines.
Even so, many were captured and brought back, one after another, to Nie Hengcheng’s residence. Soon after, their desiccated corpses were discarded. Upon examining the bodies, Lu Chengnan discovered their meridians shattered, dantians destroyed, and all their blood, qi, and essence completely drained...
"The Leech Grand Art!" Mu Qingyan blurted out.
Shi Tieqiao sighed repeatedly and nodded in agreement.
Cai Zhao frowned. "But... wait, that doesn’t make sense. Isn’t the Leech Grand Art supposed to harm the user as much as the victim?"
Absorbing another’s inner energy to enhance one’s own cultivation was nothing new in the Martial World, and it came in two forms: voluntary and forced.
The voluntary method, like that practiced by Grand Beginning Temple’s Cang Qiong and Qiu Yuanfeng, involved shared lineage and compatible cultivation techniques, with the former willingly transferring most of his power to his junior. No backlash occurred.
The forced method, however, was the Leech Grand Art—restraining the victim and forcibly draining them dry, leaving endless repercussions.
Horrified by this discovery, Lu Chengnan rushed to plead with his master. An orphan raised and meticulously trained by Nie Hengcheng, Lu Chengnan revered him as both mentor and father, his gratitude as deep as the mountains.
In his frantic appeal, he pointed out that the discarded corpses from just the past two days had cultivated vastly different martial arts—some practiced yin-soft techniques, others external horizontal strikes, and even the Western Gu Poison Sect’s methods. If Nie Hengcheng recklessly absorbed all these disparate Core Essences and energies, the consequences would be dire.
To his surprise, Nie Hengcheng laughed heartily, gazing fondly at his sweat-drenched fourth disciple.
Lu Chengnan had always been his favorite—gifted, composed, and capable. Unlike the arrogant Zhao Tianba (the eldest), the opportunistic Chen Shu (the second), or the loyal but blunt Han Yisu (the third), Lu Chengnan was the ideal successor. Nie Hengcheng had long intended to pass the sect leadership to him after his own time.
Thus, he revealed a secret: he was cultivating a supremely divine skill, one that could overcome all the flaws of the Leech Grand Art. Once mastered, he would achieve an unprecedented feat, becoming the first to transcend mortal limits and stand unrivaled in the world.
"But he never succeeded," Cai Zhao said slowly. "My aunt told me that by the day of the decisive battle at Tu Mountain, Nie Hengcheng had still not perfected the Demonic Art. Otherwise, she could never have slain him."
"Exactly," Shi Tieqiao sighed. "And that was precisely what terrified Lu Chengnan."
Without mastery, Nie Hengcheng had to continue devouring others’ Core Essences and inner energies.
Months later, his slaughter escalated. With skilled cultivators in the Martial World dwindling and the Big Dipper Six Sects heavily guarded, he turned his hunger inward—toward his own sect.
The first to fall were the followers of Elder Chou Baigang of the Celestial Pivot Hall, long at odds with Nie Hengcheng."So that's how it was!" A cold glint flashed in Mu Qingyan's eyes. "I wondered why all of Elder Chou's renowned senior disciples and capable subordinates were killed after his death, with even their remains disappearing. This completely contradicts Nie Hengcheng's usual habit of recruiting talents—turns out they were all captured to cultivate Demonic Arts!"
Shi Tieqiao sighed, "Though Elder Chou belonged to the Demonic Cult and opposed us for many years, he was open and forthright, bold and unyielding, diligent and devoted to his duties—truly a hero of his generation. To meet such an end... even we find it excessively cruel and deeply lamentable."
Even so, Nie Hengcheng still felt unsatisfied. He extensively hunted for victims outside while secretly capturing sect members within. Over time, Lu Chengnan noticed that even several strong leaders from the Heavenly Dipper Earthly Fiend Camp, which he had personally trained, had mysteriously disappeared without a trace.
Nie Hengcheng's dantian seemed like a bottomless black hole, insatiably devouring the blood energy of anyone within reach—Lu Chengnan sensed something was terribly wrong with this Demonic Art.
At the same time, Nie Hengcheng's body began to deteriorate—his cheeks hollowed, his eyes turned bloodshot, his meridians became chaotic, and even his mind occasionally lost coherence. While covering for his master, Lu Chengnan desperately urged him to abandon this sinister practice. If he could dissipate the skill and restore his origin in time, proper recuperation might still save him.
But by then, Nie Hengcheng had grown irritable, extreme, and sharp-tempered, refusing to listen to any advice.
Lu Chengnan knew he could no longer stand by. If this continued, not only would his fellow sect members be slaughtered, but his beloved master would also be beyond redemption. He was aware that Nie Hengcheng relied on a treasure called the Purple Jade Golden Sunflower to absorb others' Core Essence and Blood Energy.
He thought that without this artifact, his master would no longer be able to drain others' inner energy and could still turn back from the brink.
Afterward, he would assist his master in dissipating the skill to restore his origin, carefully nourish his meridians, and serve him in peaceful retirement.
However, he underestimated how deeply the Demonic Art had corrupted Nie Hengcheng.
When Nie Hengcheng discovered the Purple Jade Golden Sunflower was missing, he flew into a frenzy, slaughtering servants, maids, and guards in the Paradise Palace until corpses piled like mountains. Lu Chengnan had no choice but to step forward and admit he had stolen the treasure.
He had assumed that given the father-son bond between him and Nie Hengcheng, he would at most face severe punishment. But Nie Hengcheng's mind had already descended into madness, and in his rage, he struck to kill without hesitation.
Outside the bamboo cottage, a light drizzle began to fall, its pitter-patter mingling with the rustling of grass.
"What exactly does the Purple Jade Golden Sunflower look like?" Cai Zhao asked curiously.
Shi Tieqiao fetched paper and brushes from a nearby table. "I'll draw it for you."
As he sketched, he continued, "Lu Chengnan gave the Purple Jade Golden Sunflower to Ping Shu, saying that if things continued this way, countless people in the world would suffer. Nie Hengcheng was no longer his kind and dignified master—just a madman consumed by qi deviation..."
["Though I’ve never met Heroine Cai before, I’ve long admired her. Her decisive actions and upright character far surpass those old fools from the Six Sects, who cling to outdated ways and act out of selfish motives!"
Qing's heart was already shattered. Every word seemed to drain his remaining strength, yet his handsome face still smiled like a spring breeze. "As for how the world should proceed from here, Heroine Cai may decide for herself."]
A tear fell onto the paper. Shi Tieqiao wiped his eyes and looked up at Mu Qingyan with a faint smile. "After hearing this, Haosheng was beside himself with worry, fearing your father might also be drained by Nie Hengcheng. But Lu Chengnan said that not long before, your father had been attacked by an unknown assailant. After being injured, he disappeared, which ironically spared him from this calamity."
Mu Qingyan's expression tightened. "The attacker wasn’t one of Nie Hengcheng’s men?"
Shi Tieqiao replied, "Haosheng asked the same question. Lu Chengnan was absolutely certain—it couldn’t have been the Nie Clan’s faction. As the overseer of the Heavenly Dipper Earthly Fiend Camp and the one handling all of Nie Hengcheng’s affairs, his word should be reliable. What happened to your father afterward?"
Mu Qingyan lowered his long lashes. "A few days later, he returned after recovering from his injuries."Shi Tieqiao smiled faintly. "Your father was a good man. It's a pity he wasn't the cult leader—otherwise, so many people wouldn't have died."
He sighed and put down his brush. "It's done. Come take a look."
On the white paper was a palm-sized black smudge.
Mu Qingyan frowned. "This is what the Purple Jade Golden Sunflower looks like? Where's the gold? Where's the sunflower? It looks more like a rock... Zhao Zhao, come see... Hmm? What's wrong?" He turned to find the girl looking strangely pale.
Zhao Zhao stared fixedly at the paper before looking up. "Elder Shi, the Purple Jade Golden Sunflower is actually black, isn't it?"
"Correct. When Ping Shu first brought it to treat my second brother's injuries, I found it odd too. How could a pitch-black rock be called the Purple Jade Golden Sunflower?" Shi Tieqiao chuckled at the memory. "But your aunt explained that it was originally a piece of purple jade encased in a golden sunflower-shaped frame. Over a hundred years ago, there was a fire in the Demonic Cult Treasury. The golden petals melted away, and the jade turned black—that's how it ended up like this."
Mu Qingyan turned back. "Zhao Zhao, you've seen this before?"
"I saw it when I was little. It was in a small box under my aunt's pillow." Cai Zhao looked puzzled. "So this was the Purple Jade Golden Sunflower. I had no idea."
"What happened to it afterward?" Mu Qingyan asked.
The girl shifted awkwardly. "It was just the right size, so I used it to play marbles on the ground. When my aunt found out, she took it away and warned me not to tell my parents, or I'd be punished."
Mu Qingyan didn't speak, but his vividly expressive eyes conveyed his thoughts clearly.
Cai Zhao felt wronged. "How was I supposed to know that was the Purple Jade Golden Sunflower? Even the pebbles on the ground looked better than that!"
Mu Qingyan was both exasperated and amused. "So, does that mean the Purple Jade Golden Sunflower is still in your Fallen Blossom Valley now?"
To his surprise, Cai Zhao shook her head. "No. After my aunt passed away, I went through all her belongings again and again. I'm certain—that black rock wasn't among them."
Mu Qingyan was taken aback.
Cai Zhao, however, remained focused on the earlier topic. "Elder Shi, based on what you just said, my aunt stole the Purple Jade Golden Sunflower to treat Second Brother Shi's injuries—Lu Chengnan didn't help with that, did he?"
"Of course not," Shi Tieqiao said. "Before your aunt, no one knew the Purple Jade Golden Sunflower could cure wounds inflicted by the Netherworld Chill. If we had known, I would've begged Lu Chengnan for it long ago."
Cai Zhao looked thoughtful. "Then how did my aunt find out about this property of the Purple Jade Golden Sunflower?"
Shi Tieqiao shook his head. "Your aunt never said."
The light rain showed no sign of stopping. Shi Tieqiao's eldest son hurried over, holding a large oil-paper umbrella. Before even closing it, he panted, "Father, Uncle has woken up. He seems quite alert."
Hearing this, Shi Tieqiao's expression darkened instead. "Understood. Tell your wife to start preparing."
The eldest son acknowledged and left.
Shi Tieqiao turned to Mu and Cai. "We've covered most of it. Let's move to another place. One of my brothers is nearing his final moments and wishes to see you both."
Cai Zhao was surprised. "I thought you and Second Brother Shi were the only siblings. There's a third brother?"Shi Tieqiao didn’t answer directly. Instead, he took out a lightweight bamboo-framed umbrella from a wall cabinet and said, “I promised Ping Shu that after retiring, I would never involve myself with people or matters of the Martial World again. If it weren’t for my brother wanting to see you, the two of you would have woken up in some village days ago, thinking the locals had rescued you.”
Cai Zhao realized they had disturbed him and felt rather embarrassed. She awkwardly rose to her feet.
Mu Qingyan took the largest bamboo-framed umbrella and, out of habit, pulled the girl to his side, intending to share it with her.
Before opening the umbrella, he asked one last question, “When did Heroine Cai retrieve the Purple Jade Golden Sunflower to treat Second Brother Shi’s injuries?”
Shi Tieqiao paused. “It should have been around one—no, about half a day before Lu Chengnan fled into the night.”
Mu Qingyan nodded quietly in thanks, then led Cai Zhao into the rain.
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