After dinner, under the lingering glow of the setting sun, Mu Qingyan and Cai Zhao, dressed in coarse cloth, sat by the door like ordinary villagers enjoying the cool evening breeze.
One held a bundle of smoldering mugwort to ward off mosquitoes, while the other fanned themselves with a tattered palm-leaf fan that clattered noisily. All they were missing was a teapot or some sunflower seeds to complete the image of an elderly rural couple.
Mu Qingyan suggested they organize their thoughts and piece together what they had heard from Shi Tieqiao over the past day and night.
Cai Zhao agreed.
"Let's use the Purple Jade Golden Sunflower as our starting point," Mu Qingyan said, picking up a branch and nudging a palm-sized stone from the ground to represent the flower.
Cai Zhao nodded. "The first mention of the Purple Jade Golden Sunflower was when Second Brother Shi suffered from Netherworld Chill. My aunt somehow learned that the flower could cure such injuries and stole it from the Demonic Cult Treasury." She used her fan to push the stone next to a slate—the stone representing the flower, the slate representing Second Brother Shi.
"The key questions here are—" she continued, "who told my aunt that the Purple Jade Golden Sunflower could cure Netherworld Chill? And who managed to locate this supposedly useless item in the vast treasury?"
"Another crucial point," Mu Qingyan added, "is that your aunt was able to steal and return the flower unnoticed, which means Nie Hengcheng hadn't yet discovered it at that time.He moved the stone a few inches down and used the tip of the branch to write the character 'treasury' in the dirt. "At this point, the Purple Jade Golden Sunflower was still in our sect's treasury, about a year and a half before Lu Chengnan fled at night."
Cai Zhao pondered. "I think Nie Hengcheng must have already discovered the flower by then and had begun practicing the Demonic Art. Because Lei Shibo told me that shortly after Second Brother Shi consulted him about Netherworld Chill, Yin Dai was defeated by Nie Hengcheng in under a hundred moves."
Mu Qingyan raised an eyebrow. "Was Yin Dai injured?"
"No, just his clothes were torn," Cai Zhao replied.
Mu Qingyan: "The fact that Yin Dai escaped unscathed suggests Nie Hengcheng was still in the early stages of practicing the Demonic Art.Next to the stone and the character '库,' he wrote 'Nie, early, art' with the branch.
Cai Zhao agreed. "Lei Shibo said that Yin Dai repeatedly asked him if there were any miraculous drugs that could rapidly enhance one's power. Lei Shibo replied that such things existed but were more harmful than beneficial, so Yin Dai speculated that Nie Hengcheng had mastered a formidable technique."
"It wasn't just him who grew suspicious. Old Master Zhou and Old Sect Leader Song also became wary and took their own measures," Mu Qingyan said. "Yin Dai's approach was to join forces with his senior brother Cheng Hao and junior brother Wang Dingchuan to set up the Net of Heaven and Earth, capturing Kaiyang Senior, a close aide of Nie Hengcheng, to extract information slowly."
"But at this point, Nie Hengcheng hadn't yet begun hunting down martial arts masters, so he didn't need the Purple Jade Golden Sunflower," he continued. "What followed was Wu Yuanying being captured at Cauldron Peak Mountain, Cang Huanzi and Yaoguang Senior perishing together, Kaiyang Senior dying in a failed escape attempt, and Cang Qiongzi losing both his legs..."
Cai Zhao picked up the thread: "Later, Yin Dai, unable to save face, ordered the elite forces of the six sects to attack the Nether Bamboo Path. Not only did they lose their top disciple Feng Yuantu, but they also misplaced their youngest disciple Guo Zigui. Looking back now, it might not have been just about saving face—he might have wanted to test the Demonic Art. My aunt fought desperately at the front, but rumors said Yin Dai was nowhere to be seen. Who knows where he really went?""No matter where he went, he found nothing in the end." Mu Qingyan scoffed. "Let’s continue with the Purple Jade Golden Sunflower. When did Nie Hengcheng start using it... half a year ago."
"Half a year ago!"
The two spoke in unison, then exchanged a smile.
"According to what Lu Chengnan told my aunt and the others," Cai Zhao recalled, "he must have noticed his master’s sudden surge in power long before, but it wasn’t until half a year ago that he sensed something was off—because Nie Hengcheng began devouring martial experts then."
"That’s when the Purple Jade Golden Sunflower fell into Nie Hengcheng’s hands." Mu Qingyan continued shifting the stones on the ground, marking 'Nie, Devour' beside them two inches lower.
He added, "After that, Nie Hengcheng rampantly hunted down martial experts across the land, growing more ruthless by the day—everyone cursed him as a cruel and tyrannical monster, but in truth, he was practicing a Demonic Art."
"What kind of technique is this? It’s so sinister!" Cai Zhao wrinkled her nose in disgust.
"I’ve almost figured it out." Mu Qingyan tapped the character 'Nie' with a twig. "Zhao Zhao, do you remember Duan Jiuxiu and Chen Fuguang? Why did they climb Snow Ridge to collect saliva?"
Cai Zhao’s eyes lit up. "The Purple Star Sutra?! Wait, wasn’t that an ancestral technique passed down in your Mu family? Your father even said it was forbidden to practice, that it would bring great harm!"
Mu Qingyan replied calmly, "It seems Nie Hengcheng devised a method to cultivate the Purple Star Sutra."
"What kind of method? Devouring others’ Core Essence and Vitality until he turns half-mad?" Cai Zhao couldn’t believe it.
Mu Qingyan pursed his lips. "At least initially, he didn’t need to consume Core Essence or Vitality. In fact, the early stages of cultivation went smoothly. Only a small amount of Snowscale Dragon Beast saliva was needed as a catalyst to rapidly amplify his power."
Cai Zhao suddenly understood. "That’s why he gave Chen Shu the preliminary manual and a small vial of saliva, to compensate for the flaw in his Five Venoms Palm. But Chen Shu, out of love for his brother, began practicing it and was intercepted and killed by the Zhou family."
—Unbeknownst to them, this small incident indirectly led to the massacre of Qian Xueshen’s family and, over a decade later, sparked a bloody revenge.
"Before his descent into madness, Nie Hengcheng was always a brilliant and visionary leader, caring for his disciples and adept at recognizing talent." Mu Qingyan’s expression remained neutral. "Lu Chengnan endured for half a year but could take no more. He finally stole the Purple Jade Golden Sunflower and fled under cover of night."
"Without the Purple Jade Golden Sunflower and without Lu Chengnan’s careful management, Nie Hengcheng’s actions grew increasingly erratic." Cai Zhao said. "My aunt mentioned that the reason she could corner Nie Hengcheng alone in Tushan was because he had become paranoid, trusting no one—even his most loyal disciples. It seems Lu Chengnan’s departure hit him hard."
"Lu Chengnan was truly a hero of his time." Mu Qingyan rarely praised anyone.
A group of village children ran past them, laughing and playfully tickling each other with foxtails, their cheerful voices filling the air.
Cai Zhao frowned. "There are still many unanswered questions—who told my aunt about the Purple Jade Golden Sunflower?"
Mu Qingyan pondered. "There’s someone who not only knew the secrets of the Purple Jade Golden Sunflower but also its origins. Many of these intricate details aren’t even fully known within our sect. Who could this person be?"—There was always someone shrouded in mist, yet they could never grasp him."Also, who attacked your father? Who was the mastermind behind the massacre of the Chang family? And most importantly, who was my aunt's beloved?" Cai Zhao added.
Mu Qingyan laughed. "You're still hung up on that? Didn't your master say that person was already 'dealt with' by your aunt? Most likely, they're no longer in this world."
"I still want to know who it was," Cai Zhao grumbled, then suddenly remembered something. "Hey, can I ask you something?"
"I'm not called 'hey,'" Mu Qingyan said sternly.
"Painted-Skin Demon?"
Mu Qingyan pretended to stand up.
Cai Zhao quickly pulled him back, smiling sweetly as she leaned in, cooing, "Brother."
Mu Qingyan sighed. "Let's not pretend to be siblings anymore. Whether it was Snow Ridge or Suchuan, not a single person believed it—what do you want to ask?"
Cai Zhao hesitated. "Did your father ever truly love someone in his life? I mean, genuinely."
Mu Qingyan was taken aback by the question. "...Maybe. But I was sick at the time, barely conscious."
He paused, uncertain. "It was right after Father brought me to Huanglao Peak's Unthinking Study. I had my hair shaved, bathed, eaten, and was basking in the sun... Then I fell ill, burning with fever."
Cai Zhao let out a small sigh. A child accustomed to darkness might struggle when suddenly exposed to light.
"One night, I heard voices outside—Father and a woman I didn’t recognize. When I woke up groggily, the woman was already gone, but Father remained seated outside, his expression..." Mu Qingyan furrowed his brows, straining to recall.
—Outside the window, dawn was breaking, casting a pale glow over the quiet room.
Mu Zhengming sat alone behind the desk, facing an empty seat still warm from its recent occupant. His expression was one of endless longing, a mix of joy and sorrow, restless and uneasy.
It was only recently that Mu Qingyan began to understand such subtle emotions.
Cai Zhao nodded vaguely. "What happened after that?"
"There was no 'after.' The woman never returned," Mu Qingyan said darkly. "Father said it was their first and last meeting. I think he always wanted to find her, but because of me, he couldn’t leave."
Cai Zhao scoffed and patted his shoulder. "Don’t blame yourself for everything. Your father couldn’t have left even before you were born. And him staying had its benefits—otherwise, how could my aunt have rescued Master Guo?"
Mu Qingyan smiled faintly. "You think it was because of Father’s help that Lady Cai managed to save Guo Zigui?"
"If not him, then Lu Chengnan. But your father seems more likely." Cai Zhao’s expression suddenly dimmed. "Sigh, you were right about one thing. If Grand Beginning Temple had set aside their prejudices and asked my aunt for help, Wu Yuanying might have been saved too."
Shi Tieqiao and Chang Haosheng were both close to Cai Pingshu, yet Grand Beginning Temple had long held grudges against her, leading to countless conflicts. So when rumors spread that Wu Yuanying was dead, Shi and Chang merely sighed and moved on, never asking Lu Chengnan or Mu Zhengming to investigate his remains.
Mu Qingyan frowned, sensing something flicker in his mind, but it slipped away before he could grasp it.
"The Hanhai Mountain Range is vast, with its stone maze and tiger-and-leopard carvings everywhere. Without inside help, who could possibly find anything there?" Cai Zhao lamented.
"Those carvings aren’t tigers or leopards—they’re Eight-Clawed Bi’an," Mu Qingyan corrected, chuckling. Then he froze, his expression shifting abruptly. "Towering stone pillars... a maze... Eight-Clawed Bi’an... That’s... that place!"At that moment, the children across the way erupted into chaos. Two boys pinned down a chubby child from either side while a third boy gleefully tickled the chubby boy's belly with a foxtail grass stalk. The chubby boy, frantic, suddenly lunged forward.
Two girls watching nearby clapped and laughed, one even collapsing into her companion's arms with mirth.
Mu Qingyan abruptly stood up, scattering half-burned mugwort embers across the ground.
Cai Zhao was startled. "What's wrong with you?"
"Zhao Zhao!" Mu Qingyan grabbed the girl's hand, his eyes blazing with excitement. "I've figured out how the Chang Family Fort's secret paths were leaked! We need to go, now!"
The Golden Winged Roc beat its powerful wings against the twilight-streaked sky, soaring over winding rivers and dense mountain ranges, its shadow gliding over dollhouse-sized villages below in the cool summer breeze.
An hour later, Mu and Cai arrived at Wu'an City, where townsfolk informed them the memorial ceremony had ended—all North Star disciples had relocated to Grand Beginning Temple.
Mounting the Golden Winged Roc again, they reached the temple upstream along Suochuan River in under half an hour.
Grand Beginning Temple's vast compound blazed with lights, alive with shifting silhouettes.
By a darkened side path west of the temple, Cai Zhao spotted Fan Xingjia ambling toward them with a fragrant oil-paper package. She yanked him behind a tree.
"Zhao Zhao! Where have you been?" Fan Xingjia's eyes nearly bulged out seeing her. "You just disappeared! Do you know how chaotic things got after you left?"
Then he noticed Mu Qingyan and nearly shrieked. "Y-you—how dare you come here! Don't you know all Big Dipper Six Sects are gathered at Grand Beginning Temple now?"
Mu Qingyan merely smiled. Cai Zhao frowned. "All six sects? I thought only my father, master, and Uncle Zhou came for the Chang family memorial. And why are you buying roast chicken so late?"
"We've eaten vegetarian for half a month mourning the Changs, then moved into this temple with its bland meals—can't I get some roast chicken?" Fan Xingjia looked ready to cry.
"Originally just our three sects came, but suddenly Sect Leader Song arrived. With five sects present, he invited Sect Leader Yang too, saying it'd be unfair to exclude one."
Mu Qingyan smirked. "Song Yuzhi must have written to summon his father."
Cai Zhao shifted uneasily. "Did something major happen after I left?"
"What do you think?" Fan Xingjia nearly shouted.
"After your broken engagement became public, Valley Master Cai first confronted Master Zhou, while Sect Leader Song stood by smirking."
"Then Master Zhou demanded to know if Sect Leader Song had ulterior motives. He admitted it."
"Next, our master grabbed Sect Leader Song's collar, yelling why Junior Sister Lingbo suffered if this was just about canceling an engagement."
"Sect Leader Yang then brought up his daughter Yang Xiaolan. But Sect Leader Song said his recent fortune reading showed his ideal first wife should be surnamed Cai, though a Yang could be his second wife later."
"Sect Leader Yang's face darkened, demanding explanations, while Master Zhou roared 'Song Shijun, you scheming—!'"
"They argued until Head Wang had to rush from Grand Beginning Temple to mediate."
Mu Qingyan glanced at the girl, amused. "How touching—the Big Dipper Six Sects, united as brothers.""A little quarrel spices things up, some bickering is no big deal," Cai Zhao said calmly. "Senior Brother Fan, do you know where Sect Leader Wang Yuanjing is staying?"
"Of course, at the Three Purities Study in the westernmost part of Grand Beginning Temple," Fan Xingjia replied. "I've run errands there for my master several times."
"Could you show us the way? We need to—"
Before Cai Zhao could finish, Mu Qingyan interrupted, "No need for such trouble. Let him come with us to serve as a witness."
Cai Zhao hesitated. "Should we call Third Senior Brother too? More witnesses would be better."
"Why not summon the entire Big Dipper Six Sects and hold a triple court interrogation then?" Mu Qingyan retorted sarcastically.
"Forget it, Senior Brother Fan will suffice," Cai Zhao conceded. "He's eloquent and has a good memory—quite suitable, I'd say."
"What are you planning? What are you dragging me into?!" Fan Xingjia looked at them in alarm. "I still have roast chicken to eat! It'll get cold soon!"
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