The old man's voice was like seaweed undulating on the sea surface, faint and trembling, filled with regret and sorrow for the departed.
Mu Qingyan suddenly stood up, pacing heavily back and forth in the dimly lit room, his overwhelming indignation finding no outlet.
He stopped, pressing one hand firmly against the table as he said in a low voice, "What exactly did Father live like this for? Not a single day of his life was spent as he wished!"
Clenching his hand into a fist, he slammed it onto the table. "I will never live my life like Father did, never!"
"Young Master, has something happened?" Cheng Bo asked anxiously.
Mu Qingyan didn't answer. He closed his long, expressive eyes, quietly contemplating—
Most of the clues lined up now. After Mu Yang completed his initial cultivation training, he sneaked out of the Vast Sea Mountain Range. Whether by chance or design, he met Cai Pingshu. The man who accompanied Cai Pingshu up the snowy mountain to collect the Snowscale Dragon Beast's saliva must have been him.
Moreover, in the Nine Provinces Treasure Scroll Pavilion's records, he discovered that the Purple Jade Golden Sunflower could heal injuries caused by Netherworld Chill. When Second Brother Shi was injured, he informed Cai Pingshu of this.
Now, only two things remained unexplained:
First, why did Mu Yang snatch him as an infant from his swaddling clothes?
Second, he should have deeply resented Nie Hengcheng for preventing him from reclaiming his ancestral roots. So why did he help Nie Hengcheng harm the brothers around Cai Pingshu?
Setting these aside for now, the most urgent matter was to clear his father Mu Ming's name.
He had to make Zhao Zhao understand that his father had always been indifferent to fame and fortune, had been the one betrayed, and had never betrayed anyone else.
But mere words wouldn't convince Qi Yunke, Cai Pingchun, and the others. They might not believe the words of someone from the "Demonic Cult."
Therefore, he needed solid evidence.
Mu Qingyan abruptly opened his eyes and said solemnly, "Cheng Bo, you mentioned earlier that the woman came to deliver Mu Yang's remains. Where did Father keep those remains? I've sorted through Father's belongings many times but never saw them."
Cheng Bo was slow to react. "The late master didn't keep that box in the Unthinking Study. He... he buried everything with the deceased."
"My father's grave?" Mu Qingyan hesitated.
Cheng Bo said, "No, no. It's the old master and mistress's graves."
Mu Qingyan: "Ah, that's fine then."
—He was somewhat reluctant to disturb his father's resting place, but his grandparents' graves were another matter.
If those two unreliable individuals hadn't been so absorbed in their own romantic entanglements and grudges, the young Mu Ming wouldn't have had to live under Nie Hengcheng's thumb, nor would Mu Yang have become such a calamity, leading to all the subsequent regrets.
Parents who failed to raise their child properly deserved to have their graves dug up later.
Arriving at the Mu family ancestral graves at the back of the mountain, passing between two towering Spirit Stone guardian beasts and walking through the eerie, shadowy forest, Mu Qingyan led Cheng Bo and Lian Shisan to stand before the graves of Mu Chen and his wife.
Cheng Bo was still muttering, "Young Master, how can you dig up your grandparents' graves?"
"Me doing it wouldn't be appropriate," Mu Qingyan said, handing the hoe to Lian Shisan. "Thirteen, you dig."
Cheng Bo: "..."
Since Mu Yang's remains were buried by Mu Ming years later, following the distinct soil disturbance patterns, Lian Shisan quickly unearthed a large stone box from the edge of the grave mound.
Mu Qingyan split the stone box open with a palm strike. Inside lay a small purple wooden box, about two palms long and three inches thick, fastened with a peach-blossom-shaped brass clasp. Opening it and carefully examining the contents—Mu Qingyan's lips curled slightly. Just as expected, there was evidence here.
As they left the Mu family graves, Hu Fengge, Hui Yin, and Lu Fengchun stood waiting outside with their subordinates.Mu Qingyan had no patience for their chatter and declared he had urgent matters to attend to, instructing them to stay at their posts and keep watch over the Vast Sea Mountains.
Before leaving, Mu Qingyan suddenly turned back. "Where has Shangguan Haonan been lately?"
Hu Fengge cupped his hands and replied, "Reporting to the Sect Leader, Altar Lord Shangguan has taken leave. He said his beloved concubine is expecting, and he wished to return to keep an eye on her."
Seeing Mu Qingyan frown, Lü Fengchun added with an ingratiating smile, "The Shangguan family has had only one heir for eight generations. No wonder Altar Lord Shangguan is anxious."
Mu Qingyan turned away. "Having children is a joyous occasion. Cheng Bo, prepare a generous gift on my behalf."
Cheng Bo acknowledged the order and left with Lian Shisan in tow.
After dismissing the others, Mu Qingyan summoned the Golden-Winged Great Peng with the purple wooden box tucked under one arm and sped back to Grand Beginning Temple at full speed.
The biting wind lashed at his face, yet his chest burned as if aflame. He wished he could stomp on Qi Yunke’s face for slandering his father, then dump a bucket of cold water over Cai Zhao’s head as punishment for that fleeting look of distrust she had given him that day.
Several days later, Mu Qingyan arrived at the village outside Grand Beginning Temple.
He released the Golden-Winged Great Peng in the wilderness and traveled by night to the populated areas, inquiring about the situation with the Big Dipper Six Sects. After questioning several people, all replied the same: "A few days ago, Grand Beginning Temple’s sect leader Wang Yuanjing was buried, and today they are performing the ritual for his soul."
Mu Qingyan’s impatience grew. That very night, he infiltrated Grand Beginning Temple.
Under the cover of darkness, he subdued a young acolyte with a casual tap and asked where Cai Zhao was staying. Trembling, the boy pointed to a location and stammered, "Miss Cai is staying in the neighboring room with Valley Master Cai and his wife."
Mu Qingyan frowned. He then subdued a servant and a laborer in the shadows, receiving the same answer before finally believing it. With Cai Pingchun and his wife nearby, it would be difficult to have a proper conversation with Zhao Zhao.
The room was brightly lit. Ning Xiaofeng held up a piece of brand-new indigo silk embroidered with silver threads, draping it over her husband’s shoulders as she chattered, "Zhao Zhao, does this fabric suit your father? Doesn’t it look dignified and elegant? If I start now, your father can wear it by autumn. Should I make a straight robe or a cross-collared wide-sleeved one?"
Just as Cai Zhao was about to speak, Cai Pingchun patted his wife’s hand and said tenderly, "Don’t trouble yourself with sewing. Let the tailors handle it. Have you forgotten how your fingers were pricked all over last time? Zhao Zhao, talk some sense into your mother—tell her not to do it."
Cai Zhao opened her mouth again, but Ning Xiaofeng muttered, "I like making clothes for you."
Cai Pingchun softened his voice. "Most women in the world can sew, but how many can concoct incense that keeps all snakes, insects, and rodents at bay within half a mile? How many can brew antidotes that neutralize ninety percent of poisons? You’re different from them. Among all the women in the world, there’s only one Ning Xiaofeng."
Cai Zhao propped her chin on her hands, resting her elbows on the table as she watched without enthusiasm.
You are one of a kind, irreplaceable —probably the words every woman loved to hear. No outsider would ever guess that her seemingly reserved and indifferent father had such a knack for sweet-talking his wife.
Sure enough, Ning Xiaofeng’s cheeks flushed pink as she gazed at her husband with adoration, and Cai Pingchun returned her gaze with equal tenderness.
Cai Zhao stood up leisurely. "I should go to bed. Father, Mother, please rest well." —Being a child was no easy task. One had to read the room and make a swift exit when necessary.
Mu Qingyan lurked silently outside the elegant quarters on the west side. A narrow corridor separated two rooms—the left one dark, seemingly already extinguished for the night, while the right one glowed dimly, the silhouettes of a man and a woman faintly visible on the paper window. That must be the Cai couple.The young man concealed among the dense flowering trees frowned slightly—why weren't the Cai couple asleep while Zhao Zhao remained awake? This complicated matters somewhat.
After brief consideration, he decided that at worst, he could avoid bickering with the girl. He would simply clarify matters regarding Mu Yang, leave the purple wooden case, and depart. Surely that wouldn't alarm the Cai couple.
His Azure Cloud Leap technique had reached such a level of ethereal lightness that moving through the night was like merging into the ocean's depths. With a gentle palm strike, he broke the wooden latch, slightly opened the window, and floated inside.
The familiar fragrance of the girl filled the room—the sweet orange scent of the soap Cai Zhao favored. Mu Qingyan smiled faintly. Though he harbored no intentions of stealing jade or pilfering fragrance, he had considerable experience sneaking into Cai Zhao's room. As he moved toward the round table by the faint moonlight seeping through the window, he had taken only two or three steps when a sudden, chilling sensation surged through him, as if he were being watched by a beast in the jungle.
—Damn it! A trap!
Mu Qingyan's body reacted faster than his thoughts. His muscles and bones moved instinctively as he prepared to leap back. But with a deafening boom, something in the room exploded violently. Fragments of stone, tiles, and wood rained down as five enormous Mystic Iron bars—each taller than a person—slammed into place from all sides, trapping him within.
Blood streaked his arms and legs from the explosion's shrapnel. His ears rang from the blast, and a tearing pain wracked his internal organs, forcing a mouthful of blood past his lips.
The room had been blown apart, moonlight pouring through the gaping hole in the roof. Ignoring his injuries, he quickly looked up and saw the massive Mystic Iron cage enclosing him, along with the table and chairs.
Amidst raucous laughter, a large group of armed men entered the shattered room, led by the sect leaders.
Song Shijun was especially gleeful, his grin so wide it nearly exposed his molars: "Hahahaha! I knew you'd return! These past days, I've had men stationed everywhere, watching the village entrances day and night, ready to send word at the first sign of you! Hahaha! Youth truly is reckless. In two hundred years, you're the first Demonic Cult leader to fall into our North Star prison! Hahahaha…"
Qi Yunke glared hatefully at the iron cage. "Men! Cripple this thief's Core Essence meridians first!"
Song Shijun choked on his laughter, coughing violently. "No, no! Brother Yunke, don't be hasty! Let's talk this through!"
"Talk about what?! His father murdered Ping Shu and countless others! What's wrong with demanding his life in return?!" Qi Yunke's eyes burned with hatred as he thought of his fallen comrades and Cai Pingshu.
"Exactly! Crippling him is too troublesome. Why not chop off his hands and feet first? Much quicker!" Yang Heying's smile was venomous.
Standing behind them, Song Yuzhi wore a conflicted expression. He stepped forward. "Master, if you wish to execute him to avenge our predecessors, this disciple has no objections. But please, think of Zhao Zhao! Killing him is one thing, but torturing him to death will only ensure she never forgets him!"
Qi Yunke hesitated.
"Our feud with the Demonic Cult spans two centuries! Are we to hold back because of some little girl? If you won't act, I will!" Yang Heying, imagining the prestige of being the one to subdue the Demonic Cult leader, raised his blade eagerly.Song Shijun grabbed him: "Old Yang, what madness is this? Brother Yunke seeks to avenge Cai Pingshu—why are you meddling? Mu Qingyan may be in our hands, but the Demonic Cult behind him remains intact! Have you forgotten how the Nie Clan retaliated fiercely after your master and my father-in-law boasted about Nie Hengcheng's death? It took three days to piece together your master's corpse! Can the Four Stallions Gate withstand such torment now?"
Yang Heying halted immediately, his expression flickering uncertainly.
Li Yuanmin glared venomously at Mu Qingyan and spat bitterly, "My senior brother was tortured into a human pig. Now, Grand Beginning Temple demands justice—this is heaven's will! Even if Lady Cai Pingshu were here today, she would agree!"
Song Shijun had far less patience with him and snapped, "If you have the skill, go capture him yourself! These traps and mechanisms were all meticulously arranged by us! Step aside and stop your nonsense!"
Zhou Zhizhen suddenly spoke, his voice low: "I had never heard of the events back then. Only now do I learn that Ping Shu need not have died—that Zhuge and the others could have lived on, married, enjoyed poetry and wine. Yet in their prime, they were cruelly murdered by villains, their deaths unavenged. Such a grudge cannot go unanswered. I will kill him. None of you need be implicated."
He drew his gleaming sword, his usually gentle face now ashen. "Sect Leader Mu, I bear you no personal enmity, but a father's debt falls to his son. Blame your father—"
"Do not slander my father!" Mu Qingyan leaned against the iron bars, seated on a stool. "I came today precisely to clarify this matter. The one who deceived and murdered those heroes back then was not my father, but another."
Qi Yunke erupted in anger: "The man looked exactly like you! If not your father, then who?"
Mu Qingyan's cold gaze met his. "Sect Leader Qi, did that man have a crimson brand on his neck?"
Qi Yunke's pupils constricted. "The left rear side—an iris flower!"
Mu Qingyan smirked. "His name was Mu Yang. He and my father were twins."
"Mu Yang?!" Qi Yunke looked bewildered. Cai Pingshu had never revealed the man's name to him.
Zhou Zhizhen said icily, "I’ve never heard Mu Ming had a brother. You won’t evade responsibility so easily!"
"Of course, empty words won’t convince anyone. See for yourselves." Mu Qingyan gestured toward a purple wooden box lying on the windowsill. "This was personally delivered to my father by Lady Cai Pingshu—Mu Yang’s remains."
Since it involved Cai Pingshu’s personal belongings, Song Shijun and Yang Heying, though burning with curiosity, refrained from rushing forward.
Qi Yunke and Zhou Zhizhen exchanged a glance before Zhou Zhizhen stepped forward to pick up the purple box. He noticed the bronze clasp bore the peach blossom motif commonly used in Fallen Blossom Valley. With trembling hands, he opened it and examined the contents...
A pained groan escaped him as he covered his face with one hand, his body shaking as he slumped against the crumbling wall.
Qi Yunke hurried to support him and took the box to inspect it himself.
Inside the purple box lay scattered items: a slightly yellowed pearl hairpin, a pair of translucent emerald jade bracelets like clear pond water, a bloodstained handkerchief, two locks of different hair textures tied together with a ribbon, and a gilded red engagement contract...Qi Yunke picked up a beaded hairpin—for ease of movement, Cai Pingshu rarely wore jewelry, yet this Beaded Flower Jade Hairpin was one he had seen her wear many times. The floral ornament was strung with nine thumb-sized pearls, while the pin itself was carved from pristine mutton-fat jade into an intricate twisted floral design.
Holding the hairpin up to the moonlight, Qi Yunke examined it closely and noticed the character 'Yang' engraved on the handle—its strokes elegant and unrestrained, slender yet bold. With a clink, the hairpin fell back into the wooden box. Qi Yunke seemed drained of all strength, collapsing weakly.
Just as Cai Zhao was about to leave, she suddenly turned back: "We've been staying peacefully in the western guest quarters all these days. Why did we suddenly move to this room tonight?"
Ning Xiaofeng lowered her head, flipping through fabric samples.
Cai Pingchun's expression remained calm. "You haven't been eating or sleeping well these days—you've lost so much weight. Zhao Zhao, this isn't good. Since you already know it's a dead end, dwelling on it won't help."
Cai Zhao furrowed her delicate brows, looking puzzled at her parents.
At that moment, a deafening explosion echoed in the distance, shaking the ground beneath them.
Caught off balance, Cai Zhao's forehead thudded against the doorframe.
"What was that...?" Rubbing her forehead, she gazed into the distance—precisely where their family's former western guest quarters stood.
Her questioning eyes turned to her parents, but Cai Pingchun and Ning Xiaofeng remained silent.
A sharp pain shot through Cai Zhao's head, as if pricked by a needle, and unease surged within her. "What are you hiding from me? What have you schemed?!"
Shocked and frantic, she didn't wait for an answer. Tearing through the bamboo curtain, she dashed outside!
Her figure flitted past like a fleeting blossom at Flower-Fluttering Crossing; the Grand Beginning Temple disciples on guard didn't even catch a glimpse of her face before she vanished.
The closer she got to the western guest quarters, the more disciples from various sects she saw rushing about. Leaning against a secluded flowering tree to catch her breath, she spotted a large crowd gathering around something in the distance...
The moonlight was exceptionally clear tonight. Cai Zhao saw eight burly disciples carrying an enormous iron cage, surrounded by vigilant armed disciples and sect leaders.
Why is he in a cage? Why are they treating him like a wild beast?!
Why is he covered in blood? Was he torn apart by that explosion just now? Are his organs injured from the blast?
Where's Mother? Where is she? And Fan Xingjia—who's going to treat his injuries?!
Clutching her chest, Cai Zhao felt as if all sound had vanished, her vision narrowing to only the chilling Mystic Iron cage ahead.
"What are you doing?!" Her voice came out hoarse as she lunged forward, only to be caught from behind by Song Yuzhi.
"You can't go now!" Song Yuzhi whispered urgently, tightening his grip on the girl. "Don't escalate this!"
Fan Xingjia arrived, panting heavily. "Zhao Zhao, listen to me—you can't act rashly now, not with so many people watching! Before, it was just rumors between you and him. If you charge out now, you'll be confirming the accusation of colluding with the Demonic Cult! Don't forget Li Shibo is here too—he's carrying the Nine Yin Bone-Piercing Whip for executions!"
"I don't need your meddling! Let me go!" Overwhelmed by panic, Cai Zhao couldn't process their words. As she gathered her energy to struggle, a sudden numbness struck the back of her neck, and she collapsed limply.
Song Yuzhi caught her swiftly, exchanging a glance with Fan Xingjia before turning to look behind them.
Ding Zhuo stood there, fingers still extended from the strike. He rolled his eyes. "Keep arguing like this, and even the deaf will hear you."
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