Hidden Beauty Gorge appeared from the outside as nothing more than a chaotic, disordered stretch of mountain forest, utterly devoid of charm. Yet once one navigated past several clusters of bare, massive boulders, a scene of breathtaking beauty unfolded—crystal-clear streams and lush, verdant foliage.
The Hanging Temple was nestled deep within this gorge. Positioned directly above a gently flowing mountain spring, the tranquil little temple with its dark tiles and white walls seemed to hover midair when viewed from afar, hence its name.
This area lay precisely at the border between the Big Dipper Six Sects and the Nether Sect's spheres of influence, technically closer to the Vast Sea Mountain Range. The Hanging Temple had always been weak in strength and occupied an awkward position, so they rarely involved themselves in conflicts between the Big Dipper Six Sects and the Nether Sect, appearing only at major celebrations of the former.
This approach drew little criticism in the Martial World, as the eminent Master Minghui, founder of the Hanging Temple, had originally intended it as a sanctuary for destitute women. Had the Big Dipper Six Sects and the Nether Sect not been locked in ceaseless conflict, they would never have wished to be entangled at all.
Over the past century, the Hanging Temple had weathered numerous storms—pressured by the Big Dipper Six Sects to jointly resist the Demonic Cult, targeted by unscrupulous lowlifes from the Nether Sect—yet always emerged unscathed, largely because leaders on both sides valued their reputations.
The Azure Tower Sect leader who forced the Hanging Temple to fight the Demonic Cult was mocked by both righteous and unorthodox factions for a full decade—what shame to North Star Ancestor, that the mighty Big Dipper Six Sects couldn't manage without dragging in a group of feeble nuns!
Similarly, the Nether Sect often turned a blind eye to this tiny temple at their doorstep. Nie Hengcheng once berated his second disciple Chen Shu until the latter's head spun, after Chen attempted to capture Hanging Temple disciples to practice his Five Venoms Palm—what glory was there in crushing a sect where half the members were ordinary, defenseless women?
Thus, the major leaders on both sides spared the Hanging Temple for face's sake, while the abbesses could handle any petty Martial World scoundrels themselves, allowing the temple to survive to this day.
"There's another little-known reason," Cai Pingchun remarked as he dismounted, leading his horse uphill on foot.
Cai Zhao, Song Yuzhi, and Fan Xingjia walked in a row behind him.
"Truth be told, the Hanging Temple has produced about a dozen 'wayward disciples,'" Cai Pingchun turned back with a smile. "Gifted girls with unruly temperaments who couldn't endure the temple's ascetic rules—day after day of vegetarian meals and sutra chanting—so..."
"So they took a right turn straight to the Nether Bamboo Path?" Cai Zhao tilted her head mischievously.
Cai Pingchun chuckled at his playful daughter.
Song Yuzhi looked shocked. "They all joined the Demonic Cult?"
Fan Xingjia wiped sweat from his brow, panting. "Endless vegetarian meals and chanting—who could stand that! But joining the Demons still wasn't right."
"Not all joined the Demonic Cult," Cai Pingchun continued as they walked. "Some strayed into darkness, then returned to the temple when they had nowhere else to go."
Fan Xingjia muttered, "What do they take their sect for—betraying it, then crawling back when desperate! If Li Shibo got hold of them, they wouldn't last three meals!"Cai Zhao nodded. "Fifth Senior Brother's words may sound harsh, but the reasoning is sound. Otherwise, if everyone comes and goes as they please, there would be no order, and how could the sect flourish?"
Cai Pingchun raised an eyebrow, looking at the three young people behind him. "Is that what you all think?"
Song Yuzhi frowned slightly. "Perhaps the Hanging Temple never intended to flourish. They're different from ordinary sects in the Martial World—they simply want to shelter as many vulnerable women as possible. Not everyone in this world is heaven's favored child, nor does everyone possess extraordinary talent or fortune..."
Cai Pingchun patted Song Yuzhi's shoulder. "Your master was right. It's not a bad thing for young people to endure setbacks and hardships. Those who see deeply can walk further."
Fan Xingjia and Cai Zhao immediately flushed with shame.
—Compassion is not weakness, nor is it disorder. It is simply a different choice.
"However," Cai Pingchun added timely, "those female disciples who return after suffering hardships outside often develop firmer devotion to Buddhism. They can see through illusions more quickly and eventually attain enlightenment, sheltering even more unfortunate women."
Song Yuzhi exhaled deeply. "Good and evil will be repaid—justice is clear as day. It should be so."
Cai Pingchun continued, "Among those female disciples who left without regret, I heard five or six went on to open shops and establish businesses. What they learned at the Hanging Temple was enough to deal with local ruffians. They prospered, raised children, and during festivals would send vegetarian dishes like mock chicken, duck, and fish to the temple. Though the oil smelled so rich the abbess always suspected they'd used lard..."
Cai Zhao and Fan Xingjia grinned, their spirits lifting again.
"And two or three actually made names for themselves in the Demonic Cult—one became a female elder, two became female Altar Lords, and some married powerful figures in the cult. In short, in short..."
Cai Zhao finished, "In short, everyone has a bright future."
Cai Pingchun shook his head with a smile, while Song Yuzhi and Fan Xingjia burst into laughter.
As the laughter faded, Cai Pingchun spoke slowly, "Whether one longs for the mortal world or finds peace in quiet cultivation, the choice should come from one's own heart, not be constrained by other reasons."
"When I was young, I used to blame my elder sister—why must she always stand out? Why couldn't she follow our ancestors' teachings and live quietly behind the gates of Fallen Blossom Valley? What was the point of meddling in this muddy, chaotic Martial World?"
"Only after all these years have I slowly realized—in this short life, what meaning is there if one cannot live according to one's own heart?" He looked meaningfully at his daughter.
Cai Zhao stared blankly, seeming to understand her father's meaning.
No matter how warmly Cai Pingchun portrayed the Hanging Temple, the group was still greeted by Shijing Yuantai's perpetually icy expression. As usual, she first scolded Cai Pingchun and Ning Xiaofeng, then reprimanded Cai Zhao for her various transgressions over the past year, and finally berated the Cai couple for their lax parenting.
Strictly speaking, the abbess of the Hanging Temple and the master of Fallen Blossom Valley should address each other as peers. But because of Ning Xiaofeng's relationship, both Cai father and daughter were treated as Shijing Yuantai's juniors and had no choice but to listen meekly.
When she finally paused for breath, Cai Pingchun quickly stated their purpose for visiting. Only then did Shijing Yuantai's expression change, and she dismissed the disciples around her."...What Purple Jade Golden Sunflower? I've never heard of it," Shijing Yuantai said coldly. "Why have you come to Hanging Temple?"
Song Yuzhi, anxious to recover, grew impatient. "Surely you've heard of the recent upheaval at Guangtian Sect. It's not that I covet the position of sect leader, but if Guangtian Sect falls into the hands of that hypocrite Song Xiuzhi—who murdered his brother and forced his father into seclusion—it would be disastrous for the martial world."
Cai Zhao chimed in: "Exactly! And I suspect Song Xiuzhi has shady dealings with the Demonic Cult. He even used Lu Chengnan's 'Bone-Corroding Heavenly Rain'—that night, so many people were reduced to pools of blood, it was horrifying!"
Shijing Yuantai shot the girl a stern look. "Don't muddy the waters. It was Yang Heying who used 'Bone-Corroding Heavenly Rain,' not Song Xiuzhi."
"So you've heard all about it!" Cai Zhao exclaimed happily. "The whole scheme was orchestrated by Song Xiuzhi and Yang Heying together. Can you honestly claim Song Xiuzhi was completely unaware?"
Shijing Yuantai fell silent.
Song Yuzhi continued, "My father is severely injured and recuperating in Fallen Blossom Valley, while I'm afflicted by the Demonic Cult's 'Netherworld Chill,' which restricts my Core Essence. I can't defeat Song Xiuzhi in this state. If you truly know the whereabouts of the Purple Jade Golden Sunflower, I beg you to show mercy and enlighten us."
Seeing Shijing Yuantai remain silent, Cai Pingchun spoke solemnly, "Shijing Yuantai, when my sister entrusted the Purple Jade Golden Sunflower to you, she must have left some instructions."
A true expert reveals their skill with a single word. Shijing Yuantai glanced at Cai Pingchun. "Follow me."
She led the four through winding paths to a hidden chamber concealed behind layers of mountain rock.
The hexagonal chamber was built entirely of white granite, with a square stone platform at its center. On it lay a meditation cushion, several scrolls of scriptures, and a porcelain bottle of fresh water—clearly Shijing Yuantai's usual place for cultivation.
"So the Purple Jade Golden Sunflower really is in your possession?" Cai Zhao looked around. "Earlier you claimed you'd never heard of it—Shijing Yuantai, monastics shouldn't lie!"
Shijing Yuantai tapped the corner of the platform, and a stone drawer slid out from beneath it. She retrieved an object and turned back. "This humble nun has not lied. Cai Pingshu never told me this item was called the Purple Jade Golden Sunflower."
"If Auntie didn't say anything, yet you were willing to safeguard it for her, you must not have disliked her as much as the rumors claim," Cai Zhao said cheerfully, stepping forward to take it. She examined the dark purple, icy stone in her palm before handing it to Song Yuzhi, who clutched it tightly, trembling with emotion.
Shijing Yuantai looked at Cai Pingchun. "Do you understand the significance of this object?"
"I do," Cai Pingchun replied. "It's tied to an unfathomably sinister technique. Years ago, Nie Heng—"
"Enough. Hanging Temple is but a small, secluded sect. This humble nun wants no part in the martial world's dark secrets," Shijing Yuantai interrupted. "When Cai Pingshu entrusted this to me, she said it was of utmost importance and instructed me to destroy it immediately if there was any risk of it falling into the wrong hands."She pointed forward, revealing a set of mortar and pestle made of diamond rock in the corner of the secret chamber, seemingly prepared at any moment to crush and grind something hard.
Cai Pingchun asked in surprise, "Why did Shijing Yuantai so readily hand this over to us juniors?"
Shijing Yuantai replied, "Because Cai Pingshu wrote in her letter that there was only one circumstance under which I could surrender this item—when you and your spouse, or Zhao Zhao and Xiao Han, came to claim it."
Cai Pingchun sighed, "I never thought that at the end of her life, my sister could only trust her own family." What a bitter irony this was for Cai Pingshu, who had lived a life of unwavering integrity and passion.
"Don’t flatter yourselves. She trusted plenty of people in her lifetime. I doubt that changed much even at death’s door," Shijing Yuantai said coldly, with a hint of barely perceptible regret.
"Cai Pingshu said that the thing she went to such lengths to hide is something your family of four should know better than to seek. If it ever came to the point where you had no choice but to look for it, it would either mean you were being coerced or there was someone you absolutely had to save—she left this for your sake."
Song Yuzhi was moved. "Heroine Cai’s foresight was profound. It was our carelessness that allowed this item to resurface in the world."
Cai Zhao, filled with emotion, said, "This thing always unsettles me. Once Third Senior Brother dispels the Netherworld Chill, let’s destroy it immediately—grind it into the finest powder!"
Cai Pingchun agreed.
"Good that you understand!" Shijing Yuantai’s expression softened. "Don’t dawdle. Treat his injuries right here in my secret chamber. This object is ill-omened—destroy it as soon as you’re done."
Cai Pingchun and Song Yuzhi sat on the stone platform, one in front of the other. Fan Xingjia laid out his needle case, revealing over a hundred silver needles of varying lengths, their cold glint faintly shimmering.
Song Yuzhi meditated to focus his qi, while Cai Pingchun placed his palms flat against Song’s back, pressing on either side of the Great Transport acupoint to channel his energy.
Shijing Yuantai and Cai Zhao stood quietly to the side.
As white vapor began to rise from the Baihui acupoint atop Song Yuzhi’s head, Fan Xingjia swiftly inserted silver needles into his body.
Suddenly, Shijing Yuantai turned her head. "It was you who guessed the Purple Jade Golden Sunflower was in my possession, wasn’t it? How did you figure it out?"
Cai Zhao, her gaze fixed worriedly on her father, replied softly, "At first, like everyone else, I assumed Aunt had entrusted the Purple Jade Golden Sunflower to someone before her death—someone who must have visited Fallen Blossom Valley around the time of her funeral."
"Later, it occurred to me that something as small as the Purple Jade Golden Sunflower didn’t require a personal handover—a carrier pigeon would suffice. But here’s the problem: almost everyone who had ties with Aunt attended her funeral, and those who didn’t get along with her had no connection to Fallen Blossom Valley, meaning no carrier pigeons could reach them."
"There was only one exception—you, Shijing Yuantai." The young girl turned her head, her bright smile as lovely as peach blossoms. "The whole world knows how deeply my aunt offended you back then, leaving Hidden Beauty Grotto in utter disarray. And you’ve always disapproved of her, never attending her funeral. Yet, Fallen Blossom Valley happens to have carrier pigeons that fly directly to Hanging Temple."
Shijing Yuantai smiled faintly. "Xiao Feng was right—you’ve got a clever mind hidden beneath that innocent face." She glanced at the three on the stone platform. "If Cai Pingshu had half your cunning, she might not have died so young."Cai Zhao whispered, "Shijing Yuantai, why did you agree to my aunt's request? All these years, I thought you disliked her and secretly cursed you behind your back."
Shijing Yuantai wasn’t angered. "In truth, everyone was mistaken. I didn’t dislike Cai Pingshu, nor did I disapprove of her. Rather... she was too dazzling, like a scorching sun so radiant it could blind. I feared she might burn those around her."
Cai Zhao listened quietly, her thoughts drifting to Mu Qingyan.
"Someone once told me that Nie Hengcheng was like a towering mountain, casting a shadow over everyone in the Demonic Cult. Once he died and the shadow lifted, his disciples, family, and loyal followers were all left lost and bewildered. At the time, I thought—if Nie Hengcheng was a mountain, then my aunt was an eagle soaring through the skies. No matter how high the mountain, it could never surpass the eagle. And indeed, Nie Hengcheng eventually fell by my aunt’s hand."
Shijing Yuantai smiled faintly, a rare occurrence. "The first time I saw Cai Pingshu was during the biannual disciple tournament of the Big Dipper Six Sects. She was even younger than you are now, and your father was younger still. Everyone pitied the siblings, thinking they had to rely on the Jade Pendant Mountain Manor to survive. But the moment your aunt stepped onto the stage, she astonished everyone and made her name known across the Martial World."
The plainly dressed old nun gazed into the distance, as if recalling that sunlit tournament day twenty years ago—when a slender, young girl stood alone on the high platform, and for a moment, not a single disciple dared to challenge her.
"I had just taken over as the abbess of the Hanging Temple then. Seeing your aunt’s flamboyance, I felt an inexplicable unease. Yet my senior and junior sisters adored her, as did my disciples. After returning to the Hanging Temple, they spoke of nothing but your aunt. Life in the mountains was cold and lonely, and the grand deeds your aunt performed in the Martial World became the favorite legends among the temple’s nuns."
Cai Zhao was surprised. "So you had senior and junior sisters? Where are they now...?"
Shijing Yuantai turned to her. "You must have noticed how desolate the Hanging Temple is—only twenty or thirty people on the way up, most of them elderly nuns without martial skills?"
Cai Zhao hesitated. "I heard the disciples you have now aren’t much older than me."
"Yes, because they were only taken in after Nie Hengcheng’s death." Shijing Yuantai sighed. "But it wasn’t always like this. Though the Hanging Temple was small, we still had over a dozen skilled practitioners to uphold our reputation."
"The tides of the Martial World never cease. For some reason, Nie Hengcheng suddenly went mad, slaughtering heroes across the land. I carefully withdrew my disciples, forbidding them from drawing attention, thinking we might escape unscathed. But then..."
Tears glistened in Shijing Yuantai’s eyes. "At the time, I received word that my mother was gravely ill. Your grandmother urged me to return home to see her one last time. Before leaving, I repeatedly warned my senior and junior sisters—under no circumstances were they to venture beyond Hidden Beauty Gorge. Safety was paramount.""Yet upon my return, I found the Hanging Temple awash in blood, with severed limbs strewn everywhere. Several of my senior disciples had perished in pools of blood, sacrificing themselves to allow the younger ones to escape. The survivors told me that after my fellow nuns fought valiantly but were overpowered, they were captured by the Demonic Cult scoundrels. Helpless and with Old Sect Leader Yin feigning death as usual, I had no choice but to seek your aunt's help."
"Your aunt was going through her own hardships at the time—more than half of her closest comrades had been killed by the Demonic Cult, and she herself seemed to have suffered a serious illness, appearing pale and haggard. But when I told her of the Hanging Temple's plight, she agreed without hesitation."
"She instructed me to wait outside the Nether Bamboo Path while she ventured alone into that demonic den. Late that night, she emerged, dragging a large sack behind her. When I opened it, I broke down in tears—inside were the withered corpses of my fellow nuns, their Core Essence Inner Force and lifeblood completely drained. Pitiful souls who had lived peaceful, compassionate lives, only to meet such a cruel end!"
"I cursed Nie Hengcheng as worse than swine, but my heart trembled with fear. I asked your aunt if Nie was practicing the 'Leech Grand Art' and whether he had found a way to overcome its fatal flaw. For you see, the drawback of the Leech Grand Art is both its curse and its greatest boon."
"Without that looming threat, anyone could freely absorb another's Core Essence Inner Force for their own use. Be they righteous or wicked, who could swear they would never succumb to such greed? If Nie Hengcheng unraveled this secret, the Martial World would immediately descend into endless bloodshed and slaughter."
"Your aunt didn't answer me. Her face darkened, and she only said, 'Don't worry. Leave this to me.' Half a month later, I heard she had gone alone to Mount Tu and slain the great Demon Nie Hengcheng."
"In the decade that followed, she raised you in Fallen Blossom Valley while I rebuilt our sect at the Hanging Temple. We never met again, only exchanging occasional notes through Xiaofeng's letters—mostly about your amusing antics."
"Over four years ago, she suddenly wrote to say she was on her deathbed and asked me not to attend her funeral. She enclosed that blackened stone in the letter and entrusted it to me."
Unbeknownst to her, Cai Zhao's face was now streaked with tears.
"I once disliked your aunt's flamboyance, but I no longer think that way," Shijing Yuantai sighed softly. "Before Old Chief Huang of the Yellow Sand Gang retired, I went to see him off—he was my late senior sister's cousin."
"Old Hero Huang said that with Nie Hengcheng dead, the world was at peace, and he had no regrets. His only remorse was his past ignorance in failing to properly teach his daughters the skills to stand on their own, leaving them to live constrained lives now. What a pity—his eldest daughter Madam Zhuo had exceptional martial potential, yet was raised to be so timid and weak."
"So that's why," Cai Zhao realized. "Madam Zhuo has a daughter named Yang Xiaolan, a year or two younger than me. I doubt that old scoundrel Yang Heying taught her properly either. But I've seen her skills—they're truly impressive! Even ordinary Four Stallions Gate techniques become thunderously powerful in her hands!"Shijing Yuantai smiled faintly, "It seems Madam Zhuo's talents were passed down to her daughter. Ah, finding a good son-in-law and entrusting one's life to him—that's what most people think. But because of your aunt's existence, many have come to realize that a daughter can stand just as tall and firm as any man."
"Mhm!" Cai Zhao wiped her tears and laughed, "My aunt always says she's lived a very fulfilling life!"
"Whew..." Fan Xingjia staggered backward, drenched in sweat, until his back hit the wall.
Song Yuzhi sat with his eyes tightly shut, his palms facing each other in mid-air. The dark Purple Jade Golden Sunflower tumbled repeatedly between his hands, while a thick white mist enveloped his jade-like face. Dozens of silver needles were inserted into his major acupoints—from the crown of his head, between his brows, along the temples down to his neck, chest, and abdomen.
Cai Pingchun looked grave, beads of sweat forming on his forehead as he continuously channeled Inner Force into Song Yuzhi's body.
"Shijing Yuantai, Junior Sister, I'm done. It's your turn now," Fan Xingjia panted, exhausted from the effort.
Shijing Yuantai nodded, and Cai Zhao immediately stepped forward. The two positioned themselves on either side of Song Yuzhi, raising their palms and focusing their energy to suppress the elusive, ghostly cold energy swirling in his dantian.
After another incense stick's worth of time, the dense white mist around Song Yuzhi's head gradually dissipated. Cai Zhao was the first to withdraw her energy, followed by Shijing Yuantai, and finally Cai Pingchun, who slowly retracted his palms and exhaled. Along with the motionless Song Yuzhi, all four began regulating their own energies.
Seeing Song Yuzhi's now rosy complexion and the faint glow between his brows, Fan Xingjia cautiously approached to check his pulse.
Before long, his face lit up with joy. "The meridians are strong, and the Core Essence is purified. Third Senior Brother, you're finally fully recovered!"
Song Yuzhi felt a warm, vigorous energy flowing through his meridians, as if he had just recovered from a long illness and was brimming with restless strength. He opened his eyes and smiled faintly. "My breath is still a bit erratic. Let me regulate it a little more."
Fan Xingjia removed the silver needles while chuckling. "Not just you—Valley Master Cai, Shijing Yuantai, and Junior Sister have all expended a great deal of True Qi. Everyone needs to recuperate. Take your time meditating and regulating your breath. I'll go brew some fortifying soup for everyone!"
Expelling the cold energy from Song Yuzhi's dantian had required significant Inner Force, with Cai Pingchun bearing the heaviest toll—now left with only twenty to thirty percent of his strength. Shijing Yuantai and Cai Zhao had each lost fifty to sixty percent.
Unlike Song Shijun's debilitating internal injuries, their exhaustion was more akin to having fought a fierce battle—victorious but drained, needing time to recover.
Shijing Yuantai inclined her head. "The medicine hut and herb fields are in the back mountains, quite secluded. Young Hero Fan, please make yourself at home."
Fan Xingjia cheerfully left the chamber.
A short while later, Song Yuzhi was the first to recover, leaping down from the stone platform.
Seeing the other three still deep in meditation, he glanced at the Purple Jade Golden Sunflower in his hand. "...Perhaps I should destroy this first."
Before he finished speaking, Cai Zhao—eyes still closed—nodded vigorously like an amusing wooden toy woodpecker. Shijing Yuantai and Cai Pingchun seemed to sense this and smiled faintly without opening their eyes.
Amused, Song Yuzhi carried the artifact toward the corner where a granite mortar and pestle stood.
Just as he was about to toss it in, a thunderous crash erupted behind him—the stone door of the chamber was violently smashed open, and a swarm of black-clad figures poured in like sharp-toothed vermin!
Before the four could react, the lead black-clad figure streaked forward like lightning and struck Cai Pingchun's back with a resounding palm strike. Cai Pingchun grunted and retaliated with a backhand blow that sent the assailant crashing into the stone wall.
"Father!" Cai Zhao abandoned her meditation mid-recovery and rushed to her father's side.
Cai Pingchun weakly waved his daughter back, then coughed up a mouthful of blood before collapsing unconscious."Shijing Yuantai? Junior Sister, be careful!" Song Yuzhi swiftly drew Azure Rainbow and White Rainbow, the twin swords flashing as he lunged forward like a paper kite, engaging the black-clad assailants in a fierce melee.
"Master! Master, save us!"—Another seven or eight black-clad figures surged in, herding a dozen young nuns into the chamber at blade-point, their faces and bodies bearing fresh wounds.
"Vile scoundrels!" Shijing Yuantai roared, striking out with two swift palm strikes that shattered the skulls of two attackers.
The black-clad men moved in groups of seven, divided into three squads, each wielding distinct blades and long rope hooks as they encircled Cai Zhao, Shijing Yuantai, and Song Yuzhi in an eerily familiar yet bizarre formation.
Cai Zhao had encountered this formation by the Suochuan River. Back then, even she and Mu Qingyan had struggled desperately despite emerging unscathed—let alone their current dire situation. Both Shijing Yuantai and she had only regained half their strength, with the elder nun needing to protect her young disciples being shoved into the room while Cai Zhao supported her severely wounded father.
The attackers seemed aware that Song Yuzhi currently possessed the highest combat prowess among them. Thus, the seven men assaulting him were exceptionally skilled, their techniques ghostly and ruthless. Within seven or eight exchanges, one suddenly pivoted his demon-headed blade toward a young nun behind him.
Song Yuzhi startled, hastily shifting stance to intercept—only for the other six to synchronize their strikes. Four swords pressed him relentlessly, while the remaining two thrust directly at his torso. Kicking the first assailant away, he twisted mid-air in a reverse parry, narrowly avoiding the blades—though they still tore through his chest garment.
As the two withdrew their swords, the edges flicked outward, slicing his robe open. The concealed Purple Jade Golden Sunflower tumbled to the ground with a clatter.
Song Yuzhi inwardly cursed. The black-clad men erupted in triumphant shouts—"Here it is! Now!" Amid the chaos, a serpentine rope hook lashed out like lightning, snatching the artifact away.
"Retrieved! Fall back!" The leader clutched the treasure, jerking his chin forward. "Slaughter them all and burn this place. I'll summon reinforcements!"
Half the attackers abruptly withdrew, collapsing their formation. Seizing the opening, Cai Zhao charged the remaining foes, cutting down those restraining the nuns before pushing her father toward Shijing Yuantai. "Elder Nun, guard my father and the sisters!"
Understanding, Shijing Yuantai braced the unconscious Cai Pingchun with one arm while raising the other in a defensive stance, shielding the battered young nuns behind her.
Back-to-back, Cai Zhao and Song Yuzhi fought desperately. The twin swords Azure Rainbow and White Rainbow intertwined with her blazing sunlit saber, their cold gleam and fiery arcs dancing through the darkened chamber. Several attackers attempting to seize the nuns were instantly crushed by Shijing Yuantai's palm strikes.
Within moments, the dozen remaining assailants lay dead. The last, his face bloodied, laughed maniacally: "You'll never escape! Our brethren scouring the mountain will be here—"
Song Yuzhi silenced him with a thrust, urgency sharp in his voice: "What now? We might flee, but the mountain still holds many..."Shijing Yuantai asked about the whereabouts of the other disciples. Several young nuns wept, "The other senior sisters are all dead. Only a few local sisters managed to flee down the mountain at night. They know the terrain well and might have hidden in some cave!"
Shijing Yuantai nodded and turned to press a few spots on a stone wall. With a loud cracking sound, a narrow hidden door split open. "This secret passage leads directly to the foot of the mountain," she said. "It took me over a decade to carve it out slowly!"
Cai Zhao understood—after Nie Hengcheng's bloody massacre at the Hanging Temple that year, Shijing Yuantai had reflected deeply and decided to leave a backup plan.
She carefully wiped the blood from her father's lips and solemnly entrusted, "Shijing Yuantai, on the western side of the mountain by the riverbank, there's a boat hidden in a tributary, flying a ham hock flag. It's operated by the leader of the Green Bamboo Gang and his trusted aides, waiting for our return. Go down the mountain and find them. Take the water route back to Fallen Blossom Valley, and don't delay along the way."
Shijing Yuantai frowned, "What about you?"
Cai Zhao masked her depleted inner force with a smile. "If everyone leaves, this passage will be discovered immediately. My senior brother and I will draw the black-clad men away. Third Senior Brother, you agree, right?"
Shijing Yuantai vehemently objected, "This won't do! You'll be throwing your lives away!"
Song Yuzhi shot Cai Zhao a glance. "Zhao Zhao should go with Shijing Yuantai. I alone am enough."
"Oh, come off it," Cai Zhao retorted. "If it's just you, that would truly be suicide."
"Shijing Yuantai," Song Yuzhi shook the last droplets of blood from his sword, his expression earnest, "With our skills, escaping is always an option. I swear to you, if it comes to a life-or-death moment, I will sacrifice myself to ensure Zhao Zhao gets away first!"
Shijing Yuantai hesitated.
"Shijing Yuantai, don't delay," Cai Zhao pressed the old nun's hand, smiling lightly. "Besides, we still have to find Senior Brother Fan. Ah, the Hanging Temple's location is too vulnerable, too close to the Demonic Cult. It's really not ideal. Take this chance to relocate and start anew!"
Shijing Yuantai knew the girl was deliberately joking. She glanced at her terrified disciples behind her, gritted her teeth, and helped Cai Pingchun up. Before leaving, she urged, "Be careful!"
After a few steps, she suddenly turned back.
"Back then," she sighed with emotion, "your aunt also advised me to move the Hanging Temple to a safer place—I drove her out."
Cai Zhao laughed through tears. "Don't worry, Shijing Yuantai. My two senior brothers and I will return safely!"
After the last nun disappeared into the secret passage, Cai Zhao closed the stone door. Together with Song Yuzhi, they struck the chamber into chaos with their palms, then piled rubble outside the door to mimic the aftermath of a fierce battle.
Outside, torches flickered, and shouts drew nearer. Under the cover of night, Cai Zhao and Song Yuzhi rushed toward the secluded back mountain. The path was strewn with wreckage. Finally, at the edge of a barren herb field, they found Fan Xingjia hiding under a bamboo cage.
"What's happening outside? Did someone attack the mountain?" he trembled. "I wanted to find you, but I didn't dare go out! Where's Valley Master Cai? Where's Shijing Yuantai?""There's no time to explain, we have to go now!" Song Yuzhi grabbed Fan Xingjia by the arm.
Just as the three turned around, the black-clad figures who had fruitlessly searched the Hanging Temple arrived at the back mountain, coming face to face with them.
"Perfect! Capture these three, and the master will reward us handsomely!" The lead black-clad figure let out a sinister laugh.
Both sides shouted simultaneously and clashed fiercely.
This time, the odds were overwhelmingly against them. Cai Zhao killed seven or eight enemies before collapsing to her knees, panting heavily and leaning on her blade. Song Yuzhi had no choice but to shield her and Fan Xingjia, swinging his sword relentlessly as the three retreated step by step.
"What do they even want? Did they come specifically to kill us?!" Fan Xingjia was so terrified he nearly burst into tears.
"Idiot! They're here for the Purple Jade Golden Sunflower!" Cai Zhao roared, then suddenly frowned in confusion. "Third Senior Brother, if the Night Orchid from the Blood Marsh has already been destroyed, why would they still want the Purple Jade Golden Sunflower?"
Fan Xingjia seemed stunned. "The Night Orchid from the Blood Marsh? What does it have to do with the Purple Jade Golden Sunflower?"
Song Yuzhi forced back the black-clad figures with two swift strikes, and Cai Zhao immediately stepped forward to cover him.
Song Yuzhi turned his head and said, "The Demonic Cult has a forbidden technique that requires both the Night Orchid from the Blood Marsh and the Purple Jade Golden Sunflower to cultivate—without the Night Orchid, the Sunflower alone is useless!"
"Now's not the time for explanations, Third Senior Brother! Find us a way out!" Cai Zhao fought desperately, her already depleted Inner Force growing weaker by the second.
After hearing this, Fan Xingjia stood frozen in place, unmoving.
"Could someone have taken a cutting of the Night Orchid before it was destroyed?" Song Yuzhi mused between sword strikes. "Who could it have been?"
Cai Zhao scowled. "Third Senior Brother, don't hold back—just say Mu Qingyan's name outright!"
Song Yuzhi coughed lightly. "I'm just speculating. Granny Ajiang also said that in the past decade, only the six of us entered the Blood Marsh. Other than us, the only one who could have..."
"It was me," Fan Xingjia muttered blankly. "It was me. I snuck out at night and took a cutting of the Night Orchid."
Cai Zhao felt her entire body break out in goosebumps. "What... what did you just say, Fifth Senior Brother?"
Song Yuzhi also wanted to question him, but the black-clad figures kept charging at them, forcing him to focus on defending.
"I—I didn't know! I didn't know the Night Orchid was for cultivating forbidden techniques!" Fan Xingjia's face was filled with terror, like a frightened child.
"I knew it wasn't right—how could I steal something and hide it from all of you?" Fan Xingjia babbled incoherently, tears streaming down his face. "That night, when I was sneaking back with the orchid, I saw you and Third Senior Brother coming from outside the courtyard. I wanted to tell you then, but... but..."
It took Cai Zhao a long moment to regain her breath. She grabbed Fan Xingjia's shoulders tightly. "Never mind that for now! Fifth Senior Brother, tell me—who put you up to this? Who was it?!"
"It was—Junior Sister, watch out!"
Just as Fan Xingjia was about to answer, his eyes locked onto something behind Cai Zhao, filled with horror. In the blink of an eye, he shoved her aside—only to be struck in the chest by a black-clad assailant from behind. The force shattered several ribs, and he spat blood before collapsing unconscious.
"Fifth Senior Brother!"
"Fifth Junior Brother!"
Cai Zhao let out a heart-wrenching scream as she lunged toward him. Song Yuzhi killed two more enemies before retreating to support Fan Xingjia.The black-clad men formed a semicircle, gradually closing in on the three of them, trapping them in what seemed like a hopeless situation.
"Third Senior Brother," Cai Zhao suddenly whispered, "I still have two 'Storm of Thunder' left."
Song Yuzhi's face lit up with joy as he turned sharply toward her.
"Each of us takes one, throws it simultaneously, then takes advantage of the chaos to escape separately," the pale-faced girl said, her features streaked with alarming splashes of blood. "Third Senior Brother, your Inner Force has recovered better than mine. Fifth Senior Brother, you take him."
Song Yuzhi nodded, slinging Fan Xingjia's arm over his shoulder while accepting the 'Storm of Thunder' Cai Zhao passed him from behind.
"How will we regroup afterward?" he asked.
Before Cai Zhao could answer, the black-clad men attacked en masse, forcing the trio to separate.
Shouting over the sea of black-clad figures, Cai Zhao cried, "Thunder without rain on stormy days—do you remember, Third Senior Brother?"
For the first time since his family's tragedy, Song Yuzhi laughed freely. "Of course I remember!"
"Good, I'll count. One, two, three, throw!"
At Cai Zhao's command, Song Yuzhi hurled the 'Storm of Thunder' with all his might—
BOOM!
An earth-shattering explosion erupted instantly, sending debris flying, soil scattering, and limbs tumbling through the air.
Amid the black-clad men's screams, Song Yuzhi quickly hoisted Fan Xingjia onto his back and fled down the mountain. He ran relentlessly until reaching the foothills, then continued several more miles before daring to stop and catch his breath as dawn approached.
During this pause, he suddenly realized something was wrong—
Why had there only been one explosion?
Could they have thrown their devices so simultaneously that only one blast was heard?
No, Song Yuzhi immediately dismissed the thought.
Having personally witnessed the consecutive detonations of 'Storm of Thunder' in Taichu Temple's main hall, he was no stranger to their power.
Concentrating hard, Song Yuzhi meticulously reconstructed the events of that fleeting moment—the more he recalled, the more alarmed he became.
Only one 'Storm of Thunder' had detonated. Where was the other one? Why hadn't Zhao Zhao thrown hers?
As the cold light of dawn touched his skin, his blood ran icy.
Song Yuzhi was gripped by indescribable dread.
—Zhao Zhao had lied. It wasn't that she hadn't thrown hers, but that she'd only possessed one 'Storm of Thunder' to begin with.
And she had given it to him.
When his device exploded, the remaining black-clad men would have furiously attacked Cai Zhao's position.
What had become of her?
Song Yuzhi immediately turned to go back, but Fan Xingjia moaned painfully in his unconscious state.
Gritting his teeth, he first concealed Fan Xingjia in a nearby cave.
By full daylight, Song Yuzhi raced back to Hanging Temple without stopping for food or drink.
Hidden Beauty Gorge remained tranquil as ever—no black-clad men, no corpses, no Cai Zhao. Only lonely ruins and a few bodies of Hanging Temple's nuns.
Song Yuzhi rushed to the back mountain, retracing their steps from the previous night's separation. Following bloodstains and marks from Bright Sun Blade's strikes on rocks, he reached the cliff's edge. Below Hanging Temple, the famous transparent waterfall curved here, forming a raging cascade where all traces ended.
Song Yuzhi stood motionless by the waterfall, lost in thought.
The forest breeze whispered gently as birds sang cheerful songs.But where had his junior sister gone?
OpenNovel