The air was filled with a gentle and soothing fragrance, the bedding soft and comfortable, as if floating amidst clouds. Cai Zhao felt pain all over her body, as though she had just been beaten up. Well, it seemed she had indeed just been beaten up.
The figures of the black-clad men were hidden in the darkness veiled by thick fog, only their cruel, bloodthirsty eyes and gleaming weapons faintly visible in the night. In the end, she couldn’t remember how long she had fought, only that when she leaped into the roaring waterfall, she heard the distant sounds of another large group charging in, with You Guanyue screaming like a duck whose tail had been stepped on.
In her dazed state, a cool, large hand pressed against her burning forehead, and a low voice murmured, "The fever hasn’t broken yet." Then she was forced to drink a bowl of strange, bitter medicine so vile it felt like her soul was leaving her body.
By the time the light in the room shifted from bright to dim, she finally woke up.
Mu Qingyan sat by her bedside in a loose, sapphire-blue brocade robe, holding another bowl of terrifying medicine. His expression was stern as he stared at the girl, his long brows tightly furrowed, the gloom between them unshakable. Seeing her awake, he wasted no words and hauled her up to force the medicine down her throat.
Cai Zhao’s eyes welled up with tears from the bitterness. Leaning against a large cushion, she gasped, "Candied fruit—I need candied fruit."
Mu Qingyan’s face remained stern. "No candied fruit. Endure it."
Cai Zhao curled into a small ball, whining like a newly weaned cub. "Back when you were pretending to be ugly, I always prepared candied fruit for you after medicine—sweet ones when you wanted sweet, sour ones when you wanted sour. Now that times have changed, you turn your back on me, wuwuwu..."
"You deserve to suffer a bit, lest you forget the pain once the wounds heal!" Despite his harsh words, Mu Qingyan still fetched a small purple-jade-inlaid copper jar.
The sweet and tangy flavor melted on her tongue, and only then did Cai Zhao feel alive again. As she sat up, she noticed her Core Essence was warm, her meridians smooth—aside from the bruises covering her skin, the Inner Force depletion from last night had mostly recovered.
Cai Zhao touched her strong, steady pulse in surprise and delight. "I didn’t know I could heal internal injuries even while unconscious now!" The moment the words left her mouth, she received a sharp Head Flick on her forehead.
The handsome, elegant man’s face was icy, his eyes faintly burning with anger.
Cai Zhao immediately cowered, clutching her forehead, her pretty eyes softening submissively. "You must have channeled your energy to heal me while I was unconscious. I’m very grateful..."
"Just grateful?" Mu Qingyan’s brows arched sharply.
"No, no, I missed you too!" The girl hurriedly pulled out a thin, long Golden Chain from her collar. "Look, I’ve kept this chain around my neck the whole time, as if you were right beside me."
Mu Qingyan seemed slightly moved, his tone softening. "I thought you’d thrown it away. Did you specially retrieve it before?"
Mu Qingyan smirked darkly. "Really? You retrieved it—not Song Yuzhi?"
"?" Cai Zhao’s smile froze.Mu Qingyan stretched out his long arm, his large hand gripping the young girl tightly, grinding her back and forth like a millstone.
Cai Zhao knew she had been exposed and offered an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry, I didn’t mean to take credit for it. It’s just… well, I’ll return the Golden Chain to you. Let me put it on you myself, alright?"
Mu Qingyan snorted coldly but sat still as the girl looped the slender Golden Chain around his neck. Then, from his sleeve, he rolled out the tiny golden whistle. Cai Zhao, ever quick-witted, eagerly took it and fastened it to the end of the chain.
"By the way, where are Song Yuzhi and Fan Xingjia? The captured black-clothed person said you seemed to have arranged to meet outside," Mu Qingyan remarked casually.
Cai Zhao’s big eyes darted around. "You caught the black-clothed person?" That’s great! As for Third Brother and Fifth Brother, I really don’t know where they are. We only agreed to break out separately..."
Mu Qingyan’s expression darkened instantly as he stood abruptly. "After all the times we’ve faced life and death together, you still don’t trust me?! Fine, very fine! Guards! Send men to search every path leading out of Hidden Beauty Ravine. Find Song Yuzhi and Fan Xingjia!"
"Wait, no, no!" Cai Zhao hastily grabbed his robe. "It’s not that I don’t trust you! It’s just that you’ve always had it out for my Third Brother—I was afraid you’d crush him to death! Leader Mu, please be magnanimous and don’t hold it against me!"
Mu Qingyan slowly turned his head. "...What did you call me?"
"L-Leader Mu."
Mu Qingyan flew into a rage and barked orders toward the door. "Guards! Release the hounds across the mountains! Find Song Yuzhi and treat him like those black-clothed men—kill on sight!"
"Why are you losing your temper again?! Can’t we just talk properly?!" Cai Zhao clung tightly to his waist, yanking him down onto the massive soft couch before sprawling on top of him.
Mu Qingyan lay back, pointing at the girl’s forehead, now covered in red marks. "I’ll give you one chance to make amends."
Cai Zhao buried her face in his chest and mumbled, "...Brother A’Yan."
"You certainly know when to bend."
"My mother always said—acting spoiled isn’t shameful." The girl’s voice grew even sweeter as she nuzzled against him, her breath warm against his ear. "Brother A’Yan, don’t be mad at me. Whatever you want, I’ll do it, alright?"
Mu Qingyan wrapped his arms around her, his palm unconsciously stroking her back. Beneath the thin silk sleeping robe was the girl’s warm, jade-like skin—soft and tender. In that instant, he suddenly understood the meaning of the phrase "soft jade and warm fragrance." Combined with her sweet, lingering voice, his breath grew unsteady.
Cai Zhao noticed the tall young man beneath her gradually flushing, his breathing growing heavier by the second. Just as she was about to tease him with a few more shameless words, the world spun around her. She was abruptly lifted and tightly bundled into a quilt. Without a word, Mu Qingyan yanked down the embroidered cord holding up the bed curtains and haphazardly wrapped her and the quilt into a tangled bundle.
"Stay put!" Mu Qingyan’s chest heaved violently, his fair skin flushed like it had been brushed with rouge—from behind his ears down his long neck, spreading to the smooth chest visible through his slightly parted collar.
"And no more touching me!" he declared sternly, pointing at the girl’s nose.Cai Zhao, tied up like a plump dumpling: ...
"Anyway, before our formal ceremony, we must not overstep boundaries." Mu Qingyan adjusted his breathing, his face stern and righteous, his entire being exuding moral integrity—just short of lighting three incense sticks to be enshrined in a temple.
Cai Zhao rolled her eyes. "Untie me already. I'm hungry."
As she watched Mu Qingyan 'release' her, she couldn't help but say, "You're seriously ill. When I ignore you, you always try to flirt, but when I actually want to be with you, you keep your distance. What's this called, playing hard to get?"—Then again, that didn't seem right. The ultimate goal of playing hard to get was still to 'get,' but this guy was genuinely 'rejecting.'
Mu Qingyan maintained his cold expression. "Put your clothes on properly and come down to eat."
He pushed the door open and left, returning shortly with a tray in hand.
Grumpily, Cai Zhao sat at the table and lifted the lid of a large celadon bowl. The familiar aroma of chicken wonton soup—her favorite—wafted out.
"...Actually, after returning to Fallen Blossom Valley this time, I found the wontons in town aren't as good as the ones you make." She slurped the wontons noisily, unsure whether it was the heat from the food or the warmth in her heart that made her feel so cozy all over.
Mu Qingyan sighed. "If only you missed me as much as you miss these wontons."
As she ate, Cai Zhao noticed the matching set of elegant, simple porcelain dishes before her. She glanced around the room—similarly understated and refined, a far cry from the opulence of Paradise Palace.
"Where is this place?" she asked curiously.
"This is the Contemplation Retreat." Mu Qingyan ladled her a bowl of yam and pork rib porridge. "Father and I lived here for ten years. After he passed, I moved to Fleeting Blossoms near Paradise Palace, intending to challenge Nie Zhe."
Cai Zhao tilted her head as she ate. "Your father had excellent taste. My aunt would love it."
Mu Qingyan paused mid-ladle. "You don't like it?"
Blushing slightly, Cai Zhao murmured, "Actually, I prefer livelier homes, with snacks and toys everywhere. Open the window, and the courtyard is full of grapes, persimmons, and big yellow pears."
Mu Qingyan said nothing, but his dark, bright eyes seemed to brim with laughter.
"Ah, my aunt always complains my room is too cluttered." The girl propped her chin on her porcelain spoon, looking melancholy.
Mu Qingyan tried to sound nonchalant. "...A little clutter is nice. It feels cheerful."
"Even better if there's a sweet little kitten—one that purrs is fine too." Cai Zhao grew more animated as she spoke.
Mu Qingyan hesitated. "What about a dog? A big one that can guard the house and hunt."
"Hmm, that's not bad, but how could I cuddle with it if it's too big?"
"So that's why you were worried about the kitten purring." Mu Qingyan couldn't help but chuckle, picturing the round little girl curled up with an equally round kitten, both sound asleep. "How old is the cat you had before?"
"I've never had a cat."
"Huh?" Mu Qingyan froze, a piece of date cake halfway to his mouth.
Cai Zhao said softly, "Cats have fur—later on, my aunt started coughing easily. We didn't even plant willow trees near our house, afraid the catkins might drift in.""..." Mu Qingyan placed the date cake into her bowl. "My father was lonely since childhood, so he raised a dog from a young age. That dog was loyal and obedient, but it was later poisoned. To prevent my father from being reminded of painful memories, we never kept any pets in Busi Hall."
The two sighed together in silence.
"Are you full?" Mu Qingyan suddenly asked. "If you are, come with me. I'll take you to see my father."
Cai Zhao thought she misheard: "What did you say?!"
Mu Qingyan tapped her forehead with a chopstick, laughing and scolding, "The mountain behind Busi Hall is the burial ground of the Mu family ancestors. There's no time like the present—I'll take you to pay respects to my father now and let him meet you." Speaking of his deceased father, his expression became unusually gentle and sincere.
"Oh." Cai Zhao hesitated slightly.
Mu Qingyan's expression darkened: "I've already met your parents. What, you don't want to meet my father?"
"No, no!" Cai Zhao quickly waved her hands. "Actually, I deeply admire your father. Just hearing about his character and deeds shows he was a truly great man, like a lotus rising untainted from mud!"
"..." Mu Qingyan narrowed his eyes: "Who exactly are you calling 'mud'?"
Cai Zhao: ...
"Later when you meet my father, speak less. I'm afraid he might come back to life out of anger."
Mu Qingyan had come prepared, with everything from a pearl-lamb fur cloak with a hood to sturdy leather boots. Cai Zhao didn't feel too cold walking through the snow-covered Hanhai mountain area, though her bandaged wounds still ached faintly with movement.
Mu Qingyan wrapped an arm around her as they walked, chiding her all the while, "Just look at you—what good has following Song Yuzhi done you? Either being chased all over or falling off cliffs and waterfalls. When you're with me, whether it's snowy peaks or the Blood Marsh, when have I ever let you suffer..."
"We didn't suffer much at the snowy peaks or Blood Marsh, but what about by the Suochuan River?" Cai Zhao retorted. "If it weren't for the retired Hero Shi coming to our rescue, we both would've been buried under that landslide and flood!"
Growing angrier the more she thought about it, she added, "My aunt was right—you can't rely on others, you can only rely on yourself!"
Just then, familiar clear cries sounded from the sky as two golden shadows streaked across the evening horizon, circling and wheeling around the mountain peaks with graceful, powerful movements.
Cai Zhao looked up and smiled, "Their injuries have healed, haven't they? I've missed them."
Mu Qingyan glanced sideways, "Be nicer to me, and I'll let you ride them."
Cai Zhao seemed to think of something and secretly smiled to herself. "Never mind that—tell me about how you rescued me. When did you know we were in trouble?"
Mu Qingyan lowered his long lashes: "Actually, I knew as soon as you arrived at Yinxiu Stream. But out of consideration for Shijing Yuantai and Valley Master Cai, I had to pretend I knew nothing."
"Why pretend?"
"What else could I do? Show up at their door with chickens, ducks, fish, meat and several jars of fine wine—'Shijing, Valley Master Cai, long time no see! What a coincidence, why don't we have a drink together?'"
"Fine." Cai Zhao sounded somewhat deflated. "Then do you know why we went to the Hanging Temple?"
Mu Qingyan replied, "With Song Yuzhi and Fan Xingjia there too, what else could it be? Did you find the Purple Jade Golden Sunflower?"Cai Zhao was seething with anger. "We found it, and Third Senior Brother's old injury has healed. I intended to destroy the Purple Jade Golden Sunflower on the spot, but those black-clad men arrived just in time and snatched it away again—I suspect the mastermind behind this has been monitoring Fallen Blossom Valley all along, following our trail."
Mu Qingyan said, "No matter. Once the true culprit sneaks into the Blood Marsh and finds the Night Orchids destroyed, they’ll realize stealing the Purple Jade Golden Sunflower was all for nothing."
At this, Cai Zhao’s small face fell. "At the critical moment last night, Fifth Senior Brother told me that he secretly took a branch of the Night Orchid during our night in the Blood Marsh. Just as he was about to reveal who was behind it, he took a palm strike from the black-clad men for me and fell unconscious."
"He took a Night Orchid branch? That does complicate things." Mu Qingyan frowned. "But don’t worry too much. Over a decade ago, Nie Hengcheng had the Purple Jade Golden Sunflower when he attempted the third level of the Purple Star Sutra , and he still failed miserably. If even Nie Hengcheng couldn’t succeed, the mastermind might not either."
"Speaking of which..." Cai Zhao stopped walking. "During the time we were apart, did you uncover anything? How exactly did Mu Zhengyang trick Nie Hengcheng into practicing that evil technique?"
Mu Qingyan pondered for a moment. "It’s a long story." He pointed ahead. "Let’s go in first."
Cai Zhao turned around and was met with an overwhelming aura of solemnity and coldness.
A dozen or so massive gray-white stone beams stood rigidly ahead. On the central one, the words "Forbidden Tomb" were written in bold, dripping crimson, followed by sixteen smaller characters below: "Ancestral Sacrificial Ground, Realm of Buried Bones. Entry Forbidden Without Decree, Violators Will Die."
Stepping past the stone gate, Cai Zhao felt enveloped by a primal, sinister atmosphere. Towering black trees surrounded them, their roots thick and gnarled, their twisted branches stretching like half-open monstrous eyes. Each knot in the bark was as large as a child’s head, and the interwoven branches blotted out the sky, casting the entire graveyard in deep shadow.
After walking for what felt like an eternity, a vast expanse of tombstones and monuments came into view.
Snow-white steles, pitch-black giant trees, inscriptions as red as blood, and jagged, eerie peaks and rocks—it was a scene as chilling as the underworld.
Mu Qingyan halted, his voice hoarse. "We’re here."
Cai Zhao was slightly surprised. Amidst the grand and ornate ancient tombs, Mu Zhengming’s grave appeared small and simple.
"This was Father’s dying wish," Mu Qingyan said softly. "He said he had never been a sect leader nor done anything beneficial for the sect, so a simple burial would suffice."
Cai Zhao whispered, "Auntie also didn’t want any fuss. Her remains were buried beside a large peach tree. She said pouring a few jars of peach blossom wine on her grave during festivals would be enough."
Mu Qingyan smiled faintly. "Alright, when we pay respects to Lady Cai, I’ll bring plenty of good wine."
He stepped forward and knelt, deftly arranging the offerings. "Father, I’ve come. I’ve brought her to meet you. Her name is Zhao Zhao—Cai Zhao. Her aunt is Cai Pingshu..."Cai Zhao gazed at the plain, unadorned tombstone, thinking of the departed soul buried beneath. A life of peaceful detachment, an existence of solitary resignation, ultimately fading away in sorrow—like a quiet, meandering stream, indifferent to both life and death.
After helping Mu Qingyan arrange the offerings, she knelt properly before this kind elder, paying her respects with the same solemnity as she would to an aunt. Holding incense, she whispered her prayers, “...May you be blessed with both parents in your next life, spared the pain of loss; may your next life be filled with familial joy, free from the sorrow of severed bonds; may all endeavors in your next life go smoothly, unshackled by constraints—may the skies be high and the seas vast, for you to soar freely.”
Her voice was tender and compassionate. Mu Qingyan stood silently beside her, his gaze fixed on the tombstone for a long while.
Once the rites were complete, the two sat side by side on a thick, crooked tree branch stretching far out.
“...Yan Xu combed through many records and cross-referenced other accounts from that time. I’ve pieced together roughly how Mu Zhengyang deceived Nie Hengcheng.”
“In his later years, Nie Hengcheng became consumed by paranoia—unwilling to accept his unfinished ambitions yet terrified of his own aging frailty. Mu Zhengyang seized the opportunity, subtly leaking a message to the Paradise Palace: The Purple Star Sutra could indeed be mastered. The eldest son of Patriarch Mu Song had succeeded in cultivating it, only to die young, leaving the technique lost to time.”
Cai Zhao tensed. “That’s all lies, right? No one ever mastered The Purple Star Sutra .”
“No, it’s true. Mu Song’s eldest son really did master it.” A mocking smile curled at Mu Qingyan’s lips. “In fact, ninety-nine percent of the story Mu Zhengyang fed Nie Hengcheng was true. Only the very last detail was fabricated.”
Cai Zhao remained skeptical.
Mu Qingyan continued, “A man like Nie Hengcheng wouldn’t take such claims at face value. So he sent his agents far and wide to investigate thoroughly—the concubines and maidservants of the Mu clan, their personal guards, even the hundreds of servants in the Paradise Palace, along with the elders from Patriarch Mu Song’s era... Their private letters, personal journals, even stolen fragments of conversation...”
“From countless scattered fragments, Nie Hengcheng deduced the truth: Mu Song did have a frail eldest son, who had cultivated an immensely powerful divine skill. Not only did it heal his congenital weaknesses, but it also promised longevity. Yet, as the saying goes, ‘Open arrows are easy to dodge; hidden ones are hard to guard against.’ The very day after his mastery, he was murdered by his envious siblings in a joint conspiracy.”
“This was the greatest disgrace in the Mu clan’s century-long history. Patriarch Mu Song strictly forbade his children from ever speaking of it again and silenced every guard and servant present—even the Seven Stars Elders only knew fragments. And because all his children were complicit in the plot, Mu Song couldn’t punish them all. Consumed by endless guilt for his eldest son, he lost himself in alchemy and meditation, eventually dying abruptly in his elixir chamber.”
Cai Zhao’s throat felt dry. “And all of that... is true?”
“Most of it is,” Mu Qingyan replied impassively.Cai Zhao remained silent for a long time. "Both being descendants of the Mu family, your father regarded the position of sect leader as worthless, while these few covet it desperately, even willing to kill their own kin. It's truly... truly..."
She couldn't find the words to continue. "You go on."
"What Nie Hengcheng needed to do next was to figure out how to cultivate the 'Purple Star Sutra'," Mu Qingyan said. "During Mu Song's tenure as sect leader, the elder in charge of records was named Qu Linglong. Nie Hengcheng went to great lengths to track down her descendants and obtain Elder Qu's personal notes—all of which was part of Mu Zhengyang's plan. He had long since forged a complete set of Elder Qu's records."
"Elder Qu's notes recorded that on a certain day, the eldest young master Mu suddenly began searching everywhere for the saliva of the Snowscale Dragon Beast, finally managing to find the last small bottle in a forgotten corner of the storeroom. Several months later, on another certain day, the eldest young master Mu suddenly started cultivating a type of orchid that only bloomed at night..."
"Ah!" Cai Zhao exclaimed. "The Blood Marsh, that Night Orchid in the Blood Marsh, and Cai Anning—is that it? Is that it?!"
Mu Qingyan nodded. "This type of orchid was extremely difficult to cultivate, so the eldest young master Mu planted an entire garden of them, which even spread to the back hills. After the orchids matured, he suddenly ordered the Purple Jade Golden Sunflower to be taken from the storeroom, without specifying its purpose. Finally, in the two months before this eldest young master was murdered, seven high-level sect members inexplicably disappeared."
"At first, Elder Qu suspected the Big Dipper Six Sects were behind it. It wasn't until after Mu Song's sudden death, when the sons fought for succession and the sect fell into chaos, that someone accidentally discovered the seven desiccated corpses buried at the foot of the mountain."
Cai Zhao was incredulous. "So this eldest young master Mu wasn't a good person after all!" Initially, hearing about this frail but talented youth who had struggled against fate only to be killed by his own siblings, she had felt quite sympathetic.
Mu Qingyan found this odd. "The seven who died were members of our sect. Why are you upset?"
Cai Zhao stood up angrily. "No matter who died, using such vile methods to forcibly drain others of their Core Essence Inner Force for personal gain is unforgivable by heaven's laws!"
Mu Qingyan patted her shoulder reassuringly. "Well, fortunately, he was killed by his siblings right after mastering the 'Purple Star Sutra'. Isn't that a good thing? Don't be angry."
Cai Zhao: ...
"Never mind," she gave up arguing with him. "How did no one else notice all these clues? Didn't Nie Hengcheng become suspicious?"
Mu Qingyan explained, "Elder Qu recorded these events chronologically, with all the details scattered among other unrelated entries. Simply reading through them wouldn't reveal anything unusual. Nie Hengcheng painstakingly pieced everything together and finally identified three key elements: the saliva of the Snowscale Dragon Beast, the Night Orchid, and the Purple Jade Golden Sunflower combined with the Core Essence Inner Force of seven masters."
Cai Zhao sighed. "Don't tell me all of those were real too."
"If they were all real, why would Nie Hengcheng have descended into madness while cultivating the third level?" Mu Qingyan's smile was pleasant yet cruel, as if he could see Nie Hengcheng's despair and confusion in his final days, nearly abandoned by all.
Cai Zhao thought for a moment. "Nie Hengcheng passed the first two stages of the 'Purple Star Sutra', so Mu Zhengyang must have tampered with the records of the third level."
"Exactly," Mu Qingyan agreed. "Because the first two stages went so smoothly, Nie Hengcheng became increasingly convinced he had found the correct method and continued cultivating without hesitation."Cai Zhao couldn't contain her curiosity: "How exactly should the third level of the Purple Star Sutra be cultivated? Nie Hengcheng clearly practiced it wrong—did Mu Zhengyang know about this?"
Mu Qingyan replied, "The fact that he went to the Blood Marsh a second time to retrieve Night Orchids shows he intended to cultivate it himself, so he must have known. But he was killed early by your aunt, and I couldn't find any traces he left behind."
Cai Zhao sighed in relief. "It's just as well that the method for cultivating the third level remains an unsolved mystery. That way, no one will covet it. Best if that mastermind behind all this also ends up deviating in his cultivation!"
She continued, "To ensure Nie Hengcheng passed the first two trials smoothly, Mu Zhengyang personally went to the Snow Ridge and the Blood Marsh to obtain the Snowscale Dragon Beast's saliva and Night Orchid cuttings. But why did he bring my aunt along? Wasn't he afraid the secret would leak?"
Mu Qingyan said, "Mu Zhengyang managed to piece together fragments of the Purple Star Sutra from mountains of records and devise a poisonous scheme to trap Nie Hengcheng. Uncovering the secrets of your Fallen Blossom Valley wouldn't have been difficult for him."
"Though the world claims the Snowscale Dragon Beast is extinct, careful research would reveal the last one disappeared into the great snow mountains of the far north alongside Fallen Blossom Valley's Gu Qingkong. While the Night Orchids in Paradise Palace's rear garden were burned to ashes, there were still many on the back mountain slope—though without care, few likely survived. Decades later, Cai Anning transplanted them all in one go. Without your aunt's help, Mu Zhengyang might not have achieved his goal."
Cai Zhao felt a pang of sorrow. "Are you saying Mu Zhengyang deliberately befriended my aunt to obtain the Night Orchids and the Snowscale Dragon Beast's saliva? Since he'd already gotten everything, why did he still kill my aunt's sworn brothers?"
"For power. For absolute dominion," Mu Qingyan's expression darkened. "By then, Nie Hengcheng had already deviated in his cultivation with no hope of turning back—his death was imminent. Once Mu Zhengyang revealed his true identity, my father certainly wouldn't have contested him. All he needed to do was eliminate Nie Clan followers like Zhao Tianba and Han Yisu one by one."
"Mu Zhengyang wasn't afraid of people like Yin Dai or Yang Yi. The only one he feared was your aunt. Even if he could fight her, what about her sworn brothers? Each was a top-tier master of their time, united in purpose and willing to die for one another. How could he withstand their combined seven-man formation? It was better to eliminate them early—as long as your aunt remained unaware. Had he managed to deceive her, unifying the martial world might not have been impossible."
"But he never anticipated Lu Chengnan would betray Paradise Palace at the cost of his life, revealing the secret of the Purple Star Sutra on his deathbed. That made your aunt suspicious of Mu Zhengyang, leading to his complete downfall."
Shock and grief choked Cai Zhao's throat, making it hard to breathe.
"That bastard Mu Zhengyang!" she cursed bitterly. "Nie Hengcheng was useless too! Mu Zhengyang practiced martial arts, learned to read, and schemed right under his nose, yet he remained completely oblivious—no wonder he fell for the trap in the end!"
Mu Qingyan lifted his head slightly. "Not just that. Mu Zhengyang came and went from the Vastsea Mountain Range as he pleased, yet Nie Hengcheng never said a word. His defenses were far too lax."The two were united in their resolve, cursing Mu Zhengyang and Nie Hengcheng with every vile word imaginable—Cai Zhao with earth-shaking fury, Mu Qingyan with meticulous venom. Once they had vented their anger to their hearts' content, the girl tugged at the young man's sleeve, rubbing her stomach with a pained expression. "I think I'm hungry again."
Mu Qingyan burst into laughter. "Only a wealthy household could afford to keep you fed! Fine, let's have some supper."
After a pause, he narrowed his long, slanting eyes. "Are you really not going to tell me where your two senior brothers are? You're here, well-fed and sleeping on soft pillows, while those poor fellows are probably starving and freezing somewhere."
Night had deepened. Cai Zhao, her belly round and full, flopped onto the bed, rolling around in contentment. Yet her thoughts inevitably drifted to Song Yuzhi and Fan Xingjia, and to that man's teasing words. She hesitated—should she ask You Guanyue to bring her senior brothers back? Would Mu Qingyan harm them?
But Fan Xingjia had said Song Yuzhi had already drawn a clear line with Mu Qingyan, settling all debts and grudges.
Maybe she could just bring Fifth Senior Brother back and leave Third Senior Brother outside? Ugh, what a headache!
Perhaps it was this agitation that led to another nightmare that night.
Her breath came in short gasps, sweat pouring like hot syrup, as if something terrifying had seized her. Yet no matter how hard she tried, the thick black fog ahead obscured whatever it was that filled her with such dread.
Jolting awake from the spiderweb of fear that had trapped her, she found sleep impossible. She threw on her robe, pushed open a crack in the window, and leaned on the sill to admire the moonlit snowscape.
People often said moonlight was like water, but in Fallen Blossom Valley, it carried a faint golden hue, warm with the glow of human life.
At Azure Tower Sect, the moonlight scattered like shards of silver—cold and sharp.
Tonight, the moon over the Vast Sea Mountains was so pale it was outshone by the snow's reflection, as if veiled by dense, tangled... vines and leaves?
Cai Zhao jolted fully awake, her mind buzzing, ears ringing with a shrill whistle. Her body was paralyzed, stiff from fingertips to heart, as if countless tiny needles were pricking her, the pain numbing her.
It took a long while before she could slowly drag herself to the edge of the bed, fumbling woodenly for her clothes. But her hand brushed against her Bright Sun Blade instead. Clutching the treasured sword to her chest like her only anchor, she silently called for her aunt, biting back any sound as she gathered her strength and made a firm decision.
Outside, the cold was biting. The night sky was a thick, inky black, layers of misty dark clouds pressing down until she could barely breathe.
She had only taken a few dozen steps toward the mountain path when a tall, straight-backed figure in black blocked her way.
Cai Zhao froze, her voice sharp. "What are you doing here?" The young man before her was impeccably dressed, his demeanor alert—as if he had never gone to sleep but had been waiting outside her door all along.
"Zhao Zhao, where are you going? You should be resting." He stepped closer, his voice gentle. "Did you not sleep well? I should have lit some calming incense for you."
Though his tone was tender, a chill ran down Cai Zhao's spine.
"I want to go home. I'm leaving the mountain," she stated firmly.
Mu Qingyan smiled. "Rest a couple more days. Then I'll accompany you down the mountain—we'll go home together."Cai Zhao resolutely refused, "I don't need your company. I'll go alone!"
"What's wrong with you? What's upsetting you?" Mu Qingyan smiled and reached out to caress her cheek.
Cai Zhao recoiled as if shocked. "Stay away from me!"
As she spoke, she gathered her qi and leaped over him as lightly as a kite, charging straight down the mountain. Unexpectedly, a group of silent Demonic Cult disciples in tight uniforms emerged from the mountain pass ahead, led by You Guanyue.
"Miss Zhao Zhao, please return," he said respectfully with a cupped-hand salute.
Gritting her teeth, Cai Zhao pivoted lightly on a rock and turned toward another path down the mountain. Yet before she could go far, she was blocked again by another group of experts, this time led by Shangguan Haonan.
He stood with his chest puffed out. "Little Cai, the Cult Master has made arrangements. You can't leave!"
Filled with resentment, Cai Zhao suddenly turned around and dashed back up the slope.
You Guanyue and Shangguan Haonan were both stunned—that direction led to the Mu family's ancestral graves, the Forbidden Tomb, which offered no exit from the Vast Sea Mountain Range.
Mu Qingyan narrowed his eyes slightly.
Cai Zhao ran wildly, heading straight for the 'Forbidden Tomb.'
She didn't know where to go—she just wanted to get far away from that man.
—"Zhao Zhao, Zhao Zhao, where are you? It's cold here—don't catch a chill. Come out now!" The voice grew closer, clearly indicating he was catching up.
When the first "Zhao Zhao" was called, his voice seemed dozens of feet away. By the last "come out," he sounded as if he were right beside her.
Cai Zhao had just crossed a pale stone bridge when a figure in fluttering robes suddenly soared over her head, blocking her path.
Mu Qingyan stood atop a Half-Man-high boulder, his jaw tight. "At least tell me why you're suddenly running off without a word!"
Cai Zhao spat bitterly, "You knew all along—about Fifth Brother stealing the Night Orchid cutting."
Mu Qingyan chuckled. "Zhao Zhao, what are you talking about? How would I know about Fan Xingjia's petty thievery?"
"Before Fifth Brother passed out, he said one thing—'That night, after stealing the Night Orchid, on his way back, he saw me and Third Brother returning from outside.'"
The girl's gaze was icy and resolute. "I remember clearly—when Third Brother and I returned from outside, you had just come down from the rooftop."
Mu Qingyan's pupils contracted violently.
Cai Zhao knew she had guessed right, her heart aching fiercely—the sweeter the moments before, the sharper the pain now.
"The Night Orchid was planted in the courtyard at the center of the pavilion. You saw everything clearly from the rooftop!" she shouted. "Before you came down, you must have seen Fifth Brother stealing the orchid!"
"You knew all along! Why didn't you say anything?"
"You did it on purpose—you wanted me to think the 'Purple Star Sutra' couldn't be completed!"
Tears welled in her eyes. "If I'd known the Night Orchid was stolen, I would never have found the Purple Jade Golden Sunflower! I would never have ruined Auntie's careful plans!"
"How much have you hidden from me? What exactly are you trying to do?"
Mu Qingyan stood calmly atop the boulder, his robes fluttering in the cold mountain moonlight—indistinguishable between god and Demon.
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