A Decade of Nightscape Lights

Twenty years ago, Cai Pingshu wasn’t the only renowned heroine in the Martial World—there was also Luo Yuanrong from Grand Beginning Temple.

She was the daughter of Cang Huanzi’s late younger sister, the then-leader of Grand Beginning Temple. Taken under her uncle’s wing from a young age, she was carefully nurtured.

Unlike the brash and straightforward Cai Pingshu, who knocked people down with her fists, Luo Yuanrong was the epitome of a refined lady—beautiful, talented, and icy in demeanor. The Martial World thus bestowed upon her the elegant title of "Frost Fairy."

Above her were three illustrious senior brothers: the eldest, Wu Yuanying, was heroic and peerless in martial arts, earning the deepest respect among their peers; the second, Wang Yuanjing, was handsome, amiable, and gentle; the third, Qiu Yuanfeng, was fiery-tempered and unruly.

For a long time, she was Cang Huanzi’s youngest disciple and the most cherished girl in Grand Beginning Temple.

When her eldest brother, Wu Yuanying, carried wine jars up to Myriad Waters, Thousand Mountains Cliff, she often followed, and thus became acquainted with the Yin sisters.

She particularly liked the empathetic Yin Sulian, who had long discerned her feelings. Whenever a banquet was arranged, Yin Sulian would seat her beside Wu Yuanying. The eldest brother was a bold and unrestrained man who loved drinking and chatting with his brothers. Though she barely understood half of what they said, just being by his side filled her heart with boundless joy.

Sometimes she thought that if, in the future, her eldest brother didn’t wish to become her cultivation partner, she would quietly remain a solitary nun in Grand Beginning Temple. That would be enough for her.

Yet even such a simple wish was shattered.

Qiu Yuanfeng’s face darkened. "Fourth Junior Sister, have you had enough of this nonsense?! Wu Gang, Wu Xiong, are you joining in this madness too?" The latter remark was directed at the two middle-aged disciples standing behind Luo Yuanrong.

"Today is the 200th anniversary of our founder’s passing—a solemn occasion! And yet you dare to cause such a disturbance. It seems Grand Beginning Temple must purge its ranks!" Cang Qiongzi said with a sinister tone. "Your senior uncle has indulged you repeatedly out of pity for your orphaned state, but today, you’ve harmed countless people. As your martial uncle, I can no longer allow you to run wild. Yuanfeng, seize this disgraceful disciple—dead or alive!"

Wang Yuanjing, deeply worried, pleaded repeatedly, "Martial Uncle, Junior Brother, at least for Master’s sake! Yuanrong may be stubborn, but her crimes don’t warrant death!"

Qiu Yuanfeng flicked his sleeve, shaking off Wang Yuanjing, and stepped forward arrogantly. "Junior Sister, for Master’s sake, surrender quietly. I won’t harm you."

Luo Yuanrong didn’t even glance at him, instead looking straight at Qi Yunke. "Sect Leader Qi, may I say a few words?"

Qi Yunke sighed heavily. "Heroine Luo, I already know what you wish to say. Not just me—most of our peers and friends are aware of your feelings. Brother Yuanying’s death pains us all, but the dead cannot return to life. You… you must let go."

Cai Zhao turned to her mother. "Mother, what are they talking about?"

Ning Xiaofeng also looked bewildered. "I don’t know. Your father never mentioned it."

Cai Zhao gave a disdainful look. "Didn’t they say everyone in their generation knew about it?"

Ning Xiaofeng tilted her head in thought. "Ever since your aunt broke Grand Beginning Temple’s treasure sword during the Six Sects Tournament that year, our two sects haven’t gotten along. Of course Fallen Blossom Valley wouldn’t know about their affairs!"

She added with a scoff, "Hmph, what’s so great about that shoddy sword anyway? If they treasured it so much, why bring it to a tournament? And it snapped with just one twist—your aunt was stunned too. It was ridiculously brittle, worse than a radish!"Cai Zhao sighed deeply. "Auntie should have at least apologized for breaking someone's precious sword."

"She did apologize! Your aunt very sincerely told the Grand Beginning Temple that if she'd known their sword was so fragile, she definitely wouldn't have used her full strength—she truly didn't mean to do it," Ning Xiaofeng said indignantly.

Cai Zhao stared wide-eyed—was that supposed to be an apology?!

Chang Ning frowned slightly. "If they couldn't accept such a sincere apology, then the Grand Beginning Temple is clearly in the wrong."

"..." Fan Xingjia and Cai Zhao were speechless again, while Ning Xiaofeng now regarded Chang Ning more favorably.

At this moment, Luo Yuanrong spoke again: "Venerable Fakong, I did not deliberately cause trouble on our ancestor's memorial day. But without so many fellow heroes present, I fear this overwhelming injustice would never be heard. Venerable Fakong, for the sake of my late uncle, please allow Yuanrong to speak a few words." By referring to him as her uncle rather than master, she clearly no longer considered herself a disciple of the Grand Beginning Temple.

Venerable Fakong pondered for a moment before looking at Qi Yunke and the others. "Since things have come to this today, rather than suppressing the matter forcefully, it would be better to speak openly and resolve the misunderstanding before our ancestor's spirit. This could still turn into something positive."

Just as Qi Yunke was about to speak, Qiu Yuanfeng said displeased, "Venerable speaks too lightly of this matter. How can it be resolved?! This 'Storm of Thunder' was Celestial Pivot Elder's deadly weapon back then—how did Luo Yuanrong obtain it? Most likely by colluding with the Demonic Cult! That's the first point. Second, so many brothers in the hall were injured for no reason—should we just let that go? In any case, the Grand Beginning Temple must cleanse its ranks!"

Venerable Fakong also found this difficult to handle.

Cai Pingchun suddenly spoke up. "Whether Fellow Luo colluded with the Demonic Cult, I cannot say. But as for the antidote for 'Storm of Thunder,' Fallen Blossom Valley has as much as needed. There's no need for panic."

"That's true," Zhou Zhizhen said. "Back then, Celestial Pivot Elder used 'Storm of Thunder' to injure countless righteous heroes, including my father. Fortunately, Uncle Cai Changfeng fought desperately to kill Celestial Pivot Elder and brought the antidote back to Fallen Blossom Valley for analysis, saving innumerable lives."

A burly man with a thick beard stepped forward and declared loudly, "Exactly! My master and senior uncle were saved by Fallen Blossom Valley's antidote—they're still alive and well, basking in the sun and boasting at home!"

The crowd laughed, and many expressed their gratitude to Cai Pingchun.

Cai Zhao tugged lightly at her mother's sleeve. "Mother, was this why Granduncle succumbed to his injuries?"

"Yes, but it was worth it," Ning Xiaofeng said softly, stroking her daughter's hair. "That Celestial Pivot Elder loved concocting poisons—he would commit any atrocity to create the most sinister toxins in the world. Don't be sad. Your granduncle passed away in peace."

Fan Xingjia sighed quietly. "...Just how many wicked villains are there in the Demonic Cult?"

Chang Ning remained indifferent.

Now that she had confirmed her daughter was unharmed, Ning Xiaofeng gave a few more instructions before returning to look after Little Chubby Cai.

At this point, Venerable Fakong proposed again, "Since the injured in the hall are out of danger, why not let Heroine Luo speak her piece? This would dispel resentment among fellow disciples—nothing could be more virtuous. Moreover, we've all witnessed the might of 'Storm of Thunder' in the past, and these two are far inferior. It's still too early to accuse Heroine Luo of colluding with the Demonic Cult."

Zhou Zhizhen nodded slightly at the latter part of this statement—he too felt these two 'Storm of Thunder' devices were much weaker than what he'd seen in the past.Seeing their own disciples and sons unharmed, Song Shijun and Yang Heying were more than happy to watch the show—especially an internal conflict within the Grand Beginning Temple. They’d have paid to see it, tea included. Zhou Zhizhen and Cai Pingchun remained indifferent.

Qi Yunke glanced around and said, “Lady Luo, you may speak.”

Luo Yuanrong carefully handed the bamboo basket to Wu Gang and Wu Xiong, then walked to the center of the main hall and bowed deeply to Venerable Fakong.

Qiu Yuanfeng bit his lip hard and suddenly shouted, “Let me speak first, lest you slander me unjustly!” Without waiting for Luo Yuanrong to begin, he rushed into his account—

“As everyone knows, my senior martial brother Wu Yuanying died in the battle at Cauldron Peak Mountain twenty years ago. Many heroes witnessed it firsthand. Yet this junior sister of mine refuses to believe it, insisting that he’s still alive. For over a decade, she’s hounded us—either forcing us to rescue him from the Demonic Cult or accusing me of harming him! Hah, utterly absurd!”

Cang Qiongzi slammed his wheelchair armrest and added, “Exactly! Casualties are inevitable in battles against the Demonic Cult. If everyone acted like this disgraceful disciple, endlessly stirring trouble, chaos would reign! Besides, neither you nor Yuan Jing were at Cauldron Peak Mountain that day. How could you possibly know Yuan Ying didn’t die? Pure delusion and reckless behavior!”

Many in the hall had never heard of this and immediately buzzed with discussion—

“What? Is Martial Brother Wu Yuanying not dead?”

“How could that be? My senior brother was at Cauldron Peak Mountain that year and saw with his own eyes how Elder Yaoguang of the Demonic Cult struck Wu down in one blow. We just retreated too hastily to retrieve his body.”

“Then why has Lady Luo fixated on this matter?”

“Ah, I’ve heard Lady Luo was deeply infatuated with Wu. She just can’t let go.”

“Alas, such is the folly of love. Lady Luo is a devoted soul. To have such a beauty pine for him for over a decade—Wu must rest peacefully in the afterlife.”

“Wu may rest easy, but the living have suffered under Luo Yuanrong’s torment!”

Hearing this, Fan Xingjia looked at Cai Zhao in confusion.

Cai Zhao: “Don’t look at me. I don’t know. I only know the ‘Cauldron Peak Mountain’ battle was led by the Grand Beginning Temple, inviting many martial heroes. Our family just happened to skip that one.”

Chang Ning: “Obviously. Your family had just broken their temple’s treasure sword. Of course they wouldn’t invite you.”

Cai Zhao shot him a glare.

Unfazed by Qiu Yuanfeng’s words, Luo Yuanrong showed neither shock nor anger. Her once-beautiful face, weathered by over a decade of hardship, now bore only indifference and weariness. She spoke slowly, “Third Brother, no need to rush. Everyone, please hear me out.”

“That year, we learned the Demonic Cult was committing atrocities at Cauldron Peak Mountain, using living people to refine elixirs and wreaking havoc on the surrounding villages. My senior brother resolved to rid the people of this scourge and gathered heroes and close friends to eradicate the evil. Little did we know, the force entrenched at Cauldron Peak Mountain wasn’t ordinary Demons—it was Elder Yaoguang, one of the Seven Stars Elders of the Demonic Cult.”

“The old fiend Yaoguang had many followers. Once the battle began, my senior brother realized they were outmatched and signaled the retreat. But Third Brother Qiu Yuanfeng, greedy for glory, took advantage of the Lingnan Duo and Chan Master Juefang’s desperate efforts to hold off Yaoguang as the rearguard—and recklessly launched a sneak attack on Yaoguang… Third Brother, did I get that wrong?”

Qiu Yuanfeng’s face darkened.Although ambushing the Demonic Cult traitors wasn't a bad thing in itself, Wu Yuanying had already ordered a retreat, and three warriors were sacrificing themselves to cover their escape. If he succeeded in this sneak attack, it might be excusable, but if he failed, wouldn't he be dragging others down with him?

Looking at Qiu Yuanfeng's current expression, everyone could guess without hearing more that the ambush must have failed.

Luo Yuanrong continued: "In his haste, Third Brother's attack only enraged that Demon. Enduring Third Brother's sword strike, he unleashed his ultimate technique 'Venomous Serpent Heart-Piercing Claw' to brutally crack open Master Juefang's skull. Then with two palm strikes, he sent the Twin Heroes of Lingnan flying before turning to deal with Third Brother."

She gave a bitter smile. "Though Third Brother is now our esteemed sect leader with peerless divine skills, back then his martial arts were rather ordinary."

"That's true. I can vouch for that. Sect Leader Qiu was only slightly better than Junior Sister Luo back then," Song Shijun interjected cheerfully.

Disciples of Grand Beginning Temple glared at him furiously, while those from Vast Heaven Gate returned the hostile looks in kind.

"Against Elder Yaoguang's power, ten Third Brothers wouldn't have survived. But Eldest Brother... Eldest Brother..." Luo Yuanrong's tears fell freely. "Without hesitation, he turned back to rescue Third Brother, desperately engaging that Demon in combat. And my dear Third Brother took this opportunity to flee for his life!"

Many heroes present knew Wu Yuanying had died at Cauldron Peak Mountain, but this was their first time hearing the full circumstances.

An uproar immediately erupted among the gathered heroes, with even young disciples from the six sects looking shocked. The crowd's gazes toward Qiu Yuanfeng turned distinctly unfriendly, particularly a few hot-tempered individuals who openly spat on the ground in contempt.

Under the weight of these stares, Qiu Yuanfeng forced himself to remain composed: "Yes, Eldest Brother saved me that day. But I didn't flee out of cowardice—Eldest Brother ordered me to escape!"

"Oh? When Wu Yuanying first ordered the retreat, you disobeyed. But after provoking the Demon and causing disaster, suddenly you remember to run? Take credit for yourself when things go well, leave the mess for others to clean up? No wonder people say Sect Leader Qiu is truly genuine—ha, indeed most genuine!" Daoist Yunzhuan's sarcastic voice rang out again.

Song Shijun nearly laughed aloud, loudly agreeing: "Well said, Daoist Yunzhuan! Sect Leader Qiu, you should bear the consequences of your own mistakes. Fleeing after causing trouble—didn't you essentially get your Eldest Brother killed?"

Cang Qiongzi angrily retorted: "Slaying Demons is the righteous duty of all heroes! Even if Yuanfeng acted rashly, it wasn't a grave mistake! Yuanying sacrificed himself out of deep brotherhood—no one here is at fault!"

Daoist Yunzhuan: "Very well, if you say there's no fault, then there's no fault."

Cai Zhao whispered: "When I descend the mountain someday, I must treat all Daoist Yunzhangs to drinks." The way he shut them down was so satisfying!

"Save your money," Chang Ning glanced at the girl's softly flushed cheeks.

Seeing the tense atmosphere, Qi Yunke hurriedly intervened: "Junior Sister Luo, this matter is indeed tragic. But what's done cannot be undone—please accept this misfortune calmly! I believe Brother Yuanying willingly gave his life to save his junior brother."

Wang Yuanjing wept, murmuring: "It's all my fault for not going with them that day."

"Second Brother was recovering from injuries then—how could you have gone?" The handsome young Daoist quickly defended him."No, the Eldest Brother isn't dead! I know he's alive!" Luo Yuanrong wiped away her tears. "Over these past ten years, I've sought out every survivor from Cauldron Peak Mountain that day—not a single one saw him take his last breath!"

Hearing her speak with such conviction, the crowd in the hall began to waver.

Qiu Yuanfeng laughed in anger. "The last thing I saw before leaving was that demon Yaoguang striking Eldest Brother with her Venomous Serpent Heart-Piercing Claw right in the chest! Ask anyone here—has anyone ever survived that technique in decades? Even Venerable Fakong's senior disciple, Master Juefang, whose cultivation surpassed Eldest Brother's, died instantly when struck by that demoness's claw—his skull split open on the spot!"

The crowd nodded in agreement.

The Venomous Serpent Heart-Piercing Claw had once been infamous—a technique that guaranteed death with every strike, leaving no survivors. It was Yaoguang's signature move, and even now, the mere thought of it sent chills down their spines. However, precisely because it was so overwhelmingly lethal and consumed tremendous energy, even Yaoguang herself couldn't use it repeatedly in succession.

Zhou Zhizhen couldn't bear it. "Junior Sister Luo, if Brother Wu truly was struck by the Venomous Serpent Heart-Piercing Claw, then there's no chance he survived. You must accept this."

"If struck directly, death is certain," Luo Yuanrong said. "But what if something blocked the blow? My family possesses a treasured heirloom—the Dark Iron Heart Mirror." She pointed to the giant gong outside the hall. "Like that gong, it's forged from Mystic Iron from the ocean depths, left to me by my father on his deathbed."

The crowd froze.

"That day, before Eldest Brother left, I begged him to wear the mirror beneath his robes—I refused to let him go otherwise." Luo Yuanrong's expression was sorrowful. "In the end, he agreed."

She suddenly raised her head. "With the Dark Iron Heart Mirror protecting him, even the Venomous Serpent Heart-Piercing Claw might not have been fatal!"

Qiu Yuanfeng's heart pounded violently, too afraid to dwell on the implications. He roared in agitation, "This is just your word against everyone else's! No one's ever tested it—who knows if your worthless mirror even works? Besides, I never saw Eldest Brother wearing any mirror!" By the end, his voice had lost its conviction.

"Even if Eldest Brother had died, even if it was just his corpse, you should have fought to bring him back!" Luo Yuanrong screamed hoarsely. "You've always resented him! You thought yourself stronger, believed you'd never rise as long as he lived—that's why you abandoned him! You wanted him gone so you could inherit Grand Beginning Temple!"

Qiu Yuanfeng trembled with rage. "You—you slanderous wretch! Absurd! Utterly absurd!"

Zhou Zhizhen interjected, "That's going too far. At the time, Sect Leader Qiu's cultivation was far inferior to his second senior brother, Wang Yuanjing. By seniority or martial prowess, after Brother Wu, it should have been Senior Brother Wang succeeding as sect leader. Junior Sister Luo, your accusation is grave."

"Exactly! It's this wretch's stubbornness that got her master killed!" Cang Qiongzi finally snapped out of his daze and shouted. "I was in the northwest then, and my senior brother was ill. When we heard of Wu Yuanying's tragic death, he vomited blood on the spot! Yet this wretch kept demanding we storm the Demonic Cult to 'rescue' him! Dead is dead—what was there to rescue?"

"Then why did Yaoguang send that letter to Master?" Luo Yuanrong yelled.Upon hearing this, the crowd was incredulous. Even Shijing Yuantai stepped forward and said gravely, "Taoist Cang Huanzi abhorred evil and would never collude with the Demonic Cult. Be careful with your words, Benefactor Luo!"

Back then, the conflict between the righteous and the wicked had already escalated into a bloodbath, with both sides locked in irreconcilable enmity. Anyone suspected of aiding the enemy would immediately become an enemy of the righteous path.

Luo Yuanrong's voice trembled as she spoke, "The day after the battle at Cauldron Peak Mountain, my master received a letter personally written by Elder Yaoguang. The letter claimed that the eldest senior brother was still alive and that the Demon wanted to exchange him for Elder Kaiyang. My master dared not believe it, yet he hoped against hope that his beloved disciple might truly be alive. So he took the letter to Nine Conch Mountain to seek counsel from Old Sect Leader Yin."

"Another elder? Just how many such formidable figures does the Demonic Cult have?" Cai Zhao muttered to herself.

Chang Ning reassured her, "Don’t worry, only two of those seven old monsters remain now."

At this point, all eyes turned to Qi Yunke.

Qi Yunke hesitated, sighing before speaking, "Actually, before the battle at Cauldron Peak Mountain, the Demonic Cult’s Elder Kaiyang had already been captured alive by my master and his fellow sect uncles. He was imprisoned in the dungeons of Myriad Waters, Thousand Mountains Cliff. Elder Yaoguang, who had a close relationship with Elder Kaiyang, then..."

Yang Heying exclaimed in shock, "Could it be that Taoist Cang Huanzi wanted to ask Old Sect Leader Yin to exchange the Demon for his beloved disciple? Surely not. Did Old Sect Leader Yin agree?"

"Of course not!" Song Shijun declared loudly. "Back then, my father-in-law, along with his senior brother Cheng Hao and junior brother Wang Dingchuan, were known as the 'Three Elders of Azure Peak.' The three were as close as brothers and renowned for their might. It was precisely to capture the Demon Kaiyang that two of the Three Elders perished! My father-in-law was so grief-stricken that he remained bedridden for months—Venerable Fakong can attest to this."

Venerable Fakong chanted a Buddhist invocation, "Indeed, it is so."

Everyone in the hall thought to themselves: The Azure Tower Sect sacrificed two grandmasters to capture that great Demon. How could they possibly be willing to trade him for Wu Yuanying, especially when it wasn’t even certain whether Wu Yuanying was alive or dead?

Qi Yunke continued, "My master and Taoist Cang Huanzi had been friends for decades. Under normal circumstances, he wouldn’t have refused, but the memory of Senior Uncle Cheng and Uncle Wang’s tragic deaths made it impossible for him to agree. In the end, my master decided to accompany Taoist Cang Huanzi to the meeting. If Brother Wu was truly alive, the two of them would work together to capture Elder Yaoguang and rescue Brother Wu. But who could have known... who could have known..."

"There’s no need for 'who could have known,'" Cang Qiongzi interjected. "The whole thing was a trap set by the Demon from the start. My senior brother returned from the meeting gravely wounded and passed away soon after. Fortunately, he and Old Sect Leader Yin managed to kill the Demon Yaoguang together, ridding the martial world of a great scourge!"

Qiu Yuanfeng added, "Before his death, our master made it absolutely clear—the eldest senior brother was dead, and we should never trust anything the Demonic Cult said again! Fourth Junior Sister, you were at our master’s bedside then. Didn’t you hear him?"

Cai Zhao was both shocked and doubtful. "So Elder Yaoguang deceived Taoist Cang Huanzi? What happened to Elder Kaiyang afterward?"

"I know this," Fan Xingjia seized the rare opportunity to contribute. "Senior Uncle Lei mentioned that when Elder Kaiyang heard of Elder Yaoguang’s death, he tried to escape the prison at all costs. That very night, he was slain at the cliff’s edge."

Cai Zhao exclaimed, "Wow, who would’ve thought even Demonic Cult villains could have such deep brotherly bonds?"

Chang Ning’s eyes narrowed slightly. "...Bonds, yes. But 'brotherly'? That’s debatable."

Cai Zhao didn’t quite understand but was quickly drawn back by Luo Yuanrong’s words."I heard," Luo Yuanrong said calmly. "At the time, I resented my master, but later I realized he did it for me. He had no other choice left."

She continued, "The two senior uncles from Azure Tower Sect sacrificed their lives to save Kaiyang. There was no way he could be exchanged for the eldest senior brother. My master was already nearing the end of his days—who would stand up for me after he was gone? Once a person leaves, the tea grows cold."

"The day after my master passed, my uncle took over as acting sect leader, and later the third senior brother became the leader. Those fellow disciples who respected and remembered the eldest senior brother were gradually purged from Grand Beginning Temple."

"Now, no one remembers him anymore."

A wave of sorrow surged in everyone's hearts—the once-mighty young hero of the righteous path had been forgotten just like that.

Luo Yuanying suddenly raised his head. "But I remember him! I will never, ever forget him!"

"Enough!" Qiu Yuanfeng roared in fury. "Eldest Brother is truly dead, yet you keep harping on it endlessly. Show us some irrefutable evidence if you have any! Stop going on about that heart-protecting mirror—who knows if it even works!"

"Irrefutable evidence? Of course." Luo Yuanying revealed a bitter, venomous smile. "Without ironclad proof, how would I dare come to the Myriad Waters, Thousand Mountains Cliff today?"

The crowd shuddered.

Luo Yuanying turned back. "Wu Gang, Wu Xiong... be careful."

The two named men cautiously opened the golden-woven bamboo basket, inside which seemed to be a thick, soft blanket. All eyes focused on it, only to discover that the blanket was wrapped around a person.

As the blanket was unfolded, a head appeared first, then shoulders, chest, abdomen—and then, nothing more.

Nothing more??

Cai Zhao, standing far away, craned her neck in confusion, trying to get a clearer look. Suddenly, she heard Yin Sulian in the main hall let out a scream of utter terror before fainting dead away.

At last, everyone saw the 'person's' appearance.

—His eyes had been gouged out, his tongue cut off, and his once-prominent nose bridge shaved flat, leaving only two holes for breathing. His limbs had been severed, leaving only a torso. His body was covered in scars—just the exposed skin showed signs of whipping, slashing, tendon-severing, burning, branding, and flesh-carving...

Perhaps this could no longer even be called a person.

The hall was filled with the sound of heavy, ragged breathing.

"This... this is..." Yang Heying's voice trembled so violently he barely recognized it himself.

"Brother Yuanying!" Yunzhuan Daoren let out a heart-wrenching cry, throwing himself forward to embrace the 'person' as he wailed in agony, "Brother Yuanying, how did you end up like this! How... how could this happen!"

This cry seemed to wake everyone from a dream. Many in the hall had seen Wu Yuanying before. Even after twenty years, even in this unrecognizable state, faint traces of the once-glorious Grand Beginning Temple's head disciple, Wu Yuanying, who had once drunk from the spring waters, could still be discerned.

"The Demonic Cult traitors are utterly inhuman, worse than beasts!" Song Shijun bellowed.

Even the usually gentle Zhou Zhizhen gritted his teeth, seething with rage.

Today, Cai Zhao had heard many outbursts from the crowd—cheers, mockery, demonstrations—but none compared to the deafening uproar now. Everyone was screaming, lamenting, cursing, gasping, creating a thunderous clamor!

A calamity more terrifying than death had befallen this once-revered prodigy of heaven.

A chill rose from the depths of Cai Zhao's chest.