Returning to Quietude Cottage, Cai Zhao personally dressed Chang Ning's wounds.
The loose robe slipped down to his shoulders, revealing the young man's well-defined chest and back—broad shoulders, firm and evenly proportioned muscles. Cai Zhao went through several cloths before finally applying the medicine and wrapping the bandages.
She had intended to leave once finished, but seeing Chang Ning sitting absentmindedly in the recliner with his robe still open, she sighed and leaned down to straighten his clothes for him.
Chang Ning suddenly snapped out of his daze and, without warning, leaned forward slightly. Tall and broad-shouldered, his posture effortlessly enveloped the girl within his shadow.
Cai Zhao still had a grip on his robe, her eyes level with the young man’s slender neck and distinct Adam’s apple. His cool aura carried a faint trace of blood. She turned her face away, frowning. "Why do I feel like you’ve grown taller these past few days?"
She remembered when they first met—the young man before her had been gaunt and frail.
"Is that so?" Chang Ning examined his forearm—long bones, fair skin stretched over firm muscle. "Perhaps it’s because I’ve been eating well and sleeping soundly lately. All thanks to Zhao Zhao."
Cai Zhao knew he was spouting nonsense again. Pressing her hands against his chest, she pushed him away with effort. "If you don’t want to say, then don’t. Anyone can see your cultivation has progressed and you’re nearly recovered." Chang Ning had been injured and poisoned for a year, and boys his age grew quickly. She suspected his previously stunted growth had now caught up.
Chang Ning chuckled. "You stabbed me, and I didn’t even get angry. Yet here you are, fuming."
Cai Zhao set the basin aside and turned. "Were you really planning to scar Qi Lingbo’s face earlier? If you had, how did you intend to handle the aftermath?"
"Didn’t think about it. If Azure Tower Sect becomes unbearable, I’ll just leave." His tone was lazy.
"If Qi Lingbo were disfigured, how would she live with that?"
"Why wouldn’t she? She has a noble and formidable fiancé—she’ll still be the sect leader’s wife someday. With Young Master Song’s character, he wouldn’t break off the engagement just because his betrothed was scarred." Chang Ning couldn’t hide his gleeful tone.
Cai Zhao paused, realizing there was some truth to that. "...So, in reality, you were scheming against Third Brother?"
Chang Ning tilted his head in thought before collapsing back into the recliner with a snicker.
Cai Zhao flung the cloth into the basin with a splash. "Third Brother ought to teach you a proper lesson! He’s never wronged you, yet you go and plot against him!"
Chang Ning sat up solemnly. "Zhao Zhao is right. To avoid Young Master Song coming after me, I’ll go into seclusion again starting tomorrow."
"How long this time? A day and an hour, or two days and two hours?" She shot him a sidelong glance.
Chang Ning: "Four days and nights. I won’t come out early this time. I’ll trouble Zhao Zhao to keep watch for me again."
Cai Zhao exhaled in relief and patted her chest in assurance—as long as Chang Ning didn’t go out stirring trouble, she’d guard him even if he were in a coffin.
"I smell candied cherries. Are they for me?" Chang Ning tilted his head, sniffing lightly, his expression brightening.
Cai Zhao leaned against the doorframe, turning back with a teasing scowl. "If you had scarred Qi Lingbo’s face and fled down the mountain tonight, I’d have shared that bowl of candied cherries with everyone—not a drop of syrup left for you!"
Outside, the moon hung like a jade plate, the gentle night breeze rustling the flowering branches in the courtyard. The girl turned back with a smile, her delicate little nose slightly upturned—mischievous and warm.Chang Ning suddenly felt a burning sensation in his mouth—an unfamiliar, feverish heat.
He frowned slightly, pressing a hand to his chest.
……
Inside the Twin Lotus Pool Palace, only three people remained in the inner chamber.
Qi Lingbo had just scrubbed herself repeatedly, refusing to leave the bath until she was certain no trace of the marsh’s stench lingered on her skin or hair. Now, she was sobbing pitifully to her mother.
Yin Sulian was also deeply troubled—until she heard that Chang Ning had been the one to provoke Cai Zhao, who had tried to stop him. Then she slapped her thigh and cursed, "That ill-fated brat with his whole family dead! Just wait and see how I deal with him!"
Grandma Mao was drying Qi Lingbo’s damp hair. "Madam, please calm yourself. The matter has been settled cleanly on both sides—it’s best not to stir up more trouble now. As I’ve said, Cai Zhao was raised by Cai Pingshu after all. No matter how sharp-tongued she is, she wouldn’t cross the line. Today, we should be grateful she held Chang Ning back. Madam and the young lady can rest assured—this old servant doubts Chang Ning will come looking for trouble again."
But Qi Lingbo was in no mood to endure this quietly. She couldn’t help but complain about her mother’s cowardice and unwillingness to stand up for her.
Yin Sulian, already seething with anger, snapped, "What did I tell you when Chang Ning first came up the mountain? I knew at first glance he’d be difficult—those sharp, cold eyes of his! I could tell he’d rise to prominence someday. That’s why I told you to show him extra care, to tend to his needs—men are easiest to win over when they’re down and out, weak and vulnerable!"
"But what did you do? Instead of making him grateful and admiring you, you turned him into an enemy! Tell me—just how did you manage that?" Yin Sulian jabbed a finger at her daughter, her frustration boiling over.
Qi Lingbo was indignant. "I did go! I visited him often, bringing tea and water, even tailoring clothes for him. But that bastard Chang not only refused to appreciate it, he mocked me endlessly. How—how could I possibly endure that?!"
She recalled Chang Ning’s piercing gaze, as if he saw right through her every move. Every time she mustered up enthusiasm to fuss over him, his eyes brimmed with such scorn that Qi Lingbo felt like a pitiful clown.
Yin Sulian sighed. "At least my judgment wasn’t wrong—Chang Ning is indeed remarkable. And after just a few days of recovery, even Feng Chi was no match for him. What a shame Lingbo couldn’t win him over, only to let that little hussy Cai Zhao benefit instead."
Qi Lingbo turned away in a huff. "I’m useless! I’m an idiot—aren’t you ashamed of me, Mother?"
Yin Sulian was about to console her when she caught Grandma Mao’s meaningful glance. She quickly stiffened her expression and scolded her daughter instead. "You are useless. It’s bad enough you’re neither skilled in martial arts nor accomplished in anything else, but you can’t even muster a bit of patience. Even if you couldn’t win Chang Ning over, you could’ve at least remained on neutral terms instead of turning him into an enemy!"
"Mother! How can you say that to me?" Qi Lingbo burst into tears.
"If your aunt were still alive and saw how arrogant, domineering, and brainless you’ve become, she’d never have accepted you as her daughter-in-law!" Yin Sulian continued to ‘motivate’ her daughter.
Qi Lingbo wailed even louder.
Grandma Mao soothed her gently. "Young lady, don’t blame Madam for speaking harshly—she only wants what’s best for you. Back in the day, your aunt and your mother—one was brilliant, with flawless strategies, the other peerlessly beautiful and understanding. Even if their martial skills were lacking, the two sisters flourished in the Martial World, earning praise wherever they went. They weren’t much inferior to that Cai Pingshu.""Don't be fooled by Cai Zhao's innocent appearance—it's the quiet dogs that bite hardest! In my opinion, that girl surpasses even her aunt from back in the day. Not only is her martial arts formidable, but she's also cunning and knows how to manipulate people. That hot-tempered Chang fellow who's always shouting about killing—she subdued him instantly. Who knows what shameless tricks she used behind the scenes? Hmph, one face in public, another in private!"
"Young Mistress Lingbo, you should learn from her in the future. Don't be so straightforward..."
Qi Lingbo couldn't bear to listen any longer. With an angry shout, she stormed out and rushed to a side chamber in the west wing where Dai Fengchi was resting to recover from his injuries.
Her hair disheveled and damp, Qi Lingbo gnashed her teeth. "I'll make that little wretch Cai Zhao pay!"
Dai Fengchi hesitated. "Her martial arts are impressive." Meaning: We can't beat her.
"I know that!"
"And her tongue is sharp too." Meaning: We can't out-talk her either.
"I know that too!"
"Master and Mistress won't let you use private guards." Meaning: We don't have enough help.
"Tell me something I don't know!"
"Then what do you plan to do?"
Qi Lingbo sneered coldly. "I've already thought of a way. I'll ruin her reputation!"
...
The morning after the fire at Jade Exquisite Abode, Chang Ning went into seclusion. Before retreating, he casually handed Cai Zhao a thick stack of silver notes as compensation for the wooden bridge over the deep ravine.
Cai Zhao quickly counted them—good heavens, it amounted to fifty thousand taels. That wasn't just enough for a wooden bridge; it could buy a golden or silver one. She then asked, "What about Senior Sister Lingbo's residence? You were the one who set it on fire." Though the fire had been extinguished quickly, causing minimal damage.
Without hesitation, Chang Ning replied, "If Jade Exquisite Abode becomes uninhabitable, let her move to Camellia Longevity Abode. It's closer to her fiancé—killing two birds with one stone."
Cai Zhao: =_= "...Brother, you should hurry into seclusion. Safe travels, no need to see you off."
After locking the troublemaker inside with three heavy locks, Cai Zhao reluctantly went to find Qi Yunke. Coincidentally, Song Yuzhi was also there, standing aloof and cold, looking everywhere—at the sky, the ground, his master—anywhere but at her.
Cai Zhao first conveyed Chang Ning's apology (Chang Ning: I never apologized), then suggested that if Jade Exquisite Abode was severely damaged, Qi Lingbo could temporarily move to Camellia Longevity Abode.
Qi Yunke shook his head, politely declining. "Jade Exquisite Abode is built with gold and jade—it's not so easily burned. Besides, it wouldn't hurt for Lingbo to learn a lesson."
As they left the main residence, Song Yuzhi walked silently ahead of Cai Zhao. At the fork in the path, he suddenly turned and gave her a deep, reproachful look.
Cai Zhao: ...Uh, maybe he doesn’t want to live too close to his fiancée.
Later, she handled the compensation matters, delivering the hefty stack of silver notes to Zeng Dalou. Just as Zeng Dalou was about to speak, Cai Zhao cut in, "Eldest Brother, if you're going to say something like 'Try to reason with Chang Ning, Lingbo is just childish and means no harm,' then save your breath. The last person who said that was beaten so badly even his own mother wouldn’t recognize him."
Zeng Dalou sighed. "Why must he be so unforgiving when he's in the right?"
"And why must Eldest Brother always take Senior Sister Lingbo's side?" Cai Zhao tossed back before strolling away leisurely.
Aside from leaving fifty thousand taels, Chang Ning also "borrowed" four laborers.The four outer sect disciples—Wai Gua, Lie Zao, Jian Zui, and Hou Sai—became remarkably diligent from the second day onward, coming to Qingjing Cottage to work. Tasks like fetching water, chopping firewood, moving heavy items, tidying the lawn, and trimming shrubs—they did it all. Furong only needed to give the word, and they would scurry about like worker ants, obeying every instruction.
Feicui didn’t even need to speak; she remained as serene as—
Cai Zhao initially declined politely, as outer sect disciples were not servants, and the four of them seemed to come from well-off families.
A Gua declared with righteous fervor, "The other senior brothers who wronged Young Master Chang ended up in such a state, while we four only suffered a scare. If we don’t do our part now, it would be an affront to heaven’s justice!"
A Zao added, "Young Master Chang is magnanimous and doesn’t hold our pettiness against us—such is his noble and benevolent nature. But we four mustn’t take his kindness for granted!"
A Zui chimed in, "Young Master Chang and Senior Sister Cai are dragons and phoenixes among men, peerless heroes favored by heaven! For us juniors to run errands and handle chores for the two of you is a blessing earned over lifetimes!"
A Sai muttered, "...Actually, back at the cliff that day, we promised that if Young Master Chang spared our wretched lives, we’d serve him like oxen and horses."
—The trio of Gua, Zao, and Zui shot A Sai reproachful looks.
"..." Cai Zhao sighed. "As long as everyone’s happy."
The next three days were the most peaceful and leisurely Cai Zhao had experienced since arriving at Myriad Waters, Thousand Mountains Cliff.
No one came to harm Chang Ning, and Chang Ning didn’t stir up trouble. Aside from training and preparing for battles, Cai Zhao spent her free time sipping soothing lotus seed soup and watching the quartet of Gua, Zao, Zui, and Sai fawn over Furong and Feicui. She finally enjoyed a taste of cultured, unhurried living.
Alas, it lasted only three days.
On the fourth morning, Cai Zhao noticed Gua and Zao avoiding her gaze, acting suspiciously, while A Zui repeatedly opened and closed his mouth, playing the refined game of hesitant speech. Uninterested in their antics, Cai Zhao went straight to A Sai. "Spit it out. If you’re hiding something for no reason, I’ll have Chang Ning skin you alive tomorrow."
A Sai immediately spilled everything like an overturned basket. "Senior Sister Cai, the sect is buzzing with rumors about you!"
"Rumors? About me?" Cai Zhao suddenly felt like a scene from a long-unread storybook had come to life.
In such tales, there was always a kind and delicate young lady. Her background was pitiable, and she had a wicked cousin who constantly schemed against her. Among the many methods of torment, the most popular was spreading vile rumors to tarnish her reputation, leaving her too ashamed to show her face—often culminating in her throwing herself to her death.
Of course, Cai Zhao would never throw herself to her death. Even if Nine Conch Mountain were flattened, she wouldn’t dream of such a thing.
The rumor was straightforward: After coming to the mountain to study, Xiao Cai Guniang met Chang Ning, the orphaned descendant of the Wu’an Chang Clan. In just a few days, her pity for him turned to affection, then love, and finally—adulterous passion! Though Xiao Cai Guniang was already betrothed to the Zhou family by her elders, the two couldn’t control their burning desire, sneaking off daily in Qingjing Cottage to indulge in intimacy.
—Vividly detailed, as if the gossiper had been hiding under Cai Zhao’s bed.
Cai Zhao was stunned—not furious, just stunned. She couldn’t grasp the logic behind spreading such a rumor. "What’s the point of this? Do they want Master to convict me of being fickle and promiscuous, then drown me in a pig cage?!"She pondered for a moment but then realized something was off. "But none of the Big Dipper Six Sects have such a crime listed." The Song family of Vast Heaven Gate even had a beautiful and spirited senior who married five or six times in her life, with each new husband met while still wed to the previous one.
Furong offered a new perspective: "I don’t think the person behind this wants to accuse you of a crime. They just want the rumors to spread far and wide, ruining your good engagement with the Zhou family."
Cai Zhao found it hard to believe: "A mere rumor could ruin my engagement?"
Feicui added: "Even if it doesn’t ruin the engagement, making you uncomfortable would be worth it."
Cai Zhao thought about it and agreed. Even if the Zhou family firmly believed in her innocence, the Min family’s women—young and old—would surely take delight in making insinuations and veiled insults every day.
"So, who exactly is spreading these rumors?" she muttered to herself.
The four maids—Gua, Zao, Zui, and Sai—exchanged furtive glances, while Furong and Feicui wore expressions that said, "Isn’t it obvious?"
Cai Zhao was so angry she laughed. Stamping her foot, she turned and stormed off to confront Qi Lingbo.
The Jade Exquisite Abode was undergoing renovations.
Cai Zhao arrived with an imposing air. The guards and servants, still shaken from Chang Ning’s intimidation days earlier, dared not stop her. She barged straight in and easily found Qi Lingbo, who was trying on new clothes and jewelry.
Without mincing words, Cai Zhao demanded to know if Qi Lingbo was behind the rumors.
Qi Lingbo, preening before the mirror in her delicate new attire, couldn’t hide her smugness. "Oh, junior sister, you mean those rumors? I’ve heard them too. What, you think I spread them? Oh dear, what a terrible accusation! Ever since Senior Brother Chang ‘taught me a lesson’ the other day, I’ve been dutifully staying in my room, reading, writing, and cultivating my character. How could you slander me like this out of nowhere?"
"Why would such rumors exist? Oh, that’s something you should ask yourself. Ever since you came up the mountain, you’ve been inseparable from Senior Brother Chang. You even refused to stay in the Camellia Longevity Abode that Father specially prepared for you, insisting on living with Senior Brother Chang instead. What do you expect people to think? I just wonder how the Zhou family will react when they hear about this—will they doubt your virtue?"
Cai Zhao grabbed Qi Lingbo’s arm, twisted it behind her back, and said coldly, "You won’t admit it until you’re cornered! If I really dig into this, do you think I won’t find out where the rumors started? How about I slap you a few dozen times first, rip that lying mouth of yours apart, and then drag you to confront the person spreading these rumors?"
Qi Lingbo, now desperate, flung her new clothes to the ground. "Go ahead, kill me if you dare! I won’t admit to any wrongdoing, even if someone points the finger at me. It’ll just be you forcing a false confession!" With no allies to back her up and no way to win the argument, she had no choice but to resort to this last-ditch tactic.
Cai Zhao released her and let out a slow, cold laugh. "Fine, very well! Senior sister, you’ve got guts. I underestimated you before. Since you want to play, I’ll gladly keep you company!" Without another word, she turned and strode out decisively.
Qi Lingbo rubbed her sore arm, unsettled and uneasy.
...
On the vast training grounds, dozens of inner disciples were practicing martial arts under the watchful eye of Song Yuzhi, who stood to the side offering guidance.
Suddenly, a graceful figure approached. The disciples looked up to see a young woman in a pale pink gown embroidered with gold, carrying a wicker food basket. With her slender waist, almond eyes, and peach-blossom cheeks, she moved with effortless elegance.
Who else could this beauty be but Cai Zhao?The disciples were all stunned.
Under the morning sun in the mountains, the young girl gently raised her hand to adjust her emerald-green hair, adorned with a golden sparrow hairpin. As the glass beads on the hairpin trembled slightly, the hearts of the dumbstruck young men seemed to quiver along with it.
Cai Zhao slowly walked up to Song Yuzhi, her laughter tinkling like silver bells. "Third Senior Brother, you've worked hard. Zhao Zhao has just entered the sect and only now realizes how much you toil every day. Since you shoulder so much responsibility for our master, it would be ungrateful of me to do nothing at all."
She took out a bowl of soup from the food basket. "Senior Brother, here, have some sweet lotus seed soup to rest a while."
—The disciples craned their necks, their shock mingled with excitement, their excitement tinged with anticipation, and their anticipation laced with gossip.
There was no helping it—life in the sect was just too dull.
Song Yuzhi stood tall and straight, as handsome and composed as ever.
The girl before him smiled like a blooming flower, her attentiveness enough to stir any man's heart. After a moment of silence, he asked, "What do you want?"
Cai Zhao maintained her sweet smile. "You must have heard the rumors about me these past few days?"
"...I have."
"The one spreading them was Qi Lingbo."
"I know."
"..." Cai Zhao's smile didn't waver, though she gritted her teeth. "She's your fiancée!"
"And what of it?" Song Yuzhi spoke as if it had nothing to do with him.
The girl's eyes turned fierce. "Qi Lingbo ruined my reputation and now she wants to ruin my marriage prospects. Do you think I'll just take that lying down? If I don't retaliate, I'll write my surname Cai backward! If she makes me suffer, I'll make sure she suffers too!"
"What does that have to do with me?" Song Yuzhi glanced at her, his expression indifferent.
Cai Zhao dropped the act, her voice laced with resentment. "Don't think you can stay out of this, Senior Brother! Let me make this clear—whether you like it or not, I'm sticking to you like glue. Since your future wife started this, you’ll just have to bear the consequences!"
The corner of Song Yuzhi's mouth twitched almost imperceptibly before he replied coolly, "What if I don’t want you sticking to me?"
Cai Zhao let out a light laugh—had she read hundreds of romantic novels for nothing?
Her smile was bright and charming. "It seems Senior Brother lacks experience. A woman has plenty of ways to latch onto a man."
Then, lowering her voice, she added, "If you drink this bowl of soup nicely, I’ll just be a silly, starry-eyed junior sister who admires you, bringing you meals three times a day. But if you refuse, I’ll become a heartbroken maiden abandoned by you—pitiful and tragic!"
Song Yuzhi arched an eyebrow. "We’ve only known each other for ten days. When did I ever abandon you?"
"Once I start weeping outside your window every night, everyone will believe it." Cai Zhao spun the lie without a shred of guilt.
Song Yuzhi had been standing some distance away from the other disciples, and their conversation had been hushed the entire time, so no one could make out what they were saying. All they saw was the tall, handsome senior brother and the delicate, lovely junior sister standing close, whispering intimately.
"What’s happening here? Am I dreaming?"
"Not a dream—I already pinched myself. It hurts."
"Senior Brother Song never exchanges more than half a sentence with young women! He barely even acknowledges Senior Sister Qi!"
"Ha, you just don’t get it. Senior Brother Song is icy because the right person hasn’t come along. When she does, he’ll have plenty to say! We’re all men here—we know how it works."
"Honestly, I wanted to say this during the initiation banquet—Junior Sister Cai is really quite beautiful.""Do we have to wait until the apprenticeship banquet? I saw it during the ceremony that day. Damn that pockmarked fellow who kept following her around!"
"But haven't there been rumors recently about Junior Sister Cai and Young Master Chang being... you know..."
"Stop talking nonsense! Only fools would believe such baseless rumors! How could that Chang guy compare to our Senior Brother Song? Forget about family background and martial arts skills—just look at their faces. If you were a girl, who would you choose?!"
"Even if I were a guy, I'd still pick Senior Brother Song, hahaha!"
"But isn't Senior Brother Song already engaged to Senior Sister Qi? And Junior Sister Cai is also with the Zhou family..."
"Have you never read romance novels? A fleeting glance, mutual affection, like golden wind meeting dewy jade—as if they knew each other in a past life. Alas, both are bound by prior engagements, opposed by their elders, and in the end, they elope into the Martial World together. Sigh..."
"You've read too many novels! Why make it so complicated? Since we're all part of the Big Dipper Six Sects, can't they just swap their engagements?"
"Can engagements be swapped so casually?"
"You swapped my underpants just yesterday..."
Unbeknownst to Cai Zhao, she didn’t even need to stage a scene—these passionate youths had already spun a tale of star-crossed love spanning three lifetimes between her and Song Yuzhi. A little longer, and they’d probably be debating how many children the couple would have.
Seeing Song Yuzhi remain silent, she was about to launch into a tearful performance when he suddenly reached out and took the soup bowl. "Why did you suddenly stop moving back to Camellia Longevity Abode a few days ago?"
Cai Zhao blinked. "Haven’t you heard? Chang Ning’s been acting crazy lately. I need to keep an eye on him. But he’s almost recovered now. Once Master takes him down the mountain to seek revenge on the Chang family, I can move back."
Song Yuzhi suddenly smiled—bright and striking, like sunlight over a mountain peak.
—The inner disciples, who had never seen Song Yuzhi smile like this in what felt like eight lifetimes, silently screamed in excitement.
He raised the bowl and drank the soup in a few gulps, then handed it back to her. "I don’t like sweets. Bring a different soup next time." With that, he turned briskly and walked toward the training platform.
Overjoyed, Cai Zhao knew this meant Song Yuzhi had agreed to play along. Waving her little handkerchief behind him, she beamed even sweeter than the lotus seed soup. "Don’t overwork yourself, Senior Brother! I’ll come again this afternoon!"
Aaaaaaaaaaah—!
The disciples screamed internally. Was their dull and monotonous training life finally about to be spiced up with a juicy drama?!
OpenNovel