Song Yuzhi was a tall and handsome young man, while Cai Zhao was delicate and slender, not yet fully grown. The former had one hand pressed to his chest and the other resting on the latter, creating a picturesque scene akin to a towering cliff leaning against a slender willow. Although Wu Gang had just died and his senior brother was injured, this didn’t stop the disciples from exchanging meaningful glances, silently gossiping about the recent scandal that had been the talk of the sect.
Chang Ning: "...I also despise the so-called righteous sects."
He walked over to Cai Zhao and lowered his voice: "If you keep holding him like this, you might as well change your engagement."
Cai Zhao shuddered and quickly handed Song Yuzhi over to two nearby disciples, declaring righteously that she needed to check on her master’s injuries—how severe they were, how much blood he’d lost, and whether he needed a bowl of angelica and red date black chicken soup to replenish his blood.
Song Yuzhi, of course, heard Chang Ning’s "slander" and couldn’t hold back: "Brother Chang, are you really that pleased?"
"With all the Demonic Bandits wiped out, of course I’m pleased." Chang Ning thought Song Yuzhi was truly dense to ask such a foolish question at a time like this.
"And are you also pleased that Zhao Zhao is so fixated on Young Master Zhou?" Song Yuzhi felt Chang Ning was the one with a clever face but a foolish mind. As men, they both knew his feelings for Cai Zhao—but didn’t he realize the biggest obstacle wasn’t the Song family, but the Zhou family?
Chang Ning’s smile vanished instantly.
After the battle, the casualties were tallied: 32 inner disciples and 25 servants dead, along with 8 outer disciples and 16 servants. Most had been intercepted and slaughtered by the Demonic Bandits while fleeing, making the losses undeniably severe. On the other hand, those who had stayed put in their quarters had likely avoided harm altogether, hence—
Lei Xiuming and Fan Xingjia from the medicine hall waited in terror all afternoon, from lunchtime until sunset, their stomachs growling with hunger, yet not a single Demonic accomplice appeared.
Li Wenxun and the other outer sect disciples went from initial relief at Ding Zhuo’s arrival to coldly dismissing him with, "Nephew, you’ve worked hard. Safe travels—when’s dinner?" in just two hours.
As for Yin Sulian and her daughter, who hid in the Hot Springs Pass, their only loss was dirtying their newly made gold-sprinkled skirts in their frantic escape. Well, aside from the tragic death of Miss Qi’s maidservant.
In summary, of the 35 Demonic Bandits who attacked, Chang and Cai alone killed ten. At least 70% of them were experts, their cultivation levels somewhere between the sect leaders and their strongest disciples. After scaling the cliffs, they split into groups to wreak havoc, killing indiscriminately and spreading panic throughout the sect, leaving the disciples too afraid to act, barricading themselves indoors.
The true target of the Demonic Bandits’ assault was the Dusk Micro Palace.
Inside Hanging Sky Dock.
Qi Yunke’s family and his closest disciples gathered in Song Yuzhi’s room, along with the ever-present Chang Ning.
As the first target of the Wu brothers’ assassination attempt, the poison on Wu Xiong’s dagger was exceptionally lethal—enough to kill with a single drop of blood.
Fortunately, Cai Zhao’s warning came in time. The poisoned blade only grazed Qi Yunke’s arm, and Chang Ning swiftly sealed the surrounding acupoints. Qi Yunke then used his Inner Force to expel most of the toxin. With proper rest, the remaining traces would gradually dissipate.
Song Yuzhi’s injury, however, was more complicated.
Lei Xiuming had Song Yuzhi lie on the bed while he repeatedly examined the flow of energy within his body. He shook his head incessantly, sighing heavily, milking the tension for all it was worth.
Fan Xingjia urged, "Uncle Lei, say something! Stop shaking your head like that."Lei Xiuming lowered his hand and sighed, "Yuzhi was struck by the Demon's Netherfrost, damaging his Core Essence. Even if he recovers, his cultivation will be diminished."
"Netherfrost?" Qi Yunke exclaimed in shock. "Wu Gang actually practiced that?!"
Netherfrost was a Demonic Art, utterly frigid and specifically designed to harm internal energy. Its principle was to inflict a thousand wounds on the enemy while suffering eight hundred oneself.
Those struck would have their Core Essence shattered and cold poison seep into their meridians, leading to complete loss of cultivation. Meanwhile, practitioners of this art would also suffer from the corrosive effects of yin poison in their organs, inevitably dying within a few years. Even among Demons, few dared to practice such a sinister technique.
"Wu Gang was determined to throw his life away," Cai Zhao murmured to herself.
Song Yuzhi attempted to circulate his qi, only to find his meridians utterly empty, unable to gather even a wisp of energy. His Core Essence was like a leaky teacup—no matter how much water was poured in, it would all drain away.
"Does that mean Third Brother will lose all his martial prowess?" Dai Fengchi blurted out.
His words earned a glare from Lei Xiuming. "Didn't you hear what I just said? It's diminished, not completely lost!"
Dai Fengchi shrank back.
Lei Xiuming continued, "Fortunately, Yuzhi managed to defend himself when struck, and Zhao Zhao's flying dagger happened to hit Wu Gang, causing his palm strike to falter momentarily—so Yuzhi won't lose all his cultivation."
Yin Sulian quickly asked, "After Yuzhi recovers, how much of his cultivation will remain?"
"That's hard to say," Lei Xiuming said gravely. "At least twenty to thirty percent, perhaps as much as forty to fifty."
The expressions in the room varied—regret, sorrow, disappointment, anxiety, and even concealed delight—all these gazes swept over Song Yuzhi one by one.
Having been a prodigy since childhood, he had never been subjected to such looks before. A dark, stifling frustration welled up in his heart.
"Lei Shibo, is there really no way for Third Brother to recover?" Qi Lingbo twisted her handkerchief anxiously.
Lei Xiuming shook his head again. "If supplemented with rare medicines and assisted by a master of the sect leader's caliber to help Yuzhi restore his meridians, he might recover sixty to seventy percent of his cultivation."
A heavy silence filled the room.
"Wait," Yin Sulian suddenly spoke up. "I remember Brother-in-law had a cousin named Song Shiye who was also struck by Netherfrost years ago, and he eventually recovered. Isn't that right, Yun Ke? Do you recall?"
Song Yuzhi's eyes brightened instantly.
Qi Yunke thought for a moment. "Yes, that did happen. However..." He glanced around the room. "However, shortly after recovering, he succumbed to qi deviation."
Song Yuzhi raised his voice. "Did Uncle succumb to qi deviation because of the recovery process, or because he was careless in his training afterward?"
Qi Yunke looked troubled. "Your father never went into detail about it back then, so I'm not sure."
"That settles it," Lei Xiuming clapped his hands. "We'll have Yuzhi's father come to the sect, and everything will be made clear."
The matter was temporarily concluded in a seemingly relaxed atmosphere. Everyone took turns offering a few words of comfort to Song Yuzhi before departing.
Yin Sulian was visibly unsettled, while Qi Lingbo wept pitifully, insisting on staying to care for Song Yuzhi during his recovery. With a meaningful glance from Yin Sulian, Dai Fengchi coaxed and persuaded Qi Lingbo to leave.
Qi Yunke, weighed down by his thoughts, placed a hand on Song Yuzhi's shoulder and sighed for a long while before finally being helped away by Fan Xingjia—Song Yuzhi had joined the sect at seven and was Qi Yunke's most meticulously guided disciple. If Song Yuzhi couldn't recover, years of effort would be wasted.
Though they had only known each other for a little over ten days, Cai Zhao couldn't help but feel sympathy for Song Yuzhi.Only Chang Ning remained composed. As he stepped out of Hanging Sky Dock's main gate, he leisurely remarked, "The Azure Tower Sect is about to face turbulent times."
"Shut your mouth! Save your nonsense for later!" Cai Zhao hissed under her breath. Knowing Chang Ning's sharp tongue never bore good words, she quickly grabbed his sleeve and dragged him straight toward Quietude Cottage.
Once inside with the door securely closed and certain no one was around, she turned to him. "Do you think you're the only one who noticed today's trouble? Everyone saw it! The difference is they have the decency to keep their thoughts to themselves! Unlike you—like a beggar who can't save food overnight, you have to blurt out everything immediately!"
Chang Ning elegantly flicked his sleeves and sat calmly at the table. "Since even Young Lady Knight Cai has noticed, I'd love to hear your thoughts in detail."
Cai Zhao also took a seat. "If Third Senior Brother can't recover, the sect leader position will change hands. Ah, what a pity for Third Senior Brother—upright character, profound cultivation, how could such misfortune befall him?"
Chang Ning's elegant demeanor vanished as his face darkened. "Song Yuzhi is indeed unlucky. Not only might he lose the sect leader position, but his fiancée might slip away too. What, are you planning to fill the 'Song Clan's Cai' position yourself?"
"If you're not going to speak properly, I'm leaving." Cai Zhao's expression turned stormy.
Chang Ning flared up. "I haven't even settled accounts with you for delivering soup to Song Yuzhi these past two days, and now you're the one getting angry with me!"
Cai Zhao stood to leave, but Chang Ning grabbed her arm. "Don't go. I haven't finished speaking."
"If I listen to you any longer, I'll die of anger first! Let go!" Cai Zhao struggled to free her sleeve.
As they wrestled, the fabric of her sleeve couldn't withstand the tugging—with a loud rip, it tore apart at the elbow.
Cai Zhao was furious. "Fine way to repay kindness, Chang! Not even a month since your recovery, and you're already turning on your benefactor!" She lunged forward with a palm strike, channeling inner force, determined to bruise his face.
Chang Ning spun away, but Cai Zhao leaped up and kicked out. He blocked her shin with his palm, laughing. "Can't win with words, so you resort to violence!"
Cai Zhao slapped the table, sending the teapot flying upward. With a sweeping palm strike, she launched it like an arrow toward Chang Ning.
Chang Ning deflected it as usual, but the teapot was full—while his palm force scattered the broken shards, hot tea splashed across half his face.
Now it was Cai Zhao's turn to laugh heartily.
Chang Ning, face dark, pounced on her, and the two engaged in close combat.
After exchanging over a dozen moves, Chang Ning staggered back several steps when Cai Zhao's reverse elbow struck his chest heavily. "I'm holding back out of courtesy—don't mistake it for weakness!" he snapped.
Cai Zhao gritted her teeth. "Courtesy my ancestors!"
Chang Ning was half-dead with frustration. The girl was skilled, and he couldn't use lethal moves, leaving him vulnerable to her occasional hits.
As their flashy but fierce scuffle reached its peak, the door suddenly swung open with a whoosh. Both froze and looked—Ding Zhuo stood coldly at the entrance, holding a medicine tray.
"Lei Shibo sent me with wound medicine," he stated flatly.
Remembering her broken appointment, Cai Zhao hurried forward to take the tray, forcing an awkward laugh. "Ah, Fourth Senior Brother! Please come in, have a seat, some tea... uh..."
Noticing the shattered teapot fragments on the floor, she gave an embarrassed smile. "I'll have another pot brought in immediately."
"I never drink tea," Ding Zhuo replied, his expression and voice icy. "Martial artists shouldn't indulge in worldly comforts. Plain water suffices. With your talents, Junior Sister, you'd do well to curb your cravings. Your future could be limitless if you focus."Cai Zhao: ...If she could give up delicious food, she would have already attained enlightenment on the spot.
Chang Ning wanted to laugh.
Cai Zhao knew Ding Zhuo was in a bad mood and tried to make amends: "Today's major events are over. If Fourth Senior Brother still wants to spar, I’ll gladly accompany you!"
Ding Zhuo rolled his eyes: "Were you injured today?"
"Injured? No, I wasn’t." Cai Zhao chuckled. "Today was lucky—I didn’t even get a scratch..."
"—But I was injured." Ding Zhuo snorted coldly.
Cai Zhao’s laughter died abruptly.
Chang Ning struggled to hold back his amusement.
Only then did Cai Zhao notice the bandages wrapped around Ding Zhuo’s left arm and neck. She awkwardly said, "I thought the outer sect was unharmed."
Ding Zhuo: "The outer sect was indeed fine, but on the way there, I ran into two Demonic Bandits. I was careless and suffered some minor injuries."
"That’s good, that’s good." Cai Zhao sighed in relief. "It won’t interfere with our sparring."
"How could it not interfere?!" Ding Zhuo furrowed his sword-like brows into a scowl, indignant. "A proper duel between masters must be free of all distractions. Fighting while injured is a grave insult to martial practitioners!"
"It... it can’t be that serious, can it?" Cai Zhao was dumbfounded.
"If I fight injured, winning would make people say you went easy on me, and losing would make them say your victory was unfair—how could that be called a proper duel?!"
Cai Zhao’s head spun. "Then... what does Senior Brother propose?"
"Wait until I recover." Ding Zhuo said. "At most six or seven days. Then I’ll send you a formal challenge." This time, he had learned his lesson.
Cai Zhao agreed repeatedly.
Before leaving, Ding Zhuo glanced back at the mess strewn across the room. "In these six or seven days, I hope Junior Sister takes care of herself and restrains her temper—unless you look down on me."
Ding Zhuo left.
Chang Ning could no longer hold back and burst into laughter.
Cai Zhao: ...
Hearing the commotion, Furong came in with a fresh pot of tea. As she left, she swept a glance over the disarray in the room, her eyes filled with unmistakable reproach.
The door closed again.
Cai Zhao sat down in frustration. "These past two days have been unlucky. Everyone’s blaming me."
Now that Chang Ning’s mood had improved, he was in a kinder disposition. He personally poured Cai Zhao a cup of tea and said with a smile, "Don’t be upset, Zhao Zhao. Everyone just sees you as an adult now. Since you’re no longer a child, you should be more magnanimous."
Cai Zhao scratched her small ear. "I was wrong to strike first earlier."
Chang Ning beamed like a proud father. "Our Zhao Zhao is truly magnanimous."
After the chaos, the two finally had time to talk properly.
"Don’t you think today’s events were full of oddities?" Chang Ning walked over slowly, holding a tall crystal candlestick. His wide sleeves flowed gracefully, casting the elegant silhouette of a refined young master against the wall.
"W-what oddities?" Cai Zhao was momentarily distracted by the shadow.
"The Demons attacked the Azure Tower Sect today—but for what purpose?" Chang Ning set the candlestick on the table, his brow slightly furrowed. "Could it really just be to avenge the Wu brothers? Since when have Demons become such great benefactors?"
Cai Zhao snapped back to attention. "Ah, why? Of course, it was to kill my master. The Wu brothers also wanted to kill him, so it was a perfect match."
Chang Ning shook his head slightly. "Then why did the Demons want to kill Song Yuzhi?"
"Maybe that was just the Wu brothers’ own idea. The Demons might not have known.""Wu Gang was able to learn the Nether Frost technique—the Demons must have put considerable effort into him. This entire affair was meticulously planned. Although Song Yuzhi is exceptionally skilled, he hasn't yet reached the level of a true master. Was it really worth investing so much effort into targeting him? With that kind of effort, they might as well have assassinated the leaders of the Big Dipper Six Sects—the results would have been far more impactful."
Cai Zhao rubbed her temples in frustration. "All you're saying is that the Demons had no real reason to kill Third Senior Brother. What's the big deal?"
"Zhao Zhao, you need to start thinking more critically." Chang Ning sat down at the table. "The most puzzling aspect of this incident is how meticulously and brilliantly the Demons executed their plan, yet their intentions seem crude and simplistic."
"It's like going to great lengths, spending a fortune, even sacrificing several lives, just to buy a piece of silk for a dress. Sure, the fabric is exquisite, but in the end, it's just a dress. Was it really worth it?"
"From Luo Yuanrong causing trouble during the ceremony, to the Wu brothers getting injured and staying behind, to the Demons infiltrating the cliff from within and without, and then splitting their forces to create a diversion—every detail had to be calculated perfectly. Especially today—the timing couldn't be off by even a second, or they wouldn't have had enough people to cause such a commotion on the cliff."
"All this elaborate effort, just to assassinate Sect Leader Qi? Then why didn't they strike when Sect Leader Qi was in the mountains a few days ago? It would have been much easier then. Instead, the Demons chose to forcibly storm the Myriad Waters, Thousand Mountains Cliff, break into the Dusk Micro Palace, engage in a direct confrontation, and then arrange for an assassination attempt? Isn't that adding legs to a snake?"
"Thirty-five elite fighters—that's no small investment. With the same level of scheming and manpower, they could have assassinated any of the leaders of the Big Dipper Six Sects."
Cai Zhao lifted her face, closing her eyes as she recalled the day's events—Wu Xiong drawing a dagger behind Qi Yunke, Wu Xiong pressing close to Song Yuzhi to strike, the four gray-clad assassins hiding behind the pavilion to ambush passersby...
"You're right," she said, opening her eyes. "The whole thing was carefully planned. Whether it was the assassination attempt on Master or Third Senior Brother, it wasn't the Wu brothers acting on their own. The groundwork was laid in advance."
Chang Ning asked, "What are you thinking?"
"What Wu Gang shouted before he died today made me realize that Yin Dai might have offended more than just one or two people," Cai Zhao said. "Could it be that someone among the Demons also harbored a grudge against Old Sect Leader Yin and planned this as revenge?"
Chang Ning nodded. "That's possible. But why wouldn't this person also kill Madam Sulian and her daughter? They're also Yin Dai's bloodline."
"Because this person knows Madam Sulian and her daughter are utterly powerless. Without Master and Third Senior Brother to back them up, they’d be at the mercy of others."
Chang Ning frowned. "Hard to say. The Yin family privately employs quite a few skilled guards, not to mention their influence outside the sect. But there’s some truth to that—eliminating the strong and leaving the Yin mother and daughter to suffer slowly does sound like the Demons' style."
"Honestly, all this speculation is just that—speculation. Who can really know the truth?" Cai Zhao's throat was dry, and she poured herself a full cup of tea. "As the stories say, in situations like this, just look at who benefits the most, and that’s the mastermind behind it all!"
Chang Ning laughed. "Then the mastermind must be you, Zhao Zhao."
Cai Zhao nearly spat out her tea, coughing violently. "Y-you—don’t talk nonsense! How could it possibly be me?!"Chang Ning walked around the table and gently patted the girl's back. "If Song Yuzhi doesn't recover, Sect Leader Qi will naturally have to choose another successor. Who do you think will take the position? It'll undoubtedly be Dai Fengchi."
"Are you blind?" Cai Zhao wiped her face with the back of her hand. "The sect leader position goes to the most capable. Though Senior Brother Ding ranks fourth, his martial arts surpass Second Brother's. Of course it should be his turn."
"You don't understand." Chang Ning smiled. "I know you've always looked down on Dai Fengchi, thinking he slacks off training to follow Qi Lingbo around all day—but he wasn't always like this. Song Yuzhi's talent is extraordinary, one day of his practice equals ten days for others. Though Dai Fengchi entered the sect earlier and is older, within just a few years Song Yuzhi left him far behind. That extinguished Dai Fengchi's drive to train diligently."
"But Ding Zhuo is different. His innate talent is only slightly better than Dai Fengchi's—his current skills come entirely from relentless training. When facing Song Yuzhi, Dai Fengchi could accept defeat gracefully. But against Ding Zhuo? How could he possibly concede willingly?"
"Add to that Madam Sulian and the Yin family's full support for Dai Fengchi, and it's truly hard to say who will ultimately inherit the sect leadership."
Cai Zhao listened intently. "...Heavens, I always thought the disciple with the highest martial arts would become sect leader."
Chang Ning shook his head meaningfully. "Do you think Sect Leader Qi easily became the successor back then? If he'd only barely surpassed Qiu Renjie, would Yin Dai have abandoned the disciple he personally raised? Only when it became clear that all seven of his disciples combined were no match for Sect Leader Qi did Yin Dai give up—and incidentally arranged a new fiancé for his daughter."
After a long silence, Cai Zhao asked, "What does this have to do with me?"
"If Ding Zhuo inherits the position, you'd presumably have no objections. But what if it's Dai Fengchi?" Chang Ning raised an eyebrow.
Cai Zhao slammed the table, gritting her teeth. "Then I might as well take it myself! I admit I've slacked off since Auntie passed, but if I grit my teeth and push harder, pinning Second Brother to the ground like kneading dough would be no problem at all. Better that than having him sit on the sect throne making trouble for other factions!"
Chang Ning chuckled. "See? Ultimately the sect leadership would fall to you."
Only then did Cai Zhao realize his implication and sighed helplessly. "But I didn't assassinate Third Brother, nor conspire with Demons."
"Nonsense, of course I know that," Chang Ning scoffed.
"Anyway, I just can't figure out why the Demons would go to such lengths to assassinate Sect Leader Qi and Song Yuzhi within our sect. What's their real goal?" She fell into thought.
"You were actually right," Cai Zhao suddenly said after a moment's silence.
Chang Ning was taken aback. "What do you mean?"
"I mean you were right," Cai Zhao repeated. "I haven't properly apologized to you yet."
Chang Ning looked mildly surprised.
"About today's events—Third Brother misjudged the situation. When he heard the horn, he assumed the Demons were launching a full-scale attack on Myriad Waters, Thousand Mountains Cliff, which is easily defensible. So he deployed our forces in the most conservative defensive formation possible."
Cai Zhao paused. "But who could have predicted the Demonic Bandits would charge Dusk Micro Palace regardless of casualties? Third Brother's arrangement ended up scattering our forces, giving the Wu brothers their opening. And me—I was being clever too. If I'd stubbornly followed Third Brother to Dusk Micro Palace, I might have fallen to the Wu brothers' ambush too.""Rather, it's you, Brother Chang." She looked at the tall young man behind the dim lamplight, his features blurred by the glow, leaving her only with an impression of calm confidence and strength.
"You sensed something was wrong from the start and insisted on investigating the mystery of the external invasion before making any arrangements—just as you said, some people will always die, but the hidden danger must be eliminated as soon as possible."
Chang Ning said softly, "Zhao Zhao, are you blaming me for disregarding lives?"
Cai Zhao shook her head. "Auntie once said that under heaven, those who can accomplish great things are often ruthless—Brother Chang is probably such a person."
Though the girl spoke these words, there was not a trace of frustration or regret on her face. Instead, there was a sense of clarity and acceptance after understanding the situation.
—So what if she was soft-hearted? So what if she couldn’t accomplish great things? That was just who she was.
Chang Ning slowly pressed a hand to her chest, feeling that unfamiliar warmth and softness once again.
Just then, the aroma of food wafted in from outside.
Cai Zhao’s eyes widened, as if she had suddenly come to life.
Chang Ning particularly loved seeing her so delighted and couldn’t help but smile. "Thank heavens the Demonic Bandits didn’t wreck the kitchen. At least we can have dinner now."
Cai Zhao laughed. "No matter what inscrutable schemes the Demons have, let’s eat first. It’s not like we’re the only unlucky ones. When the Demons go berserk, they won’t stop after just one strike. We’ll figure out their intentions soon enough."
Perhaps from spending too much time with Chang Ning, Cai Zhao had also developed a knack for jinxing things.
Early the next morning, before Cai Zhao could even rub the sleep from her eyes, Fan Xingjia rushed over with urgent bad news.
—Every sect that had left after the ceremony had been ambushed in a Demonic Assault!
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