In the following days, Cai Zhao was especially well-behaved. Every day, aside from hiding in the Quiet Study waiting for Cai Pingchun to return, she would stare at the pigeon cage.
Indeed, the carrier pigeons gifted to her by Juexing Zen Master for sending complaint letters could finally be put to use.
Upon hearing about the attacks on various sects that day, Cai Zhao skipped her meal and immediately picked up a brush to write letters. Chang Ning stood beside her, grinding ink and cutting paper, occasionally stealing glances at the contents of the letters, earning him a glare from the girl.
The first letter was naturally addressed to Jade Pendant Mountain Manor.
She first inquired about the well-being of Zhou Zhizhen, Zhou Zhixian, and the others—whether their injuries were serious and if they lacked any medicine. Fallen Blossom Valley might not have much else, but it certainly had an abundance of wound medicine. She even attached two tubes of wound medicine to the pigeon’s leg. If not for fear of weighing down the plump little bird, she would have gladly sent the entire medicine chest Ning Xiaofeng had left her.
Chang Ning: "Is it because you admire Master Zhou and Zhou female knight that you’ve taken a liking to Zhou Yuqi? Or is it because you’re preoccupied with Zhou Yuqi that you’re so attentive to Master Zhou and Zhou female knight?"
Cai Zhao: "...I could splash this freshly ground ink on your face."
The second letter was sent to Evergreen Temple.
She first inquired after Venerable Fakong’s well-being—how his burns were healing. Old skin and flesh took longer to recover, so she included two tubes of Fallen Blossom Valley’s renowned burn ointment, said to restore even boiled shrimp to their original state. She also asked whether the thick smoke Venerable Fakong had inhaled had been fully cleared from his lungs and copied out a recipe for a detoxifying lung-nourishing soup. If his lung injury wasn’t properly treated, the old monk might end up unable to chant sutras and be left with only striking the wooden fish.
Chang Ning: "Did Fallen Blossom Valley have any prior grievances with Venerable Fakong?"
Cai Zhao: "Not at all. The old monk is quite kind."
Chang Ning: "So Zhao Zhao just wants to comfort Venerable Fakong?"
Cai Zhao: "Of course."
Chang Ning: "...May the Venerable live as long as the southern mountains. Amitabha."
The third letter was initially intended for Ning Xiaofeng, but Cai Zhao crumpled it up as soon as she started writing. After all, not only would the carrier pigeon fail to reach its destination, but even she herself couldn’t find the entrance to the Ning family fortress without mustering all her energy.
Next, she considered writing to Hanging Temple to inquire about Abbess Jingyuan. But the moment she recalled the icy, millennia-old expression on her grandaunt’s face, she couldn’t squeeze out a single word. In the end, she only sent two tubes of wound medicine as a gesture of concern.
After dispatching the letters, Cai Zhao practically wanted to sleep in front of the pigeon cage, waiting both for replies and for Cai Pingchun’s return.
Amid this agonizing wait, Sect Leader Qi Yunke suddenly took a turn for the worse.
Originally, everyone had assumed his injuries were minor—that he only needed to expel the residual poison and rest to recover. But unexpectedly, his condition suddenly relapsed. One morning, Qi Yunke vomited several mouthfuls of black blood and then fell gravely ill, drifting in and out of consciousness.
Cai Zhao visited him three times, but on two of those occasions, she could only see Qi Yunke lying behind the bed curtains, his eyes tightly shut and his face sallow.
Zeng Dalou was constantly rushing about—either managing sect affairs, searching for medicine, or acting on Qi Yunke’s behalf. He barely had time to exchange a few words with Cai Zhao before hurrying off again.
When Qi Yunke finally regained consciousness, all the disciples gathered in his room to see him, including Song Yuzhi, who had to be supported by others.
Lei Xiuming frowned deeply, growing more puzzled the longer he checked the pulse. He muttered, "...Why has the poison suddenly intensified? It’s suppressed for now, but I don’t understand why it relapsed."
In contrast, Qi Yunke remained composed, offering a weak smile. "It was my own carelessness while circulating my energy—I disrupted my breath and failed to expel the residual poison in time. Thanks to Junior Brother Lei’s skill, I’m much better now. I just need more rest."
Lei Xiuming had no choice but to let it go.Husband's injuries were severe. Yin Sulian weighed whether being the sect leader's wife was more prestigious or being the sect leader's mother-in-law was more fulfilling. Finally, she erupted with unprecedented virtue, serving tea and water with utmost gentleness, giving all the disciples goosebumps.
Unfortunately, Qi Yunke was utterly unmoved. With a cold face, he muttered something vague. Yin Sulian, unwilling to tolerate such disrespect, stormed off in anger.
Cai Zhao watched the drama unfold with a smile. As she turned to leave, she noticed Song Yuzhi standing behind a pillar, his expression strangely intense.
A flicker of unease passed through her, but she quickly dismissed it and returned to guard the pigeon coop for news.
In the following days, carrier pigeons returned one after another.
Jade Pendant Mountain Manor had indeed suffered heavy casualties. Few had escaped the Demonic Cult's ambush. Among the Zhou family, none were critically injured, and with time, they would recover fully. However, the grieving mothers and widows of the deceased disciples were pitiable, and Zhou Zhizhen resolved to compensate them.
At Evergreen Temple, most had only superficial wounds, except for Venerable Fakong—after all, he was advanced in years. In terms of seniority and age, he belonged to the same generation as the three elders of Azure Tower Sect. First, his lifelong companion, Venerable Fahai, passed away, then after rushing back, he was suddenly ambushed. The old monk was struggling to cope.
As usual, Hanging Temple sent a lengthy sermon. Cai Zhao couldn’t even be bothered to read it.
Just as she tossed aside Abbess Jingyuan’s admonishing letter, Furong announced—Cai Pingchun had finally returned.
Cai Pingchun arrived in Azure Tower Town late in the evening. Not wanting to stay overnight on Nine Conch Mountain, he checked into the town’s Yue Inn.
Despite its ordinary yet confident name, the inn wasn’t the largest in town but was certainly the most expensive.
Walking along the cobblestone paths of Azure Tower Town, Cai Zhao noticed the streets were still bustling. "The festival’s over, yet there are so many people in town. Are they repeat customers of the shops?"
Chang Ning glanced up. "These people are all hands. I wonder what they’re doing in Azure Tower Town."
Both found it odd, but neither was familiar enough with the town to tell if these were regulars or strangers, or whether their presence was normal or unusual. Unable to figure it out, they shrugged it off.
Entering Yue Inn, the consumptive-looking manager stood expressionless behind the counter. At the sight of Cai Zhao and Chang Ning, he merely lifted an eyelid, pointed at the bamboo plaque for Room No. 1 hanging behind him, and listlessly called for a waiter to show them the way.
Chang Ning chuckled. "Now I’m certain—Zhao Zhao must have some grudge with this manager."
"When we first arrived at Nine Conch Mountain, my family stayed at this inn—this shabby little place had only us as guests. The room rates were exorbitant, and the manager wore a perpetual scowl," Cai Zhao sighed. "So I gave him a little suggestion."
"What suggestion?"
"I said, ‘Manager, why don’t you open a funeral parlor instead?’"
Chang Ning burst out laughing.
...
After half a month apart, Cai Zhao saw her father had grown darker and thinner, and her heart ached. She longed to fire up the stove and brew a nourishing soup for him.
Cai Pingchun also scrutinized his daughter, noticing the girl had grown taller and her demeanor more mature. Smiling, he said, "The Azure Tower Sect’s cooks must be excellent—they’ve fed my Zhao Zhao plump and fair. Indeed, sending you away to be raised was the right choice. In just a few days, you already seem so much more sensible."
Then he turned to Chang Ning.
Though the young man’s face was still covered in toxic sores, his composure was calm, and his eyes gleamed with vitality. Cai Pingchun asked, "Young Master Chang, have you recovered?"
Chang Ning bowed respectfully. "There’s still a trace of lingering poison."
Cai Pingchun frowned slightly but said nothing.
Cai Zhao also frowned.Chang Ning had not uttered a single bizarre remark since entering, carrying himself with an elegant and almost poisonous grace, his demeanor so refined that he seemed more like a noble young master than even Song Yuzhi.
Father and daughter had much to catch up on after their long separation. After some casual conversation, the topic turned to the Azure Tower Sect being breached and the ambushes set by the Demonic Cult against various sects.
Cai Zhao voiced her earlier confusion: "Chang Ning said the Demonic Cult is already much weaker than before, so why are they still so vicious?"
Cai Pingchun replied, "There are so many wicked people in the world—how can we guess every one of their thoughts? There’s no point in overthinking this. Once everyone has recovered, we’ll let our master take the lead, and we’ll wait for Sect Leader Nie Zhe on the Nether Bamboo Path. After so many years of peace, if Sect Leader Nie is interested in stirring up trouble again, the Big Dipper Six Sects will naturally oblige."
His words were simple, but the bloodshed implied behind them was immeasurable.
Cai Zhao couldn’t help but shudder slightly.
Chang Ning was also somewhat surprised. Cai Pingchun appeared gentle, low-key, and reserved—he hadn’t expected him to be so decisive and resolute.
"Uncle Cai," Chang Ning stepped forward, folding his arms into his sleeves in a graceful bow. "Forgive my rudeness—but did Uncle Cai happen to uncover any clues about my family’s case during this trip?"
Cai Pingchun pondered for a moment. "The Chang Family Fortress is now in ruins. I searched every corner and scouted the surrounding mountains—it’s certain that the Demonic Cult was responsible."
Cai Zhao teased, "Dad, Brother Chang already said it was the Demonic Cult. Did you spend half a month just to confirm that?"
Cai Pingchun ruffled his daughter’s head. "Silly girl, what do you know?"
Turning to Chang Ning, he continued, "I initially thought someone might be taking advantage of the chaos, using the Demonic Cult’s name to commit atrocities. But after repeated investigations, whether it was the markings left at the foot of the mountain, the hidden lines carved in the grass, the stakes driven around the ambush site, or even the remnants of battle in the ruins—all bore Lu Chengnan’s signature. Hmph, the Heavenly Dipper Earthly Fiend Camp again."
Cai Zhao’s mind raced. "The surname Lu—could he be one of Nie Hengcheng’s four major disciples: Zhao, Chen, Han, and Lu?"
"Correct," Cai Pingchun said. "He was Nie Hengcheng’s fourth disciple. His misdeeds were rarely visible, so he had little reputation in the Martial World. In truth, this man was a master of both martial and scholarly arts—internal techniques, mechanical traps, formations, astrology, terrain, tracking, poisoning—there was nothing he didn’t excel at. The members of the Heavenly Dipper Earthly Fiend Camp were all trained by him personally."
Cai Zhao felt a chill. "So this man killed Great Hero Chang’s entire family!"
"No, he’s already dead—even earlier than Nie Hengcheng," Cai Pingchun said. "Back when we were young, we tracked down a minor leader of the Heavenly Dipper Earthly Fiend Camp. When we stormed their hideout, we found them in mourning clothes, weeping with snot and tears—they were burning incense and paper offerings in Lu Chengnan’s memory."
"...Even the Demonic Cult has some humanity," Cai Zhao muttered awkwardly.
Cai Pingchun gave his daughter an amused look. "Members of the Demonic Cult are still human—they have emotions and desires too. Lu Chengnan was quite influential among the younger generation of the Demonic Cult back then, but no one could say for certain how he died. Some said he died from qi deviation, others claimed he was treacherously trapped and killed by our Big Dipper Six Sects, and there were even rumors that he was murdered by his two jealous senior brothers..."
"Regardless, with Lu Chengnan’s death, Nie Hengcheng lost a vital arm. If he had still been alive, your aunt wouldn’t have found Nie Hengcheng so easily, nor would she have been able to seize the opportunity to challenge him when he was alone.""He sounds quite formidable," Cai Zhao sighed. "What kind of people are in the Demonic Cult anyway?"
Chang Ning glanced at the girl but said nothing.
"Even today, the Heavenly Dipper Earthly Fiend Camp still trains according to the rules left by Lu Chengnan. I could tell just by examining the remnants of the Chang family fortress," Cai Pingchun remarked. "In recent years, Vast Heaven Gate, Four Stallions Gate, and Chuguan have become increasingly brazen, extending their reach further and expanding their influence. It's understandable that the Demonic Cult would be displeased and seek to teach them a lesson."
"But why did they have to slaughter the entire Chang family? Since Nie Hengcheng's death, Brother Chang had almost completely withdrawn from Martial World affairs." He truly couldn't comprehend it.
Chang Ning remained silent.
Hearing "Vast Heaven Gate," Cai Zhao immediately thought of Song Yuzhi and quickly asked, "Father, my third senior brother—Song Yuzhi, Sect Leader Song's son—was struck by Netherworld Chill and has lost most of his martial prowess. Have you heard of any way to treat such an injury?"
Chang Ning took a deep breath, suppressing the sourness in his chest, and continued to maintain his gentle, refined, and humble demeanor.
Damn it!
"Netherworld Chill? I don't know of a cure," Cai Pingchun paused. "But... it should be treatable."
Cai Zhao's eyes lit up. "How do you know it can be treated, Father?"
"Back then, your aunt had a sworn brother named Shi Tieqiao..."
Chang Ning interjected, "The second of the Shi brothers?"
Cai Pingchun nodded. "Yes, him. He was once afflicted with Netherworld Chill, but later, Zhao Zhao's aunt somehow managed to restore him. I don't know the details."
"So... how exactly was he cured?" Cai Zhao asked, bewildered. "Does anyone know?"
Chang Ning couldn't hide his schadenfreude. "Few practice the Netherworld Chill technique, and even fewer are struck by it. It's no surprise no one knows how to cure it."
To prevent the girl from dwelling on Song Yuzhi's injury, Chang Ning swiftly changed the subject. "If I may be so bold, Uncle Cai, I'd like to ask you something."
"Go ahead."
Chang Ning said, "Before Wu Gang died, he mentioned that Old Sect Leader Yin refused to exchange Kaiyang for Wu Yuanying to force a secret out of him. Do you know what that secret was?"
Cai Zhao was taken aback—she had wondered about this too.
She couldn't help muttering, "I've always been curious about this. Why not just ask Master? He must know Old Sect Leader Yin's intentions."
Playing his role to the fullest, Chang Ning wore a sympathetic, bitter smile. "I fear the matter might be... rather unsavory. It would be difficult to force Sect Leader Qi to speak of it, so..."
Cai Pingchun nodded. "You're right, Nephew Chang. It is indeed quite unsavory."
"Ah?" Cai Zhao was stunned.
Over twenty years ago, though the Demonic Cult was at its peak, the Big Dipper Six Sects were no pushovers either.
The Three Elders of Qingfeng were in their prime; the Twin Heroes of Chu each had their strengths; Jade Pendant Mountain Manor, Vast Heaven Gate, and Four Stallions Gate all boasted numerous disciples and formidable experts; even Fallen Blossom Valley had top-tier masters like Cai Changfeng holding the fort. Among the younger generation, rising stars like Zhou Zhizhen, Song Shijun, and Wu Yuanying emerged, not to mention exceptional talents like Cai Pingshu.
In short, for a long time, the righteous and demonic factions were evenly matched, and neither dared to rashly declare war."One day, Old Sect Leader Yin suddenly noticed something was amiss," Cai Pingchun said. "He had previously crossed blades with Nie Hengcheng—they weren't evenly matched, but he certainly wasn't losing either. At their level of skill, making significant further progress isn't easy. Yet for some reason, Nie Hengcheng's power had suddenly increased dramatically."
"The first time they fought, Old Sect Leader Yin barely escaped with his life."
"By their second encounter, Old Sect Leader Yin couldn't even last a hundred moves against Nie Hengcheng."
"When they met for the third time, if not for the desperate intervention of fellow disciples Cheng Hao and Wang Dingchuan, Old Sect Leader Yin would have been killed on the spot."
Cai Zhao's mouth fell open. "How does Father know all this? Old Sect Leader Yin wouldn't have gone around talking about his defeats."
"It was told to your aunt by one of Wang Dingchuan's disciples," Cai Pingchun said calmly. "She saved his life."
Chang Ning was hearing this for the first time and was stunned into silence. Suddenly realizing something, he said, "With Nie Hengcheng suddenly gaining divine skills, the balance between the two sides must have become unsustainable."
"—So that's why Nie Hengcheng abruptly launched his offensive? After that, he grew even more ruthless, letting the Demonic Cult run rampant, aiming to annihilate the Big Dipper Six Sects and unify the realm."
Cai Pingchun nodded and continued, "Old Sect Leader Yin was sharp as a crystal—he naturally suspected Nie Hengcheng must have stumbled upon some immensely powerful divine skill through sheer luck."
"So he captured Kaiyang to force Nie Hengcheng to reveal what stroke of fortune he'd had?!" Cai Zhao clapped her hands together.
Cai Pingchun: "Kaiyang and Yaoguang were both personally recruited into the cult by Nie Hengcheng—they'd been his trusted lieutenants for a decade. If they didn't know, no one did."
"Did they find out in the end?" Xiao Cai Guniang asked anxiously.
Chang Ning, ever composed with his gentle demeanor, said, "If they had, your aunt wouldn't have needed to stake her life to kill Nie Hengcheng."
Cai Pingchun smiled. "Our young friend here is quite right."
Cai Zhao narrowed her eyes at Chang Ning, her gaze practically spelling out three words: Fake.
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