Amidst a torrent of curses, a strikingly handsome young couple descended from the second floor. The man was tall and upright, exuding noble elegance, while the girl was delicate and petite, seeming rather timid as she shrank timidly behind him.
The rotund man who had been showered with porcelain shards was hopping mad. Upon spotting Mu and Cai, he immediately bellowed, "Which bastard dared ambush me? Come out and face me... Ah! Was it you two? How dare you! You’ve got a death wish, I’ll—"
Mu Qingyan interjected smoothly, "Brother, calm down. Such a trivial matter isn’t worth ruining your health over."
With a flick of his long sleeve, a powerful gust of wind swept through, lifting the dozens of scattered porcelain shards from the floor, tables, and chairs. With a series of sharp clinks, they embedded themselves neatly into the earthen wall.
Such divine might, such skill—the hall fell silent in an instant, and all eyes turned toward them.
Though the fat man was arrogant, he wasn’t stupid. He knew whom he could afford to provoke and whom he couldn’t.
Since these two were clearly not to be trifled with, he forced a smile.
The couple introduced themselves as siblings—the elder brother Yan Ning and the younger sister Feng Xiaohan.
Sharp-eyed observers had already noticed they’d emerged from the same guest room, which was rather improper even for blood siblings. As for why they didn’t share a surname—well, hadn’t anyone heard of half-siblings sharing the same mother but different fathers? And why didn’t they resemble each other? Because each took after their respective father—what a convenient explanation. Everyone found it perfectly reasonable.
When it was the fat man’s turn to introduce himself, he initially hesitated, but Mu Qingyan cut in, "May I ask which esteemed elder of the Four Stallions Gate you are?"
Caught off guard, the fat man hesitated over whether to use an alias, but Zhou Zhiqin spoke up from the side, "This gentleman’s name is Jin Baohui, uncle to Sect Leader Yang of the Four Stallions Gate."
Mu Qingyan gave a perfunctory bow. "Ah, Uncle Jin! My apologies for the disrespect."
Jin Baohui fumed inwardly but turned to Zhou Zhiqin and snapped, "Zhou, I can introduce myself! Mind your own business!"
Zhou Zhiqin, already slightly drunk, rose to retort but was restrained by Dongfang Xiao, who urged, "Let it go."—The Big Dipper Six Sects were closely allied, and Jin Baohui, as Yang Heying’s uncle, was technically Zhou Zhiqin’s elder.
Seizing the moment, Mu Qingyan turned toward Zhou Zhiqin’s table. "This humble one is Yan Ning. May I ask the names of you two esteemed seniors?"
The handsome young man’s charming smile was disarming. Zhou Zhiqin had no reservations and promptly introduced himself, followed briefly by Dongfang Xiao: "Dongfang Xiao of Zhongzhou."
Mu Qingyan immediately expressed his admiration. Cai Zhao, unable to stomach his insincere flattery, muttered softly, "Brother, you’ve never even heard of these seniors before. You’re not being honest."
Mu Qingyan feigned sternness. "Though these seniors keep a low profile, even the most ignorant have heard of the Jade Pendant Mountain Manor’s prestige. What’s wrong with saying ‘long admired’? Must you undermine me?"
Cai Zhao lowered her rosy cheeks meekly. "Then I won’t say anything." Her demeanor was the very picture of a timid, coquettish young girl.
The onlookers were stunned, but the nearby servers nearly dropped their jaws—was this really the same female demon who had severed a man’s hand yesterday? Had they dreamed it then, or were they dreaming now?
Even Zhou Zhiqin, weighed down by sorrow, couldn’t help but chuckle.
He studied Cai Zhao closely. "This young lady looks very familiar."Cai Zhao's head tightened as Mu Qingyan remarked leisurely, "Father often said my sister has a hundred faces—she resembles everyone." Cai Zhao cursed inwardly, itching to pinch his waist hard.
Dongfang Xiao, however, wondered—since this elder brother's father was dead and his mother had remarried, how could his father have seen his younger half-sister? Then again, perhaps the stepfather and son had a close bond, so addressing each other as father and son wasn’t strange.
Zhou Zhiqin still pondered who Cai Zhao resembled before finally saying, "Since you young siblings rarely venture into the Martial World, what brings you to this desolate snowy mountain? Not only are the people of the Martial World treacherous, but these great snow peaks are no joke—filled with savage beasts that feast on human flesh, and, and..." His eyes suddenly welled with tears, unable to continue.
Cai Zhao was startled. "Senior, what’s wrong?"
Dongfang Xiao sighed. "Brother Zhou had an only son who began his trials in the Martial World two years ago. Last year, between summer and autumn, for some reason, he came to these great snow mountains. His attendants brought back only half his corpse—no one knows what beast he encountered."
Cai Zhao was deeply saddened. After a long pause, she said, "If that’s the case, wouldn’t Senior Zhou’s visit here only deepen his grief?"
Though Zhou Zhiqin suspected the siblings' names and origins might be fabricated, he could see the girl’s concern was utterly sincere, without pretense. He sighed, "My reckless son lacked skill yet dared to tread dangerous grounds—his death on this mountain was no one’s fault. But I..."
His voice choked. "I still wanted to see where he perished. If I could recover even half his remains..."
The wind and snow were merciless, pitiless against a grieving father’s heart. Cai Zhao felt a pang of sorrow, unsure what to say.
Dongfang Xiao also sighed deeply. "Brother Zhou is burdened with sorrow. It’s good I accompanied him here, but you two siblings should turn back now."
Facing Zhou Zhiqin and Dongfang Xiao, Cai Zhao naturally couldn’t mention anything about testing her fiancé. Struggling to find an excuse, she glanced at Mu Qingyan.
Mu Qingyan was blunt. "We siblings have unspeakable reasons—we must ascend the mountain."
Having heard this, Zhou Zhiqin and Dongfang Xiao could hardly press further.
"Earlier, I overheard from the second floor that everyone here plans to climb the mountain this afternoon. Yet on our journey, we heard how perilous these snow peaks are, rarely visited. Why, apart from you two seniors and us siblings, are there so many others ascending?" Mu Qingyan adopted a humble, inquiring tone.
Dongfang Xiao hesitated. "Truthfully, I don’t quite understand either. It’s neither summer nor autumn—why are so many heading up now?"
Mu Qingyan deliberately let his gaze drift toward the lone bandit and the trio of master and servants, feigning puzzlement.
Zhou Zhiqin noticed and spoke plainly, "I can’t discern the origins of those three, but that shifty-eyed, scrawny man is named Lan Tianyu, a notorious bandit in the Martial World. If not for his discreet misdeeds, the Big Dipper Six Sects would never have tolerated him this long. Still, he’s a thief—you siblings should be cautious."
As if sensing their discussion, Lan Tianyu turned and grinned, baring yellowed teeth.
Qian Xueshen finally woke, yawning as he descended the stairs, his languid frame barely upright. He sauntered over to Mu and Cai, and Cai Zhao shot him a sidelong glance. "Oh, so His Excellency has finally risen?"
Qian Xueshen showed no shame. "If not for my stomach clawing at my lungs, I wouldn’t have gotten up." Spotting Zhou Zhiqin and Dongfang Xiao’s distinguished martial bearing, he hastily bowed in greeting.
After exchanging names and backgrounds, Dongfang Xiao’s eyelids twitched as he asked again, "Young Master Wan is Miss Feng’s... fiancé?"In truth, he didn’t believe Cai Zhao and Mu Qingyan were siblings. He had long suspected they were young lovers who had eloped. But then suddenly, a fair-faced youth who didn’t have a single finger worthy of the girl appeared—and turned out to be her legitimate fiancé!
What… what should be done about this?
Seeing the astonishment in the two elders’ eyes, Cai Zhao could only force an awkward laugh.
Mu Qingyan smirked without warmth. “Please forgive us, elders. My younger sister has suffered from an illness since childhood, and it remains uncured to this day.”
You’re the one with an illness! You all have illnesses! Cai Zhao fumed silently.
The three of them could no longer sit at the same table as the others, so they chose the farthest and most secluded spot to converse freely. Qian Xueshen urgently ordered the waiter to bring dishes—steamed buns, stewed flatbread, roasted chicken, duck, whatever was best—served immediately.
Wiping his chopsticks, he muttered, “I’ve heard the disciples of Jade Pendant Mountain Manor are all refined and gallant. How come this Elder Zhou looks so shabby? Could he be an impostor?”
“What do you know? His only son died! Let’s see how gallant you’d be if your only son died!” Cai Zhao glared at him fiercely.
Qian Xueshen suddenly understood Mu Qingyan’s displeasure and said sourly, “Just because your fiancé is Young Master Zhou, you don’t have to defend every Zhou out there. Jade Pendant Mountain Manor has many disciples—some are bound to be less virtuous…”
“Bah! Your Thousand Faces Sect is the one full of scoundrels, which is why you all ended up dead! Don’t drag Jade Pendant Mountain Manor into this!”
Cai Zhao brandished her chopsticks like a knife and snapped, “Uncle Zhou grew up with my aunt—do you think she wouldn’t know his character? In martial arts, aside from Uncle Zhou, he’s the strongest in Jade Pendant Mountain Manor. Back when Uncle Zhou led the resistance against Nie Hengcheng’s faction, Uncle Zhou assisted him, risking life and death! As for character—his wife was bedridden for years, yet he never abandoned her, caring for her devotedly. Isn’t that a hundred times better than your demonic Qian clan?”
“Fine, fine, all the Zhous are noble gentlemen, alright?” Qian Xueshen nearly got sprayed by her spittle. “Young Master Mu, can’t you control her? We’re the ones who’ll be risking our lives with her later, yet she’s only siding with the Zhous.”
Mu Qingyan seemed oblivious to their bickering, lost in thought. “I’ve no complaints about Hero Zhou Zhiqin—his son died between summer and autumn last year. Soon after, winter blizzards sealed the mountains, making them impassable for man or beast. Jade Pendant Mountain Manor is in the south—it takes at least two months to get here. That he made it to the Great Snow Mountain at this time is reasonable.”
“But he seems to have a grudge against Jin Baohui of the Four Stallions Gate. What’s the story there?”
Cai Zhao pondered. “My mother mentioned this. Back then, that Jin relied on being Old Sect Leader Yang’s brother-in-law to act high and mighty in front of my aunt and the others. He also loved keeping vicious pets—feral dogs, vultures, venomous pythons—and when they harmed common folk, my master and Uncle Zhou despised him for it.”
“Keeping pets isn’t inherently bad, but since his were all dangerous, he should’ve restrained them properly and not let them harm innocents. Once, his dogs mauled several children to death. In a rage, my aunt stormed the Four Stallions Gate, slaughtered all his pets, and severed one of his arms and a leg. After that, he never dared to swagger around again.”
Mu Qingyan sneered. “Killing children, and all he lost was an arm and a leg?”Cai Zhao sighed helplessly, "Actually, my aunt wanted the murderer to pay with their life. But Old Sect Leader Yang stubbornly blocked her, alternating between threats and pleas, so Master had to drag my aunt away. Old Sect Leader Yin persuaded my aunt, saying the Big Dipper Six Sects were united in resisting Nie Hengcheng, and she should prioritize the greater good to avoid creating rifts among the sects."
Mu Qingyan snorted coldly.
Qian Xueshen gnawed on a chicken leg and mumbled, "So this Senior Zhou isn't just kind but also highly skilled? That's great—we'll have a powerful ally for our trip to the Great Snow Mountain. What about that Senior Dongfang? Is he strong too?"
Cai Zhao brightened, "Of course he is! Back then, when the martial arts world issued a kill order against some elder from the Demonic Cult, Senior Dongfang performed outstanding deeds!"
Mu Qingyan glanced sideways at her, "No need to be polite—that kill order was issued by your aunt. Didn't you know?"
Cai Zhao was shocked, "Really? Aunt never mentioned—she only talked about how the righteous sects tracked down clues, dismantled the evil elder's numerous strongholds, slaughtered his countless disciples, and finally cornered and killed that wicked elder." She had always treated it as an after-dinner legend.
Mu Qingyan was both exasperated and amused, "That was your aunt's kill order—hunting down Elder Tianji, Duan Jiuxiu. Dongfang Xiao naturally gave his all, because it was this Elder Duan who severely injured Yunzhuan Daoren and massacred Clear Wind Temple."
Qian Xueshen tore off two duck legs and kept chewing. "Thinking about how decisively and boldly Heroine Cai acted—openly killing one of the Seven Stars Elders—the Demonic Cult could only watch helplessly."
Mu Qingyan said, "If it were any other elder, the Sacred Cult naturally wouldn't just stand by—that would be too humiliating. But it just had to be this Elder Duan. Nie Hengcheng was definitely happy to stay out of it."
"Why is that?" Cai Zhao asked curiously.
"Because Duan Jiuxiu was also my great-grandfather's adopted son."
Cai Zhao gasped and leaned back.
Mu Qingyan continued, "Duan Jiuxiu and Nie Hengcheng were both my great-grandfather's adopted sons, but Nie Hengcheng always overshadowed him. In the end, my great-grandfather chose Nie Hengcheng as the Dharma King, leaving Duan Jiuxiu as merely one of the Seven Stars Elders. How could he accept that? For decades, he constantly opposed Nie Hengcheng, amassing followers and forming his own faction, all to one day reclaim his pride from Nie Hengcheng."
"Nie Hengcheng, bound by the cult's rule against infighting, tolerated Duan Jiuxiu for decades. When he learned Heroine Cai had issued the kill order, he was probably overjoyed."
"But that old bastard Duan was truly vile. Just because the abbot of Clear Wind Temple joked about him being the 'eternal second-best,' he swore to annihilate their sect. Fine—the Sacred Cult destroying sects isn't unusual—but why not attack openly? It's not like he couldn't win. Instead, he waited until Clear Wind Temple was weakened after attacking the Nether Bamboo Path under Yin Dai's orders, then sneaked in at night, drugged them, and slaughtered them in cold blood."
"Not content with murder and arson, he even tortured several nuns to death, stripped their corpses, and hung them from trees outside the temple. He even desiccated a few child acolytes under ten years old—what kind of depravity is that? A disgrace to the Sacred Cult. And afterward, he smugly thought himself a hero. Hmph, he got what he deserved!" Mu Qingyan was utterly disdainful.
Qian Xueshen couldn't help but whisper, "I've always heard your cult members kill indiscriminately without scruples. Elder Duan's actions... don't seem that unusual, do they?"Mu Qingyan gave him a cold stare. "What do you take the Divine Cult for? Some lowly petty thieves?"
Qian Xueshen dared not speak further.
Cai Zhao listened with bated breath. "So that's how it was, no wonder my aunt was furious enough to issue a kill order... Tell me, what kind of judgment did your great-grandfather have when selecting foster sons? Nie Hengcheng, Duan Jiuxiu—what kind of people were they?"
Surprisingly, Mu Qingyan wasn't particularly angered. He replied casually, "Not bad, actually. In the vast sea of humanity, my great-grandfather managed to pick out the two most vicious, cunning, and ambitious ones. In a way, that's quite an eye for talent."
Qian Xueshen laughed so hard he nearly choked on his duck neck. "Young Master Mu isn't afraid to mock himself—now that's true free-spiritedness."
Cai Zhao shot him a glare. "Wait till he withholds your antidote—then you'll see how free-spirited he is!"
Qian Xueshen's face immediately fell.
While they were discussing others, others were discussing them too.
Yet none of the four groups present—including Zhou Zhiqin and Dongfang Xiao—could discern Mu and Cai's origins. They couldn't even identify Mu Qingyan's martial arts style.
This wasn't surprising. Mu Qingyan had spent all nineteen years of his life either in the Demonic Cult, Chang Castle, or the Azure Tower Sect, never setting foot in the Martial World. As for Cai Zhao, she had barely left Fallen Blossom Valley before heading straight to Nine Conch Mountain, and her extraordinary display of skill that night hadn't yet spread far.
Thus, no matter how they speculated, the others remained clueless.
Qian Xueshen wolfed down food while yawning incessantly, presenting quite a wretched sight.
Cai Zhao frowned. "Must you eat and yawn at the same time? You look like a consumptive ghost."
Qian Xueshen retorted, "How could I sleep with all the commotion last night? Just as I dozed off, another group arrived. Just as I started drifting, another came. Finally fell asleep, then—bam!—another batch. It never ended! I barely slept a wink!"
Having slept soundly herself, Cai Zhao softened. "Why don't you rest more later? I'll wake you when we leave. Staying up all night makes one ravenous—you should've asked the staff for midnight snacks."
Qian Xueshen grimaced. "You think I didn't try? The innkeeper and staff were too busy with new guests to care. Sigh, I had to scavenge the kitchen myself. And guess what? I stumbled upon quite a show!"
Cai Zhao eagerly asked what happened.
Qian Xueshen lowered his voice. "Remember that sallow, thin woman yesterday? Turns out she's the innkeeper's wife. Last night in the kitchen, I caught her embracing the cook!"
"Really?!" Cai Zhao's gossip flames roared.
"Saw it clear as day," Qian Xueshen's eyes sparkled. "After being woken seventeen-eighteen times, I was wide awake."
Cai Zhao giggled. "Serves the old man right for marrying a young wife and getting cuckolded. I say—"
"Seventeen or eighteen times," Mu Qingyan suddenly interjected. "The main door opened five times, meaning five groups."
Both Cai and Qian glared at him for ruining the mood.
Mu Qingyan tapped his chopsticks on the table. "Senior Zhou and Dongfang Xiao were one group. Jin Baohui of Four Stallions Gate another. The lone bandit Lan Tianyu made three. Then that master with two servants—four. Currently, besides us, there are four groups in the hall. Where's the fifth?"
Just then, steady, powerful footsteps echoed from the second floor.
The deep, resonant footfalls seemed to tread on everyone's heads as they descended the wooden stairs.
"Trouble's here," Mu Qingyan murmured coolly.
This was the fifth group.
Three men approached. Leading them was a handsome man in his forties, dressed luxuriously with an imposing demeanor. His piercing gaze felt like winter lightning, and his controlled movements betrayed no audible breath—marks of a top-tier master with profound internal cultivation.Behind him followed an elderly servant and a stunningly beautiful concubine.
The handsome man walked to the central table and instructed the waiter, "Go fetch your manager."
The waiter hurriedly complied and left.
The elderly servant had an ordinary appearance and was currently busy wiping the table.
However, the concubine was a natural enchantress—not only was she alluring and graceful, but every glance and smile carried a flirtatious charm, her gaze like tiny hooks that made the men's scalps tingle.
She attended to the handsome man as he sat at the table, personally wiping his hands and pouring water for him.
Mu Qingyan's eyes darkened slightly as he was about to share his observations with Cai Zhao. Turning his head, he noticed Qian Xueshen staring dumbfounded at the beautiful concubine.
Cai Zhao's gaze was even more transfixed than his.
Amused and exasperated, Mu Qingyan was about to tug Cai Zhao back to reality when a shrill scream suddenly erupted from the direction of the kitchen—
"Someone! Help! The manager is dead!"
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