The knock was gentle, followed by the soft push of the door as a familiar, graceful figure entered—it was Qi Nong.
Her face was as sweet as ever, her eyes as alluring, and Cai Zhao couldn’t help but feel a momentary daze, as if Qi Nong had just descended the stairs of the inn with her enchanting steps, untouched by the hardships of their journey.
Upon noticing Cai Zhao in the room, Qi Nong showed a flicker of surprise before stepping respectfully to Duan Jiuxiu’s side. She bowed deeply and presented a stack of snow-white silk handkerchiefs, faintly stained with specks of crimson blood. “Reporting to the Venerable Master,” she said, “Qi Nong has fulfilled her mission without fail.”
Duan Jiuxiu took the handkerchiefs, unfolded them, and skimmed the words written in blood. A smile crept onto his face. “Good. Well done. You’ve worked hard, Qi Nong.”
Hu Tianwei, however, looked uneasy. “It can’t be a trick, can it?”
Qi Nong reached out with her left hand and ‘gently’ pinched Hu Tianwei’s ear, cooing sweetly, “Ah-Wei, always so worried. As they say, a dying man’s words are true—why would he lie when he was about to breathe his last?”
Hu Tianwei yelped in pain. “I was wrong, I was wrong! Sister Qi Nong, spare me! I just felt bad seeing you write so much in blood—ah, your fingers must be aching terribly.”
Qi Nong cast a coy glance at Duan Jiuxiu but continued addressing Hu Tianwei. “At least you have some conscience. Ah, that section of the heart mantra—I bit my finger to write it down, afraid I’d forget. But as long as the Venerable Master’s orders are carried out flawlessly, no hardship is too great.”
—The flirtatious banter between a couple with such an age gap made Cai Zhao nauseous enough to want to douse them in dog’s blood.
Duan Jiuxiu, swelling with pride, threw his head back and laughed heartily. “Heaven truly aids me! Qi Nong, your devotion is noted.” After his laughter subsided, he turned to Cai Zhao. “Young Miss Cai, my grand undertaking is nearing completion. If you’re willing to forsake the darkness and join the light, I promise you’ll be well rewarded!”
Seeing Cai Zhao’s indifferent expression, his face darkened. “What? You doubt my success?”
“Of course I believe you,” Cai Zhao said coldly. “Sister Qi Nong can pour endless affection even onto a shriveled old face like a dried tangerine peel—deceiving ordinary men must be child’s play for her.”
Duan Jiuxiu and Qi Nong’s expressions turned grim.
“So, all this acting along the way, the perfect duet with Young Master Hu—it was all to trick Chen Fuguang into revealing the heart mantra, wasn’t it? Now that you have it…” Cai Zhao fixed her gaze on Qi Nong. “Where is Chen Fuguang now?”
Qi Nong feigned sorrow. “Ah, Young Master Chen’s injuries were too severe. Not wanting to burden me, he threw himself into a bottomless ice crevice. By now, he must have passed.”
Cai Zhao’s voice was icy. “Chen Fuguang wasn’t injured—he was feverish from shock.”
Qi Nong shrugged. “Oh, then I misremembered. Young Master Chen’s illness was too severe. Not wanting to burden me, he threw himself into a bottomless ice crevice. By now, he must have passed.”
Cai Zhao knew full well that Qi Nong had likely shoved Chen Fuguang into some ice hole the moment she got what she wanted—what a beautiful yet venomous woman. But this aligned with her expectations: Duan Jiuxiu and his disciples had no intention of truly sharing Nie Hengcheng’s Divine Skill Manual with the others.
“Congratulations, Duan. Half your wish is fulfilled—now finish the other half,” she said. “Kill Zhou Zhiqin, and I’ll hand over the Snowscale Dragon Beast’s saliva.”
On the ground, Zhou Zhiqin shuddered in terror once more.Duan Jiuxiu's eyes gleamed with malice. "I have deep blood feuds with your Big Dipper Six Sects. Yet you don't intend to fight me to the death, letting things pass so lightly—I suspect there's some trickery here."
Cai Zhao: "Why should I fight you? My guards have already gone down the mountain to spread word of your deeds. You secretly practiced Nie Hengcheng's divine skill, violating the Demonic Cult's greatest taboo. Soon someone will come to settle accounts with you. The Big Dipper Six Sects are happy to watch the show—why exert ourselves?"
These words held truth, but the bluntness stung more. Duan Jiuxiu suppressed his anger. "Since you know I'm practicing Nie Hengcheng's divine skill, why would you willingly hand over the saliva? You pretend calm on the surface, but surely you're scheming something vile in your heart!"
Cai Zhao: "Why scheme in secret when I can tell you openly? Though the Demonic Cult isn't as powerful as in Nie Hengcheng's days, even a broken ship has some nails left. With you three strays, once the Cult launches a full-scale hunt, it won't be long before you're three dead dogs. How dull that would be. I'd much prefer you, Duan, to grow stronger—the better to fight the Cult longer and fiercer. While we Big Dipper Six Sects watch safely from the sidelines—what could be more delightful?"
Duan Jiuxiu's face darkened with rage.
Cai Zhao's words were vicious indeed, yet because she stated them so plainly, he found himself speechless. Given the blood feud between the Demonic Cult and the Big Dipper Six Sects, her desire for mutual destruction between him and the Cult was perfectly reasonable.
"Aren't you afraid that once I master this divine skill, I'll destroy Nie Zhe and then turn on the Big Dipper Six Sects?" he growled.
Cai Zhao smirked. "Do you think everyone is Nie Hengcheng?"
Duan Jiuxiu clenched his fists. "What do you mean?"
"When you and Nie Hengcheng were both adopted by the Demonic Cult leader as foster sons, he assigned you equally skilled masters and identical training. Yet before twenty, Nie Hengcheng had far surpassed you."
"My aunt grew up at Jade Pendant Mountain Manor, training and living like all the Zhou disciples. Yet only she became invincible, eventually creating her own martial arts. The same manual, studied by different people—do you think the results would be equal?"
"Even with Nie Hengcheng's rare, exceptional talent, it took years from beginning practice to initial mastery of the divine skill. Duan, how many years will it take you? And before achieving mastery, you'll need to focus on staying alive, no?"
Being perpetually outshone by Nie Hengcheng since youth was Duan Jiuxiu's greatest lifelong resentment. Having this decades-old wound exposed publicly by Cai Zhao filled him with such venomous hatred that killing intent toward her surged instantly.
During this exchange, Hu Tianwei had whispered Cai Zhao's background to Qi Nong.
Seeing Duan Jiuxiu trembling with rage, Qi Nong immediately snapped, "You sharp-tongued little wretch! Don't think holding the Snowscale Dragon Beast's saliva makes you untouchable. Push us too far, and we'll gladly kill you first and forget the saliva!"
"Miss Qi Nong speaks without back pain," Cai Zhao retorted. "In your prime, you're in no hurry—plenty of time to search slowly for another Snowscale Dragon Beast. But can Duan afford to wait? He's lain low over a decade for this chance. Why ruin major plans over petty quarrels?"
"Though perhaps it's better this way. With the manual already obtained, once you outlive Duan, Miss Qi Nong, you can leisurely seek the beast's saliva. Wouldn't that be ideal?" She deliberately sowed discord between them.Upon hearing these words, Qi Nong's expression changed drastically, and she quickly said, "The Venerable Master is wise. Qi Nong would never harbor such thoughts."
Whether she did or not, Cai Zhao's words struck a nerve with Duan Jiuxiu, hitting right at the heart of his insecurities.
He thought to himself that he was already advanced in years. Once he passed away, the secret manuals would naturally fall into the hands of his disciples and Qi Nong. By then, the two of them would live together happily. Besides, great achievements required overlooking minor details. For someone of his seniority to argue with a teenage girl—even if he won, what good would it do?
When he finally mastered the divine skill in the future, commanding the wind and rain with omnipotent power, he could then turn back and capture all those who had wronged him, making them beg for death in vain. That would be the true mark of a great man!
"Why must you kill Zhou Zhiqin?!" he growled hoarsely.
Cai Zhao's eyes were dark and bright, as if they could pierce through a person's heart. She spoke slowly, "The reason I want to kill him is the same as why you hesitate to do so."
Duan Jiuxiu: "...What nonsense are you spouting now?"
Cai Zhao: "There are no walls without cracks. All these years, you and your disciples have been hiding and fleeing, afraid the Demonic Cult would discover your whereabouts. But cultivating a divine skill is a serious matter—how can it be done while drifting aimlessly and enduring hardships? One misstep, and you could suffer a qi deviation. So where should you hide? There’s no better place in the world than the Big Dipper Six Sects."
"Senior Duan must have planned this from the start. People like Lan Tianyu and Chen Fuguang could be disposed of after use, but Jin Baohui and Zhou Zhiqin were best kept alive. By hiding in manors under the Four Stallions Gate or Jade Pendant Mountain Manor, with Jin and Zhou covering for you and providing care, you’d have food, drink, and servants—a stable and comfortable life, allowing you to focus on your cultivation."
"Jin Baohui is already dead. If Zhou Zhiqin dies too, where will you and your disciples hide in the future?"
These were matters Duan Jiuxiu hadn’t even shared with Qi Nong or Hu Tianwei. They exclaimed in unison, "The Venerable Master/Master is far-sighted and meticulous in planning. Qi Nong/This disciple is utterly impressed."
Zhou Zhiqin, lying on the ground, felt both dread at the prospect of being coerced into harboring Demonic Cult remnants within his sect and relief that since he was useful to Duan Jiuxiu, he might not die just yet.
Duan Jiuxiu said, "Since you’ve already guessed Zhou Zhiqin’s usefulness to me, you should know I won’t kill him."
"No, you will kill him," Cai Zhao countered. "If you don’t, you’ll never master Nie Hengcheng’s divine skill in this lifetime. If you kill him, though it carries risks, there’s still a chance of success." As she spoke, she moved the jade vial in her hand closer to the furnace.
Duan Jiuxiu thought to himself that this girl, though smiling, was cunning and ruthless—far beyond the schemes of ordinary people. Gritting his teeth, he said, "If you spare Zhou Zhiqin, I’ll give you a priceless treasure or do you a great favor, ensuring you benefit immensely in the future..."
"No need," Cai Zhao coldly refused. "I’ve already thought everything through. I took this risk and came alone precisely to kill Zhou Zhiqin. In the future, whether you return triumphantly to the Cult or Nie Zhe purges the traitors, those are your Demonic Cult’s affairs. But you will not bring disaster into the Big Dipper Six Sects."
"My aunt once said, external wounds are easy to heal, but internal sickness is hard to cure. Yet Chen Fuguang is already dead, and the Big Dipper Six Sects don’t even know Chen Shu had a brother. How can I expose Zhou Zhiqin? That’s why this scum must be eliminated as soon as possible."There was one more thing Cai Zhao hadn't mentioned. With the Big Dipper Six Sects now surrounded by perils, if Qi Yunke and Cai Pingchun were to die, and with six and a half impostors lurking who knew where, the consequences would be unimaginable should Duan Jiuxiu and Zhou Zhiqin seize the opportunity to strike.
Duan Jiuxiu's thoughts surged, various ideas churning in his mind.
Indeed, Cai Zhao had been right about one thing. For him, the most urgent matters were still the secret manual and the saliva. Even without Zhou Zhiqin providing a hiding place, if he steeled himself to live like a savage in the deep mountains, enduring years of hardship, he might still master the divine skill.
"You want me to kill Zhou Zhiqin, but you must give me some assurance. What if there's no saliva in that bottle at all?" he said grudgingly, forced to compromise.
Cai Zhao suddenly turned solemn. "I swear by my late aunt that this jade bottle truly contains the Snowscale Dragon Beast's saliva."
Remembering Cai Pingshu's unwavering integrity in life, Duan Jiuxiu found himself trusting Cai Zhao a little more. "Give me the bottle, and I'll kill Zhou Zhiqin. I won't deceive you!" he declared.
Hearing this, the severely wounded Zhou Zhiqin on the ground was overcome with shock and fear, his eyes rolling back as he fainted outright.
Cai Zhao smirked. "I won't say anything unpleasant, but does Duan truly believe his own character is trustworthy?"
Duan Jiuxiu snapped, "Then what do you propose?"
With a faint smile, Cai Zhao swung her Bright Sun Blade forcefully at the roof beam, triggering some hidden mechanism. The bamboo walls of the snow hut collapsed outward with a series of sharp cracks, leaving only the roof and four corner pillars. The knife-like wind and snow immediately lashed into the room, chilling the air. Only the faint embers of the brazier beside Cai Zhao remained.
"First, Miss Qi Nong and Young Master Hu, please move back thirty zhang. It's not too far—just to that snow pine at the cliff's edge," she instructed.
Qi Nong and Hu Tianwei looked back and saw the distant snow pine appearing particularly stunted in the blizzard.
Duan Jiuxiu's face darkened. "Seems you were well-prepared." It was clear Cai Zhao had tampered with the snow hut—at the very least, the bamboo walls had been subtly cut, leaving only enough to maintain their structure.
Cai Zhao smiled. "Duan didn't consider that I left the ice cave much earlier than all of you. Surely I wasn't just grooming myself all this time. In truth, I found this snow hut long ago. My original plan was to kill Zhou Zhiqin cleanly if he came alone. But since you all arrived together, I had no choice but to resort to this."
Duan Jiuxiu had no desire to match wits with this cunning girl any longer. He turned his head. "Qi Nong, Tianwei, go to the back."
Reluctantly, Qi Nong and Hu Tianwei complied, leaping swiftly backward. The heavy snow and treacherous ground made it difficult to gain footing, and it took them half the time of a cup of tea to reach the snow pine. From near to far, their figures grew smaller.
Duan Jiuxiu turned back. "Satisfied? What next?"
"Second, Duan may now kill Zhou Zhiqin," Cai Zhao said.
Seeing that the girl's martial skills were inferior to his own, Duan Jiuxiu wasn't afraid she'd renege. He picked up Zhou Zhiqin's sword and swept it horizontally across his neck. Zhou Zhiqin's head rolled from his body instantly.
This disgrace to the righteous sects had finally met his deserved end.
Cai Zhao nodded. "This place is about ten zhang from the western cliff. Eight zhang below the cliff is a flat, extending ice platform. I've piled loose snow there to form a slope. The slope is ten zhang long, and at its end is a true precipice. Falling from there would take you straight down the mountain.""In a moment, I'll count to three and throw the jade bottle toward the cliff—I've already tested it with ice chunks of similar weight. I throw quite fast, so there's an eighty to ninety percent chance you won't catch it. The only way would be to jump down the slope to retrieve it. The slope is gentle, so the bottle won't roll too quickly, but if you don't pick it up in time, it'll still tumble off the sheer cliffs."
Duan Jiuxiu had already lost all patience and could only sneer repeatedly.
Cai Zhao began counting, "One, two, three..."
At "three," she suddenly hurled the jade bottle toward the cliff and leaped in the opposite direction.
Yet Duan Jiuxiu flashed forward, a whip-like ox tendon cord shooting from his sleeve, its tip coiling around the bottle with snake-like precision. His other hand was already poised to strike Cai Zhao.
Reacting swiftly, Cai Zhao spun around and slashed with her blade, severing the cord in midair. The jade bottle, caught between two opposing forces, veered off course and flew toward the northern cliff.
Duan Jiuxiu instantly regretted his actions. At least the western cliff had a snowy slope below, but the northern cliff had nothing—if the bottle fell there, it would surely shatter. If he had known, he wouldn’t have let his momentary spite drive him to ambush Cai Zhao.
In that split second, he lunged desperately for the bottle. Meanwhile, Cai Zhao pivoted like a sparrowhawk. Neither noticed a figure in fluttering robes leaping straight down from the mountain. With a thunderous crash, the roof collapsed, burying Duan Jiuxiu under shattered tiles and beams—even Cai Zhao was half-buried in the debris.
"Why haven’t you left the mountain yet?!" came a familiar, haughty voice, dripping with condescension.
Cai Zhao didn’t even need to look up to know who it was.
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