Perhaps due to sharing the same master craftsman, the structures of Paradise Palace and Dusk Micro Palace were remarkably similar—both consisted of three outer layers and three inner layers, with the main hall at the center and seven middle halls flanked by side chambers on either side. Historically, the residences of successive sect leaders were usually situated near the fourth layer's Faitian Hall, positioned at the heart of the palace to maintain full control over sect affairs.
However, after the premature death of his beloved wife, Mu Qingyan's great-grandfather moved with his only son to the rearmost Wuyu Hall to avoid painful memories. Later, that son married a stubborn and fiery-tempered woman, and then their grandson Mu Zhengming was born, grew up, married, and had children of his own... Three generations of joys and sorrows unfolded within the tranquil confines of Wuyu Hall.
Since Mu Zhengming took Mu Qingyan into seclusion at Huanglao Peak's Buxi Cottage, the hall had stood empty for years.
Thanks to the efforts of capable administrators like You Guanyue, Wuyu Hall—abandoned for over a decade—was mostly restored within half a day, allowing their lord to settle in while also accommodating several critically injured individuals.
By the time You Guanyue finally found a moment to change his bloodstained clothes and grab a bite, the vast Hanhai mountain range was once again shrouded in deep blue night. Under a sky full of stars, the exhausted You Guanyue, burning with the fervor of a trusted aide to his new lord, rushed to report to Mu Qingyan despite the late hour—only to witness his revered new master being forcefully shoved out the door by Cai Zhao.
The disheveled but beautiful young girl, her eyes bloodshot and her temper foul, left a warning through the crack in the door—"I'm exhausted and need sleep! No one, human or ghost, disturbs me unless they want a taste of my blade!"—before slamming it shut, nearly hitting Mu Qingyan in the nose.
Seeing this, You Guanyue immediately turned to flee.
Mu Qingyan, however, called him back without hesitation. Seizing the opportunity, You Guanyue reported, "All Nie Clan loyalists at the passes and within Paradise Palace have surrendered. A few stragglers who failed to reinforce Nie Zhe in time remain at large, but in my humble opinion, they pose no real threat and can be dealt with gradually."
"After the battle at Green Gauze River, their fate was sealed. What remains are just maggots feeding on Nie Hengcheng's rotting corpse—we'll handle them in due time," Mu Qingyan replied before shifting the topic. "Did you bring it?"
You Guanyue promptly presented a small box of boxwood, its surface seemingly coated in a thin layer of frost.
Mu Qingyan took the box. "How is Young Master Song doing?"
"He woke at nightfall, took his medicine, and went back to sleep," You Guanyue answered, having already learned Song Yuzhi's identity from Shangguan Haonan.
Mu Qingyan nodded. "In that case, let's pay him a visit."
You Guanyue hesitated, wanting to point out that disturbing a severely injured man in the middle of the night might not be considerate.
In the end, he held his tongue.
Yet when they arrived at the western side hall, they found Song Yuzhi's room brightly lit, as if he had been expecting them.
Mu Qingyan stepped inside with a smile. "Even gravely wounded, Brother Song retains his noble bearing—truly commendable."
You Guanyue glanced at Song Yuzhi, who reclined on a soft couch, his face pale and cheeks hollowed from his injuries. Despite his frail appearance, his dark eyes remained sharp and penetrating.
"I estimated the time, thinking the Young Master would arrive soon," he said softly.
Mu Qingyan sat across from him. "How are your injuries, Brother Song?""These are all external injuries to the skin, flesh, and bones, with no damage to the dantian or vital energy. You'll be able to move after half a day's rest." Song Yuzhi understood the other's implication and took the initiative to speak first. "What about my junior sister? Is she alright?"
Mu Qingyan smiled. "Zhao Zhao is perfectly fine. Earlier, I wanted to bring her to see you, Brother Song, but she scolded me harshly and chased me out, saying she hadn't slept enough yet."
Song Yuzhi couldn't help but scrutinize this handsome young man with his enigmatic smile.
He had known Mu Qingyan even before Cai Zhao and was somewhat familiar with his disagreeable temperament—Mu Qingyan was the type who couldn't stand others being happy when he was unhappy, and even when he was happy, he didn't want others to be happy. He never bothered to conceal his acerbic nature.
In the past, whenever Song Yuzhi mentioned Cai Zhao, Mu Qingyan would react with displeasure. But now, his attitude was completely different, as if he were wearing a warm, affable mask that made it impossible to discern his true intentions.
Mu Qingyan said, "Brother Song saved members of our Demonic Cult in times of peril. I will remember this favor and repay it in the future." Shangguan Haonan was his subordinate, so this debt naturally fell to the lord to bear.
"Upholding justice is our duty. Young Master need not take it to heart," Song Yuzhi waved his hand. "What about the Purple Jade Golden Sunflower..."
"I was just about to mention that," Mu Qingyan replied. "I ordered the treasure vault to be opened and thoroughly searched, but..."
He paused. "But the Purple Jade Golden Sunflower was nowhere to be found."
Song Yuzhi was shocked. "Nowhere to be found? The Purple Jade Golden Sunflower isn't in your cult?" His deduction about the whereabouts of the Purple Jade Golden Sunflower had been purely speculative, with no concrete evidence.
"Could it be that Hero Cai didn't return the Purple Jade Golden Sunflower?" The only certainty now was that the last person known to have the Purple Jade Golden Sunflower was Cai Pingshu.
"With the current chaos in the cult, the details are still unclear," Mu Qingyan shook his head.
Seeing Song Yuzhi's evident disappointment, he pushed a frost-covered wooden box across the table. "Please accept this, Brother Song."
Song Yuzhi took the box and opened it, finding a palm-sized piece of jade inside. It was pure white, exuding a chilling coldness that seeped through the thick wooden box.
"Ten-thousand-year ice jade from the Great Snow Mountain of the Western Regions?" Having grown up in one of the foremost noble families, Song Yuzhi naturally recognized its value.
Mu Qingyan smiled faintly. "Though this is not as solid or dense as the Purple Jade Golden Sunflower, its efficacy in alleviating scorching internal energy is even superior. I hope Brother Song will not disdain it."
He added, "The chaos caused by Nie Zhe has yet to be fully resolved. The Purple Jade Golden Sunflower might still be elsewhere. To be honest, to those of higher cultivation, the Purple Jade Golden Sunflower is more of a triviality than a treasure. If not for treating injuries caused by the Netherworld Chill, I can't think of any other use for it. Should it be found in the future, I will send it to Brother Song immediately."
Song Yuzhi slowly closed the ice jade box and nodded in agreement, though inwardly he thought, Even if what you say is false, what other choice do I have?
He was not a suspicious person by nature, as he had grown up during a time when Nie Hengcheng and his loyal followers had long since vanished, and the orthodox and unorthodox factions had entered a peaceful coexistence, neither interfering with the other. Thus, he had never truly witnessed the actions of the Demonic Cult.
But this journey into the Vast Sea Mountains had truly opened his eyes—ordinary people under the Demonic Cult's control being turned into Corpse Puppet Slaves while still alive; the Bone-Corroding Sky Rain that rotted flesh upon contact; the willingness to blow up stone chambers at the slightest disagreement, even if their own allies were inside; not to mention the inhuman atrocities Wu Yuanying had suffered.After all that had transpired, he finally believed what the elders had said—the Demonic Cult was indeed filled with cruel and wicked individuals.
"Given Brother Song's status, there is no benefit in lingering within our sect," Mu Qingyan stood up. "Brother Song should rest some more. At dawn tomorrow, I will send someone to escort you out."
Song Yuzhi cupped his hands in farewell, thinking to himself, How could I possibly sleep now?
...
The night breeze was gentle as Mu Qingyan strode forward, his sleeves billowing, heading straight toward the eastern side hall where Hu Fengge was recuperating from her injuries.
To avoid keeping their lord waiting, You Guanyue had intended to send a maid to wake Hu Fengge. Unexpectedly, the lights in Hu Fengge’s room were still bright, and she already had a visitor. If Cai Zhao had seen this scene, she would surely have quipped, Do none of you Demonic Cult members ever sleep at night?
Yu Huixin had been sitting by the bed, speaking softly with Hu Fengge. When he saw Mu Qingyan and You Guanyue, the scholarly man in his thirties became as nervous as a young boy caught stealing a kiss with his sweetheart behind a fence, his face reddening as he quickly slipped away.
Mu Qingyan watched Yu Huixin’s retreating figure with a smile. "Did I interrupt something pleasant for Elder Hu?"
Hu Fengge swiftly rose from the bed to bow, then laughed heartily. "Young Lord jests. Hui Yin has always been shy, but his heart is kind—he often sneaks me food, drink, and medicine. Alas, he was bullied by Chen Shu and Nie Zhe since childhood and grew accustomed to keeping his head down."
Mu Qingyan glanced at You Guanyue, who understood and withdrew with a bow.
Then Mu Qingyan motioned for Hu Fengge to sit back and relax, but she replied, "I crawled out of the Tian Gang Killing Camp as a child—these injuries are nothing. If my body weren’t tough, I’d have died long ago in that breeding pit."
Mu Qingyan sat down and cupped his hands. "This victory would not have been possible without Elder Hu’s crucial betrayal at the critical moment."
Hu Fengge dared not take credit and immediately knelt on one knee. "This humble servant does not deserve such praise." The Nether Sect’s rules were strict—once she had acknowledged Mu Qingyan as her lord, she had to remember the distinction between superior and subordinate.
She raised her head slightly. "Young Lord, Hui Yin was still young when Nie Hengcheng died and never participated in any of the Nie faction’s schemes. After Nie Hengcheng’s death, his repeated admonitions angered Nie Zhe, so he retreated to the mountains. If you could see fit—"
Mu Qingyan waved his hand. "As long as Yu Huixin doesn’t dream of restoring the so-called glory of the Nie Clan, I won’t make things difficult for him."
Hu Fengge ventured cautiously, "And what of young master Si’en...?"
Truthfully, she held no fondness for Li Ruxin and her son. During her days struggling in the Tian Gang Killing Camp, she had often seen this pampered young mistress pass by with her nose in the air, never even glancing at the bloodied and mud-stained warriors below. But Yu Huixin cherished Nie Hengcheng’s kindness. If Mu Qingyan insisted on executing Li Ruxin and her son, complications would arise.
Mu Qingyan seemed to read her thoughts and smiled faintly. "If Nie Hengcheng could tolerate my father and me, how could I not tolerate a mere child of the Nie Clan?"
Hu Fengge was overjoyed. "The Young Lord is wise!" After rising, she added, "In truth, young master Si’en is frail by nature and cannot practice advanced martial arts. I doubt he will live long."
Mu Qingyan waved dismissively. "Let him be."
Hu Fengge stared at his face, lost in thought. "Young Lord, you resemble your father so much, yet..."
"Yet our temperaments are entirely different," Mu Qingyan said coolly. "I am not my father."
Hu Fengge sighed. "This subordinate heard that You Guanyue brought the Young Lord’s mother, Madam Sun, up the mountain tonight. Young Lord, forgive my presumption, but Madam Sun indeed has her faults, yet..."She was adept at killing, arson, and torture, yet her words were not particularly sharp. In the end, she managed to say, "Even among creatures with wings, there are both eagles unafraid of storms and sparrows nesting under eaves. Sun Ruoshui—she, she is just an ordinary woman with no means to protect herself. Please, Young Master, set her aside and leave her be."
Though her words were tactful, both overtly and covertly, she feared Mu Qingyan might harm Sun Ruoshui and was subtly pleading for mercy.
Mu Qingyan raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Elder Hu actually speaks up for Madam Sun."
Others might not have been surprising, but Hu Fengge had fought her way out of the Nether Sect's Tian Gang Killing Camp, her hands stained with blood, having slaughtered countless—innocent or guilty—souls. Yet now, she wore an expression of pity as she defended Sun Ruoshui.
Hu Fengge sighed wistfully. "Young Master, you may not know this, but I was brought into the Nether Sect at the same time as your mother."
Mu Qingyan caught the anomaly in her words. "At the same time? Were you and Master Sun from the same village?"
Hu Fengge's reply was cryptic. "I came from the same village as Sun Ruoshui, but not the same one as Master Sun."
"Madam Sun isn't Master Sun's daughter?!" Mu Qingyan immediately understood.
Hu Fengge gave a bitter smile. "When disaster struck, the entire village was wiped out. How could a frail girl have escaped? Nie Hengcheng wanted to control your father. The real Miss Sun had already perished, so he picked the most beautiful and gentle girl from the children he had raised. After all, no one had seen the grown Miss Sun—he just had to make sure Ruoshui memorized Master Sun's life and writings." It wasn’t as if Mu Zhengming was a suspicious man.
Mu Qingyan froze, his eyes icy. After a moment, he regained his warm smile. "So, my father was deceived from start to finish."
Seeing him like this, Hu Fengge was reminded of the truly gentle and noble young man he once was and couldn’t help sighing again. "Ruoshui also had it hard. If she had been the real Miss Sun, she could have poured out her grievances, and your father, out of respect for Master Sun, would have protected her from Nie Hengcheng’s harm—but she wasn’t. What else could she do but obey Nie Hengcheng?"
There was one thing she left unsaid: during those unbearable days, Nie Zhe’s tender words had comforted Sun Ruoshui.
Mu Qingyan laughed. "Nie Hengcheng doesn’t keep useless people. Those who enter the Tian Gang Killing Camp either have exceptional talent or exceptional looks. Lu Chengnan had his own style—once the new recruits settled in, he would let them choose: to become death warriors or spies. Elder Hu chose the former, and Madam Sun chose the latter, didn’t she?"
When it came to employing people, he had long since investigated Hu Fengge’s past thoroughly. His conclusion: even if Hu Fengge wasn’t working for him, she was someone worthy of respect—regardless of gender.
Hu Fengge was stunned. The choices she had made back then felt like a lifetime ago, almost forgotten.
To ensure she would never waver, she had even slashed her own face with broken porcelain, cutting off all retreat. From then on, she could no longer rely on her looks for gain—she had to hone her skills through sheer effort.
Unconsciously, she touched her scarred cheek, filled with emotion. She, too, had once been a beautiful, carefree girl. But she refused to entrust her safety, dignity, or fate to others’ pity, admiration, or lust. She wanted to wield her own blade—even if it meant dying without a burial, it was better than waiting for someone’s mercy.
The choices made over twenty years ago now seemed to have borne their results. She stood tall as one of the Seven Stars Elders, while Sun Ruoshui was doomed to spend the rest of her days in seclusion.Hu Fengge knew that even if she was still wandering in hardship and living a life of danger, while Sun Ruoshui continued her pampered and carefree existence, she would not regret her choices.
Having said this, Hu Fengge realized there was no need to persuade further. At most, she would visit Sun Ruoshui more often during her seclusion in the future, fulfilling the bond of their childhood friendship as village sisters.
At that moment, You Guanyue entered, "Young Master, Elder Yan has awakened."
Mu Qingyan nodded and bid farewell to Hu Fengge before turning to the last room in the eastern hall.
The room was thick with the scent of medicinal wine. Yan Xu sat cross-legged on the bed like a twisted old Bodhisattva. Upon seeing Mu Qingyan, he respectfully bowed from his seat, "Yan Xu greets the Young Master. Once the succession ceremony is held, this old man will record you as the second patriarch of our sect."
The old man lifted his face with a smile, "This old man refused to record Nie Zhe as patriarch, hoping instead to invite your father out of seclusion to retake leadership. That’s why Nie Zhe harbored such hatred and set a trap to capture me."
"Is this all you called me here to say?" Mu Qingyan stood with his hands behind his back. "When you recorded Nie Hengcheng as the first and only non-bloodline patriarch, were you just as jubilant?"
Yan Xu raised his voice, "This old man knows the Young Master is displeased with the past, but I must say—Nie Hengcheng’s ascension as patriarch was entirely justified!"
"When your great-grandfather wallowed in self-pity after his wife’s death, Nie Hengcheng, then just a child, resolved to reform the sect."
"When your grandfather and his troublesome wife were caught in their petty squabbles, Nie Hengcheng devoted himself day and night to the sect’s affairs."
"When your father sought only his own peace, Nie Hengcheng stood firm to challenge the Big Dipper Six Sects!"
"Young Master, what do you think the sect is? Some trinket in a room that you can pick up or discard at will? Or a patch of land in your backyard that you can till or abandon as you please? Bah! No wise counsel can save those bent on destruction! That your family suffered under Nie Hengcheng for three generations—who’s to blame but yourselves? You reap what you sow!"
"I was born and raised in this sect, and my loyalty is as clear as the sun and moon! Had even one of your forebears heeded advice, I would never have supported Nie Hengcheng’s succession!"
The tall figure by the window remained motionless, as if frozen into an ice sculpture.
Seeing Mu Qingyan’s reaction, Yan Xu knew his words had struck deep, and his heart swelled with triumph. Seizing the moment, he feigned solemnity, "Young Master, since you’ve taken this to heart, cut ties with that grinning little girl at once! A real man need not worry about finding a wife—leave your marriage to this old man. I’ll surely find you a—"
"Her surname is Cai," Mu Qingyan finally spoke. "Her name is Cai Zhao. Her father is Cai Pingchun, master of Fallen Blossom Valley; her mother is Lady Ning; her maternal uncle is Juexing Zen Master of Evergreen Temple. She also had a late aunt named Cai Pingshu."
According to the Nether Sect’s rules, once one assumes the role of chronicler, they must refrain from meddling in sect affairs and remain impartial in its conflicts, recording history with a detached mind. Thus, names like Cai Pingchun, Ning Xiaofeng, and Juexing Zen Master were still vague to Yan Xu—but the name Cai Pingshu was like thunder in the Nether Sect!
Yan Xu leapt three feet off the bed: "Cai Pingshu! That Cai Pingshu?! You—you—how dare you…" Furious beyond words, he found himself at a loss for curses.Mu Qingyan's great-grandmother was merely frail in health, his grandmother was merely stubborn in temper, and his mother was merely a spy sent by Nie Hengcheng—though none were reliable, at least they were still from the sect.
Who would have thought Mu Qingyan would surpass them all, reaching new heights by bringing in a little demon from the Big Dipper Six Sects! Heavens above, which immortal seeks to destroy our Nether Sect?
Yan Xu collapsed weakly onto the bed, his head buzzing.
Mu Qingyan, meanwhile, remained composed as he calmly instructed, "I have a matter to attend to shortly. Since Elder Yan has such strong vitality, why not come along and observe? Guanyue, have someone fetch a sedan chair."
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