Wang Daxia, having just recovered from a serious illness, appeared gaunt and haggard. Both Wei Caiwei and Lu Ying were reluctant to let him take action in the middle of the night, so they initially kept him in the dark. Lu Ying even mentioned that Poison Master Zhui Ming would be escorted to the capital the next day.
Unexpectedly, Wang Daxia had the same plan. As a subordinate, he couldn't openly defy his superior's decision; as a fiancé, he didn't want Wei Caiwei to take risks with him. Thus, he decided to act alone.
In this way, the three of them ended up pursuing the same goal through different means.
Seeing how Wei Caiwei and Lu Ying had meticulously arranged the plan to assassinate Yan Shifan—with methods that were fierce, ruthless, and precise—Wang Daxia, who had spent a year alone tracking down criminals along the southeastern coast, felt a surge of emotion welling up in his nose:
How could I, Wang Daxia, be so fortunate as to have such a wonderful wife and superior!
Wang Daxia put on his guard uniform, while Wei Caiwei removed her black robe and donned a Taoist Robe with a Bagua pattern on the back, disguising herself as a Taoist from Wudang Mountain. She tied a strip of white cloth around Wang Daxia’s neck, saying, "This is our identification mark. Those dressed as guards will wear it around their necks, while those dressed as Taoists will tie it around their waists, like me."
Lu Ying and Wang Daxia were both dressed as guards, while Wei Caiwei played the role of a Taoist, even going so far as to carry a peachwood sword for exorcising evil spirits.
Lu Ying unfolded a map of Wudang Mountain and explained, "Our people are stationed along all the necessary routes. Once Yan Shifan is spotted fleeing down the mountain, a red firework will signal his direction, and we'll take him down together. So far, no fireworks have been seen, which means Yan Shifan is still holed up in Taihe Palace at the Golden Hall. We'll go up under the pretext of rescuing him."
Tonight had only one goal: to kill Yan Shifan and avenge Wang Commander.
Of course, in Wei Caiwei’s heart, it was also about avenging her tragically deceased sister and wrongfully executed father.
Yan Shifan, it’s almost New Year’s Eve—the time for settling accounts can no longer be delayed.
The three of them ascended the steps, finding chaos all along the way. The winter night on Wudang Mountain was bitterly cold, and the guards on night duty never skipped their midnight snacks. Wei Caiwei had ground mushrooms and added them to the hot noodle soup and warming wine. The guards found tonight’s soup exceptionally delicious, and the more they ate, the more energized and exhilarated they became, even drinking every last drop of the broth.
Before they could set down their bowls, they felt an inexplicable sense of euphoria and collectively fell into hallucinations. It was as if celestial music filled their ears, the surroundings no longer felt cold, and spring blossoms and birdsong surrounded them. Immortals descended from the clouds, dancing gracefully, and the guards couldn’t help but join in, swaying their hips, shaking their bodies, their pupils dilated, eyes glazed over, wearing foolish grins.
The Wudang Mountain cooks who had delivered the food were terrified and rushed to the Duty Room to wake the sleeping guards. Startled from their dreams, the guards thought assassins had broken in and hurried over, only to find their comrades setting down their weapons and dancing in the cold night, completely unresponsive to calls.
None of them had ever witnessed such a scene. Convinced it was either demonic possession or evil spirits at work, they frantically knocked on the doors of various Taoist temples, demanding the Wudang Taoists rise and perform rituals to exorcise the evil.
Over five hundred Taoists from Wudang Mountain were hastily mobilized, each employing their own methods—drawing talismans, brandishing peachwood swords, slaughtering roosters to spray rooster blood, killing black dogs for their blood. Bowl after bowl of what was believed to be pure yang substances were splashed onto the dancing guards, all to no avail.
One by one, the guards lost in hallucinations faced the splattering blood head-on, continuing to dance as if nothing else mattered. They danced on, as if dancing was the only thing worth doing.Some virgin Taoist priests even cast aside shame, pulling down their pants on the spot to spray child's urine at the guards possessed by demons!
The three of them set out from Purple Mist Terrace, ascending the mountain along the way. They passed through Yellow Dragon Cave, climbed the Hundred-Step Stairs, entered Dividing Gold Ridge, and finally arrived at Taihe Palace.
All along the path, chaos reigned. Everywhere fluttered yellow talismans painted with cinnabar, the air thick with the metallic scent of chicken and black dog blood, and the pungent odor of child's urine. This sacred Taoist site was as noisy and disorderly as a bustling marketplace.
However, thanks to the chaos on Mount Wudang, the trio's ascent was almost unimpeded. Whether it was the guards who had let themselves go, dancing wildly and swaying like seaweed riding the waves, the Taoist priests busy exerting their powers to subdue demons and vanquish evil, or the guards stunned by the spectacle—none paid attention to the three moving against the flow up the mountain, assuming they were rushing to aid the rescue.
Moreover, Wei Caiwei imitated the posture of the Taoist priest Lan Daohang when he had pretended to exorcise the Dark Spectre in the Forbidden City years ago. Wielding a peachwood sword, she mimicked the Seven-Star Step, chanting the Great North Star Incantation as she walked:
"Seven Primes of the Northern Dipper, divine energy governs heaven. The Great Sage of the Celestial Stem, majestic radiance boundless. Above heaven, below earth, sever the source of evil. Riding clouds to ascend, descend before the altar. Bestow true qi, penetrate water, enter mist. Transmit through the three realms, all demons raise fists in submission. Slay demons, obliterate traces, return from death, ascend to immortality. The profound ancestor of heaven and earth! Command demons to cease, urgent as the law decrees!"
Wherever Wei Caiwei pointed her peachwood sword, Wang Daxia cooperated by throwing a firecracker in that direction. The crackling pops and bursts of sparks made it seem as if they were truly performing a ritual. The spectacle was quite dazzling, appearing far more "immortal" than splashing chicken blood or spraying child's urine.
Thus, the three of them "performed rituals" all the way to Taihe Palace atop Tianzhu Peak. The pinnacle of Taihe Palace, and indeed the very summit of Mount Wudang, was the Golden Hall—the place where the Dark Warrior deity was enshrined.
The summit of Mount Wudang was bitterly cold. Originally, Yan Shifan and Prince Jing were to descend to the posthouse to rest after paying homage to the Dark Warrior in the Golden Hall, returning the next day for the Taoist mass. However, with Poison Master Zhui Ming's sudden escape and continued evasion, both Yan Shifan and Prince Jing feared the descent would be unsafe. They decided to spend the night at Taihe Palace instead.
As Taihe Palace surrounded the Golden Hall, its eastern, western, and northern sides were built against the mountain, with high walls erected. Below these walls lay sheer cliffs and precipices, offering no foothold—one would need wings to fly in. Only the southern gate provided an entrance, making it the highest and safest palace on Mount Wudang.
Both Yan Shifan and Prince Jing were men who cherished their lives, unwilling to risk even the slightest mishap. They holed up in Taihe Palace.
In the middle of the night, Taihe Palace suddenly erupted in chaos. Yan Shifan and Prince Jing were awakened by the clamor of the "haunting"—as nobles, they did not keep night watch and thus had not consumed the midnight snack Wei Caiwei had laced with ingredients. They had gone to bed early, each lost in their own sweet dreams.
Both men, having committed countless misdeeds, were immediately frightened upon hearing the ghostly commotion. They urgently ordered the Taoist priests within Taihe Palace to exorcise the evil.
The Taoist priests each displayed their unique skills, with talismans painted in cinnabar fluttering through the air above Taihe Palace. Yet, no matter how profound a priest's cultivation, none could make the guards stop dancing.
All the talismans had failed.
This group of guards seemed to have collectively time-traveled to a nightclub in Beijing's Sanlitun five hundred years in the future, following the voice in their hearts as they swayed their limbs, dancing incessantly. It was as if an invisible DJ atop the Golden Hall tirelessly spun records without rest.The wall surrounding Taihe Palace became a deafening sound system. The dancing guards, aside from the music, showed no reaction to the outside world, like marionettes controlled by musical notes, swaying their bodies involuntarily in a collective dance frenzy.
Yan Shifan and Jing Wang hid in a pavilion, observing everything happening in the main hall through the window. Jing Wang knelt toward the golden hall's defense line and prayed, "Mysterious Warrior God! My great ancestor! I beg you to manifest your power, dispel the evil spirits, and save your descendants!"
Though Yan Shifan was advanced in years, his mind remained sharp. He noticed that the Taoists' various rituals to exorcise evil spirits were useless, and the dancing guards showed no reaction to the charms, yet they did not go berserk to actively attack people either. An idea immediately formed in his mind. He helped the kneeling, prayerful Jing Wang to the windowsill and shared his observation:
"...Your Highness need not panic. These guards are only dancing and haven't done anything else. They don't even have weapons in their hands. This humble subject suggests that Your Highness order these dancing guards to be driven out of the main hall, close the gates, and let them dance as they please. When dawn comes and the sun rises, perhaps the possessing evil spirits will leave."
Jing Wang was so panicked that he lost all presence of mind. Whatever Yan Shifan said, he believed. "We shall proceed as you suggest," he said.
Yan Shifan issued orders in Jing Wang's name. The awakened guards and Taoists worked together to drive away the dancing guards. These guards danced in place, completely unresponsive to the outside world. No matter how they were scolded or even threatened with swords, they refused to move toward the south gate.
Until a guard wielding a long spear, in a moment of desperation, stabbed through a dancing guard's neck.
Blood spurted from the neck, the dancing guard fell to the ground, his body convulsing, and he finally stopped moving after taking his last breath.
Yan Shifan was overjoyed and quickly sought credit from Jing Wang: "Your Highness, did you see? They are not fearsome at all, just a bunch of foolish creatures that only know how to dance. They don't even dodge when speared."
Jing Wang saw that it was indeed so and immediately gained some confidence. He ordered his subordinates: "Tie ropes around their waists and drag them out one by one.The subordinates complied, no longer using words or weapons to drive them away. Instead, they led them by ropes like dogs, slowly pulling them toward the south gate.
This method actually worked!
The guards followed the pulling force, dancing as they moved, their dance steps growing increasingly alluring. Occasionally, a few fell but immediately got up and continued dancing.
Yan Shifan lavished praise, "Your Highness's plan is truly brilliant! This humble subject is utterly impressed!"
Being praised by the old fox renowned for his "demonic talent," Jing Wang swelled with pride, feeling he was the chosen one destined to inherit the throne.
As the dancing guards were being driven out, the closed south gate was opened, allowing the trio to slip in amidst the chaos.
However, Taihe Palace was the largest architectural complex on Wudang Mountain, with over five hundred rooms and pavilions everywhere. Where exactly was Yan Shifan hiding?
This didn't stump the trio. Wei Caiwei grabbed a handful of bloody mud from the ground and smeared it on her face and clothes, making her appearance unrecognizable.
Lu Ying and Wang Daxia, dressed as guards, tore at Wei Caiwei's Taoist robe and even knocked her hat askew. Now, Wei Caiwei looked as if she had just been in a fight, her Taoist robe torn to shreds.Lu Ying and Wang Daxia grabbed Wei Caiwei by the arms, one on each side, and dragged her before a guard. "The thief Lord Yan is looking for has been captured by us," they said. "May we ask where Lord Yan is? We need to deliver the criminal to report our mission."
Among the three of them, Wei Caiwei's figure most closely resembled that of Poison Master Zhui Ming, making it easy to pass her off as the suspect.
The guard pointed into the distance toward Lingyun Pavilion. "Right there, where the two red lanterns are hanging."
The trio hurried toward Lingyun Pavilion.
Author's Note: What? We've already reached two hundred chapters this quickly? Let's celebrate by giving out 200 red envelopes!
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