Mo Li

"Mo Xiuyao?!"

Murong Xiong was both shocked and furious. Although he had never seen Mo Xiuyao before, he knew Prince Ding had white hair. Moreover, in all the world, the number of people who could withstand his full-force strike could be counted on one hand. Naturally, the white-haired man before him could be none other than Prince Ding, Mo Xiuyao. Zhennan Wang looked at the white-clad man standing with his sword, his expression complicated. Yet, he couldn't deny that Mo Xiuyao's sudden appearance had secretly eased his mind.

Turning his head slightly toward Xu Qingchen not far away, he said, "Qingchen Gongzi, what a clever scheme." For Mo Xiuyao to arrive so precisely, he couldn't have just reached Ancheng. Yet, he had remained hidden from everyone, clearly a hidden trump card left by Xu Qingchen. No wonder Xu Qingchen, despite being utterly defenseless, dared to provoke someone who could almost be called the world's greatest master. Xu Qingchen smiled faintly but did not respond. Zhennan Wang's heart sank, and he turned back to Mo Xiuyao, saying, "Prince Ding, you certainly know how to time your arrival. Had you been any later, both sides would have been severely wounded—wouldn't that have been better?"

Mo Xiuyao replied indifferently, "Just now, over a hundred masters were heading this way. It took some time to deal with them, and I nearly arrived too late. My apologies."

Only then did everyone notice the faint traces of crimson staining the hem of Mo Xiuyao's white robes. The blood had not yet darkened, clearly freshly spilled. Ren Qining, who was still entangled with four Qilin, paled upon hearing Mo Xiuyao's words and nearly had his arm sliced off.

"You came just in time," Ling Tiehan said as he stood up. Xu Qingchen frowned. "There were many of them?" He knew Ren Qining must have had other arrangements, which was why he had asked Mo Xiuyao to block the roads leading to the Murong family estate. A few hundred guards were one thing, but those Mo Xiuyao referred to as "masters" were undoubtedly no ordinary foes.

Mo Xiuyao smiled. "No need to worry. A Li and Mo Jingli are handling it. I came ahead to check on things. Young Master Ren, why not call it a truce?" Ren Qining frowned and leaped back, withdrawing from the fight. From the moment the battle began, he had realized these seemingly unremarkable opponents were incredibly difficult to deal with. If he had Murong Xiong's ability to kill with a single strike, it wouldn't have been a problem. But without it, he could only be worn down, his inner energy and stamina slowly depleted until defeat. As he retreated, the four Qilin also withdrew in unison, returning to Xu Qingchen's side and forming a tight protective circle around him.

Ren Qining scanned his surroundings, his smile bitter. "I was blind. To have met you both multiple times yet failed to recognize Prince Ding and Wang Fei. This defeat is not unjust." His words confirmed that Mo Xiuyao had indeed arrived in Ancheng long before.

Mo Xiuyao smiled insincerely and nodded slightly. "This prince merely wished to wander about and enjoy the spectacle. I never expected Young Master Ren to surprise me so greatly, forcing me to extend my stay. Isn't it just a coincidence that things have unfolded this way today?" In other words: Had you not foolishly sent people to tail me, I would have left long ago. So, your failure today is entirely your own doing. Ren Qining understood the implication, and his expression darkened further.

"So, you are Prince Ding?" Murong Xiong stared at Mo Xiuyao, his voice heavy.Mo Xiuyao lifted his head proudly and declared, "Indeed, it is this prince." Murong Xiong might have been a notable figure in the martial world, but the Prince Ding's Estate had never lacked prodigies throughout generations. Every Prince Ding had been an extraordinary talent, so how could Mo Xiuyao possibly regard someone like Murong Xiong—who possessed nothing but martial prowess—with any esteem?

Murong Xiong sneered coldly, "What an impressive Prince Ding! This old man would like to see just what you're capable of!"

Mo Xiuyao's sword gleamed coldly as he replied with a faint smile, "Feel free to try. Ling Gezhu, can you still move?"

While they spoke, Ling Tiehan and Zhennan Wang had seized the opportunity to regulate their breathing. Upon hearing Mo Xiuyao's words, they immediately shifted their positions, forming a triangular encirclement around Murong Xiong. At this moment, none of them harbored any delusions of facing Murong Xiong alone. Moreover, aside from Ling Tiehan, the other two were hardly martial artists by trade, so there was no need for them to adhere to any chivalric codes. The priority was simply to eliminate their opponent.

Suddenly, Ren Qining stepped between them, blocking Zhennan Wang with a smile. "Three against one is rather unsightly. How about I exchange a few moves with Zhennan Wang instead?"

Mo Xiuyao chuckled, "As you wish, Young Master Ren." Without another glance at the others, his sword swept forth like a silver curtain of icy light, surging toward Murong Xiong. Ling Tiehan, too, held nothing back, his blade unleashing a storm of sword energy. The coordination between these two far surpassed that with Zhennan Wang, and even Murong Xiong found himself hard-pressed. Meanwhile, Ren Qining and Zhennan Wang also engaged in combat.

On the road leading to the Murong family's stronghold, another bloody melee was underway. One side wore ordinary civilian clothing and wielded an assortment of weapons, yet each fighter was exceptionally skilled. The guards under Mo Jingli were gradually being overwhelmed.

Mo Jingli swung his sword, cutting down an enemy, only to sense a sharp gust of wind behind him. He barely had time to evade before a blade thrust toward his chest. A white figure flashed past, and the deadly strike faltered for a split second, allowing Mo Jingli to leap aside. Turning back, he saw the attacker collapse lifelessly. Not far away, a woman in plain robes moved with startling grace, her techniques ruthlessly efficient—every strike a killing blow. In mere moments, three or four corpses already lay at her feet. Mo Jingli froze, staring at Ye Li with an inscrutable expression.

Ye Li slashed another foe across the throat before turning and noticing Mo Jingli standing behind her, lost in thought. Frowning, she snapped, "Li Wang Dianxia, are you seriously spacing out in the middle of a battle?"

Mo Jingli snapped back to reality, eyeing her strangely. "How are you like this?" Ye Li rolled her eyes skyward, utterly baffled by his remark. She spun back, her dagger flashing as she severed an enemy's wrist, only for Mo Jingli to grab her again.

Ye Li scowled, turning to glare at him in fury. "What exactly do you want?" Nearby, Prince Ding's shadow guards and Qilin noticed their Wang Fei being harassed by Prince Li and subtly closed in, shielding her from further enemies. Seeing this, Ye Li took a deep breath and forcefully shook off Mo Jingli's grip. "Li Wang," she said coldly, "if you have something to say, can't it wait until this is over?"Mo Jingli looked at her silently, thinking to himself: Once this is over, will I still be able to find you to talk? Mo Jingli had never believed that as a prince, he needed to charge into battle like ordinary soldiers. So even now, while his subordinates were still embroiled in the fight, he stood here making small talk without a shred of guilt.

Mo Jingli stared at Ye Li and said, "You never told me you had such excellent skills." Ye Li rolled her eyes inwardly at his accusatory tone. She was thoroughly tired of Mo Jingli's constant harping—every time they met, he would bring up something similar, as if she had somehow wronged him. "Does my skill level have even a copper's worth of relation to you, Your Highness?"

During their standoff, the combined forces of Prince Ding's Estate and Prince Li's men finally dealt with all their opponents. Ye Li couldn't be bothered to entertain Mo Jingli's erratic behavior any longer and turned to leave for the Murong family's estate.

Before she could turn away, she spotted a large contingent of people approaching in the distance, and her brow furrowed. Ren Qining couldn't have hidden so many people near Ancheng without a sound. Mo Jingli glanced over and remarked, "It's His Majesty."

Indeed, it was Mo Jingqi, leading his entourage of elite guards. Ye Li frowned. They had brought only a limited number of people this time, which was why they had chosen to collaborate with Mo Jingli to intercept Ren Qining's forces. This decision was partly because Mo Jingli had already seized quite a bit of the Murong family's assets in Chu, and partly because, unreliable as he was, Ye Li still believed Mo Jingli had slightly more principles than Mo Jingqi, who oscillated between calmness and madness. She hadn't expected Mo Jingqi—who clung to life so desperately—to still be in Ancheng despite the chaos, let alone heading toward the Murong estate with his men. "What is he doing here now?"

Mo Jingli sneered, "What else? He's here to take advantage of the chaos."

A cold smile touched Ye Li's lips. "Take advantage? Who does he think he can plunder?"

As they spoke, Mo Jingqi and his men drew closer. His initially smiling face twisted into a dark scowl the moment he spotted Ye Li. "Princess Ding? What are you doing here?"

Ye Li replied calmly, "Ancheng belongs to Western Liang, and the people of Western Liang have never objected to my presence. Why shouldn't I be here?"

Mo Jingqi's eyes gleamed with suspicion. "If Princess Ding is here, then Prince Ding must be nearby as well?"

Ye Li smiled. "Does Emperor Chu wish to invite my husband for tea?" Mo Jingqi glanced at Ye Li and her dozen or so guards, his expression flickering, before turning to Mo Jingli. "And why is my brother here?" Mo Jingli answered solemnly, "I came to see the excitement and happened to run into Princess Ding. Aren't you here as well, Your Majesty?" Mo Jingqi narrowed his eyes. "Is that so?" His tone made it clear he didn't believe Mo Jingli's explanation. Knowing that Mo Jingqi suspected him of colluding with Mo Xiuyao, Mo Jingli didn't bother to elaborate and simply nodded firmly. "Indeed."

"Since I must head to the Murong estate now, I shall take my leave if Your Highness and Emperor Chu still have matters to discuss," Ye Li said lightly.

Mo Jingli replied, "I, too, am going to the Murong estate. Let us proceed together. Your Majesty..."Mo Jingqi said in a deep voice, "Naturally, I must also go and see." As he spoke, his gaze lingered on Ye Li, who paid no mind and walked leisurely beside Mo Jingli, chatting with him as they headed toward the Murong family estate, completely disregarding Mo Jingqi’s darkening expression. Mo Jingqi walked alone on the other side, his glances toward the two cold and sinister, sending chills down one’s spine.

Ye Li cast a faint glance at Mo Jingqi, who kept staring at her from time to time. She knew exactly what he was thinking—whether he could seize her when she was alone to threaten Mo Xiuyao. Unfortunately… she wouldn’t give him that chance. She glanced at Mo Jingli, who was only a step away from her. If Mo Jingqi dared to act, Mo Jingli and his guards would become her best shields.

Moreover, given Mo Jingqi’s cautious nature, he wouldn’t dare make a move without knowing whose side Mo Jingli was truly on.

Upon arriving at the Murong estate, the large-scale battle had already ended. In the open space before the Murong family gates, only Mo Xiuyao and a few others were locked in a fierce fight. Sword energy and palm strikes crisscrossed violently, shattering trees and even rooftops, leaving the surroundings in utter ruin.

"Big Brother," Ye Li said softly as she approached Xu Qingchen. Xu Qingchen glanced at Mo Jingli and Mo Jingqi trailing behind her, then sighed lightly at the bloodstains accidentally splattered on her clothes. After carefully examining her, he asked quietly, "Li'er, are you hurt?" Ye Li shook her head. "Don’t worry, Big Brother. I’m fine. How long have they been fighting?"

Xu Qingchen paused, frowning. "About an hour." Ye Li nodded. "Xiu Yao has faced Murong Xiong before. If he says he and Ling Gezhu can handle him together, there shouldn’t be a problem. But we must prevent Zhennan Wang from taking advantage after the battle." Xu Qingchen smiled in agreement. "That’s what I thought too. So… let Zhennan Wang and Ren Qining fight a little longer."

Zhennan Wang had already been injured earlier while fighting Murong Xiong, and his wounds were even more severe than Ling Tiehan’s. Another battle with Ren Qining would surely drain him completely, leaving him no energy for further schemes. Thus, after observing for a long time, Xu Qingchen had no intention of sending the Qilin to assist Zhennan Wang.

While Mo Xiuyao’s fight still showed no clear outcome, Ren Qining and Zhennan Wang were nearing their decisive moment.

As Xu Qingchen and Ye Li spoke, the two men exchanged a final, full-powered palm strike, each staggering back seven or eight steps before steadying themselves. Ren Qining’s face paled, and he coughed up blood despite his efforts to suppress it. Zhennan Wang, though not vomiting blood, had a trickle of blood at the corner of his lips, and his body swayed unsteadily. Lei Tengfeng hurried forward to support him. Despite the nearly twenty-year age gap between Ren Qining and Zhennan Wang, and the latter’s prior injuries, the fact that they fought almost evenly was a testament to Ren Qining’s skill.

"Father, how are you?" Lei Tengfeng asked anxiously as he held Zhennan Wang. Zhennan Wang waved his hand dismissively, then looked at Ren Qining and said, "Young Master Ren, your skills are impressive." Ren Qining, also severely injured, forced a smile. "You flatter me, Wang Ye."Glancing sideways at Ye Li standing beside Xu Qingchen, he smiled bitterly with some helplessness, "I was truly blind, failing to recognize Prince Ding and Wang Fei. This has all been for naught."

Thus, being too transparent is undesirable as everything becomes visible, while being overly mysterious is equally problematic. Completely avoiding others' understanding and hiding too deeply also means losing opportunities to connect with people. Had it been Lei Tengfeng, Mo Jingli, or Tan Jizhi—any one of them—encountering Mo Xiuyao and Ye Li on the road, even if they didn’t recognize them immediately, a moment’s thought would have sufficed. After all, disguise techniques haven’t reached the point of completely altering one’s appearance. Unfortunately, Ren Qining had never met Mo Xiuyao or Ye Li before. Even if he had seen their portraits, the artistic style of this era was abstract and impressionistic. Unless they wore identical attire, recognition face-to-face would be unlikely. Had Ren Qining known earlier that he was dealing with Mo Xiuyao and Ye Li, he would never have underestimated them, acting so rashly.

Ye Li showed no reaction to Ren Qining’s frustration, smiling gracefully instead. "You flatter us, sir. Wang Fei and Wang Ye never expected to meet someone like you. We’ve long heard of you… Young Master Lin."

Ren Qining’s pupils contracted as he stared intently at Ye Li. She merely smiled faintly and turned her gaze toward Mo Xiuyao and the others, who were still engaged in combat.

The duel had reached its most critical juncture, and the onlookers instinctively held their breaths. Mo Xiuyao and Ling Tiehan exchanged a glance mid-fight, then simultaneously leaped up, one after the other, thrusting their swords toward Murong Xiong.

Murong Xiong, caught between these two, faced immense pressure. The combined assault of Mo Xiuyao and Ling Tiehan was far more formidable than that of Zhennan Wang. Both wielded swords—Ling Tiehan’s style was steady and grand, befitting a master, while Mo Xiuyao’s was sharp and unpredictable, forcing constant vigilance. Even Murong Xiong had to admit these two were prodigies; had they been of his generation, their achievements might have surpassed his own. More crucially, during the fight, when one attacked with full force, the other would seize the moment to recover, and vice versa. Murong Xiong knew they were trying to prolong the battle to exhaust him, but he couldn’t break this pattern. As the two swords struck simultaneously, he faintly sensed his own fatigue. Yet, unwilling to let these audacious juniors off, he twisted aside and struck out with both palms at full strength.

Mo Xiuyao and Ling Tiehan gritted their teeth and pressed forward instead of retreating, driving their swords relentlessly toward Murong Xiong. Of course, Murong Xiong’s palms also landed on them, sending both flying backward, their swords slipping from their grasp.

"Xiu Yao!"

"Big Brother!"

Ye Li and Leng Liuyue cried out simultaneously, rushing forward to catch the falling Mo Xiuyao and Ling Tiehan. From afar, the details of the fight had been unclear, but now they could see Mo Xiuyao drenched in sweat, his silver hair damp. Ling Tiehan, equally pale, had his blue robe darkened to deep blue at the back, and his sword hand trembled slightly.Ye Li called out repeatedly, "Xiu Yao, Xiu Yao... how are you?" Mo Xiuyao took a few labored breaths before offering her a reassuring smile. "I'm fine. My sword struck him first." If his sword hadn't pierced Murong Xiong first, causing the latter's inner energy to dissipate significantly, both of them would have been far more severely injured. At least now, Mo Xiuyao still had the energy to provoke Ling Tiehan with a glance, saying, "You won last time. This time, this prince wins."

Ling Tiehan smiled helplessly. "This time, you win."

Everyone turned their gaze toward Murong Xiong, who had also fallen to the ground in the distance. His injuries were far more gruesome than Mo Xiuyao and Ling Tiehan's. Mo Xiuyao's flexible sword had pierced straight through his chest, while Ling Tiehan's long sword had slashed across his waist, staining the upper half of his body a dark crimson with blood. Ye Li could see clearly—Mo Xiuyao's strike had gone straight through Murong Xiong's heart. The fact that Murong Xiong was still breathing at all was astonishing, but it was obvious he wouldn't survive.

Ye Li shuddered at the thought of what might have happened if Mo Xiuyao's sword hadn't pierced Murong Xiong's heart. Even if Murong Xiong had been injured by Ling Tiehan, he would still have had more than enough strength to kill at least one of them. The realization sent a cold sweat down her back. What she didn't know was that Mo Xiuyao and Ling Tiehan had resorted to this desperate move out of necessity. They had indeed planned to exhaust Murong Xiong's inner energy before finishing him off, but Murong Xiong's nearly fifty years of superior cultivation weren't just for show. While he had been worn down, they had been drained even more. If they hadn't struck decisively, it was unclear who would have outlasted whom in the end.

Murong Xiong coughed violently, blood frothing at his lips, his eyes burning with resentment as he glared at Mo Xiuyao and Ling Tiehan. "Well... well done, Prince Ding... well done, Master of the King of Hell Pavilion. To think... to think this old man would..." A peerless master who once stood unrivaled in the world had now fallen at the hands of two juniors. Murong Xiong never finished his sentence. His eyes remained wide open as he drew his last breath—unwilling, unyielding.

A heavy silence fell over those present. Murong Xiong had been one of the most formidable martial artists in the world. The fall of such a master inevitably evoked a sense of melancholy.

Ren Qining, standing to the side, couldn't hide his shock at the sight. Suddenly, he lunged toward the Murong family head, who had been hiding in a corner. Without hesitation, under everyone's watchful eyes, he slit the man's throat. The Murong family head, still reeling from his uncle's death, had no time to react before losing his own life. Only after killing him did Ren Qining's expression ease slightly. Smiling, he turned to Mo Xiuyao and Zhennan Wang. "Prince Ding, Zhennan Wang, how do you plan to claim the Murong family's assets?"

Zhennan Wang frowned. "What do you mean, young master?"

Xu Qingchen sighed helplessly. "I presume the generations of gold and silver accumulated by the Murong family are already in Young Master Ren's hands?" The Murong family's shops, trade routes, and lands—assets Ren Qining couldn't touch—had already been dismantled and divided among them. What remained were the countless treasures amassed over a dozen generations.Ren Qining smiled and said, "Qingchen Gongzi is indeed wise. To be honest, I was quite lucky. If not for this... I probably wouldn't have made it out of Ancheng alive today." By killing the Murong family head, he alone now knew the whereabouts of the treasure—that was his true safeguard.