Northwest Cat Sprout Peak.
The mountain was covered in icicles and pristine white snow, under a clear blue sky without a single wisp of cloud.
Legend had it that Azure Fall Palace had moved southward, yet unbeknownst to many, it had eventually settled in the northwest. News of its relocation to Cat Sprout Peak only reached the martial world a full year after its move. As for its exact location on the peak, many in the martial community had tried to investigate, but none had succeeded in finding it.
From the distant snowfields came the sound of hoofbeats—a small group of riders slowly approaching the base of Cat Sprout Peak. From this point onward, the ice and snow grew thicker, and the biting cold made it nearly impossible for anyone but the most skilled warriors to proceed. The horses halted at the foot of the peak, and the riders dismounted, gazing up at the towering mountain.
"Damn it, what kind of godforsaken place is this? Can people really live here? Little brat, you better not be lying to us!" Chi Yun exhaled white mist, his breath visible in the frigid air. Despite his martial prowess, the cold was bone-chilling. "Even an immortal would freeze or starve to death in this hellhole." Zhong Chunji chuckled softly. "Once you get used to it, it's not so bad. From here, we can only proceed on foot. Let the horses return on their own." She loosened the reins, and the shivering white horse immediately let out a long whinny before galloping back the way it came. The others followed suit, releasing their mounts. As the horses departed, Shen Langhun remarked coolly, "No turning back now." Without the horses, if their plea for help failed, escaping this frozen wasteland would be no easy feat. Tang Lici, dressed in simple cloth robes—far less dashing than the flamboyant Chi Yun beside him—smiled faintly. "Miss Zhong, lead the way."
Zhong Chunji leaped upward, scaling the icy peak. Shen Langhun, carrying Xiao Qilan—who had just had his shattered ribs set—followed closely behind her. Though Xiao Qilan was immobile, Shen Langhun bore his weight effortlessly, as if the man weighed nothing. Chi Yun silently admired the feat before springing up after them. Tang Lici climbed steadily behind them. The biting winds and icy terrain seemed to have little effect on the group.
Cat Sprout Peak rose hundreds of zhang into the sky, and Zhong Chunji had already ascended a hundred zhang when Chi Yun, trailing behind her, finally lost his patience. "Damn brat, I’ve got no patience for mountain climbing. Even turtles wouldn’t come to this cursed place. Where the hell is Azure Fall Palace?" Zhong Chunji leaped another two zhang upward. "Almost there." Chi Yun scoffed. "So the palace is just hanging in the middle of this icy mountain? Not even a flat patch of land or a single blade of grass—where the hell is this supposed palace—" Before he could finish, a sudden flash of light caught his eye. He blinked and saw a radiant, translucent ice boulder, smooth and polished, shimmering with a seven-colored glow under the sunlight. Tang Lici came to a stop. "Quite the height." Zhong Chunji looked surprised. "Young Master Tang, you know the entrance is here?" Shen Langhun observed, "This ice is unnaturally smooth—it must be frequently touched. Could it be the entrance mechanism?" Chi Yun reached out and ran his hand over the ice boulder, confirming its polished surface. With a sudden push, the boulder slid aside effortlessly, revealing a dazzling, multicolored tunnel. "Did Wan Yu Yuedan hollow out the entire mountain? How the hell can anyone live inside ice?""People can indeed live inside ice blocks," Zhong Chunji said with a smile. "But they don't actually live inside them. Follow me." She led the way into the tunnel. Though mysterious, the tunnel was unguarded. After everyone entered, she closed the ice-sealed door and proceeded forward. The icy tunnel wasn't long, and its exit turned out to be on the other side of the snow peak. Looking down at the swirling clouds beneath their feet, even Shen Langhun felt a chill—falling from here would surely mean certain death. In the fierce cold wind, a rope swayed precariously, one end tied to a large block of ice at the tunnel's exit, the other vanishing into dense clouds. From the other side of the peak, they hadn't seen any clouds, but here the mist was thick, as if the mountain gathered clouds to itself. Zhong Chunji leaped onto the rope and walked into the clouds. The others hesitated briefly, but Chi Yun, unwilling to be outdone, quickly followed behind her. One by one, they stepped onto the rope. Relying on their exceptional lightness skills, they made their way nervously but safely through the mist. After walking no more than twenty or thirty zhang, sunlight suddenly touched their cheeks, and the view opened up before them. The other end of the rope was tied to another cliff, entirely different from the snow peak they had come from—lush with green trees and fertile soil. A gray squirrel watched them approach without fear, tilting its head, its small eyes darting curiously.
"Xiao Qiu! Are you there?" Zhong Chunji called out as she stepped onto the cliff.
From the verdant woods, a young girl in green robes ran out with a smile. "Ah! I thought you'd forgotten about us after venturing into the martial world, Xiao Chun. I've missed you every day... Oh!" She froze upon seeing the crowd. "You all..." Before she could react, two figures flashed from the woods—one standing to the left of the group, the other to the right, forming a pincer stance. The one on the right asked, "Miss Zhong, what is the meaning of this?" Zhong Chunji looked embarrassed. "I... These are Young Master Tang and his companions from Ten Thousand Apertures House. They wish to see the palace master." Tang Lici smiled and bowed, while Shen Langhun nodded in greeting.
The man on the right frowned. "This—"
"Please, guests, take a seat in the hall first," the one on the left said slowly. "The palace master is writing in his study. Please wait a moment."
It was well known that Wan Yu Yuedan had poor eyesight, so the claim that he was writing was clearly nonsense. Chi Yun's lips twitched as if he wanted to speak, but he held back, his face dark with displeasure. Zhong Chunji gave everyone an apologetic glance. "Left Guardian, Young Master Tang means no harm. May I see the palace master?"
"The palace master has said that no matter who comes these days, we are to say he is writing," the Left Guardian replied calmly.
"But—" Zhong Chunji couldn't help protesting. "When I came before, I never saw him writing. He... he can't even see the ink and brush. What... what could he possibly be writing?"
"The palace master says he is writing," the Left Guardian repeated, still calm.Zhong Chunji's gaze involuntarily fell upon Tang Lici. She had visited Azure Fall Palace many times but had never been treated this way, feeling utterly wronged. Chi Yun watched Tang Lici with cool detachment, secretly gloating. Shen Langhun supported Xiao Qilan, who weakly parted his lips to speak, but Tang Lici raised his sleeve to stop him and smiled faintly. "Whether Palace Master Wan Yu is writing or painting, today I must see him." At these words, Zhong Chunji was shocked—was he implying he intended to force his way in?
This declaration took both Guardians by surprise. The Left Guardian frowned. "Our palace respects you as a guest. Does Young Master Tang intend to fight us?" Tang Lici flicked his sleeve. "How about a wager? Would the Left Guardian be willing?" The Left Guardian asked, "What kind?" Tang Lici replied gently, "If you win, I'll give you five thousand taels of gold. If I win, you'll do something for me." The Left Guardian frowned again. "What's the wager?" Tang Lici took a step forward, his body light as a wisp of willow catkin, closing the distance between them in an instant until they were nearly breathing the same air. His right arm lifted effortlessly to block the defensive strike the Left Guardian threw at him. "I wager—he claims he's writing only to distinguish who truly poses a problem for Wan Yu Yuedan. Those who retreat in the face of difficulty need not be seen." The Left Guardian leaned back swiftly, drawing his sword, his expression calm and unshaken as his blade swept toward Tang Lici's shoulder like the wind. Tang Lici stood unmoving as Chi Yun's Moon Crossing Ring flashed out, the clang of blade meeting blade ringing sharply. Tang Lici said softly, "I wager that if you die, he will surely come out to greet his guests."
Zhong Chunji paled in horror. Chi Yun gripped his silver blade, eyeing the Left Guardian coldly. "You're holding back." The Left Guardian remained silent for a moment before suddenly sheathing his sword. "It seems you won't relent until you achieve your goal. Killing me isn't beyond your capabilities." He glanced at Chi Yun. "But you're holding back too." Chi Yun rolled his eyes. "You're polite, so naturally I am too. But if you're this courteous in a fight, Wan Yu Yuedan hiding in his study writing is in grave danger. Who knows when a guest far less polite than me might barge in to see him?" The Left Guardian paused, then unexpectedly smiled faintly. "The Palace Master truly is writing. But perhaps the ones he's been waiting for... are you." Both Guardians gracefully sheathed their weapons and stepped aside. Zhong Chunji was both shocked and delighted. "What's going on?" The Left Guardian replied, "The Palace Master instructed that anyone who comes up the mountain be told he is writing. If they retreat in the face of difficulty, let them go. If they refuse to leave and are willing to wait, let them wait. And if the visitor has urgent business and cannot be deterred, then they are to be received at Orchid Robe Pavilion."Orchid Robe Pavilion was the study of Azure Fall Palace. Zhong Chunji was both delighted and puzzled. "Young Master Tang, I'll lead the way," she said, darting ahead into the woods. Tang Lici glanced at the Left Guardian with a faint smile before following. After the group had departed, the Left Guardian stood with his eyes closed, while the Right Guardian remarked coolly, "Well?"
The Left Guardian replied, "Nothing much."
The Right Guardian said, "He had killing intent."
The Left Guardian remained silent.
The Right Guardian pressed, "If you hadn't withdrawn in time, do you really think he would have ordered your death?"
Still, the Left Guardian did not answer. After a long pause, he finally spoke slowly, "I believe that to him, killing one person to achieve a goal means nothing. The calamity our palace master has been trying to avert might very well be brought about by this man."
The Right Guardian responded indifferently, "But the palace master instructed us to prioritize our own safety first."
The Left Guardian gave a noncommittal hum and said no more.
Orchid Robe Pavilion.
Orchid Robe Pavilion, clad in blue, where cranes dance in the sky, at the edge of clouds.
Orchid Robe Pavilion stood atop the peak where Azure Fall Palace was situated. This peak, nestled among icy mountains and buffeted by swirling winds, had a climate unlike anywhere else—a branch of Cat Sprout Peak, towering hundreds of zhang high, nearly impossible to climb from below. The only way up was through an icy tunnel, traversed by rope. At the summit, a circular hot spring bubbled, creating a warm and humid oasis, while just a few dozen zhang below, the landscape was once again blanketed in snow.
Though the area was warm, the mountaintop remained cold.
Outside Orchid Robe Pavilion, white clouds drifted endlessly. Mist seeped in and out through the windows, and the wind never ceased—howling fiercely, carrying the biting chill from the high altitudes and the neighboring ice peaks.
It was an utterly unsuitable place for a study, yet a study it was.
At last, Tang Lici met Wan Yu Yuedan—the gentle youth of legend, who had defeated the Blood Sacrifice Society and led Azure Fall Palace back into seclusion.
Wan Yu Yuedan had also heard Tang Lici's approach. This man, who had recently risen to infamy in the Martial Arts World—mastermind behind the killings of Shi Tinghe and Yu Qifeng, the destruction of Yu Family Sword Manor, and implicated in the Ape-Demon Nine Hearts Pill—was the master of Ten Thousand Apertures House and the adopted son of the current emperor's father-in-law.
"Miss Zhong, Young Master Tang and I have matters to discuss," Wan Yu Yuedan said gently. Clearly, he had already received word from the palace about the visitor. His refined and tender face still carried a warmth as soothing as a spring breeze, the faint lines at the corners of his eyes exuding tranquility.
Zhong Chunji quietly withdrew with Chi Yun and the others, leaving only Tang Lici behind.
Standing diagonally across from Tang Lici, behind the desk, was a young man in blue robes. His delicate, gentle features were accentuated by striking, clear eyes—dark pupils against white—and his smiling gaze was as comforting as the soft blue of his attire, reminiscent of the gentle warmth of early spring.
"I am Tang Lici," Tang Lici said from the doorway, meeting Wan Yu Yuedan's gaze directly. He, too, wore a smile. To an onlooker, their expressions might have seemed nearly identical—were it not for Wan Yu Yuedan's lingering boyishness and Tang Lici's slightly more composed elegance, they could have passed as brothers.
But one could only wonder—how did each perceive the other? What kind of person, what kind of existence, did they see before them?"What were those two talking about?" Chi Yun grinned as Zhong Chunji pulled him away from Orchid Robe Pavilion. "Wan Yu Yuedan looks like a child—the kind that would crumple to the ground with one soft punch." Zhong Chunji's face darkened. "You... you never say anything nice, always so vicious with your words. What's the point?" Chi Yun spat, "I can't be bothered arguing with you!"
Xiao Qilan, supported by Shen Langhun as they walked slowly, suddenly said, "Since Wan Yu Yuedan already anticipated someone would come looking for him, there might be an ambush in Orchid Robe Pavilion." Shen Langhun replied indifferently, "If Tang Lici were sitting in that pavilion, there might be an ambush. But with Wan Yu Yuedan inside, there won't be." Xiao Qilan sighed. "Even without an ambush, he must have already prepared his refusal."
"The White-Fox's business deals never fail," Chi Yun remarked coolly. "The price he offers is probably beyond even Wan Yu Yuedan's imagination." Zhong Chunji's heart stirred. "What do you think he said to Yuedan?" Chi Yun replied flatly, "I'd guess... whatever Wan Yu Yuedan values most, that's what he talked about." Xiao Qilan couldn't help asking, "What does Wan Yu Yuedan value?" Zhong Chunji froze. After knowing him for years, what did Yuedan truly value? "He... values Azure Fall Palace, right?" Chi Yun rolled his eyes skyward. "Then the White-Fox probably threatened to blow it up if Yuedan refused to cooperate..." Shen Langhun scoffed. "Nonsense!" Chi Yun glared. "Oh? Then you know what he's scheming?" Shen Langhun fell silent. Xiao Qilan coughed a few times. "The Ape-Demon Nine Heart Pill is no trivial matter. Even if Wan Yu Yuedan wants to stay out of the jianghu, this affair will eventually drag Azure Fall Palace into it. He's a smart man—he should understand reason." Zhong Chunji sighed softly. Yuedan had withdrawn from the world, yet remained entangled in its affairs. Was he truly content to isolate himself? Why insist... why insist on remaining aloof? Why couldn't he contribute to the jianghu like Tang Lici? Why did he seem so utterly devoid of passion...
With a creak, to everyone's surprise, the door of Orchid Robe Pavilion opened, and Tang Lici stepped out. Zhong Chunji hadn't expected their discussion to end so quickly. "What happened?" she blurted. Tang Lici's hair was slightly tousled by the wind, his robes fluttering. He smiled. "Palace Master Wan Yu is a man of great vision. Naturally, he agreed—we may stay at Azure Fall Palace for as many days as we wish." Zhong Chunji gaped. Chi Yun couldn't resist cursing under his breath, "That damn little brat and his pretentious airs..." Shen Langhun, however, asked, "And the condition?" Tang Lici chuckled lightly. "Well... earlier, he wrote three characters, and I agreed to tell him someone's whereabouts." Xiao Qilan couldn't help asking, "Whose whereabouts?" Shen Langhun pressed, "What characters?" Tang Lici pointed back at Orchid Robe Pavilion. "The characters are inside. Palace Master Wan Yu's calligraphy is exceptionally elegant."
Involuntarily, everyone's gaze turned toward the pavilion. A few sheets of white paper had blown off the desk, tumbling across the floor. Wan Yu Yuedan stood nearby, unmoving—whether he couldn't see them or simply didn't care, he made no move to pick them up. As the papers rustled and rolled, the crowd glimpsed the bold, elegant strokes of ink: one character read "Fame," another "Wealth," and the last "Righteousness."
What did it mean?Could fame, profit, righteousness, and the whereabouts of one person really make Wan Yu Yuedan wade into these troubled waters, lending the power of Azure Fall Palace to provide them with temporary refuge?
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