Beneath the vast sea of clouds, winds and storms surged. On this howling night, gales tore through the peaks, shattering rocks and leaving the clinging pines teetering on the brink, as if this were a desolate hell devoid of human presence.
A black figure plummeted through the clouds, descending dozens of feet in an instant. Behind it, a gray shadow accelerated its pursuit, catching the black figure just before it could crash into the ground. The moment they connected, their descent intensified. Then, with a thunderous crack, two crimson ribbons erupted from the gray figure’s waist, unfurling like wings—twenty to thirty feet long and over three feet wide. Bolstered by the ribbons and the roaring wind, their fall slowed. Just before landing, the gray-clad figure struck the snowy ground with a palm, splitting the pristine white expanse into a bowl-sized crater, the ice fracturing into spiderweb-like fissures. Thanks to the ribbons, the gale, and that strike, they landed safely. Yet the gray-clad man staggered as the ice’s recoil sent Inner Energy surging through his chest, followed by another wave of True Power that shook his very core. His lips curled slightly. "You—"
The black-clad figure he had saved had lost its veil to the wind, but the hood remained, obscuring most of its face—Liu Yan. A low, mocking laugh escaped him. "Hahahaha… just as I’ve always said… you’re too sentimental. Why would someone so sentimental drive away brothers and get friends killed? I truly don’t understand. But with your methods… you’ll never kill me. Hahahaha…" With a flick of his sleeve, Liu Yan strode away, leaving barely a trace in the snow.
"Ugh…" Tang Lici clutched his chest, kneeling in the snow as blood trickled from his lips, staining his faintly smiling mouth a vivid crimson. "Hah… after I defeated you atop the mountain, you threw yourself off the cliff… I risked my life to save you… and you repaid me with a strike… A-Yan, you… truly surpass your master… and…" His voice faltered as he coughed up another mouthful of blood, his fingers and the snow now streaked with red—just like that day when he had dug out his dearest friend’s shattered heart and buried it within himself.
Now… Fang Zhou rests in peace. What meaning was there in all his schemes?
And the consequences… how would he face them?
Tang Lici knelt in the snow, his silver hair whipping in the blizzard, half his body stained with blood. The scarlet ribbons at his waist sprawled across the ground, their ends snapping violently in the wind, making him resemble a statue of ice—both beautiful and eerily unpredictable, painted in stark red and white.
At the edge of the fractured ice, a soft footstep landed on the storm-ravaged snow. The newcomer gasped softly at the sight of the twenty-to-thirty-foot-long crimson ribbons. "Young Master Tang…"
Tang Lici lifted his head. Through the swirling snow, a figure in dark fur robes approached slowly, bending down beside him. "What happened to you?" The pale moonlight reflected off the snow, casting an eerie glow on the young woman’s delicate, weary face—no older than twenty, her hair tied simply without adornment.
"A Shui…" Tang Lici’s lips curved into his usual serene smile. "Long time no see."The woman in fur shifted her gaze, glancing at the vibrant red ribbon tied around his waist and the blood staining his clothes and the ground. "He... he fell from the cliff, and you saved him?"
Tang Lici smiled faintly. "Mm."
"And after you saved him, he injured you?" the woman asked softly, the weariness in her eyes deepening slightly. "Ah..."
"Mm. Miss A Shui..." Tang Lici rose from the snow and ice. Though he had plummeted into the abyss and suffered severe injuries, his demeanor remained as composed as ever, without the slightest hint of faltering. A pearl covered in blood was still a pearl. "The icy wilderness is bitterly cold. Since he has returned unharmed, you should head back as well. If you were to catch a chill, wouldn’t that be my fault?" He smiled warmly as he spoke.
The woman in fur nodded but remained standing. "My child... how has he been lately?"
"He’s been well," Tang Lici replied, his smile unwavering and utterly sincere. "You stay by his side, but his temper is peculiar. Be careful."
"He—" the woman said slowly, "does as he pleases, acts recklessly. Once his heart is set on something, even if it means traveling a thousand miles by night or crossing a hundred rivers, he will stop at nothing to achieve it. But..." Her eyes lingered on the bloodstains on Tang Lici’s body. "He isn’t a particularly cruel person—just willful and arrogant. Perhaps he has suffered too deeply... If he had truly intended to kill you with that strike, you would already be dead. But even he himself might not understand..."
"I understand," Tang Lici said gently. "Miss A Shui, please return without worry. I will resolve the matter of the Dissolute Shop’s Ape-Demon Nine Heart Pill. Tonight, do not mention that you met me here."
The woman in fur smiled faintly, her expression serene. "A humble, drifting soul like me hardly warrants such courtesy from someone of Young Master Tang’s stature. The kindness you showed in taking in my child is something I will never forget." She bowed slightly and added softly, "Young Master Tang bears heavy burdens and endures much suffering. Please take care of yourself."
Tang Lici smiled but ultimately said nothing, watching as the woman in fur walked away slowly.
She was Feng Feng’s mother, Liu Yan’s maidservant, and the woman Liu Yan couldn’t help but love despite himself—a good person at heart.
Tilting his head to gaze at the snow-capped peak hundreds of zhang high, he pressed a hand to his chest and abdomen, his brow furrowing slightly. Then, with a flick of his sleeves, the vibrant red ribbon coiled around his waist swiftly retracted into his grasp, now no more than a handful. This crimson ribbon was the lifelong masterpiece of Pu Juan Shitai, the most renowned master of the Lotus Convent in Luoyang. Woven from the silk of a deep-red insect, this thread was a hundred times finer than ordinary silk yet far stronger, impervious to blades, fire, or water—a rare treasure indeed. However, precisely because it was so resistant to cutting, it could not be tailored into clothing. From the moment it was woven, it remained a single piece of fabric, three chi wide and forty to fifty zhang long, priceless beyond measure. Among all the textiles Pu Juan Shitai had crafted in her lifetime, she cherished this one the most, refusing to sell it. Years ago, Tang Lici had come to know her by chance, and upon her passing into Nirvana, she bequeathed this treasure to him. For this journey into the snowy mountains, Tang Lici had planned meticulously, anticipating the risk of falling. Thus, he had brought the ribbon with him from the start. After carefully stowing away the Floating Red Silk, he leaped upward, scaling the mountain once more. Despite his grievous injuries, his movements remained as swift and sure as an eagle’s. In moments, he had ascended several dozen zhang.Chi Yun climbed down the cliff face. Though it was perilous, his martial skills allowed him to navigate the dangers. He slipped several times but was fortunate enough to escape unharmed. By the time he reached the base of the mountain, dawn had begun to break. He searched the area thoroughly but found no trace of Tang Lici—only cracked snow stained with blood. The two damned individuals had vanished without a trace, leaving behind neither bodies nor even a shred of clothing. Unable to locate them, he noticed a faint set of footprints in the bloodied snow, seemingly left by a woman. Puzzled, he followed the trail.
Not long after Chi Yun departed, Wan Yu Yuedan and Zhong Chunji arrived at the foot of the peak. They circled Cat Sprout Peak but failed to find the bloodstained ice patch. After several rounds, Wan Yu Yuedan sighed softly, "If we can't find them, it likely means the person who fell isn't in danger. It's freezing here—let's head back." Zhong Chunji scanned the surroundings anxiously, "But what if they fell and got caught on the cliffside? Wouldn't that mean..." Wan Yu Yuedan replied gently, "Cat Sprout Peak is steep with few slopes—it's highly unlikely." Zhong Chunji murmured, "Then... what if he fell and... shattered into pieces? Wouldn't we still not find..." Wan Yu Yuedan smiled, "Miss Zhong, don't let your thoughts run wild. I firmly believe that with Tang Lici's abilities, he would never perish from a mere fall." At his words, "don't let your thoughts run wild," Zhong Chunji's cheeks flushed. Suddenly at a loss for words, she stared blankly at Wan Yu Yuedan. His features remained as exquisitely elegant as ever, his demeanor as composed as always. If it had been him who fell just now, how would she have felt?
"So what should we do now?" Zhong Chunji asked softly. "We successfully subdued the sixty-three members of Dissolute Shop, but he never mentioned what to do afterward." Wan Yu Yuedan replied, "For now... let's return to the palace and inform them that the two are safe. Then we'll wait quietly for his return."
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