The sun climbed high past mid-morning.
At the end of Echun Road, a small procession of riders approached slowly—no more than ten in total. Even before they drew near, Tang Lici and Zhong Chunji caught the thick scent of blood in the air.
As the riders advanced step by step, the teahouse owner sitting outside suddenly let out a shriek and scrambled frantically to hide behind the building. Drops of something dark and crimson splattered from the horses—undoubtedly blood. Zhong Chunji trembled uncontrollably. Each horse bore severed heads—some with one, others with two—all belonging to the subordinates she had sent to assassinate Xue Xianzi.
Leading the procession was a towering, fearsome figure: Yu Qifeng. Behind him rode Hongchan Niangzi and Qingxuzi, followed by a white carriage—undoubtedly the Dissolute Shop’s signature style, its iron cage holding a captive. A white-robed figure guided the carriage, though their identity remained unclear, while six more white-clad, masked figures waited silently at the rear.
Despair coiled in Zhong Chunji’s heart. She had known sending assassins after Xue Xianzi was unlikely to succeed, but she never imagined this outcome. The Dissolute Shop’s forces guarding Xue Xianzi were formidable—enough to obliterate any mid-sized faction in the martial world.
Tang Lici’s expression remained unreadable. The arrival of the Dissolute Shop, the heads dangling from the horses—none of it seemed to surprise him. As Yu Qifeng dismounted, Tang Lici rose, the stench of blood making him frown slightly. "Sword King Yu, it’s been a while."
Yu Qifeng sneered. "Where’s the exchange?"
Tang Lici glanced at Zhong Chunji beside him. "This young lady, Zhong, is both imperial nobility and Xue Xianzi’s prized disciple. Surely she is a worthy trade." Zhong Chunji shivered violently, her face deathly pale. Her attendants, who had never understood their princess’s frantic comings and goings, exchanged bewildered looks at the mention of an "exchange." Fang Juan immediately shouted, "Wait! You intend to trade Her Highness for someone? How dare you treat the noble Princess Langya of Great Song with such insolence!"
Yu Qifeng flicked his whip, sending two heads tumbling to the ground like melons. "Princess Langya? A princess who sends palace guards to murder her own master—what a fine imperial flower you are! I’ve walked the line between good and evil my whole life, yet even I wouldn’t claim to match your cruelty." His voice dripped with scorn. "Did you think killing Xue Xianzi would spare you from Tang Lici? Or keep you out of the Dissolute Shop’s grasp? Naive!"
"Your Highness…" Fang Juan paled at the sight of the heads. "You couldn’t have truly…" She had known the princess dispatched seventeen skilled men, but never imagined their mission was this. Zhong Chunji’s face twisted between shades of fury and dread, her hand gripping her sword. She longed to cut Fang Juan down—now that her folly was exposed, how could she silence every witness and preserve her facade of kindness? Her expression was bleak, but her mind raced with murderous possibilities."Princess Langya, along with thirty-three imperial guards and one palace maid," Tang Lici said with a faint smile. "The Dissolute Shop has seized the princess, enough to manipulate the situation. Compared to Xue Xianzi, this princess is far more valuable, isn't she?"
"Perhaps Yu Konghou anticipated you would trade the princess, which is why he spared the old man's life," Yu Qifeng waved his hand, and the white-clad men behind him lifted the curtain of the carriage, revealing an iron cage inside.
Tang Lici and Zhong Chunji both looked into the cage, where a man sat cross-legged, his head full of white hair, dressed in loose white robes entirely different from his usual embroidered attire. Xue Xianzi's face was still handsome, hardly matching the "old man" Yu Qifeng had described, but his complexion was haggard, with a dark aura flickering between his brows.
Zhong Chunji gazed at Xue Xianzi, and for some reason, her heart suddenly ached, tears welling up in her eyes. "Master..." Tang Lici smiled faintly. "Just stay with the Dissolute Shop for a while. Don't worry—it won't be long before I raze the Dissolute Shop to the ground, rescue you, and then flay Yu Konghou alive, tearing him limb from limb." He gently stroked her hair bun and pushed her forward. "Go on."
Zhong Chunji, her face deathly pale, walked step by step toward the iron cage. Behind her, Fang Juan rushed forward. "Princess! Princess! You must not let these villains manipulate you! Princess, we must return to Bianjing at once—you absolutely cannot..." Zhong Chunji's thoughts raced. "Fang Juan, you're right. I must never let myself be controlled. Escort me out of here!" She drew her sword, adopting a stance ready for a desperate fight.
Tang Lici smiled faintly, while Yu Qifeng didn't even spare a glance for the imperial guards. As Zhong Chunji brandished her sword to break through, Hongchan Niangzi, Qingxuzi, and the white-clad masked men immediately dismounted. Screams erupted, blood splattered, and in an instant, the thirty-three guards lay dead on the ground. Fang Juan's face turned ashen, while Zhong Chunji sheathed her sword, biting her lip.
"You... you..." Fang Juan suddenly realized. "You... you feared your plot to assassinate your master would be exposed, so... you used others to silence the witnesses..." She had never imagined the mistress she served could be so vicious. "How could you..." Zhong Chunji, her mind in turmoil, grew furious at the accusations and slashed her sword toward Fang Juan. As Xue Xianzi's top disciple, her martial arts far surpassed Fang Juan's, leaving the latter defenseless, closing her eyes to await death.
With a sharp "snap," Tang Lici intercepted Zhong Chunji's sword. He sealed her acupoints, lifted her, and tossed her toward the carriage. Yu Qifeng caught her, then opened the iron cage and carried Xue Xianzi out, placing him on the ground. In a sinister, hoarse voice, he said, "The deal is done. The old man is yours." He locked Zhong Chunji into the iron cage. "Don't say I didn't warn you—Yu Konghou is returning Xue Xianzi to you, but of course, he won't be returning him unharmed and whole."
"I understand," Tang Lici smiled. Yu Qifeng turned his horse around, about to lead his men away, when Tang Lici suddenly remarked softly, "Actually—hasn't Yu Konghou considered using your superior numbers to ambush and kill me here?"
Yu Qifeng didn't look back, his voice icy. "Engaging in conflict with you would not necessarily benefit us."
"The Sword King is too modest," Tang Lici said gently. "Farewell, then.""Until we meet again." Yu Qifeng spurred his horse away, while Hongchan Niangzi and Qingxuzi remained silent, clearly under Yu Konghou's deliberate instructions to prevent Tang Lici from probing or provoking. The group departed as swiftly as they had arrived.
Only two heads and a scattering of corpses remained on the ground.
Tang Lici turned around to find Fang Juan standing behind him, staring at the two heads with rapid breaths, her face still unnaturally pale. Zhong Chunji had just raised her sword to kill her. Though Fang Juan had never liked this princess, she had been utterly loyal—only to face death at her mistress's hand.
"Fang Juan," Tang Lici said with a gentle smile, "were you frightened?"
Fang Juan jerked her head up, recognizing this elegant and refined Young Master Tang. "M-Master Tang... the Imperial Uncle..."
Tang Lici nodded. "You were the Second Princess's maid?"
"Yes, but I was given... given to Princess Langya..." At the mention of Zhong Chunji, an involuntary look of terror crossed her face. "I never imagined the princess, so young and beautiful, could be... so terrifying."
"Did the Second Princess ever mention any identifying marks or tokens that could confirm the identity of the missing Third Princess—this Princess Langya?" Tang Lici asked, still smiling. "Or any keepsakes for recognition?" Fang Juan hesitated. "Keepsakes?" She pondered carefully. "There were none. The princess resembles the Second Princess greatly and was found in the same place where she was adopted back then. Could she be... false?"
"Resemblance can sometimes be mere coincidence," Tang Lici replied. "When Princess Langya was buried, she must have had burial objects with her. Perhaps, as she grew, she still retained some of these items. If Miss Zhong possesses such tokens, her identity as the princess would be undeniable." His words were peculiar, and Fang Juan, having spent years in the palace, sensed the implication—that Zhong Chunji might not be the real princess. Disillusioned and heartbroken by her mistress, she now sincerely hoped this was true. A sudden thought struck her. "When the princess was buried, the palace must have recorded the burial items in detail. If I can return to the palace, perhaps I can find out."
"Excellent," Tang Lici said with a smile. "But if you return unharmed while the princess is missing, the Second Princess may punish you. Here's what we'll do..." He lightly struck her with a palm strike. "Once you return to the palace, immediately seek a royal physician. This strike has damaged your heart and lungs. Though you feel no pain now, it is a fatal injury." His voice was soft. "Return at once. The physician will diagnose your severe injury, but dispersing the congested Inner Energy in your chest will cure it easily—no pain, simple treatment. With such a grave wound, the Second Princess shouldn't blame you."
Fang Juan bowed gracefully. "Thank you, Imperial Uncle." Tang Lici retrieved a gold ingot and a small bottle from his sleeve. "These are vitality-restoring pills. Take them if you feel unwell." Fang Juan accepted the gold and medicine. "Once I uncover the truth about the princess, I will find a way to inform you, Imperial Uncle." Tang Lici smiled gently. "If I need anything, I will come to you. For now, keep this from the Second Princess. Her sisterly affection may blind her to disappointment." Fang Juan nodded. "This maid understands."Tang Lici picked up Xue Xianzi, who was sitting cross-legged as if in deep meditation like an old monk. At the post station, he bought two carriages—one to send Fang Juan back to Bianjing, and the other to take himself back to Good Cloud Mountain.
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