Wenxiu Shitai was taken aback upon hearing this. She took the envelope from Cheng Yunpao's hands, broke the seal, and found inside a thick stack of letter paper covered in bold cursive script—the contents spanned over a dozen pages. As she focused her gaze and began reading, her expression was initially one of bewilderment. The crowd watched as her anger visibly grew, her eyebrows slowly rising in fury. When she finished, she slammed the letter onto Liu He, the leader of the Azure Gate Sword, and snapped, "Pass it around!"
Liu He, startled, picked it up and began reading. More people crowded around to scrutinize the contents, their shock mounting with each passing moment. Some would glance up at Tang Lici after reading a section, their eyes filled with the same dread as if they had just spotted a venomous snake.
"You—you vile—!" Wenxiu Shitai glared at Tang Lici. "So you are the greatest spy the Dissolute Shop has planted within the Central Plains Sword Association! What a cunning scheme—using the enemy to bolster your own power! What a brilliant strategist you are, Young Master Tang! You pushed Liu Yan to the forefront while lurking in the shadows, then pretended to defeat him when the time was ripe, securing your place in the Sword Association. Through Fang Pingzhai, you maintained secret contact with Liu Yan, ordering him to develop an antidote for the Ape-Demon Nine Hearts Pill! The gathering at Beauty Abode, where you 'saved' so many—it was all a carefully orchestrated game between you and Gui Mudan, all to solidify your standing within the Sword Association! You killed Chi Yun, you killed Shao Yanping—because they discovered your secret! You even tried to murder Peach Girl—had she not been quick-witted enough to leap off a cliff, she too would have fallen victim to you! Recently, you committed more murders, slaying several renowned martial arts masters, severely weakening the Sword Association’s strength. Under the pretense of eradicating the Dissolute Shop, you led everyone to Piaoling Mei Yuan—no doubt you had already arranged for the Dissolute Shop to lay a trap there, waiting for us to walk right into it! Once the Dissolute Shop annihilated us all, you, Young Master Tang, would hold the antidote to the Ape-Demon Nine Hearts Pill, and with no rivals left in the martial world, who could oppose you? Who would dare? Not only would you dominate the Martial Arts World—you would seize the entire realm! This is the sinister plot you, Tang Lici, have been meticulously crafting!"
From the moment Liu Yan had been captured by Fang Pingzhai and brought to Good Cloud Mountain, he had known Fang intended to harm Tang Lici—but he never imagined he would go so far as to sacrifice Qingxuzi and set up such a vicious trap! As Wenxiu Shitai’s accusations rang out, Liu Yan was left speechless, his fury nearly choking him. Yet, given his position, any attempt to defend Tang Lici would only make things worse.
Tang Lici, however, showed no anger. His gaze swept lightly over the scene. "Is that Abbot Puzhu’s handwriting?"
"Indeed," Wenxiu Shitai declared coldly. "It is the personal letter of Shaolin’s Puzhu. I recognize his script." After Puzhu became abbot, he had once sent a letter to Emei, and Wenxiu Shitai remembered his handwriting.
"It seems he was in great distress when he wrote this," Tang Lici said softly. "For such an important letter, his strokes are unusually hasty and disordered."
Wenxiu Shitai sneered. "Are you suggesting it’s a forgery? Unfortunately for you, it bears the seal of the Shaolin abbot—there’s no possibility of it being fake! Young Master Tang, do you have anything to say in response to this letter?""The letter is genuine, and most of its contents are not incorrect, but..." Tang Lici said softly, "some things are better left unsaid for now, lest they cause unnecessary confusion." Meng Qinglei could no longer hold back and, despite Cheng Yunpao's attempts to stop him, whispered, "Young Master Tang, I believe you are nothing like what the letter claims. If you have any grievances, why not speak openly?" Upon hearing this, those who trusted Tang Lici nodded in agreement.
Tang Lici glanced around. Very few gazes remained steadfast; most were filled with doubt. He spoke gently, "There really isn't much to say." Meng Qinglei was stunned, and the crowd erupted into murmurs again at his admission. Yu Konghou said, "For a man steeped in evil to confess so readily is beyond belief. Given your temperament, how could you yield so easily?" He pointed at Qingxuzi's corpse. "What is the meaning of that sword in your hand? Do you intend to silence everyone here and return to the mountain to continue as Young Master Tang? Earlier, you killed Qingxuzi right before Wenxiu Shitai and me, utterly unconcerned about being discovered. You wanted him dead as quickly as possible—preferably unnoticed, but if someone saw, you’d kill them too. Isn’t that right?"
Tang Lici smiled faintly. "Indeed."
"But unfortunately, it was Wenxiu Shitai and I who arrived. You couldn’t kill both of us in a few moves." Yu Konghou's expression was icy. "And far more people came than expected, forcing you to stop. So—in truth, we are all lucky survivors who narrowly escaped your blade. Now that your identity is exposed, yet you remain, sword in hand, I can only guess your sole purpose—" He took a step forward, pointing directly at Tang Lici’s face, "is to slaughter us all, silence every witness, and preserve the name of Young Master Tang!"
As Yu Konghou uttered these words, the murmurs in the forest ceased abruptly. Every eye fixed on Tang Lici, on the sword in his hand.
Their gazes were frigid. Though they were the weaker party, they glared at Tang Lici with the hostility of prey confronting a predator—utter revulsion and rejection, as if he were no longer one of their kind.
Liu Yan shuddered and looked up at Tang Lici.
All he could see was Tang Lici’s back and his sword, held at his right side, its cold gleam sharp and unyielding.
He could not see Tang Lici’s face.
But even he found such stares unbearable—the hatred from one’s own kind, the piercing chill like the harshest winter wind seeping into every pore... and killing.
Under such gazes, a man ceased to be human.
Under such gazes, he knew Tang Lici was full of openings. That eternally untouchable figure could not withstand such scrutiny. He didn’t know how Tang Lici endured it... He couldn’t see.
He only saw the blade.
The icy sword remained motionless in the wind, as if frozen.
"Young Master Tang, have you no rebuttal to my conjecture?" Yu Konghou narrowed his eyes. Tang Lici’s compliance was too absolute, stirring slight suspicion. Was this smooth progression due to Tang Lici’s mental collapse under pressure, or was it all part of some deeper scheme? Yet the reactions of those around them didn’t suggest collusion.
Tang Lici did not answer.Yu Konghou took a slow step forward, then retreated slightly. "There is a way... to verify whether Young Master Tang is a spy for the Dissolute Shop, whether he has any hidden reasons..."
"What way?" Zhang Hemo looked at Tang Lici, at the long sword in his hand, feeling waves of dread. He didn't know whether to trust him or the letter from Pu Zhu.
Yu Konghou pointed at Liu Yan, her red lips parting. "Let him kill Liu Yan. If he can kill Liu Yan, perhaps he isn't a spy for the Dissolute Shop. If he doesn't kill Liu Yan, he must be a spy!" She enunciated each word clearly. "Liu Yan has committed countless atrocities and deserves death. I believe no righteous person would hesitate to kill him."
Wenxiu Shitai stared coldly at Tang Lici—the same Tang Lici who had snatched Liu Yan right before her eyes earlier. "Young Master Tang, kill Liu Yan."
Zhang Hemo nodded and declared loudly, "As long as you kill Liu Yan, I will believe you are no spy for the Dissolute Shop!" Once these two spoke, the crowd quickly agreed. If Tang Lici killed Liu Yan, his suspicious behavior could be reconsidered. If he provided a reasonable explanation, even the killing of Qingxuzi might be forgiven—after all, Tang Lici still commanded considerable respect.
"I can't kill him," Tang Lici said in his gentle voice, answering so quickly it seemed he hadn't even thought about it. "He is my friend."
The moment these words left his lips, the expressions of the crowd shifted—from cold indifference to outright disdain. I can't kill him, because Liu Yan is his friend.
Then what about Chi Yun?
How could he kill Chi Yun without batting an eye? Did Chi Yun mean so little to him that he wasn't even considered a "friend," compared to a notorious villain like Liu Yan?
And what about Shao Yanping?
Shao Yanping had trusted him wholeheartedly, harboring no suspicions. How could he kill Shao Yanping and then feign ignorance, acting as though he knew nothing?
His refusal to kill Liu Yan must mean Liu Yan still held some value to him! The crowd unanimously reached this conclusion, their gazes now filled with contempt.
Liu Yan whispered, "Just kill me."
"I've said before—as long as you change, I won't let anyone lay a finger on you," Tang Lici murmured softly. "And you have changed, haven't you?" Liu Yan gave a bitter smile. "I deserve death for my crimes. My life is worthless." Tang Lici replied slowly, "Shh—if I say your life is worth something, then it is... Only if I say it isn't, then it isn't." His words were light but deliberate. "Don't worry. I promise you won't be hurt, and you won't die. Just close your eyes."
Liu Yan's expression twisted violently. If not for his sealed acupoints, he would have rather dashed his head against the ground and died. It wasn't fear of pain or death that tormented him—it was the chaos before him, the crumbling situation, Tang Lici's complete disadvantage, all of which he had caused. And now, even in this moment, he was still dragging Tang Lici down, forcing him to fight for his sake—a useless cripple, a worthless waste who didn't deserve to be saved by his sword.
Why won't you kill me? Liu Yan clenched his teeth, his face contorted in agony. Is this heaven's punishment? To make me live a fate worse than death, to burden me with endless sins, layer upon layer, yet deny me the release of death? Deny me death! "Hey! You vile scoundrels of the Dissolute Shop! Prepare to meet your end!" Wenxiu Shitai could no longer restrain herself. With a sharp hiss, her longsword left its sheath, thrusting straight toward Tang Lici's chest. "Today, both of you shall pay with your lives!" Tang Lici smiled faintly as he raised his sword to parry. In the flickering sword light, the two exchanged over twenty moves in an instant, appearing evenly matched with no clear victor.
Tang Lici's skill far surpassed Wenxiu Shitai's, yet his swordplay seemed deliberately non-lethal, aimed only at stalling. The onlookers exchanged puzzled glances—why would this exposed traitor delay instead of fleeing? What was his purpose? Yu Konghou, however, suddenly realized with a shudder—he was actually—
At the same moment, Cheng Yunpao also grasped Tang Lici's intention and stiffened in shock!
He was buying time. He truly had no intention of leaving—not out of foolishness or inability to escape, but because Hong Guniang's return was still two days away.
If he left now, control would fall into the hands of Wenxiu Shitai's faction, and her straightforward nature made her unwittingly susceptible to Yu Konghou's manipulation. He had to hold out until Hong Guniang's return to stabilize the situation. But with two days remaining, Yu Konghou had already struck first. How could he endure until then?
Cheng Yunpao drew a sharp breath—this man, sword in hand, prolonging the fight—he intended to battle here for two full days and nights, fighting until Hong Guniang returned!
Had anyone in this world ever stalled for time like this? For the greater good! For the greater good! Here he stood, denounced by all, despised by those who once trusted him, resolved to fight relentlessly for two days and nights, awaiting a turning point!
Who had claimed—that Tang Lici was scheming and ruthless?
A bitter taste filled Cheng Yunpao's mouth—only today had he recognized the fiery passion in this man's heart! No one else in this world would do something so foolish, yet this brilliant mind had chosen the most clumsy, stubborn method to delay until Hong Guniang's return!
Against a thousand foes, could one man with a single sword endure?
Fifty-two hours—two days and nights.
Wenxiu Shitai remained oblivious to Tang Lici's intent. Seeing him counter her moves, she assumed he was mocking her and attacked with increasing ferocity. Nearby Emei disciples, noticing their master's struggle, exchanged glances before shouting and lunging at Tang Lici with their swords. His techniques remained unhurried, devoid of killing intent. With a faint smile, his blade flicked out, sealing two opponents' acupoints.
The forest crowd watched the Emei disciples' failure with cold amusement. Moments later, Zhang Hemo could no longer stand by and joined the fray with a palm strike.
Yu Konghou smiled faintly and waved his hand, signaling a Sword Formation to advance—one personally instructed by Tang Lici, originally meant to spearhead the assault against the Dissolute Shop, now turned against its own teacher.
Tang Lici's sword flowed effortlessly as he faced the multitude, graceful and unyielding. Behind him, Liu Yan watched with despair. No matter how strong his martial arts, defeating a thousand on Good Cloud Mountain was impossible.
If he died here, it wouldn't matter—but A-Li...
He would never accept death here!He had gained nothing yet—those things he had dreamed of: a woman who would genuinely die for him, a mother who would genuinely die for him, the support and admiration of friends, the approval of his father...
He had gained nothing yet!
Liu Yan stared desperately at the flashing blades and clashing swords before him. You're all mistaken—he never wanted the jianghu or the world, not at all! When you accuse others of unforgivable sins, why don't you ask him what he truly desires? Did he ever truly want the Martial Arts World or the realm? Did he care for them? Why should he?
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