A faint smile curled at the corners of his lips. Yet sitting beside this unbearable woman, his heart felt unusually free, brimming with a fervent joy that allowed him to reveal his true nature without reservation.
From A Shui’s embrace, he retrieved the Willow Slayer. As the treasured blade struck down, the Dark Iron netting finally split open with an almost imperceptible crack. Tang Lici applied more force, severing the wires one by one, until at dawn, he managed to drag all three out from the Dark Iron net. All three were still alive, though unconscious. Tang Lici was in no hurry—as long as the poison wasn’t meant to kill, he cared little that his opponents now had three more hostages.
As the first light of dawn dispelled the shadows in the forest, he noticed a white sheet of paper pinned to the carriage wall by a dart. The woods had been pitch black the night before, the firelight dim and flickering—Tang Lici would never have thought to add firewood to the flames himself, so he hadn’t seen the paper.
But he knew it must have been there. Ambushes set along the way wouldn’t take people without demands; there had to be some message left behind. Rising, he pulled out the dart. Beneath it was a tattered sheet of paper bearing three words: "Fire Scale Temple."
The characters were utterly ordinary, devoid of any calligraphic flair. Tang Lici glanced at the sky, then loaded the three into the carriage. With a crack of the whip, he drove straight back along the main road.
The Fire Scale Temple stood on a small hillside at the mountain pass—a desolate, seldom-visited Taoist shrine.
His sense of direction was uncanny. Despite the rugged, uneven mountain path and the carriage’s jolting progress, he reached the temple entrance in the time it took two incense sticks to burn.
The unremarkable temple on the hillside consisted of only a few small halls dedicated to ancestral masters. The place was silent, its main gate tightly shut, with a white note pasted on it: "Stab yourself once to enter."
Tang Lici guided the carriage slowly toward the temple gate. As the horse reached the door, his whip flicked out, tearing the note away. With another swift motion, the whip lashed against the wooden gate, which burst open with a loud crack, swinging inward. His expression remained impassive as he flicked the whip again, urging the carriage—its frame light and frail—step by step into the temple grounds.
The note bearing the words "Stab yourself once to enter" fluttered into the air before shredding into countless fragments, scattering like butterflies in the wind.
In the temple courtyard stood seven or eight youths, their upright and vigorous postures exuding strength and resolve in the morning light. Two figures lay sprawled on the ground—Selin and Liu Yan—both on their backs, clearly immobilized by sealed acupoints. Meanwhile, Feng Feng was cradled carefully in the arms of one youth, watching quietly as Tang Lici broke through the gate.
Step by step, Tang Lici descended from the carriage. The youths, taken aback by his audacity to force his way in, froze momentarily before pressing their blades against Selin and Liu Yan’s throats in unison. One of them shouted, "Halt! Take one more step, and I’ll cut off his head!"
Tang Lici obeyed, standing still. Under the dawn’s glow, his clothes were spotless, his hair perfectly in place—unlike someone who had traveled through the mountains for days. Standing there in the crisp morning light, he looked like a figure stepped out of a painting.The seven or eight youths were dressed in identical attire—white robes embroidered with blazing cloud patterns. Tang Lici's gaze slowly swept over each of them, from the first to the eighth, before he smiled faintly. "Blazing Cloud Stronghold?"
The leader of the group stood ramrod straight, his expression icy as he replied coldly, "So you still remember Blazing Cloud Stronghold?"
"I remember," Tang Lici answered softly. Though he had never truly set foot on Plum Blossom Mountain or witnessed the stronghold in its heyday, and though he would never have the chance to see it again in this lifetime.
"The life of our chief! The life of Brother Xuanyuan! And the thirty-three lives of our Blazing Cloud brothers—today, you will repay them with your own!" the youth snarled. "You treacherous, despicable venomous dog! A spy of the Dissolute Shop! The bright sky and clear sun cannot tolerate you! And I, Chi Xin, will not tolerate you either!"
Tang Lici studied him. The youth was tall and broad-shouldered, wielding not an ordinary sword or blade but a flying dagger measuring one foot, three inches, and three-tenths. "What is your relation to Chi Yun?" he asked slowly, his tone unhurried, devoid of emotion.
Chi Xin sneered. "The chief was my sworn brother. He gave me my name and personally taught me martial arts. He roamed the rivers and lakes, saving countless lives—and you—you ungrateful, shameless venomous dog—" His voice trembled with grief and fury. "How could you bring yourself to kill him? He left Blazing Cloud Stronghold alone to lend you aid, and you set a deadly trap for him! How could you do it? How could you?"
How could you do it? Tang Lici's gaze remained fixed on the youth. He was no more than sixteen or seventeen, his stature imposing but his face still bearing traces of childishness. The other youths around him were much the same. After a moment, Tang Lici's lips curved slightly. "Who sent you to ambush me here?"
He had completely ignored Chi Xin's earlier accusations. Enraged beyond measure, Chi Xin bellowed, "Tang Lici! Your hands are drenched in blood—you go too far!" He raised his flying dagger and swung it down toward Selin. "From this moment on, you will do exactly as I say. Disobey even once, and I will cut her!" Having spent years in Blazing Cloud Stronghold, his skills were nothing to scoff at. With a sharp whistle, the dagger sliced through the air in a straight, decisive arc.
A crisp clang rang out—the moment the dagger touched Selin's robes, it snapped cleanly in half. The severed blade rebounded, grazing Chi Xin's forehead and leaving a trail of blood. Chi Xin froze in shock. Something had landed in the folds of Selin's robes—a smooth, lustrous pearl.
The man opposite them, who had shattered the dagger with a single pearl, coughed lightly and swayed slightly. Raising his sleeve, he slowly wiped the blood from his lips before speaking again. "Who sent you to ambush me here?"
Chi Xin and his companions exchanged uneasy glances, their faces paling with fear. One youth, who had been holding a sword to Liu Yan's throat, gritted his teeth and pressed the blade harder, ready to kill him on the spot. But the moment he exerted force, the sword twanged and broke in half. The severed edge rebounded perfectly, slicing a shallow cut across his own neck.
Another pearl fell to the ground, pristine and unblemished. The man opposite them repeated, his voice slow and deliberate: "Who—sent you to ambush me here?"Chi Xin reached for the second throwing knife at his waist, but his fingers began to tremble—this man—this man's abilities far exceeded their expectations. The skills of their group were nothing more than a clownish performance in his eyes. He started to realize that if Tang Lici hadn’t held back, the pearls in his hand alone could have wiped them all out without leaving a single trace. "You—"
"Who—told—you—to—ambush—me—here?" His tone was soft, almost weak, yet each word was enunciated with such precision that Chi Xin couldn’t help but blurt out, "It... it was a letter from the Sword Association, saying you were heading to Mount Song, so we..."
Tang Lici gave him a calm glance and extended his hand. "Give me back the child."
The youth holding the child stared at him in terror, his entire body suddenly shaking uncontrollably.
Tang Lici closed his eyes briefly before reopening them, speaking with deliberate patience. "Give him back."
Under that gaze, the man suddenly handed Feng Feng back to him as if he had seen a ghost. The other youths who had been holding blades to Selin and Liu Yan also lowered their weapons, their faces ashen. This man was terrifyingly powerful, almost spectral, and they had no idea how he might deal with them.
Tang Lici took Feng Feng into his arms. The child clung tightly to his clothes, eyes wide open but not crying, resting his chin firmly on Tang Lici’s shoulder. Still holding Feng Feng, Tang Lici extended his hand again toward Chi Xin. "The antidote."
Chi Xin’s lips trembled slightly. "I won’t give you the antidote." He had gone against the orders of the two stronghold leaders, bringing his brothers down the mountain for revenge. He had hated Tang Lici for so long—how could he accept such a humiliating defeat?
Tang Lici coughed once more, pausing briefly. "If Chi Yun knew of today’s events from the afterlife, he would be ashamed." His gaze swept over the group of youths. "Do you want Blazing Cloud Stronghold to take pride in you, or to be disgraced by you? I was the one who killed Chi Yun. But harming the innocent like this—is this the righteous way of the martial world that Blazing Cloud Stronghold stands for?"
His voice remained soft and calm, not raised, devoid of any strong emotion—neither anguish nor disappointment—just a weary repetition of common sense, empty and indifferent.
Chi Xin was stunned for a long moment. One by one, the youths lowered their weapons. Suddenly, one of them cried out, "Big Brother!" Chi Xin waved his hand dismissively, then pulled a small vial from his robes and threw it at Tang Lici with a dark expression. "Take it."
Tang Lici caught the antidote, first placing Feng Feng in the carriage before lifting Selin and Liu Yan one by one and helping them onto the vehicle. From the moment Chi Xin handed over the antidote, Tang Lici acted as if the group no longer existed.
The youths stood dumbly to the side, watching as he prepared to drive the carriage away. As if compelled by some unseen force, Chi Xin suddenly called out, "Wait!" He stared at Tang Lici strangely. "You... you’re just... letting us go?"
Tang Lici climbed onto the carriage and turned the horse’s head without answering. He didn’t leave immediately, instead lifting his gaze slightly to the vast, dense mountains bathed in the dawn light. Then, abruptly, he spoke. "You asked me how I could do it?"
Chi Xin froze, hearing him say in an utterly detached tone, "Because I’d rather the world hate me than hate him." His voice was faint. "Go back."The sound of hooves echoed as the simple carriage swiftly made its way into the mountains. Chi Xin stood in the Taoist temple, exchanging bewildered glances with his companions. After a long pause, he suddenly waved his hand and whispered, "Let's... follow them."
Tang Lici drove the carriage away, returning to the bonfire from the previous night to rest briefly. He administered the antidote to everyone and unsealed their acupoints. All of them had been poisoned, and after taking the antidote, they remained unconscious for a while. Holding Feng Feng quietly in the carriage, he sat motionless, one hand tucked into his sleeve.
Feng Feng clung tightly to him, silent.
After a while, Tang Lici's fingers holding the child twitched slightly, gently stroking his back. With a sudden "Wah!", Feng Feng turned his head and burst into loud sobs, hugging Tang Lici tightly. His teary eyes looked pitifully at Tang Lici as he cried in hiccups, as if carrying the weight of the world's grievances.
The corner of Tang Lici's lips quivered slightly, as though he wanted to smile, but ultimately didn't. Feng Feng's tears smeared messily across his cheeks and chest, yet he remained still. Encouraged by his lack of reaction, the little one grew bolder, biting down hard on Tang Lici's unmoving right hand before crying even louder, as if he himself had been the one bitten.
Tang Lici lifted his right hand, using both arms to prop Feng Feng up and cradle him properly. The little one, who had been wailing at the top of his lungs, seemed somewhat appeased, his cries softening as he nuzzled against Tang Lici, searching for a comfortable sleeping position—just like before. At first, Tang Lici held him stiffly, but gradually, his body relaxed, and he embraced Feng Feng quietly, just as he used to.
After all the twists and turns, only this little one in his arms still wished to be with him as before. He closed his eyes, listening intently to the surroundings. No one knew—just moments ago, there had only been two pearls left in his sleeve.
When and where had the rest of the pearls been lost? He had no idea.
Feng Feng had already fallen asleep in his arms, tears still clinging to his lashes. Listening to the breathing of the many people in the carriage, Tang Lici felt many deeply rooted matters in his heart grow indistinct. A strange clarity washed over him—some burdens had decayed beyond his ability to carry them. All he could shoulder now were the lives of the few people around him.
Once, he hadn't cared about the lives of a few, or even hundreds. After all, those people were already dead. A mere smile from him or the offering of a priceless treasure would bring even more followers—what was there to regret? Why bother caring?
But... perhaps it wasn't like that at all.
He was too exhausted to think about control or torment. The only thing he could do now was protect.
A faint sound nearby drew his attention. Tang Lici looked up and saw that A Shui was the first to awaken. She opened her eyes slightly, then sat up without even pausing to rest. After steadying herself with a hand to her forehead, she lifted her gaze and met Tang Lici's eyes.
He turned away after that single glance. She sighed softly, adjusting Yu Tuan'er and the coachman beside her before checking on Liu Yan and Selin. For some reason, the poison had receded much faster in her body, while the other four remained unconscious. Glancing at Feng Feng in Tang Lici's arms, she lifted the carriage's curtain and stepped out to rekindle the remnants of last night's bonfire. Then, she placed an iron pot over the flames and began boiling water.He watched her through the parted curtain, observing her arduous efforts—her unsteady steps to fetch water from the stream, her struggle to drag the heavy iron pot. She didn’t complain, and he didn’t offer help, yet the fire slowly kindled, and the water in the pot gradually came to a boil.
“Hmm…” Inside the carriage, Liu Yan struggled to sit up, holding his forehead, his expression still dazed. Tang Lici instinctively smiled faintly, but Liu Yan didn’t see it. By the time he lifted his head, Tang Lici’s smile had long vanished. Liu Yan rarely saw his face so devoid of expression. Noticing Feng Feng in his arms, Liu Yan was puzzled but didn’t know what to say. Yu Tuan’er let out a long breath and suddenly sat up, only to groan as dizziness overwhelmed her, nearly making her collapse again. Liu Yan quickly steadied her. Blinking away the lingering vertigo, Yu Tuan’er asked, “Did you save us and bring us back?”
Tang Lici didn’t answer or move. Normally, he would have smiled faintly, pretending the rescue was nothing more than a trivial favor. But now, he neither spoke nor moved. Yu Tuan’er was baffled. Seeing Selin and Uncle Ma still unconscious, she startled and hurriedly checked on them. Selin, delicate and unused to hardship, had developed a high fever, while Uncle Ma, the coachman, was merely asleep.
“A-Li…” Liu Yan hesitated, unsure how to speak to him. Since their reunion, they had exchanged only a few words about the past, with Tang Lici never mentioning that night. Gradually, their conversations dwindled until they reached this state. “You saved us… Thank you…” The words slipped out before he knew it.
Tang Lici glanced at him and nodded. Liu Yan found it even stranger but couldn’t bring himself to say more. Yu Tuan’er stared at him in confusion. “Why aren’t you talking? Did your voice go bad? Are you mute?” Tang Lici ignored her. Instead, he looked at Selin, then retrieved a pale-green porcelain bottle from his robe. Uncorking it, he revealed a single pill—dark purple-black with a peculiar odor.
Outside the carriage, someone tapped lightly three times. Liu Yan looked up to see A Shui, her face pale but cheeks faintly flushed, smiling as she carried a tea tray with two cups of clear tea. “Everyone must be shaken. Have some warm tea.”
Tang Lici gently placed Feng Feng on a cushion, then lifted Selin and helped her swallow the pill with the tea. But Liu Yan suddenly seized A Shui’s wrist, exclaiming, “Why are you still making tea? Don’t you realize you’re sick?” Her hand was burning hot, even more feverish than Selin’s. Yu Tuan’er gasped and scrambled to support her, but A Shui remained lucid, smiling faintly. “It’s fine…”
“Come back and rest!” Liu Yan snapped. “No more fussing—get back here!” He yanked her into the carriage, staggering as he stood. “I’ll handle the chores. You lie down!” A Shui flustered, glancing at Tang Lici, who still held Selin. Clenching her teeth slightly, she obediently sat in a corner, keeping as far from Tang Lici as possible, and pulled Feng Feng into her arms, sitting quietly.
She wasn’t asleep. Nor did she want to be.
Uncle Ma finally stirred awake at Liu Yan’s raised voice and hurried out to tend the fire and prepare food. Yu Tuan’er had already leaped out, arguing with Liu Yan about something. Inside the carriage, only Tang Lici and Selin, A Shui and Feng Feng remained.She sat quietly as Selin began to regain consciousness. Finding herself in Tang Lici's arms, she lifted her head to give him a kiss before falling asleep again. A Shui saw this but pretended not to notice.
A heavy silence filled the carriage. Though her chest ached and her body felt chilled, sleep eluded her. Soon, her entire frame began trembling slightly. Feng Feng woke up and stared at her with wide eyes, seemingly puzzled by her shivering. She smiled faintly and gently stroked his soft cheek.
Suddenly, a hand reached toward her. Her body tensed as she instinctively recoiled. Her movement was so abrupt that her back bumped against the carriage, causing it to sway—the hand that had meant to press against her forehead instead caught her wrist.
Then he took her pulse. She heard him cough lightly before a gentle warmth flowed from her wrist, quickly spreading through her body. The pain in her chest eased, and her trembling ceased. Gaining some strength, she whispered softly, "A Shui is but a lowly servant. Young Master Tang need not trouble himself for my sake..."
"Aren't you afraid of death?" he asked indifferently.
She fell silent, her lips pressed into a faintly resolute line.
"Feng Feng is still young."
His words were so simple, as if there had never been any connection between them—as if healing her was merely an act of duty. In that moment, she nearly forgot how he had once callously cast her aside to die, and how willingly she had embraced death... So she smiled faintly and said, "In that case... A Shui thanks Young Master Tang for saving my life..."
Tang Lici finally looked up, giving her a brief glance.
She continued, "I shall repay this kindness a hundredfold."
He suddenly coughed again, and the warmth flowing into her wavered slightly, causing a sharp pain in her chest. She frowned lightly, sighed, and murmured, "I will repay you with my life—through thick and thin, fire and water, without hesitation... Is that enough?" She gazed at Tang Lici and asked softly, "Is that enough?"
He made no sound, offering not a single word in reply.
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