Hong Guniang and the others withdrew to the camp. She knew full well that although they had gained a slight upper hand in this first encounter, Yu Konghou and Gui Mudan had already discovered her siege strategy and would surely have countermeasures. It would undoubtedly become much harder to infiltrate the enemy camp and kill targets in subsequent attempts.
"Has he... made any moves?" Hong Guniang asked in a low voice as she quickly entered the tent of the Azure Fall Palace camp.
The one who came to greet her was the maid Ziyun, who whispered, "A flock of pigeons just flew in from outside the mountain."
"Pigeons?" Hong Guniang frowned slightly.
"They landed in the woods around here," Ziyun said quietly. "I saw some enter our camp, while others flew toward the other side of the mountain."
The other side of the mountain—that was the direction of Piaoling Mei Yuan.
Someone was sending messages by carrier pigeon, not only to Yu Konghou but also to Gui Mudan?
Hong Guniang was quite surprised—whose doing was this?
Or perhaps it was just a flock of wild pigeons, unrelated to Yu Konghou?
After all, few in the world believed Yu Konghou and Gui Mudan were in cahoots, let alone possessed carrier pigeons capable of delivering messages to both—unless the pigeons released by the messenger were originally raised by Piaoling Mei Yuan.
This was an unexpected yet not entirely unforeseen variable.
Hong Guniang glanced northward, hoping this variable wasn't... him.
The tent flap moved as Bi Lianyi and Cheng Yunpao entered together. Yu Konghou, dressed today in pink and purple robes, followed by Zhang Hemo, Qi Xing, Zheng Yue, and others, also stepped inside. Yu Konghou smiled at Hong Guniang and said, "Victory in the first battle today—Hong Guniang's brilliant strategy deserves the most credit. May I ask what your next move will be?"
Bi Lianyi and Cheng Yunpao were on high alert, unsure of Yu Konghou's true intentions. Tang Lici had pushed Hong Guniang into the fray, disrupting Yu Konghou's plans, and Yu Konghou would surely retaliate.
Hong Guniang raised her eyelashes slightly, giving Yu Konghou a look that was both melancholic and inscrutable—a gaze that, if Xue Xianzi had seen it, could have inspired poetry. Yu Konghou's almond-shaped eyes met hers; he had altered his face to resemble Xue Tao's, and those eyes were no less captivating than Hong Guniang's. As the two pairs of beautiful eyes locked, no one could guess what thoughts lay behind them.
"Today's ambush was successful, but Gui Mudan will surely be on guard now," Hong Guniang said coolly. "Tomorrow, we'll continue with the Poison Smoke Fire. Peach Girl..." She suddenly called out Yu Konghou's name, staring into his eyes. "You didn't fight today. Tomorrow, Peach Girl will lead the team to dig tunnels at these locations."
She walked to a simple wooden table set up in the tent. On it lay a sketch—a white, thick cotton cloth as the base, drawn with charcoal in exquisite detail, depicting the entire mountain forest where Piaoling Mei Yuan was located. Hong Guniang circled several points near a pond and said to Yu Konghou, "There's an underground river here. I plan to breach the waterway and flood Piaoling Mei Yuan's Underground Palace."
Yu Konghou was taken aback. This plan was no less ruthless than the siege, and once the waterway was breached, the flooding would take immediate effect—far quicker than a siege. Naturally, this waterway could not be breached. Yet Hong Guniang had entrusted such a critical task to him. Was this a trap, or was she certain he wouldn't dare act recklessly and expose his identity?
Hong Guniang remained expressionless and said softly, "The digging must be done in secret. Peach Girl's martial arts are exceptional. Xiao Hong, I leave this to you."Yu Konghou responded, momentarily unable to grasp the situation. Behind him, Zhang Hemo, Qi Xing, Zheng Yue, and the others grew excited, all agreeing that the plan was brilliant. If the flood could drown a majority of the villains from the Dissolute Shop, wouldn’t that be delivering justice on behalf of heaven, ridding the world of countless calamities?
After Yu Konghou left, Bi Lianyi frowned slightly, while Cheng Yunpao spoke up directly, "The flood plan wasn’t mentioned earlier. Entrusting it to 'him'—what if he leaks the information…"
Hong Guniang shook her head and whispered, "The lake is too far from Piaoling Mei Yuan. Digging a tunnel won’t be easy…" She drifted into thought. "This map was drawn by Young Master Tang. According to it, the lake lies deep in the valley, its surface even lower than the Underground Palace of Piaoling Mei Yuan. Diverting the water is merely a diversionary tactic."
"If it’s a diversion," Cheng Yunpao said coldly, "he’ll realize it the moment he reaches the lake. What then?"
"That’s why someone will be waiting for him by the lake," Hong Guniang replied calmly. "After all, evil cults don’t need a reason to kill righteous people."
Cheng Yunpao was taken aback. He hadn’t known Hong Guniang had arranged for someone to ambush Yu Konghou.
What kind of "evil cultist" could lay a trap for Peach Girl of the Central Plains Sword Association?
Under the vast sky and amidst the misty mountain haze, another flock of pigeons fluttered down into the forest.
Liu Yan drove the carriage, swaying unsteadily through the Funiu Mountains.
Behind his carriage was another one, both with tattered canopies and walls, splattered with bloodstains in many places. The horses pulling them staggered as if they might collapse at any moment.
They had finally entered the Funiu Mountains, enduring countless ambushes along the way. Thanks to Tang Lici’s unfathomable methods, the group had miraculously survived, though not without close calls.
This was largely because most of their attackers were from the righteous factions of the Central Plains.
After all, they were here to vanquish evil and uphold justice. Facing women and children, they couldn’t bring themselves to strike with lethal force.
Tang Lici might be utterly wicked, but what did the women and children around him have to do with it? It was simply that this demon was too cunning, surrounding himself with the weak, the sick, and the young, forcing his pursuers to hold back and allowing him to escape time and again.
Amidst the storm, Liu Yan drove the carriage deep into the Funiu Mountains.
He wore no hat or veil—those had been destroyed in earlier skirmishes. No matter how much gold or jewelry Tang Lici carried, it was useless in the wilderness. Thus, their carriage remained battered and worn, though they weren’t quite disheveled, they were certainly far from presentable.
In the past, Tang Lici would never have tolerated this.
He would have employed his extraordinary means to torment others or himself, insisting on lavish feasts and opulent displays—like the White-haired Fox Spirit’s delicate fur, unnecessary yet a matter of pride.
But this time, he said nothing.
Ever since A Shui uttered, "I’ll repay your kindness even if it means braving fire and water… is that enough?" he had fallen silent. Liu Yan had wondered if Tang Lici was trapped in another nightmare, lost in self-loathing, but his eyes told a different story.
He seemed truly haunted—or perhaps not at all.After that day, A Shui fell seriously ill. Liu Yan moved her into his own carriage, and Yu Tuan'er took care of her for over ten days before she gradually recovered. However, after her illness, the captivating charm she was born with seemed to have faded considerably—even Yu Tuan'er could see it.
A Shui wasn't as beautiful anymore.
Scattered into mud, crushed to dust.
This life, without fragrance, without past.
A handful of barren earth gazes at yellow butterflies.
Flowers never fully bloomed, dreams never fully bitter.
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