I'm torn between "Whose Mr. Yu" and "Thousand-Calamity Eyebrows," my mind splitting in two...
In the dense forest, a group of masked figures in brown robes moved silently, having trailed Tang Lici's carriage for some time. Above them on the treetops, several disciples from Mount Song Sect also followed the carriage with hands resting on their swords.
Clearly, many had come to hunt Tang Lici. Though they didn't know each other's names, they were comrades in purpose.
Not far ahead, at a mountain pass bend where Tang Lici's carriage must pass, an extravagant white carriage blocked the path. Adorned with white jade bells and shaded by a plain bamboo umbrella, it stood imposingly in the road.
Pulled by four magnificent white horses with jeweled harnesses and golden forehead plates engraved with intricate patterns, the carriage's fluttering white veils obscured its occupant. Eight equally splendid horses followed, each bearing a white-robed rider who coldly observed Tang Lici's party.
The Mount Song disciples sneered inwardly—Tang Lici finally had his comeuppance!
This fabulously wealthy Young Master Tang had always flaunted his status above others. Now that he'd fallen from grace, it was someone else's turn to posture before him.
How satisfying.
Tang Lici's voice came from his carriage: "Who approaches?"
A cold reply sounded from the white carriage: "The Jade Flute Mountain Treasure Vase Venerable pays his respects."
The Mount Song disciples exchanged glances—"Jade Flute Mountain Treasure Vase Venerable"? They'd never heard of such a person. Meanwhile, the brown-clad ambushers were Sun Family servants. Having lost kin to the Nine Hearts Pill, they bore bitter hatred toward Tang Lici. Knowing their sect's weakness, they avoided the Bodhi Valley conflict but came to Mount Funiu specifically for revenge.
Though the Sun Family alone couldn't kill Tang Lici, they knew hundreds sought his life along this road. Their single strike amid the multitude would suffice to avenge their family's spirits.
Awed by the Venerable's imposing presence, both groups restrained their immediate attack despite not knowing his origins.
The Venerable's voice sounded neither young nor old. As he spoke, another icy voice from the carriage demanded: "Return my disciple's life!"
The ambushers' hearts leapt as the carriage curtains fluttered, releasing a buzzing swarm of venomous insects. Gray-green poisonous mist spread instantly, engulfing the mountain path, forest, and even Tang Lici's carriages.
The Mount Song disciples, though sheltered in treetops, grew dizzy from the mist, eyes burning with uncontrollable tears. Horrified, they fled hastily. The Sun Family ambushers on the ground fared worse—most collapsed unconscious as the toxic fog reached them.“Retreat!” The Songshan Sect disciples gasped in shock. The so-called “Jade Flute Mountain Treasure Vase Venerable,” who they had never heard of before, appeared noble and imposing, yet the moment he made his move, it was all poisonous insects and toxic mist—clearly not the methods of a righteous practitioner. With their leader Zhang Hemo absent and most of their skilled members away in Bodhi Valley, the remaining disciples dared not venture deeper into the mist and immediately withdrew three li away.
From within the toxic fog ahead came a loud buzzing, accompanied by the clatter of hooves, the clashing of blades, and the shouts of men and women. Tang Lici and the Treasure Vase Venerable’s group had engaged in battle. The sound of galloping horses rose and fell, as though the eight steeds were charging and circling around Tang Lici’s party in rapid assaults. The commotion lasted for a long time without ceasing. The Songshan Sect, unwilling to rashly join the fray yet reluctant to retreat entirely, still hoped for an opportunity to strike. After waiting for what felt like an eternity, the toxic mist in the forest gradually dissipated.
What they saw was Tang Lici’s two carriages hacked to pieces, their wooden planks shattered and scattered. The clanging of metal came from swords and sabers embedded in the carriage walls, now colliding with saddles and horseshoes as they dragged along. Tang Lici and his party were nowhere to be seen—strangely, neither was the Treasure Vase Venerable’s group. The poisonous insects still buzzed through the forest, and though weapons littered the ground, there was not a single drop of blood.
Not only was there no blood, but despite Tang Lici’s carriages being utterly destroyed, the four horses pulling them remained completely unharmed. They trotted through the forest, dragging the splintered wreckage behind them, clearly spooked.
Yet, though frightened, none of the horses showed signs of poisoning.
The Songshan Sect disciples exchanged bewildered glances, their hearts filled with unease.
What in the world had happened?
Before long, the Sun Family members lying in ambush in the mountains slowly regained consciousness, sneezing repeatedly. Though their eyes were swollen and teary, the toxic mist in the forest didn’t seem lethal. Together with the Songshan Sect disciples who had infiltrated the woods, they calmed the panicked horses and inspected the carriages. All of Tang Lici’s belongings remained inside—jewelry, gold, silver notes, spare clothes for women and infants, and even several sharp weapons.
What was going on?
The Sun Family patriarch was deeply puzzled. Had the Treasure Vase Venerable been so formidable that he captured Tang Lici’s entire party without shedding a drop of blood?
The Songshan Sect disciples, after all, hailed from a prestigious school. After circling the area a few times, they frowned. To say there were no signs of a fight—yet weapons lay strewn everywhere, many of them broken from clashing, and numerous trees had been snapped in half as if struck by powerful palm strikes. But to say there had been a fight—how could so many blades, hidden weapons, and poisonous insects be unleashed without leaving even a trace of blood? It wasn’t impossible for some senior masters to inflict fatal internal injuries without leaving external marks, but…
But this was Tang Lici.
Who exactly was the Jade Flute Mountain Treasure Vase Venerable?
The Songshan Sect was equally baffled.
At dawn the next day.
A Shui awoke from unconsciousness to find herself gently swaying—the carriage was still moving, steady as ever, as if the ordeal before she blacked out had been nothing but a fevered dream. Opening her eyes, she saw Feng Feng sitting beside her, and Liu Yan as well.
Apart from Liu Yan, the spacious carriage also held a young man she had never seen before. Dressed in pale blue robes, his complexion fair, his eyes clear and bright, he looked like a scholarly youth.
“This is Young Master Mo Ziru of Huijing Mountain,” Liu Yan said.A Shui noticed his low tone, clearly in a very bad mood, and coughed softly before asking gently, "Young Master Tang..."
Liu Yan remained silent for a long while before murmuring, "He went to Shaolin Temple."
A Shui asked hoarsely, "The... the Jade Flute Mountain Treasure Vase Venerable...? Young Master Tang..."
Liu Yan said quietly, "What Jade Flute Mountain Treasure Vase Venerable? He lied to you again." He took a deep breath. "He lied to you, he lied to me... He abandoned us, alone... alone he went to Shaolin Temple."
He said, "He wanted to go to Shaolin Temple, and we... were just burdens."
He said, "He never intended to take us with him."
He said, "He deceived the world again."
A Shui suddenly understood.
How could the ever-meticulous Young Master Tang truly drag along two dilapidated carriages, wandering aimlessly on a road full of ambushes? The strange bees and poisonous mist of Mount Funiu, the Treasure Vase Venerable beneath Jade Flute Mountain. A century-old owl turning into a tree demon, laughter and blue flames rising from its nest. The sudden clash of arms was nothing more than a diversion.
He had freed himself from these burdens to go to his Shaolin.
And they... and they still had to be grateful, thankful for surviving yet another desperate situation after all the hardships.
"What about Miss Selin?" A Shui asked.
Liu Yan replied indifferently, "He said... someone would send her home today." He gazed at the tightly shut carriage window, his eyes seemingly piercing through the curtains to see the vast landscape beyond. "I’ve never understood... whether he ever loved her at all."
A Shui closed her eyes. She didn’t speak, but in her heart, she thought... she believed he had.
Perhaps it wasn’t love, perhaps not much, maybe admiration, maybe fondness, maybe something else.
But Selin existed in Tang Lici’s eyes—he had arranged an escape route for her.
And herself?
She thought blankly... Young Master Tang... had never left her any path.
He probably hated her.
Mo Ziru maintained the solemn face of a scholar, but his eyes darted eagerly between the faces of these young juniors, thoroughly amused.
Wasn’t this far more entertaining than reading a storybook?
Tang Lici had asked him to bring along the old hands of Ten Thousand Apertures House to impersonate the "Jade Flute Mountain Treasure Vase Venerable" and abduct him. Combined with these youngsters swinging between heartbreak and melancholy, their expressions shifting endlessly—it was truly amusing, utterly amusing.
The only regret was that his good friend had parted ways with him this time to play elsewhere. Otherwise, sharing such a spectacle would have been a true delight.
The ornate carriage shed its guise immediately after descending Mount Funiu, stripping away the white gauze and jade bells to become much plainer. Mo Ziru didn’t take the carriage far—just down the mountain to a small farmhouse at the foot.
The driver was none other than Yu Tuan’er. Young and barely affected by the poisonous mist, she had regained consciousness early and was already chatting merrily with Mo Ziru. Unaware that this elegant-looking scholar was of the same generation as Xue Xianzi, she addressed him as "Brother Mo" without hesitation. Mo Ziru, thick-skinned as a city wall, accepted it with a smile.
Selin had already been swiftly escorted away by Tang Lici’s trusted men from Ten Thousand Apertures House. They would take her to a secret location he had arranged long ago. At the same time, he distributed the remaining wealth of Ten Thousand Apertures House among his followers. After this journey, Ten Thousand Apertures House would cease to exist, and every member under its banner would receive their share.This humble farmhouse was purchased by Jiang Youyu, one of the most important confidants of Ten Thousand Apertures House's chief steward, Tang Lici, in the capital. As the carriage slowly entered the courtyard, Yu Tuan'er looked curiously at the rows of vegetables planted in the front and back yards. There were some unknown plants bearing small goose-yellow fruits that looked soft and adorable.
A Shui stepped down from the carriage, holding Feng Feng's hand, gazing at the small house and vegetable garden before her.
Green mountains and clear waters, a cottage with a garden.
It was still early in the day, and mountain mists drifted slowly down the distant valleys like white fog springs. Five or six plump little birds flew overhead, landing on a nearby tree and hopping about.
Mo Ziru stood with his hands behind his back, observing the slightly moss-covered tiles on the cottage roof. "This is the residence of Jiang Youyu, the chief manager of Ten Thousand Apertures House. A-Yan, you'll stay here. Jiang Youyu has arranged three hundred apprentices for you." Mo Ziru smiled. "Apart from medicinal remedies, the solution to the Nine Hearts Pill also involves golden needle brain acupuncture. Your task is to teach these three hundred apprentices how to perform this procedure in the shortest time possible."
Liu Yan was momentarily stunned but quickly agreed.
Yu Tuan'er immediately asked, "What about me?"
Mo Ziru smiled gently. "If Tuan'er wishes to stay, of course, you may." He then turned to A Shui. "As for Miss A Shui..."
A Shui silently regarded Mo Ziru. This man... was one of the contingency plans Young Master Tang had arranged—or perhaps one of many.
As expected, he left nothing to chance.
Mo Ziru continued, "A-Li said... A-Li said nothing at all." He handed her a wooden box. "This is for you."
Liu Yan and Yu Tuan'er both found the box rather peculiar. Tang Lici had arranged everything so meticulously, yet for this woman he had always desired, he only gave her a wooden box?
A Shui accepted the box. It was exquisitely carved from boxwood, adorned with elegant ancient patterns of mountains and rivers—clearly a valuable item. Expressionless, she opened it. As expected... inside were... pearls and banknotes.
Her insignificant existence as a maid, her cheap and awkward sincerity, was worth such riches. Young Master Tang truly... treated her generously.
She thought... what was hard to obtain was always rare. Young Master Tang never needed her gratitude or deep affection. He only wanted to prove that he could always be loved, whether one was willing or not, clear-headed or confused, aware of boundaries or not. He could always be loved.
She realized she should have admitted long ago that she pitied him, should have let Young Master Tang know she had been deceiving herself. Then... they could have parted ways long ago, forgotten each other in the vast world.
A Shui took one banknote from the box, closed it, and returned it to Mo Ziru.
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