Tang Lici listened to his question, seeming lost in thought, but ultimately only smiled. If A Shui were here, she would naturally think—what's the point of asking about "willing" or "unwilling"? To certain people, Young Master Tang was hell itself. But Pu Zhu was not A Shui. Once he asked and Tang Lici did not answer, he fell silent again.
The sky gradually brightened, and light returned between the trees. A few insects crawled among the withered leaves when Tang Lici suddenly spoke, "'Three Slumbers Sleepless Sky' couldn't have taken your life. What did your dear friend do to you during those three days of induced slumber?"
The cruelty of "Three Slumbers Sleepless Sky," a tormenting poison, did not lie in the subsequent blindness, muteness, or sleeplessness, but rather in the first three days after poisoning, when the toxin ravaged the mind. Some never woke from the "three slumbers," and those who did—only to suffer blindness, muteness, or deafness—were merely experiencing the aftermath of severe mental trauma. If one could awaken and receive proper treatment, recovery was possible, though agonizingly slow, often involving months or even years of restless, meditative convalescence. Even if cured, one's lifespan and martial prowess would inevitably suffer greatly.
Yet for someone of Pu Zhu's skill, "Three Slumbers Sleepless Sky," though insidious, was not truly lethal. Yu Konghou had administered it primarily for those three days of slumber, intending to shatter Pu Zhu's mind. If she could destroy his will and turn him into a puppet, wouldn't that be ideal? During those three days of mental erosion, Yu Konghou must have done something.
And whatever she did, Pu Zhu would have known upon waking—otherwise, he wouldn't have resigned himself to the poison's effects, his spirit broken.
"My dear friend cast the String-Pulling Soul-Seizing Technique upon me," Pu Zhu said. "On the day I awoke, I fought back, severing her strings with my sword and expelling the gu worms from my nostrils. But the damage was already done. In those three days, she manipulated me into writing letters, killing Elder Da Cheng, and striking down Plum Blossom Numerology." His tone was calm now, but had it not been for the heart-wrenching shock and mental devastation at the time, someone of Pu Zhu's temperament would never have surrendered to "Three Slumbers Sleepless Sky" and sought death.
"And the chains?" Tang Lici asked.
"That was 'Gui Mudan' restraining me to prevent me from taking my own life," Pu Zhu answered slowly. "That person... may not have been the real 'Gui Mudan.'"
Tang Lici smiled faintly. Gui Mudan always appeared masked—anyone who donned that mask and wore a black robe embroidered with crimson peonies became "Gui Mudan." Such behavior suggested not only a doppelgänger but also that his true identity might be unusual. "Does 'Three Slumbers Sleepless Sky' still affect you now, Master?"
Pu Zhu sat cross-legged, his ash-gray monastic robe stark against the forest's withered leaves. After a moment of meditation, his voice remained composed. "Aside from 'Three Slumbers Sleepless Sky' and the gu poison of the String-Pulling Soul-Seizing Technique, there is another strange toxin in my body."
"What is it?" Tang Lici was unsurprised. Yu Konghou had schemed relentlessly—how could she refrain from exploiting Pu Zhu further after succeeding?
"According to Gui Mudan, it is a rare poison called 'Bee Mother,' though its effects upon activation remain unknown," Pu Zhu said. "Before this, I was resolute in seeking death and paid it no mind.""The poison of the 'Bee Mother'?" Tang Lici had never heard of it either, his brow furrowing slightly. Then Pu Zhu continued, "With all three poisons present, my inner strength is reduced to only fifty percent."
Tang Lici replied, "I abducted the abbot of Shaolin not because I expect you to prove my innocence, nor do I hope you will fight to the death against the Dissolute Shop."
Pu Zhu paused. "Please speak plainly, Benefactor Tang."
Tang Lici said slowly, "Since Yu Konghou has laid such a trap within you, Master, you are both his leverage in controlling the orthodox factions of the Central Plains and the trump card he holds through the poison in your body. By taking you away and making 'Abbot Puzhu' disappear, it is far more effective than keeping a swordsman with only half his strength, who might be controlled by Yu Konghou at any moment." He lifted his gaze to the mist-shrouded mountains. "Moreover, without an insider in Shaolin, how could the murders of Da Cheng and the master of Plum Blossom Numerology have been carried out so silently before, only to be exposed so abruptly tonight? Until the truth is uncovered, Master, you must remain hidden and focus on recovering from the poison. I will do my best to find renowned physicians for you. But whether you recover or not, unless it comes to a life-or-death moment or the orthodox factions face utter ruin, you need only vanish completely—to keep Yu Konghou on his toes." He added lightly, "As for the bloodshed at Shaolin, since everyone witnessed it as Tang Lici's doing, then it was the Dissolute Shop's doing. What's wrong with that? Yu Konghou and Gui Mudan only want me dead and buried, but resorting to such methods is truly absurd and laughable." He blinked, his eyes clear, devoid of resentment or anger at being framed—as if he genuinely found it somewhat amusing, with only a faint trace of warmth remaining.
Pu Zhu closed his eyes slightly. "Once this matter is resolved, I will personally explain the truth to the Shaolin community and accept my punishment."
Tang Lici laughed carefreely. "What crime have you committed? You merely trusted the wrong person."
And he—he was often the one who was wrongly trusted.
Following him, loving him, staying by his side... none of it led to a good end. After all, Tang Lici was no paradise—he was always a hell.
Dawn had broken. The thick smoke from Shaolin's direction was gradually dissipating—the flames in the Scripture Storage Pavilion had likely been extinguished. The monks, disoriented and panicked, were now searching the mountains. Tang Lici leading his men to raid Shaolin at night, killing Da Cheng, Miaozhen, and Miaozheng, burning the Scripture Storage Pavilion, and abducting Abbot Puzhu... each of these horrifying acts was unforgivable.
If before this night, Tang Lici's reputation as the master of the Dissolute Shop had still been in doubt, after this night, it was now irrefutable—a shocking revelation of his heinous deeds.
Pigeons flitted back and forth through the forest.
Back and forth.
Fluttering down among the trees.
Hong Guniang received the secret report that Tang Lici had abducted Pu Zhu and was not the least bit surprised. Pu Zhu was a close friend of "Xifang Tao." If Tang Lici hadn't dealt with him early, who knew what schemes Yu Konghou might have stirred up? Three dead and two missing at Shaolin—perhaps it was already a stroke of luck. Had it been her doing, since Shaolin always opposed the Dissolute Shop, she might have poisoned the entire temple of bald monks.
At this thought, she glanced at Bi Lianyi, thinking, This is how I am—unprincipled, vicious, and extreme. So why do you love me? Since you've chosen to love me, if you ever dare to love another woman in the future, I'll poison both you and her together. Bi Lianyi had no idea what Hong Guniang, who looked as serene as an orchid, was thinking about. He walked over and stood behind her, draping a cloak over her shoulders. Hong Guniang started slightly and sighed softly, "Has Yu Konghou returned yet?"
Bi Lianyi shook his head, "He's been gone for a full day and night. Who exactly did you arrange to wait for him?"
Hong Guniang replied, "Whoever hates him the most is the one waiting for him." She didn't elaborate on who exactly was waiting for Yu Konghou but instead lightly tapped the newly arrived secret report. "Tang Lici has abducted Pu Zhu. During the process, the 'Gui Mudan' from the Dissolute Shop was killed in battle."
Bi Lianyi was astonished, "Gui Mudan was killed? How is that possible? Just yesterday afternoon, he was outside Piaoling Mei Yuan exchanging blows with Cheng Daxia. They clashed palms once, ending in a draw—many people witnessed it."
Hong Guniang said, "Exactly. So who is the 'Gui Mudan' that died at Shaolin Temple?" She pondered, "How many 'Gui Mudan' exist in this world? Who are they really? Is the one I saw before the same as the one I see now?"
Bi Lianyi shuddered in shock, "'Gui Mudan' isn't just one person?"
"Definitely not just one," Hong Guniang affirmed. "'Gui Mudan' commands many death warriors, all ambitious. Where do these warriors come from? They couldn't have just appeared out of thin air. Where does the money and shelter for training them come from? Are they collaborating with Yu Konghou just to dominate the martial world?" She slowly closed her eyes and shook her head, "I truly believed it was for that purpose before. But after calculating, dominating the martial world doesn't bring much benefit to 'Gui Mudan.' What else in this world, besides the empty title of 'dominating the martial world,' could drive so many to throw themselves into death without hesitation?"
"Besides fame and fortune, there's vengeance," Bi Lianyi suggested. "Or perhaps even greater gains than 'dominating the martial world.'"
Hong Guniang frowned.
Meanwhile, in a canyon over thirty miles away from Piaoling Mei Yuan, Yu Konghou and a masked figure stood in a standoff.
Yu Konghou, clad in pink robes with delicate features, bore a faint scar on his face—another mark to add to the injuries he had inherited from Xue Tao. Though seething with hatred inside, Yu Konghou remained composed, as if he hadn't been intermittently fighting for a full day and night but rather engaged in a leisurely candlelit conversation with a confidant.
The masked figure, who had managed to engage Yu Konghou in battle for an entire day and night, never spoke a word.
He stood tall, his black hair tied high. Though his face was hidden, his every movement exuded youthfulness. He was also remarkably patient, never engaging Yu Konghou in full combat but constantly maneuvering around. Clearly unable to defeat or kill Yu Konghou, he struck here and there with a sword or knife, occasionally mixing in hidden weapons, yet Yu Konghou couldn't shake him off.
From the moment they first crossed paths, this figure had been following Yu Konghou from a distance. Whenever Yu Konghou approached the so-called "lake," the masked man would launch hidden weapons from afar. If Yu Konghou closed in, he would turn and flee; if Yu Konghou stopped, he would circle back and pursue again.
When Yu Konghou tried to eat or drink, the masked man would attack—his methods bizarre and unpredictable. Sometimes he would slash downward with a knife, other times he would shoot darts or poison, and occasionally he would even set fire behind Yu Konghou or blatantly poison his drinking water.This man's martial arts were inferior to Yu Konghou's, but he wasn't someone who could be killed in just a few moves. Yu Konghou was constantly harassed by him—the man's lightness skill was exceptional, and he was clearly adept at concealment and evasion. For a time, even someone as clever and vicious as Yu Konghou couldn't do anything about him.
What exactly did this man want? Yu Konghou was baffled. He wanted to check the "water-drawing lake" that Hong Guniang had mentioned to see if it posed a threat to the Underground Palace of Piaoling Mei Yuan. This man was blocking him, yet he clearly wasn't from the Dissolute Shop. Why was he so persistent? Did he think that by merely harassing Yu Konghou and preventing him from eating or sleeping, he could starve, dehydrate, or exhaust "Yu Konghou" to death?
Delaying like this was of no benefit to him—after all, Yu Konghou's Internal Force was deeper, and his endurance naturally surpassed the man's. Though the man's harassment kept Yu Konghou from eating or resting properly, he himself also had no time to eat, rest, or even meditate and sleep. Over time, the masked man would surely be the first to collapse.
Something was off.
After being entangled for a full day and night, Yu Konghou resolved to stay far away from that so-called "lake" and make an early escape. Being absent from the Central Plains Sword Association for a day and night—who knew what schemes Hong Guniang might be plotting? That little girl was full of tricks and not to be underestimated.
Perhaps this strange masked man was keeping him here just so Hong Guniang could secretly plot something behind his back?
A chill ran down Yu Konghou's spine. He quickened his pace and hurried back.
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