Tang Lici had never heard of the "Sword Emperor," but he was well aware that Mo Ziru and Shui Duopo were no ordinary recluses. Contrary to their expectations, he didn't immediately seize upon Mo Ziru's bait. Instead, he stood there quietly, lost in thought for a moment.
Shui Duopo and Mo Ziru had no idea what he was thinking. Unconsciously, they both took another step back. Mo Ziru handed Pu Zhu over to Shui Duopo, who, seeing the little monk stripped bare and utterly indecent, hastily threw the bed's quilt over Pu Zhu's head to feign innocence.
Tang Lici snapped out of his reverie and, witnessing the scene, curled the corner of his lips in a faint, ambiguous smile.
Mo Ziru asked, "Do you know of the 'Summoning Lamp Decree'?"
"'Summoning Lamp Decree' was a notorious heretical sect in the Martial Arts World two or three decades ago," Tang Lici replied. "They practiced inherited poison arts, bizarre and unfathomable, resembling witchcraft yet distinct from the Miaojiang gu techniques."
"The 'Summoning Lamp Decree' family bore the surname Wang, and Wang Lingze was the most skilled in their inherited poison arts," Mo Ziru explained. "Their esoteric techniques were impossible to guard against, and the most terrifying aspect was that their poisons were nearly unsolvable by anyone outside the Wang family. Unlike ordinary poisoners in the jianghu, who targeted the body, the 'Summoning Lamp Decree' targeted the mind. No matter what poison they used, they would always supplement it with 'Three Slumbers Sleepless Sky' to cleanse the soul. Ultimately, the poisoned would mostly become puppets of the 'Summoning Lamp Decree.'" Mo Ziru pointed at Pu Zhu, wrapped in the quilt. "Little monks like this were countless under the 'Summoning Lamp Decree' twenty years ago. I had a close friend who was poisoned by Wang Lingze and ultimately shattered his own skull to death... Later, Dahe of Shaolin went alone with his sword to their doorstep, and the 'Summoning Lamp Decree' vanished from the jianghu. Everyone thought Dahe had wiped them out, but who knew they still had descendants?"
"If a descendant of the 'Summoning Lamp Decree' could poison Pu Zhu, they must be connected to Gui Mudan," Tang Lici murmured. "And since Pu Zhu never left Shaolin Temple, could this person be within Shaolin itself?" His eyes flickered slightly. "On the day I stormed Shaolin, a bloody incident occurred inside the temple—several monks died, and several went missing..."
"Oh?" Mo Ziru tilted his head.
"Great Master Da Shi... and Monk Miaoxing," Tang Lici said softly. "They had long resided in Shaolin. If one of them was truly a descendant of the 'Summoning Lamp Decree,' then Shaolin's calamity is far from over." After a slight pause, he asked, "How is Xue Xianzi doing?"
"Not well," Shui Duopo shook her head. "After all, he's advanced in years. Even with the gu worms removed, his injuries are too severe, and his vitality is greatly diminished."
The Essence of Demon's Pearl Spit from Raging Orchid No Trace was extremely potent. Besides being poisoned by gu, Xue Xianzi was covered in wounds, both internal and external. Even after detoxification, he remained unconscious. Xue Xianzi was still at Good Cloud Mountain, where Hong Guniang had left Fu Zhumei to tend to his injuries and guard him. Firstly, because Fu Zhumei's martial prowess was formidable enough to protect Xue Xianzi from any assailants. Secondly, even if Xue Xianzi underwent further anomalies, Fu Zhumei's abilities would undoubtedly suffice to handle it.At this moment, "Peach Girl" had already died. Yu Konghou had returned to Piaoling Mei Yuan with Raging Orchid No Trace, temporarily easing the internal troubles of the Central Plains Sword Association. Tang Lici's gaze slowly drifted past the window, settling on the bodhi tree outside. According to his and Hong Guniang's plan, they would gradually erode Piaoling Mei Yuan through attrition. Though it might take more time, they would surely eradicate the Dissolute Shop.
But now, things were different again.
Who exactly was "Gui Mudan"?
Where was the "Summoning Lamp Decree"?
The Dissolute Shop... Yu Konghou and Gui Mudan had gone to such great lengths—was it merely to vie for some meaningless, hollow reputation? Or was there another purpose behind their pursuit of this empty fame? And Fang Pingzhai... What exactly had Fang Pingzhai, lurking in the shadows, been doing? Tang Lici's shifting gaze finally rested on Pu Zhu. "Sword Emperor, Senior."
Shui Duopo, startled by his sudden address, couldn't help but rub the goosebumps on her arm. "I’ve done my best to keep this chef alive, but if we can’t find the 'Summoning Lamp Decree,' he’ll eventually turn into a monster..."
"Thank you... for finding a burial place for Ren Qingchou," Tang Lici said softly.
"Huh?" Shui Duopo was taken aback. Out of all the things she had anticipated, this was not one of them. "Ah..."
Tang Lici said nothing more. He didn’t insist that Mo Ziru and Shui Duopo must save Pu Zhu at all costs, nor did he threaten to raze Huijing Mountain’s Bright Moon Tower if Pu Zhu died again. He simply turned and left, his gray hair appearing dull against his white robes.
"He didn’t even ask you to investigate the 'Summoning Lamp Decree'?" Shui Duopo pointed at Mo Ziru, utterly bewildered. "Aside from you, who in this world knows what those Wang family people even look like? If you don’t go, who will?"
Mo Ziru was equally surprised. He had been prepared to continue playing the role of "Jade Flute Mountain Treasure Vase Venerable," but Tang Lici had just walked away like that?
The two exchanged puzzled glances. Just then, the curtain at the door shifted, and Liu Yan slowly stepped inside.
Seeing their odd expressions, he paused. "What’s wrong?"
Under Shui Duopo’s relentless disdain, Liu Yan’s scarred face had finally been treated enough to resemble a human’s again. Yu Tuan'er, obsessed with beauty, clung to him even more tightly. She had finally understood how so many white-robed and red-robed attendants of the Dissolute Shop had fallen for Liu Yan at first sight, only to become loyal servants under the hallucinatory effects of the Nine Hearts Pill. But the more she found him attractive, the more Liu Yan despised himself. Sometimes, Yu Tuan'er could even sense the sheer loathing he harbored for his own face.
"Nothing," Shui Duopo straightened her expression and smiled. "How’s the antidote coming along? Are the apprentices working out?"
Liu Yan, unsuspecting, replied, "The antidote is nearly complete. The first batch will yield over three hundred pills, enough to alleviate the crisis in the Central Plains Sword Association." He had no objections to the "three hundred apprentices" Tang Lici had selected, but mastering the golden needle technique was no easy feat. Even producing twenty or thirty skilled practitioners from this group would be a challenge, especially since he himself was no expert. Shui Duopo was also deeply curious about the so-called antidote for the "Nine Hearts Pill" and had gone to observe twice. However, accustomed to gathering and brewing herbs, she found Liu Yan’s unorthodox elixir-crafting methods hard to accept and eventually lost interest.
"There’s an extra little monk here, poisoned with a deadly toxin," Shui Duopo said with a straight face. "Do you want to practice on him? Maybe you’ll discover some miraculous talent—"The method instantly cured him, and Tang Lici's troubles were immediately reduced by one. You've accomplished a great deed."
Liu Yan had been looking gloomy, but upon hearing "a little monk suffering from severe poisoning," he froze. Raising his eyes, he saw someone lying on the bed. Mo Ziru, being Shui Duopo's close friend, casually pulled back the blanket covering Pu Zhu's face, revealing his head of black hair. Liu Yan was stunned again. "Shaolin's Pu Zhu?"
The future abbot of Shaolin had been effortlessly kept here by Tang Lici. Was the courtyard of Jiang Youyu, the chief manager of Ten Thousand Apertures House, really such a secure place? Liu Yan's gaze swept over Mo Ziru and Shui Duopo. These two elders concealed their depths—was this the reason Tang Lici dared to leave himself, the so-called "three hundred disciples," and Shaolin's Pu Zhu here?
Shui Duopo pointed at Pu Zhu. "This is the chef Young Master Tang gifted us. He only knows how to cook vegetarian dishes. Take a look at him—what poison is he suffering from?"
Liu Yan asked blankly, "A chef?" Then he shook his head. He wasn't skilled in diagnosis and had no way of discerning what poison Pu Zhu had been afflicted with. Just as Liu Yan was at a loss, Pu Zhu's eyelashes fluttered, and he regained consciousness. Before even opening his eyes, he sensed several people standing nearby. Grabbing the blanket, he flipped it over with a swift motion, draping it over himself as he sat up. Shui Duopo burst into laughter—this little monk was unexpectedly fastidious. Mo Ziru remained expressionless, his eyes drifting between Pu Zhu and Liu Yan, observing them intently.
Pu Zhu sat cross-legged. "Gentlemen." He opened his eyes briefly before closing them again, pausing slightly before continuing, "...Fellow practitioners." Surprisingly, he didn't chant "Amitabha" or address them as "benefactors," but instead called them "fellow practitioners."
"Where's A-Li?" Before Shui Duopo could speak, Liu Yan pressed urgently, "He brought you here—where is he now?"
Pu Zhu lowered his gaze, eyes still shut. "He has gone elsewhere."
Liu Yan's face darkened with anger. Mo Ziru, enjoying the spectacle, deliberately remained silent, while Shui Duopo smiled cheerfully. "Young Master Tang is busy punishing evil and promoting good. The battle at Soul Prayer Mountain remains uncertain. It's said Yang Guihua and Jiao Shiqiao have brought nearly a thousand guards to protect the princess. If the battle goes poorly, it may be hard to account for. Young Master Tang must have gone for this reason. Rest assured, as long as you follow his arrangements, you'll surely await good news from him."
I— Liu Yan glared furiously at Shui Duopo. How could Shui Duopo not know Tang Lici was nearing death, yet speak of it so lightly? "Have you told him... have you told him he's about to die?" he asked in a hushed voice.
Shui Duopo didn't even blink, still smiling. "With Young Master Tang's abilities, do you think... there's anything he doesn't know? It's just a matter of what he wants you to know and what he doesn't."
Liu Yan replied coldly, "And there's also what he himself wants to know and what he himself doesn't.""You truly understand him well," Shui Duopo remarked with great curiosity. "But honestly, I can't guess what he's up to now. I thought he would send this fool to retrieve the 'Summoning Lamp Decree,' but instead, he turned and left—not only without a word but also without leaving a single coin." What vexed him most was that, contrary to Tang Lici’s usual habits of coercion and bribery, where he would at least leave behind gold and jewels to make one both resent and adore him, this time he simply walked away. So where was the money? The Golden Physician of the Bright Moon, Shui Duopo, was deeply disappointed not to see any gold.
Liu Yan lay low in a small courtyard not far from the foot of Funiu Mountain, laboring over an antidote for the "Nine Hearts Pill." After being taken away by Tang Lici, he had vanished without a trace. The entire martial world knew that Tang Lici, master of the Dissolute Shop, had abducted this life-saving villain and hidden him within Piaoling Mei Yuan. Though the Nine Hearts Pill was potent, without its antidote, the Central Plains Sword Association found itself constrained in its clashes with the Dissolute Shop. Initially, the Sword Association, fueled by the fury of a thousand men, directed their blades at Tang Lici and stormed Soul Prayer Mountain. Under Hong Guniang’s orders, they dismantled the outer defenses of Piaoling Mei Yuan, killing many. Yet the Dissolute Shop refrained from deploying any terrifying tactics, merely retreating into their stronghold. The Sword Association’s morale soared, as if razing Piaoling Mei Yuan to the ground and capturing Tang Lici and Gui Mudan alive were within imminent reach.
But then Raging Orchid No Trace emerged—Ren Qingchou fell, Xifang Tao fell.
And Raging Orchid No Trace appeared unscathed.
This sent ripples through the Sword Association. If the Dissolute Shop harbored such a force as Raging Orchid No Trace, how could they ever breach Piaoling Mei Yuan? Ren Qingchou and Peach Girl were already among the Sword Association’s top-tier experts. Though the Association still had numbers, the likes of Zhang Hemo and Zheng Yue fell short of Ren Qingchou’s prowess, while Yu Furen and Wenxiu Shitai seemed inferior to Xifang Tao. Presently, the most skilled warrior in the Sword Association was Cheng Yunpao—yet even he clearly stood no chance against Raging Orchid No Trace.
What could be done?
Just as the Sword Association’s momentum faltered and debates raged, an enormous commotion erupted in Piaoling Mei Yuan.
From the depths of Soul Prayer Mountain, eerie creaking sounds emanated from Piaoling Mei Yuan, followed by billowing dust—as if a colossal upheaval had occurred within the Underground Palace beneath the earth.
Then, to the astonishment of the Sword Association members, the above-ground structures of Piaoling Mei Yuan—already burned and dismantled—began collapsing on their own. Layer upon layer of bricks and stones crumbled and piled together. As the debris shattered, a strange yellow smoke seeped from within the rubble, nauseating and unmistakably toxic.
Witnessing this sudden transformation, Hong Guniang, bewildered, had no choice but to order her forces to retreat, keeping a safe distance from the bizarre yellow fumes.
Soon, Piaoling Mei Yuan was engulfed by the yellow haze, obscuring any view of its interior. When the smoke finally dissipated, the surrounding area within a mile or two was left barren—all vegetation withered and coated in a layer of yellow powder. Amid this surreal, golden-hued forest, a massive, well-like pit gaped before Hong Guniang.
The tremendous upheaval in Piaoling Mei Yuan had not been due to some mechanism rising from the ground—instead, the entire structure had sunk dozens of meters into the earth, swallowed by Soul Prayer Mountain.
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