The red-clad woman suddenly stood up, “Zheng Yue!”
Qi Xing, Xu Qingbu, and the others were utterly shocked and horrified, almost lunging forward but restrained by Tang Lizci’s infamous reputation, not daring to act rashly. Yet, as they stared at Zheng Yue’s unrecognizable corpse, their fury reached its peak.
“Tang… Revered Master Tang ambushed one of our Sword Society members, striking without mercy—utterly ruthless.” The red-clad woman glared at Tang Lizci. “With your esteemed reputation, harming Young Hero Zheng seems nothing short of bullying the weak. Did he perhaps uncover some unspeakable crime of yours, forcing you to silence him and then parade his body here as a show of power?”
“Little Red truly has a way with words.” Tang Lizci smiled faintly. “Kuang Lan Wuxing’s mastery of the ‘Rebirth Score’ is formidable. Zheng Yue, reckless and bold, trespassed into the forbidden realm and had his neck shattered by Kuang Lan Wuxing.” He stood tall behind Zheng Yue’s corpse. “My old friends, the Drifting Eyebrow Garden is fraught with intricate traps and unfathomable dangers. For the sake of your lives…” He took a step back, plucking a dry branch from the withered tree beside him and leisurely drew a shallow line in the mud behind Zheng Yue’s body.
The line was faint, unevenly pressed—utterly casual.
Then Tang Lizci spoke, “…you ought to behave and watch your words. Should you cross this line—do not blame me for bullying the weak or silencing witnesses.”
Behind the red-clad woman, Dongfang Jian, Huo Chunfeng, and the others seethed with rage. Someone pointed at Tang Lizci and shouted, “A demon of the heretical sects deserves death! Young Hero Zheng sought righteousness and found it—he is a model for us all! Kneel and kowtow to him! How dare you flaunt your power here and spout nonsense!” Another yelled, “Today, let us witness the prowess of Young Master Tang!”
Tang Lizci’s eyes lifted slightly. With a flick of his sleeve, a streak of silver light flashed—the wooden table before the red-clad woman split in two, the pastries on it swept back by the “Ten Thousand Miles of Peach Blossoms.” Had this strike been aimed at her neck, she would have been decapitated. Cradling the plate of green tea plum blossom cakes, Tang Lizci slowly turned his gaze toward those who had challenged him. They fell silent, shrinking behind others as his eyes passed over them. He sighed. “The plum blossom cakes from Huikong Hall are not as delicate and soft as those from Kuhuang Residence. Not tasty.”
He placed the cakes and the plate beside Zheng Yue, disregarding the formidable presence of the Central Plains Sword Society, and turned to leave.
Wan Yu Yuedan listened to his every move. The red-clad woman also fell silent. Only after Tang Lizci had left did she speak hoarsely, “Prepare Zheng Yue’s body for a proper burial. Hero Meng, if what Tang… Tang Lizci said is true, and Zheng Yue encountered Kuang Lan Wuxing, then where are Hero Cheng and Young Hero Gu now? Have they also fallen victim? You and Sect Leader Dongfang must quickly search the nearby mountains. If they are still alive, they may need rescue.”
Meng Qinglei, witnessing Zheng Yue’s corpse lying there, was deeply shaken. He had no idea how Zheng Yue had entered the Drifting Eyebrow Garden. Last night, Cheng Yunpao and Gu Xitan had not returned—something grave must have happened. Yet Tang Lizci’s sudden appearance was equally bizarre… Though his thoughts were in turmoil, the lives of Cheng Yunpao and Gu Xitan were of utmost importance. He immediately selected a few men and left with Dongfang Jian.The red-clad woman rose with the support of the table. Originally delicate and pitiable in appearance, the table—split in two by Tang Licizhi—collapsed entirely as she leaned on it, causing her to sway. Wan Yu Yuedan swiftly reached out to steady her. Lowering her head to conceal her dazed expression, she murmured a word of thanks.
The two returned to the tent together, where Bi Lianyi lay unconscious. Iron Tranquility of the Bihua Palace stood guard by his side and immediately rose upon seeing Wan Yu Yuedan enter.
"Iron Tranquility," Wan Yu Yuedan said softly, "I need to speak with the red-clad woman for a moment."
Iron Tranquility nodded and cleared the tent of all unnecessary personnel, ensuring no eavesdroppers could overhear their conversation.
"Lord Tang's strike... was meant to signal that 'Ten Thousand Miles of Peach Blossoms' is in his possession," the red-clad woman remarked quietly, gazing at Bi Lianyi's pallid face. "This means Yu Konghou is either dead or has fallen from power."
"But he instructed us to delay storming the Drifting Brow Garden and hold our position," Wan Yu Yuedan blinked. Though no longer a youth, traces of boyish charm lingered in his gentle tone. "Something must have changed within the Drifting Brow Garden... For instance... Mad Orchid Wuxing killed Zheng Yue. What do you suppose has become of this peerless master—alive or dead?"
The red-clad woman smiled faintly. "Lord Tang returned carrying Young Master Zheng, indicating the matter is settled." She sighed. "With Yu Konghou gone and Mad Orchid Wuxing dead, why is the Drifting Brow Garden still unassailable? It suggests a third party—perhaps even a fourth—is behind this."
"Gui Mudan has gone to the capital and not returned," Wan Yu Yuedan mused. "Pu Zhu is missing, and so is Liu Yan. These two are crucial to the Frivolous Shop, yet the Shop has remained silent—that is the first anomaly."
"'The Lantern Summons' has resurfaced. Wang Lingqiu lurked in Shaolin Temple for over twenty years, harboring a blood feud with them. Could he have been idle? What exactly has he done? That is the second anomaly," the red-clad woman continued.
"Gui Mudan conspired with Yu Konghou to kill Po Cheng Guaike, Fish Leaping Dragon Flying, and manipulated Plum Blossom Fortune and Mad Orchid Wuxing... then forced Fang Pingzhai to rebel—'A Verse of Yin and Yang, Gui Mudan.' Where did he come from, and what is his goal? That is the third anomaly," Wan Yu Yuedan murmured. "Or perhaps... the 'Seven Flowers Cloud Wanderers' were once united as brothers. What happened to turn them against each other?"
"That is the crux of it," the red-clad woman said. "What caused their dispute, this fraternal strife?" She slowly lowered her lashes. "And what role did Lord Liu play in all this?"
Wan Yu Yuedan blinked once, then again. "Liu Yan?"
"Liu Yan," the red-clad woman whispered. "Gui Mudan and Yu Konghou killed Po Cheng Guaike and Fish Leaping Dragon Flying, poisoned Plum Blossom Fortune and Mad Orchid Wuxing—but without Liu Yan's String-Snatching Life Technique, Gui Mudan and Yu Konghou alone could not have subdued Plum Blossom Fortune and Mad Orchid Wuxing. This means Lord Liu was involved the day the brothers of the Beautiful Abode turned on each other. Later, the Frivolous Shop was established, the Nine Hearts Pill emerged, and Lord Liu took charge while Gui Mudan and Yu Konghou lurked in the shadows..."
"And thus, chaos was born."
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