Not long ago, in the ruins of the Jiang Family Garden, Gui Mudan set up an ambush to kill Tang Lichen. Tang Lichen fought fiercely against the hidden assailants, and the battle was evenly matched. Seeing that Tang Lichen couldn’t be subdued quickly, an iron prison cart was slowly pushed out from among the ambushers.
Inside the iron prison cart, bound tightly with chains and shackles, hung a person.
Tang Lichen took one look at the person and immediately dropped his sword in surrender.
Because the person in the prison cart was none other than Fu Zhumei.
Fu Zhumei’s injuries didn’t appear severe, but for some reason, he was restrained and hung inside the iron prison cart.
Tang Lichen surrendered without hesitation, which stunned Gui Mudan. Suspecting a trick, Gui Mudan struck Tang Lichen with a palm strike. The blow caused Tang Lichen’s wounds to burst open, blood gushing out. Only then did Gui Mudan realize Tang Lichen was already gravely injured—his earlier unsteadiness wasn’t a ruse but a sign he was at the end of his strength.
Thus, he was also locked inside the iron prison cart and transported back to a secret chamber in Tianqing Temple.
Fengliudian originated from Tianqing Temple, which was closely tied to the Chai Family. Though Tang Lichen was still publicly known as the leader of Fengliudian—the pinnacle of the martial world’s dark factions—he was secretly the pillar of the Central Plains Sword Association. With him captured, Tianqing Temple could now assert dominance or use him as leverage, securing an unassailable position.
Locked inside the prison cart, Tang Lichen indeed passed out for a while. When he awoke, he sensed Fu Zhumei trembling beside him in terror. The cart’s swaying was likely partly due to Fu Zhumei’s shivering.
“He shattered his own skull…” Fu Zhumei, pale as a ghost, murmured weakly. “Miss Zhong… never knew she was Xue Xianzi’s biological daughter. Gui Mudan took her to the capital to reclaim the title of Princess Langya. But Zhao Zongjing and Zhao Zongying intercepted her with troops after receiving word from Wanqiao Zhai. A fierce battle ensued, and in the end, Yang Guihua arrived to declare that the so-called ‘princess’ artifacts Gui Mudan had prepared were all forgeries. Zhao Zongjing then revealed she was Xue Xianzi’s daughter and furiously accused her of deceiving the emperor. Distraught, Miss Zhong fled the capital and rushed to Mount Haoyun to confront Xue Xianzi for the truth.” He paused, then whispered, “At the time… I didn’t know Miss Zhong was Xue Xianzi’s daughter either. Xue Xianzi had just recovered from poisoning, and after the torment he endured at Fengliudian, his internal injuries never healed. He said he was almost seventy and told me to call him ‘Grandpa.’ Sigh… I thought… I thought I wasn’t that young either…”
Fu Zhumei rambled on with many irrelevant tangents. In the past, Tang Lichen would have dismissed him as useless, but now he couldn’t be bothered to think that way.
After a long while, Fu Zhumei finally said, “…When Miss Zhong suddenly came to see him, at first, he was overjoyed.”
“Hah…” Tang Lichen let out a low chuckle."Then they recognized each other as father and daughter," Fu Zhumei whispered. "That night, they had a meal together, but I didn’t join them. I didn’t know Miss Zhong had offered him a cup of poisoned wine." He slowly pressed himself against the iron restraints of the prisoner’s cart. "By the time I realized, Xue Xianzi had already been poisoned with 'Three Slumbers Sleepless Sky.' Zhong Chunji captured him... I chased after them. I heard Zhong Chunji interrogating him—asking where Liu Yan was, where the antidote for the Nine Hearts Pill could be found, who Shui Duopo and Mo Ziru really were... and... why... how could he... be her biological father? She asked if all his kindness to her since childhood had never been because she was clever, beautiful, or rare in this world—but only because she was his own flesh and blood?"
Tang Lichen listened quietly as Fu Zhumei continued, "I chased after them..."
Then Fu Zhumei stopped.
After a while, he spoke again, "I chased after them..."
"Enough," Tang Lichen said softly. "There’s no need to say more."
But Fu Zhumei didn’t heed him. He took a deep breath. "They tortured him with the grotesque state he was in after the poison took hold. I was... I was almost there, almost strong enough to break in and carry him away. I was nearly winning the fight when someone nearby kept saying Xue Xianzi had already confessed this and that... I didn’t even understand what they meant, but suddenly... he forced out one last breath and shattered his own skull." Fu Zhumei’s voice trembled. "Maybe he regained clarity for just a moment and heard something... If I had been faster, he wouldn’t have died. If I had been smarter, if I had understood what they were saying, I could have silenced them first—then he wouldn’t have died either... If... if I had been stronger, if I had trained harder with my blade, I wouldn’t have been captured." He bit his lip hard. "I’m always... always..."
Always useless.
Tang Lichen thought this, smiling faintly to himself before sighing. "Enough..." he murmured, his voice barely audible. "Many people in this world... make choices you’d never expect."
Fu Zhumei shuddered. "Choosing death? No matter what he said, it wasn’t his fault! His own daughter tortured him, he was poisoned and delirious—that wasn’t his fault! If he had just held on a little longer, I could have saved him... He was Xue Xianzi. How could he die in a place like that?"
"Perhaps... he was already dead the moment he revealed the secret of Sword Emperor Shui Qiqi," Tang Lichen said slowly. "A peerless master would never truly die by his daughter’s hand."
Fu Zhumei didn’t know that Xue Xianzi had exposed Shui Duopo’s secret, leading to the deaths of both Mo Ziru and Shui Duopo.
Everyone had their own "path."
Mo Ziru gave his life for his path.
Shui Duopo gave her life for her path.
Xue Xianzi... gave his life for his path.
"After he shattered his own skull, Gui Mudan took him back and forced countless elixirs and poisons into him. They tormented him for three full days before he finally died," Fu Zhumei said. "By the end, he was unrecognizable."
Tang Lichen let out a quiet laugh.
Fu Zhumei asked, "What are you laughing at?"
Tang Lichen didn’t answer immediately. After a pause, he asked with a smile, "He was tortured for three days. How many days were you tortured?" His tone was light. "Zhong Lingyan died in the most horrific way, utterly disfigured. And what about you?"
Fu Zhumei, bound in chains and restraints, had layers of blackened blood crusted over the steel shackles.Pressed against the iron wall of the prison cart, a large wound had been meticulously carved into Fu Zhumei's back. Tang Lichen couldn't see it, but he could hear something stirring within the gash on Fu Zhumei's back.
"What did they put inside your wound?" Tang Lichen asked.
Fu Zhumei hesitated.
"Speak," Tang Lichen commanded.
"I don't know," Fu Zhumei whispered.
Tang Lichen let out another soft laugh. He flexed his fingers, pressing against the wound in his abdomen, leaving bloody streaks on his crimson robes—though the marks would only become visible once the blood had dried.
"Don't be afraid," he said. "Don't be afraid."
No matter what it is, I will always save you.
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