This person committed murder and arson, deceived innocent young women into wrongdoing, concocted harmful poisons, and sought to dominate the Central Plains' Martial Arts World, stirring up storms of bloodshed. His crimes were indeed heinous and too numerous to record, yet observing him personally did not evoke such a sense of evil. Shen Langhun stared at his sworn enemy for a long time, sensing an unexpected trace of innocence in him. Tang Lici had said he was unsuited for scheming—indeed true. Suddenly, Shen Langhun spoke, "Why did you kill my wife back then?"
"Because I felt like it. Do I need a reason?" Liu Yan turned his head away, his voice icy. "I enjoyed killing her and chose to spare you. Is that not enough?" Shen Langhun pressed, "Did someone order you to kill my wife?" His sharp eyes pierced through the darkness, discerning Liu Yan's evasion. "Who told you to kill my wife?" Liu Yan remained silent. Shen Langhun's fury surged uncontrollably. "Speak! Someone ordered you to kill her, didn’t they? Why won’t you say? Who are you trying to shield?" Liu Yan lifted his gaze coldly, lips sealed. Shen Langhun raised his hand and struck—a sharp slap echoed, his palm smeared with blood. Liu Yan's face was drenched in crimson, yet he didn’t flinch. After a long pause, he coughed softly. "No one told me to kill your wife."
Shen Langhun's second slap froze mid-air. Anger and bitter amusement warred within him—this notorious villain behaved like a stubborn brat, adamantly denying everything, no matter the torture inflicted. There was more to Liu Yan’s murder of his wife than met the eye. Slowly, Shen Langhun lowered his hand. This man was obstinate, hearing only what he wished, easily deceived and manipulated. Tang Lici must have understood this well, hence his repeated reluctance to kill, his attempts to save, redeem, and forgive him... Yet Liu Yan had committed unforgivable sins. Even if unintended, there was no turning back. If someone truly had manipulated him, pushing him onto this path of no return, that person was a thousand times more vile and terrifying than Liu Yan—the true demon of the Martial Arts World.
Liu Yan shut his eyes again, blood slowly sealing them shut. His body wracked with pain, he could no longer open them. In his delirium, he wanted to laugh and weep at once... He hated Tang Lici! So... let no one speak well of him, let no one tell him Tang Lici had saved or shown him kindness... It was simple—he was a scoundrel, and he would kill him!
As for who had ordered him to kill Shen Langhun’s wife, in his haze, the shadow of a pink-robed, long-haired figure wafting a nauseatingly pungent fragrance flickered in his mind. That stench... so thick it made him retch, the foulest odor he had ever smelled—worse than a cesspit!
The world was full of the dead. If he didn’t hate Tang Lici, what else was there to do? Everyone was dead—why should he live?
Inside the Hall of Sharp Virtue.
Dawn broke.In the time it took to finish a meal, Shao Yanping remarkably and swiftly settled all one hundred and thirty-eight women into fourteen guest rooms of the Hall of Sharp Virtue. Bai Suche was nowhere to be found, presumably having fled during the chaos of battle. The mysterious carriages had also vanished without a trace, clearly retreating once they saw the unfavorable situation. Most of the Dissolute Shop's main forces had been captured, with Fu Cui losing an arm and the red-clad woman retreating. This battle had been unexpectedly smooth, and surprisingly, their own side had suffered minimal losses—truly astonishing. While this was largely due to Tang Lici's grand strategy and Shao Yanping's own tactical maneuvers, the unexpected reinforcements from Puzhu Shangshi and Xifang Tao, who had come from afar, also played an indispensable role. Shangguan Fei had yet to return, so Shao Yanping dispatched additional men to search for him while ordering tea to be served, inviting everyone to the main hall to discuss the next steps.
Shen Langhun's unexpected abduction of Liu Yan had taken everyone by surprise. However, given that he and Liu Yan shared an irreconcilable vendetta, it was assumed that Liu Yan's capture would not lead to further disaster. After a night of intense battle, everyone looked exhausted—except for Puzhu Shangshi, whose ascetic lifestyle left his complexion unchanged, and Xifang Tao, who sat quietly to the side, as stunningly beautiful as ever.
Tang Lici sat beside Shao Yanping, his expression calm. "Any news on Elder Shangguan's whereabouts?" Shao Yanping shook his head. "Not yet. But given the prowess of the Nine Revolution Divine Arrow, what could a few fleeing Dissolute Shop remnants possibly do to him? I doubt there’s any cause for concern." Tang Lici smiled faintly, glancing at Xifang Tao before turning his gaze to Puzhu Shangshi. "How did Puzhu Shangshi and Peach Girl come to know each other? I’m quite curious." Puzhu Shangshi recounted calmly: he and Xifang Tao had met several years prior when she had been severely beaten, her martial arts crippled, and sold into a brothel. Puzhu Shangshi had rescued her, and their shared interest in chess had deepened their friendship. As for Xifang Tao being a stunningly beautiful young woman, in Puzhu Shangshi's eyes, she was no different from grass, trees, stones, or clouds—utterly insignificant to his heart and mind.
Chi Yun stood behind Tang Lici. The white-haired fox seemed unusually fixated on Puzhu Shangshi, but his gaze kept drifting to Xifang Tao. Though she was breathtakingly beautiful, to Chi Yun, she was just another "woman." Yet, driven by some beastly intuition, he found her thoroughly disagreeable—as if there was something inherently off about her, though he couldn’t quite pinpoint what. Pu Kui Sheng, having finished capturing the venomous snakes outside, treated them like treasures, locking them all in the dungeon and fumigating them with realgar before taking inventory. As for the future situation, even without Tang Lici elaborating, Shao Yanping knew that the Central Plains Sword Association's decisive victory over the Dissolute Shop would prompt the Azure Fall Palace to join forces, striking the already fallen foe. The tides of the martial world had settled—evil had never triumphed over righteousness, as the old adage went.
As they spoke, a Sword Association disciple rushed in, his voice trembling. "Reporting, sir—we found Elder Shangguan's... Elder Shangguan's body halfway up the mountain..." Shao Yanping shot to his feet in shock. "What?" Everyone stood up abruptly. The disciple's face was pale. "Elder Shangguan was pierced through the heart by a withered branch about a foot long. It was an instant kill... It seems he didn’t suffer much." Pu Kui Sheng's expression changed drastically. "Who in this world could kill Shangguan Fei in a single strike? Where is the assailant now?""Amitabha, when I was coming up the mountain earlier, I passed by Senior Shangguan. He mentioned he was going to deal with the ambush set by Dissolute Shop on the mountainside. Could there have been another expert among the ambushers?" Pu Zhu closed his eyes, his tone somber and mournful. A disciple of the Sword Association replied, "But Senior Shangguan did not die at the ambush site set by Dissolute Shop. He perished in the woods on the mountain." Shao Yanping's expression darkened. "I'll go take a look. Who could have killed the Nine Revolution Divine Arrow with just a withered branch? If Dissolute Shop had such an expert, how could they have been defeated so easily last night? At the very least, they would have taken a few lives in return. What does killing just Shangguan Fei accomplish?"
"Sir, Senior Shangguan's remains have been brought back," the Sword Association disciple said hurriedly before withdrawing. Shortly after, Shangguan Fei's body was carried in. His eyes were wide with fury, his right hand still tightly gripping his longbow. Only a few arrows remained in his quiver, and a withered branch protruded from his chest, his entire body drenched in blood. The crowd fell into silence. Though they had won the battle, blood had still been shed. No matter how glorious the victory, it could never make up for the loss of life, leaving only grief and remorse. After a long silence, Tang Lici suddenly spoke. "Senior Shangguan's death... was due to an imbalance in combat strength."
"What imbalance?" Shao Yanping sighed softly, murmuring, "Who killed him? Who..." Tang Lici's sleeves were immaculate—he was the only one who had emerged from last night's battle without a speck of dust or a drop of blood on him, having barely lifted a finger. "If there wasn't just a three-way conflict last night, but a fourth party involved, then Dissolute Shop's bizarrely swift defeat and Senior Shangguan's sudden death can be explained." He glanced around at the group. "Let's tally the numbers. The Central Plains Sword Association had seven top-tier experts: Cheng Daxia, Mr. Shao, Senior Shangguan, Senior Dong, Serpent Venerable Pu, Mr. Jiang, and Yu Furen. The rest were no weaklings either, and with Shen Langhun, Chi Yun, and myself, our strength was formidable." He paused briefly before continuing, "But I was supposedly severely injured beforehand, while Dissolute Shop's fighters were all elite. Just dealing with Liu Yan alone would have required at least three of our experts. Fu Cui and Hongchan Niangzi would need two more to handle them together. Meanwhile, Yu Furen and Jiang Wenbo were captured by Dissolute Shop. Originally, the Sword Association had ten top-tier fighters available, but now all ten are accounted for, leaving the sides evenly matched—except—" He looked calmly at the group. "Except my injury was feigned. Once the battle began, our side would have had one more usable fighter, tipping the balance of power.""So the fourth party, which was originally waiting for the Sword Association and the Dissolute Shop to fight to mutual destruction, had to maintain a balance of power. When the Sword Association gained an extra member, they killed Shangguan Fei." Shao Yanping suddenly understood. "Because of the fourth party's interference, I was originally fighting Fu Cui alongside Senior Shangguan. With Senior Shangguan dead, Fu Cui broke free and attacked Young Master Tang, forcing him and Cheng Yunpao to divert their attention to deal with her. This reduced the number of people surrounding Liu Yan by one and a half, resulting in a stalemate." Tang Lici smiled faintly. "Someone may have calculated it this way, but the actual situation is ever-changing. They couldn't have predicted all variables. Even after killing Senior Shangguan, we could still have captured Liu Yan instead of ending in a stalemate. However, Shen Langhun suddenly abducting Liu Yan was an unpredictable twist that nullified the outcome." Shao Yanping nodded repeatedly. "But Young Master Tang was truly a step ahead. Before any changes occurred, he feigned severe injury, preserving a powerful hidden strength for the Sword Association." Chi Yun's lips twitched—he wanted to say that the white-haired fox surnamed Tang had indeed been severely injured but had somehow recovered without anyone noticing. He swallowed his words in the end. Tang Lici smiled modestly. "You flatter me, Master Shao." His gaze flickered toward Xifang Tao, a teasing, meaningful glance. Xifang Tao lowered her eyes to the ground, as if she hadn't noticed. Though she missed it, Pu Zhu saw it, his expression remaining cold and stern, also pretending not to see. With Shangguan Fei murdered and Yu Furen still unconscious from poisoning, Shao Yanping felt the mounting pressure. He sighed and dismissed everyone to rest, promising to handle the aftermath carefully. As the others withdrew, they urged him not to overexert himself, leaving Shao Yanping with nothing but a bitter smile.
Tang Lici returned to his room. Chi Yun poured a cup of tea but hadn’t brought it to his lips when Tang Lici picked it up and took a sip. Chi Yun glared at him. After drinking, Tang Lici exhaled softly and sat down in a chair. "When did you recover?" Chi Yun asked coldly. "How come I didn’t know?" Tang Lici replied, "During those days resting at the inn." Chi Yun was shocked. "You were already healed at the West Rose Inn?" Tang Lici closed his eyes and nodded slightly. "Young girl Zhong was agitated when she struck, so the needle missed its mark slightly. Her internal force wasn’t strong enough to disperse my qi sea, so..." Chi Yun erupted in anger. "So your power loss was only temporary, yet you lied in bed fooling me and that bastard Shen for so long! What do you take me for?" With a loud bang, he slammed his palm on the table, shattering the teapot and spilling tea everywhere—except for the cup in Tang Lici’s hand, which remained intact. Watching Chi Yun’s fury, Tang Lici took a second sip with refined calm, then slowly set the half-finished cup down. Suddenly, he changed the subject. "You knew 'One Peach Three Colors' before, didn’t you?" Chi Yun was taken aback. His anger still simmering, he snorted but said nothing."Is he a man or a woman?" Tang Lici asked slowly. Chi Yun was taken aback again. "The one who fought me back then was a man. I don’t know why he suddenly turned into a woman now." Tang Lici nodded with a faint smile. Chi Yun's eyes flickered. "So is he a man or a woman?" Tang Lici's gaze lingered on his face for a moment before he replied with a smile, "Swear a blood oath, and I’ll tell you." Chi Yun spat. "What damn blood oath? I swear on my Plum Blossom Mountain—I won’t breathe a word. If anyone gets even a whisper from me, I’ll hand over my entire estate on Plum Blossom Mountain to you." Tang Lici raised his brows slightly. "Including your 'Blood Oath Ghost Crystal Goblet'?" Chi Yun shot him a sidelong glance. "So it is about the 'Blood Oath Ghost Crystal Goblet' after all." Tang Lici smiled gently, like a spring breeze. "If you leak even a hint, you’ll forfeit the 'Blood Oath Ghost Crystal Goblet' to me. How about that?" Chi Yun replied coldly, "Fine!"
"That breathtakingly beautiful Peach Girl outside is a man," Tang Lici said with amusement, his hands lightly folded over his abdomen as he sat upright. "His eyes weren’t originally that large—the almond shape was achieved by cutting the outer corners. His eyebrows were reshaped, and his lips, originally uneven, were stitched with tendons on both sides. The skin on his lips and chin was grafted from elsewhere on his body, so no beard grows. Understand now?" Chi Yun was stunned. "So... his entire face is fake?" Tang Lici nodded. "Most of it. But he was already quite feminine to begin with. After the modifications, only an expert could tell." Chi Yun was full of questions. "If he was already a man, why go to such lengths to turn his face into a woman’s?" Tang Lici replied, "Well... to each their own. If he wants a woman’s face, that’s his business. But—" He paused deliberately. "But if he uses that beautiful face to disguise himself as a woman and seduce Puzhu Shangshi, then that’s highly inappropriate, don’t you think?"
Chi Yun was startled. "Seduce Puzhu Shangshi? No way. Even if he disguised himself as a beauty, Puzhu wouldn’t fall for it." Tang Lici smiled faintly. "Monks are still men. Puzhu isn’t just a man—he’s young, handsome, and has never been seduced by a woman before. Isn’t that right?" Chi Yun gaped. "What are you implying? Are you saying Puzhu Heshang has broken his vows and gotten involved with that cross-dressing 'One Peach Three Colors'?""Not so." Tang Lici's snow-white fingers twitched slightly. "Pu Zhu likely doesn’t realize yet... One Peach Three Colors has been meticulously seducing Puzhu Shangshi, and her ambitions are anything but ordinary. The construction of the Dissolute Shop’s Piaoling Mei Yuan originated from Po Cheng Guaike’s designs, heavily utilizing the Seven Cloud Traveling Guests' expertise in poison, illusions, mechanisms, and formations. Yu Yuelongfei died in the hidden passages of Piaoling Mei Yuan, while Plum Blossom Numerology and Raging Orchid No Trace were reduced to puppets. And why would One Peach Three Colors, as a woman, hold the position of Western Princess in the Dissolute Shop? Is it truly because the leader of the Dissolute Shop is fond of women?" He adjusted his posture slightly, sitting straighter. "That the Dissolute Shop’s leader admires women—this was something One Peach Three Colors herself claimed. Stripping away that excuse... this entire affair gives one the impression—" Chi Yun’s gaze turned icy as he interjected, "The Dissolute Shop and the Seven Cloud Traveling Guests are absolutely connected." Tang Lici smiled. "This whole matter seems more like an internal strife among the Seven Cloud Traveling Guests. Someone killed Yu Yuelongfei, conspired with Po Cheng Guaike—or perhaps killed Po Cheng Guaike—stole his mechanical arts to build Piaoling Mei Yuan, then shattered the wills of Plum Blossom Numerology and Raging Orchid No Trace, turning them into servants. Afterward, they founded a sect called the 'Dissolute Shop.'"
"The one who founded the 'Dissolute Shop' is one of the Seven Cloud Traveling Guests," Chi Yun caught the implication in Tang Lici’s words. "Are you suggesting the mastermind behind this is One Peach Three Colors? But there are seven members in the Seven Cloud Traveling Guests. Plum Blossom Numerology, Raging Orchid No Trace, One Peach Three Colors, Yu Yuelongfei, and Po Cheng Guaike—that’s five accounted for. The identities of the remaining two are unknown." Tang Lici replied softly, "What I mean is—One Peach Three Colors is 'one' of the masterminds." Chi Yun nodded. "He disguised himself as a woman to get close to Puzhu Shangshi, which means his target was the Shaolin Temple." Tang Lici inclined his head. "Puzhu Shangshi is Shaolin’s pride in recent years. Controlling him would be a powerful weapon against Shaolin. But his deepest intentions must go beyond just targeting Shaolin. There are many ways to oppose Shaolin—he didn’t need to transform himself into a woman for that." Chi Yun spat in disgust. "Maybe the bastard’s just mentally twisted and enjoys pretending to be a woman." Tang Lici chuckled lightly. "If it truly is his hobby, then he’s handed me a weakness."
"If he really is one of the hidden leaders of the Dissolute Shop, then Shangguan Fei—" Chi Yun gnashed his teeth in fury. "—was ambushed by this freak and died unjustly!" Tang Lici murmured gently, "Indeed... But he and Puzhu Shangshi captured those Red and White Clothed Servants, achieving a great feat." Chi Yun suddenly understood. "I see! Those men were ordered not to resist, which is why they were captured so easily—they surrendered without a fight!" Tang Lici slowly raised a hand to his temple, leaning slightly against the armrest of his chair with a faint smile. "Liu Yan is a discarded pawn of the Dissolute Shop. The true purpose of last night’s battle lies in what the peerlessly beautiful Peach Girl intends to do within the Central Plains Sword Association...""So that's how it is..." Chi Yun muttered. "That's why you've been paying special attention to Pu Zhu's movements." Tang Lici closed his eyes and nodded slightly. "Now that you understand, talk less and do more." Chi Yun glared. "Do what?" Tang Lici pointed out the window. "Go chase Shen Langhun and Liu Yan back for me." Chi Yun snapped angrily, "And what if I can't bring them back?" Tang Lici replied softly, "You're the mighty 'Heavenly Cloud,' the bandit king who rules over Plum Blossom Mountain with nearly two hundred men under your command. How could such an outlaw hero fail at anything?" Chi Yun retorted coldly, "Don't drag Plum Blossom Mountain into your affairs. It's bad enough I'm stuck playing the righteous path with you. Anyone who gets involved with you ends up with ten lives too few to survive your schemes." He shot Tang Lici a fierce glare, flicked his sleeve, and leaped out the window. Tang Lici reclined in his chair, took a sip of tea from the cup on the table, and watched Chi Yun's white robes disappear into the distance. After a while, he stood up and walked out the door, heading east.
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