Several days later.
The incident of poisoning at the Huamei Pavilion gradually spread, and the martial arts community buzzed with talk of the masked assassin who offered ten thousand taels of silver for a life. The fact that the Myriad Apertures Studio Master was so young also caused quite a stir. Yu Qifeng never spoke of that day's events, and the people of Yanmen, after Tang Lici and his companion left, noticed nothing amiss, instead praising Tang Lici as a humble gentleman—noble as the master of Ten Thousand Apertures House, willing to contribute to the greater good of the martial world.
The Purple Flower Gorge path, lush with green grass, led to a white stone tower at its end. The tower was carved with numerous lifelike human heads, eerie and terrifying to behold. Tang Lici and Chi Yun stood outside, waiting. Just moments ago, fifty thousand taels of gold had been transported from the Diancheng Bank and carried into the tower. Tang Lici had issued the order to purchase Shen Langhun's services for an entire year, and the master of Despondent Tower had agreed. Now, they only awaited the man himself.
"Watching you spend like this, it's like you're buying yourself a concubine," Chi Yun remarked lazily, glancing up at the stone tower. "How can such a small tower hold so many people?" Tang Lici smiled faintly, studying the structure. "There must be hidden mechanisms inside." As they spoke, the tower's door slowly creaked open, and a man emerged with measured, deliberate steps.
So this was what such a person truly looked like. Chi Yun scoffed. The man appeared to be in his thirties, with a pale complexion, average height, and unremarkable build. His face was utterly ordinary—were it not for the vivid red snake branded on his right cheek, he would have been the perfect candidate for an undercover agent, the kind you could meet ten times and still fail to remember. Yet the snake on Shen Langhun's face was peculiar—not a winding serpent nor a coiled one, but a small red snake biting its own tail, forming a perfect circle. Tang Lici's expression shifted subtly upon seeing it, his eyes flickering with an indescribable complexity. After a pause, he smiled. "Brother Shen, your reputation precedes you. I've long admired your name."
"What do you want?" Shen Langhun's voice was as unremarkable as his appearance, his dull eyes fixed on Tang Lici. Tang Lici replied, "I seek your assistance in capturing someone alive." Shen Langhun asked coldly, "Who?"
"Yu Qifeng," Tang Lici answered with a faint smile. "If you have any concerns—" Shen Langhun cut him off flatly, "I don't." Tang Lici nodded. "Excellent. Then we shall set off at once. From today onward, we are friends. This is 'Heavenly Cloud' Chi Yun." A glint flashed in Shen Langhun's eyes, suddenly sharp and dazzling. "So you're Chi Yun." In a flash, Chi Yun struck at Shen Langhun's neck with a swift palm strike. Shen Langhun sidestepped slightly, raising his own palm to block. Both men felt their wrists go numb from the impact. Chi Yun laughed heartily, while Shen Langhun remained expressionless. Though they had exchanged only a single move, mutual respect for each other's skill arose silently within them. Tang Lici clapped his hands, and attendants brought forward three large sedan chairs. Shen Langhun hesitated briefly—having worked as an assassin for years, he had encountered all manner of eccentric figures, but never had he been carried to a job in such an extravagant palanquin. Watching Tang and Chi step into their chairs, he followed suit, sitting down as the sedan was lifted steadily. The bearers were impressively strong, and the interior was lined with emerald-green silk and adorned with pearls—luxury beyond measure.
The three sedans were carried slowly out of Purple Flower Gorge, turning toward Diancheng.In Diancheng, there was a bank called "Ten Thousand Gold Bank.The character "Xin" (鑫) means "three golds," and the bank's owner was surnamed Huang, with the given name Sanjin (literally "Three Golds"). Huang Sanjin's bank was not owned by the Ten Thousand Apertures House but was a business associate of Tang Lici. Though the name "Huang Sanjin" sounded crude, she was undeniably a woman.
Inside the Ten Thousand Gold Bank, Tang Lici and his two companions, Chi Yun and Shen Langhun, were having tea with Huang Sanjin. This well-known woman in Diancheng had a charming appearance, fair skin, and wore a golden dress—quite unlike what her name might suggest. She giggled, "Young Master Tang withdrawing money from my humble establishment is an honor. How could it be any trouble? I only worry that my crude tea might not suit your refined taste." Tang Lici smiled faintly, "You flatter me, Miss Huang. Even if the tea is crude, your company alone makes it as refreshing as a spring breeze." Huang Sanjin laughed coquettishly, "You’re such a sly one—insulting my tea while praising my beauty in the same breath. Yet, I can’t help but adore men like you, hehehe..." She glanced at Chi Yun and Shen Langhun, her eyes brimming with allure, her lips curling in a teasing smirk. "A while ago, Xue Lang borrowed five hundred taels of silver from me, saying he was searching for some little girl. I heard he even chased her to Yu Qifeng’s house. If he dies, it’s no big deal, but he’d better pay me back." Tang Lici set down his teacup. "Did he say anything when he borrowed the money?"
"Of course. He said you’d repay it for him." Huang Sanjin tittered. "He claimed you owed him six thousand taels of gold and that the person you were looking for was in some carriage. I didn’t really understand, and he didn’t bother explaining further." Chi Yun’s eyebrows shot up. "What exactly did that old lecher say?" The "Xue Lang" Huang Sanjin mentioned was naturally Xue Xianzi. "He said the person Young Master Tang is searching for is in a carriage heading from east to south, with colorful snakes painted on it. The person is inside, but the carriage is full of poisonous insects. He found it too troublesome to kill them all, so he didn’t bring her back—told you to find her yourself." Tang Lici tapped the teacup lightly with his fair fingers. "If Xue Xianzi found her too plain to bother with and was too lazy to bring her back, why did he chase her to Yu Qifeng’s house? Unless..." He smiled faintly, leaving the implication hanging.Huang Sanjin giggled coquettishly, "No wonder he said you're the only true friend he's ever had. Indeed, he suddenly took a fancy to a young girl from Yu Qifeng's household and borrowed five hundred taels of silver from me to buy her cosmetics." Tang Lici shook his head, "A young girl from Yu Qifeng's household? As far as I know, Yu Qifeng remains unmarried, and my investigations show he keeps no female servants." Huang Sanjin cast him a flirtatious glance, her eyes brimming with charm, "I think you can drop the act. Yes, just as you suspected, a stunningly beautiful fairy-like maiden has recently appeared in Yu Qifeng's home. Xue Lang kept praising how incomparably lovely the girl is—so beautiful that flowers would wither and birds would commit suicide at the sight of her. You know I'm not well-read, so all those poems Xue Lang composed went right over my head... Haha, anyway, he's completely smitten with her. These days, he's been working as a servant in Yu Qifeng's household. If you need him, just go find him there. As long as the three of you can break into Yu Family Sword Manor and Xue Lang hasn't shifted his affections yet, you'll surely meet her." Tang Lici smiled gently, "Oh? It seems Xue Xianzi has made great progress in his conduct lately. Besides beauties, he actually remembers to tell you all sorts of trivial matters." Huang Sanjin suddenly blushed and gave a radiant smile, "Alright, alright, you scoundrel... I was worried you might come to harm if you provoked Yu Qifeng, so I went to some trouble to gather some clues for you. But I didn't dare tell you I'd intervened for fear you'd be angry, so I had to credit that old lecher Xue Lang instead. You know my heart, yet show no gratitude, and insist on exposing me in public. Truly, no one could be more wicked than you!"
"Tang Lici dares not accept Miss Huang's great kindness," Tang Lici sighed softly, "But your interference will only bring trouble upon yourself, and I am indeed somewhat displeased." He lifted his left sleeve and lightly flicked away a speck of dust with his right hand, "If anything happens here, notify me early." Huang Sanjin propped her cheek lazily with one hand, "Is it really that serious? I've never understood—given Young Master Tang's cunning ruthlessness, why are you so unusually persistent about this matter? It's quite unlike you." Tang Lici smiled faintly, "Everyone has something they're particularly persistent about. For example, Miss Huang has hers, and I have mine." Huang Sanjin's eyes grew misty, suddenly melancholy as she sighed, "True... My persistence is you. And yours... what is it?" Tang Lici replied, "You might as well imagine my persistence is also you." Huang Sanjin gave a radiant smile tinged with bitterness, "If you're going to deceive me, at least make it convincing."
"Miss Huang should take extra care these days. Xue Xianzi's debt of five hundred taels shall be repaid with this pearl." Tang Lici produced a pearl from his robe—perfectly round, lovely, and radiant, about the size of a thumb, clearly worth far more than five hundred taels. "Since Xue Xianzi has already located that carriage, we should take our leave. I'm deeply grateful for your company today." Huang Sanjin stood up, "Leaving so soon?" She sighed softly, "I don't want your gratitude. If only you'd come to withdraw money from me once a year, how wonderful would that be?" Tang Lici merely smiled slightly, bowed in farewell, and departed with Chi Yun and Shen Langhun.Huang Sanjin watched the three men depart, then glanced at the teacup Tang Lici had drunk from. Her delicate face was filled with desolation. From their first meeting, she had liked this man, and from that very first encounter, she had known he was fickle... Yet, a woman is still a woman—what she likes, she likes, and what is fickle remains fickle.
"That old bastard Xue Xianzi, there are countless carriages traveling from east to south in this world. Am I supposed to stop every single one to check if they’re carrying poisonous insects? The world is vast—where the hell are we supposed to look?" After leaving Ten Thousand Gold Bank, Chi Yun sneered the entire way. He found the sky too pale, the grass too green, Shen Langhun too mute, and Tang Lici too much of a heartbreaker.
"Xue Xianzi found your fiancée so quickly—it’s not that he’s all-powerful, just lucky," Tang Lici remarked. "I suspect he happened upon that beautiful young lady on the road, followed her to Yu Qifeng’s Yu Family Sword Manor, then spotted Bai Suche’s carriage, so he knew her whereabouts." Chi Yun snorted. "If I catch that woman, I’ll kill her with one slash." Shen Langhun remained silent, seemingly indifferent to their conversation. The three retrieved Feng Feng, who had been left with a wet nurse in the city, and Tang Lici hired a carriage heading south.
Inside the carriage, Shen Langhun sat cross-legged, eyes lowered as if meditating, motionless as a wooden statue. Chi Yun sprawled across the seat, his legs casually draped over Shen Langhun, who didn’t react. Tang Lici sat beside Chi Yun—fortunately, the carriage was spacious enough that Chi Yun’s head was far from him. Gradually, the carriage left the city; a hundred miles ahead lay Guan’an, where Yu Family Sword Manor stood on the outskirts.
"Brother Shen," Tang Lici held Feng Feng, who was excited by the rocking of the carriage, her tiny hands gripping his collar tightly, pulling his robe askew and exposing his right shoulder. The curve of his shoulder was flawless, smooth and supple, but he paid it no mind. Suddenly, he addressed Shen Langhun, "I have a question for you." Shen Langhun kept his eyes closed, unresponsive. Tang Lici added, "Brother Shen may ask one in return." At this, Shen Langhun abruptly opened his eyes. Normally dull, his gaze now shone like a pearl emerging from mist, a diamond catching light—enough to make one’s heart tremble. In a faint voice, he asked, "What is it?"
Tang Lici pointed at the red snake mark on Shen Langhun’s cheek. "Where did this come from?" Shen Langhun didn’t answer. His radiant eyes fixed on the carriage wall. After a long pause, he asked quietly, "Your martial arts—did they come from the Skill Exchange Great Art?" Tang Lici didn’t blink, smiling as he replied, "Indeed." Shen Langhun’s eyes blazed with sudden intensity as he turned to stare at him. "Good!" Tang Lici met his gaze unflinchingly. If Shen Langhun’s eyes were like lightning, Tang Lici’s were a swirling vortex of countless emotions, impossible to decipher. Chi Yun opened his eyes, staring at the carriage roof. He had known long ago—Tang Lici’s martial arts were not self-cultivated.
The Skill Exchange Great Art was a forbidden technique.In the martial world, the mere mention of the Skill Exchange Great Art would turn anyone's face pale, especially after the incident involving Bai Nanzhu years ago. Practitioners of the martial arts now shudder at the thought of such dark techniques. The Skill Exchange Great Art, along with "Rolling Snow" and "Jade Bone," originated from the "Rebirth Scroll." "Rolling Snow" and "Jade Bone" are foundational practices of the "Rebirth Scroll," while the Skill Exchange Great Art is its demonic deviation.
Legend has it that decades ago, a demonic master who practiced the "Rebirth Scroll" suffered a deviation. Seeking release, he transferred his cultivated "Rebirth Scroll" power to his disciple before dissipating his energy and dying. However, his disciple gained several times the martial prowess, becoming an unparalleled villain who swept across the world. It was then that the martial world learned that transferring the "Rebirth Scroll" power after deviation could multiply its strength. If the original practitioner's power was profound, the recipient could gain immeasurable, earth-shattering abilities—without suffering the torment of the "Rebirth Scroll's" Inner Energy or dying before the age of twenty-five.
Had the "Rebirth Scroll" not been lost, the martial world would have been overrun with desperate men, and who knows when another monstrous villain might have emerged.
Shen Langhun had keen insight and immediately discerned that Tang Lici's martial skills were not self-cultivated. Yet, hearing the word "correct," he couldn't help but feel shaken and deeply alarmed. The man before him remained composed, his delicate features smiling as he asked, "Brother Shen, how did that red mark on your face come to be?"
Shen Langhun was silent for a long moment before replying indifferently, "Someone drew it."
Tang Lici asked, "Who?"
Shen Langhun countered, "Who transferred their power to you?"
Tang Lici didn't so much as blink. "A friend."
Shen Langhun pressed further, "He—"
Tang Lici said gently, "Is dead."
Shen Langhun's chest heaved with agitation. "Where did he obtain the 'Rebirth Scroll'?"
Tang Lici didn't answer immediately. After a pause, he sighed softly. "He came across it by chance. After his death, the 'Rebirth Scroll' was taken away... Brother Shen, I suspect you were defeated by the Skill Exchange Great Art, and someone marked your face with this imprint—am I right?"Shen Langhun's expression turned grim as he slowly stood up. Despite the swaying of the carriage, he remained perfectly steady, his back straight. He gazed out the window for a long while before speaking in a faint voice, "Indeed... that man defeated me with a single move, sealed my acupoints, and spent a full two hours using... my wife's hairpin and rouge to carve this red mark on my face."
Chi Yun had initially been half-listening, as it was none of his concern, but upon hearing this, he couldn't help but curse, "Damn it, that bastard is worse than an animal! What did he do to your wife?"
Shen Langhun enunciated each word deliberately, "He threw my wife... into the Yellow River."
Seeing the blood seeping from the corners of Shen Langhun's eyes, Chi Yun sighed. "Don't grieve, don't grieve. My own woman ran off with another man, and I haven't even shed a tear. What are you crying for?"
The corners of Shen Langhun's lips lifted slightly, forming an almost imperceptible smile. "I had no grudge against him. We merely crossed paths on the road. He noticed I had martial skills and deliberately provoked me into a fight... I... was no match for him..."
At this point, Tang Lici interrupted, "The man who fought you—did he have very beautiful eyes?"
Shen Langhun paused, as if choking on his breath, before replying faintly, "So, you know him."
"There are very few in this world who dare to practice the 'Rebirth Scroll,' and even fewer who, unfortunately, suffer qi deviation from it. My martial arts... and the martial arts of the man who carved that mark on your face... were indeed passed down from the same person—a single individual who exchanged techniques." Tang Lici looked at Shen Langhun, his tone as calm and gentle as ever. "But I cannot tell you who he is. I neither know where he is now nor what his name is."
Shen Langhun suddenly turned around. "Yet you know what he looks like. What is your relationship to him? Did your friend pass on his techniques to him? How can you claim not to know who he is?"
Chi Yun, who had been listening, suddenly interjected coldly, "You never told me any of this."
Tang Lici replied, "If you had asked, I naturally wouldn’t have told you. But this concerns Brother Shen’s vengeance for his wife’s death. Though I’d rather not speak of it, I must."
Shen Langhun's face was pale, his eyes terrifyingly intense. "Who is he to you?"
"He... might bear the surname Liu." Tang Lici stared unblinkingly at Shen Langhun. "I suspect he sought a fight with you not because he noticed your martial prowess, but because of your eyes... your eyes..."
Chi Yun followed Tang Lici’s gaze, scrutinizing Shen Langhun’s eyes. "What about his eyes?"
Tang Lici said, "Has no one ever praised your eyes for their beauty while you were growing up?"
Shen Langhun was taken aback. "What?"
Chi Yun was startled, then burst into laughter. "So he carved a mark on Brother Shen’s face out of jealousy for his good-looking eyes? What the hell..."
Tang Lici sighed. "If he were jealous of your eyes, why not gouge them out instead of marking your face? Most likely, he thought your eyes were beautiful, but your features were too plain, so he left a mark to draw attention to them."
Chi Yun and Shen Langhun exchanged glances. After a long silence, Chi Yun spat, "What nonsense! I don’t believe it!"
Tang Lici smiled faintly. "Believe it or not, as you wish.""Who exactly is he? And who is your friend?" Shen Langhun asked word by word. "And who are you?" Tang Lici patted his back with a smile. "Sit down. If I hear any news about him, I’ll be sure to tell you, alright?" Chi Yun suddenly sat up. "You’ve been wandering away from the capital these past years, saying you were searching for someone. It wasn’t for this person, was it?" Tang Lici pressed Shen Langhun down to sit. "The one I’m looking for is someone else."
Shen Langhun sat down. Normally cold and silent, he now seemed somewhat fragile, swaying slightly as he settled, his emotions turbulent. Tang Lici took out a small, flat jade flask from his robe—tiny, no larger than a palm, made of snow-white, crystalline jade carved with cloud patterns. When he uncorked it, an intensely rich aroma of liquor rushed out, so strong it immediately made Chi Yun sneeze. The flask likely held only two or three sips. He handed it to Shen Langhun, who peered inside—the wine was deep red, like blood.
"Azure Blood," Chi Yun remarked lazily. "You’ve got taste. This stuff costs as much as gold, tastes about as pleasant as pepper water, and drinking it is practically suicide." Shen Langhun tilted his head back and poured the liquor down his throat, then flung the flask out of the carriage. A faint ding sounded outside. Chi Yun rolled his eyes. "Do you realize you just threw away at least five thousand taels of silver?" Shen Langhun replied indifferently, "If he offers me a drink, does he really care about the flask?" He glanced at Tang Lici. "Good wine!"
Tang Lici smiled, as if he had deliberately given Shen Langhun the flask to throw. "Feeling better now?" Shen Langhun straightened slightly. "Who exactly is he?"
"Three years ago," Tang Lici began, "a dear friend of mine played the zither at Zhou Di Pavilion—his skill was unmatched in the world..." Chi Yun made a sound of surprise. "Zhou Di Pavilion? You mean the place of 'Three Sounds Fang Zhou'?" Tang Lici nodded. "Mm..." Chi Yun and Shen Langhun exchanged glances. Three years ago, Zhou Di Pavilion’s "Three Sounds Fang Zhou" was renowned across the land. Legend had it that after hearing Fang Zhou’s zither, everyone would sigh and murmur, "Fang Zhou, Fang Zhou, Fang Zhou... ah..."—thus his fame was born.
Shen Langhun said coolly, "The people you know are all masters of our time." Tang Lici smiled faintly. "Am I not a master of our time? Back then, while he played at Zhou Di Pavilion, one day a zither guest with half his face white and half red came to listen. After hearing him play, the guest gave him a book, saying he looked unwell—if he ever faced great peril, in desperate times, he could open it and read."
"What is that book? The 'Rebirth Scroll'?" Chi Yun asked. Tang Lici smiled faintly and exhaled softly. Normally refined and dignified, the way he exhaled now made one feel as if that breath had entered their ears, causing a slight warmth. Then they heard him say, "He didn’t read that book—I did. It was indeed the 'Rebirth Scroll.' At the time, he was gravely ill, with little time left to live, and even playing the zither was a struggle. After reading the book, I told him to practice a little each day. What he couldn’t understand, I taught him. Once he mastered it, he exchanged his skills with me..." At this point, Shen Langhun gave a faint smile. "Young Master Tang truly lives up to the word 'ruthless.' No wonder you are the master of Ten Thousand Apertures House." Tang Lici remained unperturbed, continuing with a smile, "Originally, everything went smoothly. But on the day of the skill exchange, two people suddenly barged into Fang Zhou’s room at Zhou Di Pavilion, interrupting the Skill Exchange Great Art. In the chaos, Fang Zhou transferred his skills to three people, and then he died." Shen Langhun said, "One of those three is the man who killed my wife?" Tang Lici nodded and sighed. "After Fang Zhou’s death, the Rebirth Scroll was taken by those two. I was injured at the time, so to this day, I don’t know its whereabouts." As he spoke, his fingers unconsciously pressed lightly against his abdomen, and a trace of pain flickered across his brow.
Chi Yun had remained silent the entire time. Shen Langhun remarked coolly, "Are you disappointed about exchanging skills with a friend?" Tang Lici smiled and glanced at Chi Yun. Since earlier, when he had muttered, "Could it be that 'Three Sounds Fang Zhou'?" he had lain back with his eyes closed as if asleep, seemingly oblivious to Tang Lici’s lengthy explanation. Now, hearing Shen Langhun’s words, he lazily curled his lips and said, "I’ve known for ages that that white-haired fox surnamed Tang is no good. If it were me, I’d probably do the same. After all, everyone dies eventually—better to leave behind some skills than die for nothing. In short, I’m a heretic, that fox surnamed Tang is a monster, and you, surnamed Shen, are no saint either. Let’s not throw stones in glass houses—we’re all birds of a feather." Shen Langhun chuckled. He no longer looked at Tang Lici or Chi Yun, suddenly asking, "Why are you capturing Yu Qifeng?"
"Because Yu Qifeng is a bad person." Chi Yun laughed heartily. "Bad people capturing bad people—is this your first time hearing of it?" Shen Langhun replied, "Compared to me and Young Master Tang, you’re hardly a villain." At this, the three of them burst into laughter. Feng Feng had been listening curiously with wide eyes, as if he understood everything. Now, he let out a tiny yawn, nestled against Tang Lici’s chest, and closed his eyes. Tang Lici took out a handkerchief and gently wiped the drool from the corner of Feng Feng’s mouth. "We still have several days’ journey to Yu Family Sword Manor. Tomorrow, we’ll reach Cliff Well Village. Let’s enjoy some rustic dishes and rest properly for a day." Shen Langhun sat cross-legged and closed his eyes. In his three years as an assassin, he had never seen someone who not only rode in a sedan chair before a job but also insisted on a meal of rustic dishes beforehand. Truly unheard of.
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