"Oh, so you don't know where Sword King Yu hides his medicine?" Tang Lici released Hua Wuyan's fingers one by one, his grip loosening. "Only Hong Guniang knows where the medicine is hidden? Then I'll trouble you to lead the way—I'd like to meet her." His words were laced with amusement, his expression gentle. Hua Wuyan also wore a smile, though Tang Lici's nails had sunk deep into his neck, leaving five bloody marks. As an expert in poisons, Hua Wuyan knew Tang Lici's fingers were coated with toxins—not lethal, but troublesome. Moreover, with injuries on his body, many airborne poisons and powders couldn't be used. He believed this was Tang Lici's true intent behind leaving those five bloody marks on his neck.
The poison on his fingers was simply there by default.
Not deliberately applied.
"Hong Guniang lives in the Crimson Pavilion. Unless she chooses to come out herself, no one can see her," Hua Wuyan sighed. "If we force our way in, she’ll pull the alarm bell, and Yu Qifeng will know you’re here immediately. Sword Manor may not have many elite fighters, but once word gets out, your investigation into the pills will become far more difficult. Someone as intelligent as Young Master Tang surely understands this, no?"
Tang Lici smiled faintly. "I wouldn’t dare impose on the lady. Since uncouth men like us aren’t fit to enter, then we’ll simply have to wait for Hong Guniang to emerge on her own." He regarded Hua Wuyan leisurely. "I don’t wish to disturb Sword King while he receives guests, nor do I have time to wait for the lady’s favor. If she doesn’t come out to see me in a moment, I’ll snap your neck. How does that sound?"
"That…" Hua Wuyan chuckled. "That naturally doesn’t sound good. Even if you snap my neck, she still won’t come out."
"Then it’s simple." Tang Lici’s hand ghosted to Hua Wuyan’s neck again. A sharp pain shot through his throat, and a choked gasp escaped him as his eyes squeezed shut. Just as he thought death was certain, a warm breath brushed his face. Opening his eyes, he saw Tang Lici had blown softly on him, sighing tenderly, "Someone like you, unwilling to fight for survival—could the secret behind you truly be so terrifying?"
Hua Wuyan stared at that exquisite face, his neck still throbbing in agony. Tang Lici’s grip hadn’t loosened, yet his beautiful features were suffused with a smile, his gaze intoxicating, carrying an almost bewitching allure. Unconsciously, Hua Wuyan leaned back but didn’t answer the question. Tang Lici didn’t press further. The two remained locked in this standoff until, suddenly, Tang Lici let out a soft laugh and blew another warm breath against Hua Wuyan’s lips.
What… was he doing? Hua Wuyan’s heart pounded violently, his mind blanking for an instant. Then Tang Lici released him, flicking his sleeve. "Go on."
Under normal circumstances, someone like him would have laughed and walked away. But Hua Wuyan stood frozen for a moment, confusion swirling in his mind, before slowly departing.
Tang Lici—beyond being ruthlessly cunning—was truly… a very strange man.
As Hua Wuyan left, Tang Lici smiled, leisurely surveying his surroundings until his gaze landed on a crimson pavilion not far away. He strode toward it with unhurried grace. After no more than thirty steps, the sound of breathing around him multiplied—clearly, there were many hidden sentries watching him. Unfazed, he sauntered to the pavilion’s entrance when suddenly, he spotted a white figure lying among the flowers, hair as pale as snow. He couldn’t help but smile faintly."Ah, you arrived quite quickly," sighed the person lying amidst the white butterflies, continuing to sleep with closed eyes.
Tang Lici paid no mind, raising his head to see a slender figure flash briefly on the dark-red pavilion before vanishing. He bowed slightly toward the pavilion, then walked to its entrance, pushed open the door, and stepped inside. Yet no alarm sounded. As he ascended the stairs to the second floor, a woman in white stood silently at the top of the steps. Her presence was as refined as an immortal’s, her brows slightly furrowed, and before even seeing her full face, an air of lingering melancholy drifted toward him.
Like an orchid.
Like a whisper of sorrow.
"Hong Guniang?" Tang Lici continued his ascent without pause, moving gracefully as a breeze flowed through the pavilion. His smile made it seem as though he were stepping upon the wind itself.
Hong Guniang nodded, her delicate brows—like distant mountains—furrowing deeper. "Who are you?"
"I am Tang Lici," he replied with a smile, reaching the final step but not ascending further. Standing just below her, he tilted his head slightly upward, his gaze meeting her eyes.
"So you are Tang Weiqian’s adopted son, Yunfei’s sworn brother, and the master of Ten Thousand Apertures House?" Hong Guniang asked softly. Though her name was unknown in the martial world, she seemed well-versed in the origins and histories of various figures.
"Indeed," Tang Lici replied, standing where the breeze carried her faint fragrance past him. "I have come from afar because I heard rumors that the recent spread of the Ape-Demon Nine Heart Pill in the martial world originated from Yu Family Sword Manor."
"What Ape-Demon Nine Heart Pill? I’ve never heard of it," Hong Guniang said indifferently. "Young Master Tang, your status is noble. How could you provoke Sword King Yu based on mere hearsay?" Her frail figure remained unmoving at the top of the stairs. "Please leave."
Tang Lici glanced at her up and down, smiling faintly. "You don’t know martial arts."
Hong Guniang nodded, her lips curving slightly. "Yet I have a thousand ways to ensure you die here."
"You specialize in mechanisms and hidden weapons," Tang Lici observed with amusement.
Hong Guniang did not deny it, her eyes roaming over him. "You’re injured in the abdomen."
"Correct," Tang Lici replied, still smiling.
"Your purpose in coming to Yu Family Sword Manor isn’t the Ape-Demon Nine Heart Pill, but something else," she said, enunciating each word.
"Also correct."
"Then tell me—what is the true reason you spent fifty thousand taels of gold to hire Shen Langhun and risked coming here yourself?" She studied him. Though he stood below her, and she held control over seventy-one hidden weapons in the pavilion, none seemed poised to strike.
Tang Lici elegantly adjusted his sleeves. "Shall we make an exchange? I’ll tell you the truth, and you do the same."
"An exchange? You want to bargain with me?" Hong Guniang’s delicate brows knitted slightly.
"Has no one ever bargained with you before?" His tone remained gentle. "You are well-informed and exceptionally clever. I give you what you want, you give me what I want—both of us gain without conflict. Wouldn’t that be ideal?"
"Beyond the pill, what is it you truly seek?" She stared at him intently. "You are a strange man. What is it you really desire?"
"I want the whereabouts of two people and the answer to one question," Tang Lici replied patiently.
"Two people? Who are they?" she pressed.
Tang Lici smiled but did not answer."What about the answer to that question? What did you want to ask?"
"I wanted to ask someone: If I died, would you shed tears for me?" Tang Lici said softly, then let out a light sigh.
Hong Guniang was slightly taken aback. "The person you're looking for is related to the pill?"
"Perhaps yes, perhaps no," Tang Lici replied gently. "That is my purpose."
"Is your purpose truly that simple?" Hong Guniang's sleeves fluttered slightly. "Tell me who this person is and what their relationship is to you. I might consider telling you the pill's whereabouts."
"How about this?" Tang Lici smiled. "Asking about my relationship with others is merely a way to uncover my weakness. Why don’t I just tell you my weakness, and in return, you tell me the pill’s location? And—I’ll even tell you my weakness first. A very fair deal, wouldn’t you agree?"
"Oh? Fine." Hong Guniang replied indifferently. "You speak first. After hearing it, I might just go back on my word."
Tang Lici chuckled. "My weakness... well, I am injured. Though you may not know martial arts, you might be skilled in medicine and can discern my wounds. Despite my high martial prowess and deep Internal Force, I cannot engage in prolonged combat—otherwise, my injuries will flare up, resulting in two lives lost."
Hong Guniang frowned slightly. "You’re not a pregnant woman—what do you mean, 'two lives lost'?"
Tang Lici only smiled without answering. After a brief pause, Hong Guniang continued, "Since you’ve honestly revealed your weakness, the pill’s location isn’t that important. I’ll tell you. But you must answer my earlier question." Her curiosity was clearly piqued as she studied Tang Lici closely. "The Yu Family Sword Manor’s pill is hidden beneath the white butterfly flowers outside the gate. Dig there, and you’ll find it."
"You honor your word—truly trustworthy." Tang Lici smiled. "I shall take my leave now." He turned gracefully and descended the steps. Hong Guniang was startled. "Wait! The earlier question—"
"Oh..." Tang Lici glanced back with a smile. "Did I ever promise to answer it?"
"You—" Hong Guniang sighed softly. "You truly are cunning. But even if I told you the pill’s location, that doesn’t mean you’ll get what you want. Since you captured Hua Wuyan alive, why didn’t you kill him?" She held a white silk cloth in her hand, its contents unknown, and waved it toward the window. "With Hua Wuyan still alive, the area outside the white butterfly flowers is now heavily guarded. Since Chi Yun and Shen Langhun aren’t here, they must be restraining Yu Qifeng. You’re alone—do you really think you can overcome the Dissolute Shop’s Thirty-Three Killers Formation? Honestly, I hope you can."
"Who should be worried here? What are the Sword King’s chances against Chi Yun and Shen Langhun?" Tang Lici said mildly. "Aren’t you concerned, Hong Guniang?"
Standing gracefully at the top of the stairs, Hong Guniang lowered her gaze and replied coolly, "Wouldn’t it be nice to have him accompany you on the road to the underworld?"
"Ah, good company indeed." Tang Lici had already stepped out of the pavilion’s door. With a light pull, he gently closed it behind him. "A lady’s chamber should remain free of bloodshed."Outside the attic, the flowers and grass flourished, with white butterflies dancing everywhere. Xue Xianzi was still asleep in the grass, a few dragonflies flitting about—a scene of utter tranquility, with no hint of where the hidden danger lay. Tang Lici picked up the hoe Xue Xianzi had kicked aside earlier and indeed took a swing at the soil, digging into the earth.
Tang Lici—inscrutable.
Hong Guniang stood behind the second-floor window, quietly observing the unfolding situation. If this man wasn’t eliminated, they might capsize in a ditch—right at the hands of the wealthiest man in the world. He was adamant about getting that pill, but what did he truly want? No… it wasn’t the pill he sought, but rather "the hiding place of the pill"—what was he trying to prove?
What exactly was he trying to prove? What he said—wanting to know the whereabouts of two people, wanting to ask one person a question—was that true or false?
And then… the so-called "one corpse, two lives"… Leaning against the attic windowsill, she watched unblinkingly as the man walked toward the white butterfly flowers. Someone like him, both false and true—for some reason, she believed everything he had just said was genuine. But what kind of person could make Tang Lici search so relentlessly? And what kind of person could make him say something like, "If I die, will you shed tears for me?"
Unconsciously, she lightly rubbed the half-broken flute hidden in her sleeve, recalling someone—that person bent over a desk, playing the zither and singing loudly. Though his skill was lacking, he played with such unrestrained passion, as if… in this mundane world, only he remained, filled with nothing but untimely sentiments and a heart full of sorrow.
Tang Lici swung the hoe into the flowerbed. Xue Xianzi let out a yelp and sat up, but before he could speak, a few nearly imperceptible twangs of strings sounded, and he yelped again before collapsing. With a flick of his sleeve, Tang Lici sent four hidden blades fluttering to the ground. Holding the hoe, he smiled faintly at the masked figures in green robes slowly emerging from all sides.
Thirty-three of them—each holding a short flute.
Declaring that the pill was buried here was, in truth, also a trap to ambush Tang Lici, wasn’t it? Leaning casually on the hoe, he stood outside the circle of thirty-three assassins, his back against the bamboo pavilion, plucking a blade of grass between his fingers. The man who appeared so at ease was none other than Hua Wuyan, whom he had let go earlier. Noticing Tang Lici’s gaze, Hua Wuyan returned a smile.
What kind of person could make Hua Wuyan choose death over betrayal—and possess such courage, rallying his men after being startled, regaining composure in an instant, calm as ever… A deep glint flickered in Tang Lici’s eyes. The master of the Ape-Demon Nine Heart Pill, the manipulator behind the Dissolute Shop—this was no ordinary figure to be underestimated.
OpenNovel