He and A-Li didn't know each other very early, at least not as deeply as A-Yan and A-Li did. By the time he met A-Li, the latter was already like this—gentle, elegant, effortlessly charming, courteous, and almost omnipotent. But he'd heard A-Li's father was very dissatisfied with him. After the incident with the copper flute lead singer, he realized just how important control and superiority were to A-Li. Why was that? He couldn't understand. Just like why, after coming here, A-Li would shoulder the fate of the martial world. Why? Was it also for the sake of pursuing control and superiority? Because he couldn't live without it? Because he couldn't bear not being the best?
No... Fu Zhumei stared blankly ahead. Perhaps some people would pursue their desires to death, but no one would do so as painfully as A-Li... so painfully that it drove him nearly mad.
Ah... He suddenly shook his head vigorously. What was he thinking? The important thing now wasn't why A-Li had become like this, but how to help him return to normal, to stop being trapped in the shadows of the past. Right, that bowl of medicine—why was it poisoned? Could there be someone in the Central Plains Sword Association who wished A-Li harm?
A flash of pink fabric caught his eye. Fu Zhumei looked up, realizing he had been walking absentmindedly and nearly collided with someone coming his way. The person let out a delicate "Ah!"—it was Xifang Tao. Seeing an unfamiliar servant emerge from Tang Lici's room, she found it rather odd. This young, white-clad servant not only came out of Tang Lici's quarters but was also so distracted he almost ran into her.
"Oh! My apologies," Fu Zhumei muttered absentmindedly, barely glancing at Xifang Tao before continuing forward in a daze. After passing two forks in the path, he suddenly realized he'd taken the wrong route and turned back toward the kitchen.
So it was a new kitchen servant. But why would Tang Lici allow him into his room? Xifang Tao frowned slightly. The servant had shown no manners, not even offering a greeting. She glanced toward Tang Lici's room. After Chi Yun's death, Tang Lici had surprisingly not exposed her to the others, which puzzled her. Tang Lici had fought her desperately for Chi Yun's sake—he certainly harbored hatred for her. Yet he remained silent, allowing her to stay in the Central Plains Sword Association. Did he intend to rally the Sword Association to encircle and kill her? She smiled faintly. To gather the Sword Association's forces against Xifang Tao, he'd need to see how much confidence they still had in him—and whether he even had the capability.
"Ziyun," she called over her shoulder. Ziyun, who had been trimming branches in the garden, looked up. "What is it, Peach Girl?" Xifang Tao smiled softly. "I saw a new servant from the kitchen taking medicine to Young Master Tang. Go check on his injuries—I don’t want to disturb his rest by going in myself." Ziyun nodded. "Young Master Tang’s wounds were nearly healed days ago. It shouldn’t be serious. I’ll go." Xifang Tao turned and walked away. After covering some distance, she glanced back just in time to see Ziyun push open Tang Lici's door."Young Master Tang..." Ziyun stepped into the room and suddenly froze. She saw Tang Lici lying on the bed, breathing lightly, fast asleep, completely unaware of her entrance. After a pause, Ziyun quietly retreated, her heart filled with sorrow and tenderness. These past days had truly been difficult for Young Master Tang. When she turned to look again, Xifang Tao was nowhere to be seen, which struck her as odd—where had Peach Girl gone?
In Tang Lici's room, a shadow flickered as Xifang Tao silently slipped inside. Seeing Ziyun exit through the door, she knew Tang Lici was indeed resting and not feigning. Spotting someone lying motionless with closed eyes on the bed, she struck with a heavy palm straight toward the bed. For many days, she had been waiting for an opportunity to ambush him. Now that she had caught Tang Lici resting in bed—with Chi Yun already dead—if Tang Lici were to perish as well, none of the remaining members of the Central Plains Sword Association would be of any concern to her.
A thunderous crash echoed as the sandalwood bed shattered under her strike, splinters flying and smashing through the window lattice. Amid the collapsing bed curtains, Tang Lici startled awake and dodged. Xifang Tao's palm had shattered the bed but missed him by a hair's breadth. With a faint smile, she swung another palm strike. Tang Lici sat up to block, but just as their palms met before either could exert force, a splitting headache forced him to withdraw, shortening his reach. Xifang Tao burst into laughter—this time, her voice unmistakably male—and with a forward thrust, she poured all her strength into a fatal blow aimed at Tang Lici's life!
"Who—" Cheng Yunpao's deep shout came from outside the door, followed by the door exploding inward as he charged in. Xifang Tao's mind raced. Just before the door shattered, she tore off her peach-colored robe and flung it under the bed, then wiped her sleeve across her face, donning a human skin mask in an instant, completely altering her appearance. As Cheng Yunpao stormed in, he caught sight of a grotesque, black-clad figure standing by Tang Lici's bed. Without hesitation, he thrust his sword forward. "Who are you?"
Even Xifang Tao dared not take Cheng Yunpao's sword thrust lightly. Yet Tang Lici's mind was still foggy—if she didn't kill him now, she might never get another chance once he recovered. Weighing her options, she let out a strange laugh, arched backward to evade the sword, and with a flick of her sleeve, darted toward the window. Cheng Yunpao's second strike followed swiftly, the sword's edge grazing the black-clad figure's back. Just as he prepared to exert force, the figure flipped backward midair, narrowly avoiding the thrust, and used the momentum to leap over Cheng Yunpao's head. With a roar, both palms came crashing down toward Tang Lici's skull.
"Tang—" Cheng Yunpao gasped in shock. His sword was already extended too far to turn back and save him. Tang Lici's chest rose and fell—his physical wounds had long healed. As the deadly strike loomed, he desperately wanted to counter, but his splitting headache left him utterly weak, his body devoid of strength. He could only stare fixedly at Xifang Tao. In that fleeting moment, she saw an intensely brilliant light in his eyes—so dazzling that even a seasoned schemer like her couldn't discern whether it was joy, fury, shock, or fear in the face of death.
The twin palms descended. Cheng Yunpao barely managed to turn around as Shao Yanping arrived outside the door, his face paling in horror at the sight. "Tang—"Xifang Tao pounced down from midair, while Tang Lici faced her with a faint smile and steady gaze. In that instant, a cold gleam like moonlight flashed across the room. Everyone inside felt a chilling gust sweep over them, followed by a "crack" as a layer of frost formed on the doorpost. Sensing the blade's gleam, Xifang Tao let out a loud shout and hastily crossed her palms to block the icy slash from above. Yet when her hands met the blade, a sharp "snap" echoed, and blood splattered three feet wide. Tao staggered back, leaving behind a trail of blood droplets in her wake.
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