"Swish, swish"—thirty-three masked figures in green robes, clearly trained in coordinated combat, swiftly formed a circle. In unison, they flicked their sleeves, and the sound of strings resonated from their short flutes. Thirty-three nearly invisible cold glints flashed like spider silk, instantly clinging to Tang Lici's sleeves.
Tang Lici raised his flower hoe, flinging a handful of dirt at the green-robed assailants. By the time the cold glints touched his clothes, he had already struck twice with the hoe, digging a bowl-sized hole in the ground. Seeing this, Hua Wuyan shouted, "Mixed Blades!" The green-robed figures immediately drew knives from their robes. The closest one swung a gleaming blade straight at Tang Lici's back. Tang Lici elbowed backward, clanging against the knife's edge. The green-robed man froze in surprise as Tang Lici reversed his grip, seized the knife, and with a swift motion, parried seven or eight incoming short blades with a series of "clang, clang, clang." Meanwhile, his right hand continued digging, deepening the hole by another three inches.
It turned out his left and right hands were equally dexterous—holding a knife in one and a flower hoe in the other, with no discernible difference. Hong Guniang watched from the upper floor, her brow slightly furrowed. Tang Lici's profound skill was expected, but what surprised her was his apparent combat experience—as if he frequently engaged in battles. From his actions, it was clear the thirty-three-man killing formation had little effect on him. His sole focus was digging through the soil to find the hidden pill.
She waved her white handkerchief lightly out the window. Hua Wuyan's expression shifted slightly. He tossed aside the grass, picked up a longsword from the ground, and saluted the pavilion with a cupped fist before unsheathing it with a sharp "shua."
Hm? Tang Lici suddenly turned his head. Dozens of blades crisscrossed past him. Blocking ten blades with one was still manageable, but a sudden sword thrust came from behind—its wind fierce, forcing him to parry. He raised his knife horizontally, and with a loud "clang," the weapons clashed. Hua Wuyan was forced back three steps, but knives came at Tang Lici from all directions—right arm, left shoulder, front abdomen, and lower back. Smiling faintly, he leaned back to evade, glanced up at the pavilion, then abruptly changed his knife technique. With a sharp "shua," he severed the left arm of a nearby green-robed man.
"Ah!" The man screamed, rolling on the ground. Tang Lici showed no mercy—swiftly delivering several more slashes, felling six more men around him. The ground was soon drenched in blood, strewn with severed limbs. In an instant, the once-beautiful white flowerbed became a slaughterhouse. His overwhelming force sent a chill through the remaining twenty-seven men, their movements slowing. Unfazed, Hua Wuyan smiled and lunged with his sword. "Injuring one after another—Young Master Tang, your hands are ruthless. You claim to walk the righteous path of the martial world, yet you maim lives without hesitation. Have you never considered that these men have parents, wives, and children?" Before he finished speaking, he thrust five rapid strikes. His words were calm as drifting clouds, but his swordplay was vicious—each strike aimed for fatal points. Tang Lici's bloodied knife swept through the air, droplets flying with the wind and splattering onto Hua Wuyan's delicate face, adding a touch of ferocity. Tang Lici chuckled, "When did I ever claim to be righteous?" Before the words fully left his mouth, sword light flashed past him. Hua Wuyan roared, "Flowers Fall at Dawn and Dusk!" Suddenly, sword radiance burst forth like a night-blooming cereus—dazzling and indescribable—countless sword gleams aimed straight for Tang Lici's vulnerable abdomen! This was the very weakness he had admitted moments ago!In the dimly lit crimson pavilion, hidden mechanisms were indeed everywhere. Tang Lici swung his blade to parry. Earlier, while he was speaking with Hong Guniang, someone had been concealed within the pavilion's hidden layers, and there was another method of relaying information, allowing his conversation to be swiftly transmitted to Hua Wuyan. Now, the green-clad masked assailants had gradually grown accustomed to his blade techniques and footwork, making it difficult to wound them. The short daggers flashing between them came three inches closer to his body, and the cold glint from the short flute shot out unpredictably, making it even harder to defend against. Amidst the clashing of blades and shifting stances, Tang Lici's initial advantage slowly faded, and the battle reached a stalemate. With the sheer number of opponents, if the fight dragged on, Tang Lici would undoubtedly be defeated.
Hua Wuyan wore a smile on his face, his swordplay growing increasingly vicious. Tang Lici swept his blade horizontally, slashing another throat and eliciting a scream of pain. With a flick of his flower hoe in his right hand, a crisp snap echoed as a thin stone slab beneath the white blossoms shattered, sending dirt and petals flying into the air. As the dust settled, a stone coffin was revealed beneath the flowers. Hua Wuyan's expression changed, and he retreated three steps. Tang Lici stepped into the pit with his left foot and reached out with his right hand, grabbing whatever was inside the coffin.
With a clatter , the green-clad masked men retreated in unison. Inside the coffin lay a skeleton, and even Tang Lici was momentarily stunned. A skeleton in a coffin was not unusual in itself, but this was beneath a flower bed—the supposed hiding place for medicine. Why was there a skeleton here? Yet as the bones were lifted, a thud sounded as a bundle fell from the skeleton's embrace, rolling out several medicine bottles. Tang Lici took a step forward, and the masked men halted their attacks, their eyes fixed intently on the bottles on the ground. With a faint smile, he nudged three or five bottles with his foot, sending them rolling into the crowd. A commotion erupted instantly—one man lunged to seize them, but in the blink of an eye, daggers flashed, and a scream later, the man lay dead on the ground, riddled with dozens of wounds. Blood stained the blades, and the masked men exchanged glances, some letting out low growls from beneath their veils.Tang Lici smiled at Hua Wuyan, lightly kicking out with his toe again to send another three or five bottles of pills rolling across the ground. Though they were ordinary gray medicine bottles, to others they appeared utterly terrifying. One bottle rolled to Hua Wuyan's feet, and he took a deep breath. "You were determined to find the hidden medicine just for this..." Tang Lici rested his flower hoe on the ground, his smile gentle and refined. "Decay invites worms. To raze the Yu Family Sword Manor to the ground, how could we proceed without this?" Hua Wuyan arched his brows, revealing a smile. "Tang Lici, oh Tang Lici, you truly are remarkable. But have you considered that once you seize this medicine, the Dissolute Shop will be resolved to kill you? And in the murky rivers and lakes, there are no fewer than a thousand—if not eight hundred—people eyeing this medicine covetously. Taking the Ape-Demon Nine Heart Pill is to defy the world and stand on certain death!"
Tang Lici lifted the bundle filled with medicine bottles. "Even if I don't take this medicine, after today, the Dissolute Shop will still be resolved to kill me." Hua Wuyan sighed softly. "Why must someone like you wade into these troubled waters? What does it matter to you whether the people of the martial world live or die, or linger half-dead?" He stood poised with his sword stance, though the thirty-three-man killing formation around them had already collapsed. Masked men fought desperately over the scattered bottles on the ground. Though Tang Lici held most of the pills, the masked men dared not cross the boundary to snatch them from him, instead battling fiercely over the few remaining bottles.
"The origin of the medicine in these bottles may be connected to a dear friend of mine," Tang Lici said slowly, watching Hua Wuyan. "I am someone who treasures my friends... though perhaps it doesn't seem that way." Hua Wuyan chuckled—indeed, it didn't. "That you would go to such lengths for medicine that might be related to your friend is truly hard to imagine." Tang Lici smiled. "There are many unimaginable things in this world... You haven't taken this pill, have you?" Hua Wuyan shook his head, grinning. "I have."
Tang Lici said, "I’ve heard this medicine must be taken once every two years. If you seize a bottle, the enhanced martial prowess won’t fade, and it can ensure decades of safety. For a martial artist, decades of peace are quite a boon." Hua Wuyan shook his head again. "I accept my fate. After taking the pill, freedom is but an illusion." Tang Lici’s gaze flickered as he glanced at the bones on the ground. "Who is this?"
"That’s Yu Qifeng’s mother," Hua Wuyan said with a laugh. "The pills were hidden in the tomb of Yu Qifeng’s mother. Under heaven, no one but a fearless eccentric like you would dare disturb this coffin." Tang Lici smiled. "Admirable, admirable. So that’s how it is. Was this idea Hong Guniang’s?" Hua Wuyan nodded. "Of course... A woman’s heart is as deep as the ocean. Though Hong Guniang appears delicate and charming, her cunning is no less than yours."
Tang Lici asked, "What is Hong Guniang to your master?" Hua Wuyan laughed. "Guess?" Tang Lici replied, "A servant." Hua Wuyan feigned surprise. "How did you know?" Tang Lici’s lips curled slightly, as if amused. "Perhaps I’ve seen too many women. With her bearing, she hardly seems like a master." Then he glanced toward the dark red pavilion again. "I suspect that once the stone coffin was broken, Hong Guniang was no longer in the building."
Hua Wuyan said coolly, "But I will fight to the death." Tang Lici regarded him with pity. "Your swordsmanship is beautiful. Draw your blade."Hua Wuyan's sword stance remained unchanged as dusk gradually descended. His youthful, delicate features were as fresh as a flower, and his sleeves fluttered gently in the breeze, resembling an unopened epiphyllum swaying in the wind. Tang Lici carried a heavy bundle in his hand, the short blade in his left glinting softly under the setting sun. As Hua Wuyan thrust his sword forward, Tang Lici turned gracefully, and with a resonant clang , their weapons met. Hua Wuyan sighed silently.
A man sat up from the ground. "The swordsmanship of Pingchuan Wuzhou... what a pity, what a pity. The boy hasn't mastered it yet. Such a half-baked famous sword can't win against a haphazard killing blade." Hua Wuyan was startled, glancing briefly to see that it was the long-fallen gardener who had risen to sit and watch the spectacle. The man continued, "Hmm... seems like you're in a good mood today, letting him take more than three strikes." Tang Lici smiled without answering, his short blade moving fluidly. Though Hua Wuyan's swordplay was elegant, it couldn't breach the three-foot radius around Tang Lici.
At that moment, a deafening boom shook the air. Tang Lici turned sharply to see the entire roof of the Sword Hall blasted skyward, flying dozens of zhang away amidst billowing smoke and dust. Amid the debris, scattered human limbs and fragments of bricks rained down in the distance. His face paled instantly—just moments ago, he had asked, "What are the Sword King Yu's chances against Chi Yun and Shen Langhun?" and Hong Guniang had replied, "Isn't it good to have company on the road to the underworld?" There had been spies in the Crimson Pavilion—had Hong Guniang's words meant that she had already issued a kill order, sacrificing Yu Qifeng and detonating the Yu Family Sword Hall?
Were Chi Yun and Shen Langhun safe?
He whirled around, his eyes gleaming with an eerie cold light. Hua Wuyan laughed—a laugh tinged with resignation. "I told you, a woman's heart is as fathomless as the sea. Hong Guniang's cunning is no less than yours... When you stormed the Crimson Pavilion, she knew the Yu Family Sword Manor could no longer remain hidden. Unless she could kill you—but neither I nor the Thirty-Three Killing Formation could do it. Since we couldn't kill you, cutting off your wings was the only option. The only regret is that the explosives were only in the Sword Hall. Otherwise, you'd have been blown to bits too, flesh and blood flying everywhere—ah, what a sight, hahaha..." His laughter was bitter, his body shaking with mirth. "It doesn't matter if you took the pills. It doesn't matter if you shattered the Yu Family Sword Manor's unity. It doesn't even matter if you kill me, Hua Wuyan. But you claim to cherish your friends, hahaha... You sent them to their deaths. You let your friends walk into a trap..."
A flicker of pain crossed Tang Lici's brow as he lightly bit his lip. "So that's how it is." He pressed the back of his blade-wielding left hand against his abdomen. "You stayed behind... to die?" Hua Wuyan planted his sword into the ground. "I gave the order to blow up the Sword Hall... Are you satisfied now?"
"If you want to die, so be it." Tang Lici spoke calmly, stepping forward once, then again. The evening breeze brushed past his face, lifting strands of dark hair. "After I kill you, I'll go save them."
Hua Wuyan lunged with his sword. This time, Tang Lici showed no mercy—his short blade flashed, blood splattering onto his dark robes. Then, sword light erupted like moonlight surging into the sky, the blade gleaming crimson as it drank deep. With a splat , a three-chi-long trail of blood snaked across the ground like a dragon.Xue Xianzi had vanished without a trace the moment the explosion sounded, whether fleeing for his life or rushing to save others was unknown. The cold clashing of weapons, the silent dance of blades—then suddenly, the tender pluck of a string, gentle as a murmuring spring, flowed forth. Hua Wuyan, covered in bloodstains, gave a sorrowful smile at the sound and swung his sword once more. Tang Lici turned his head at the melody, only for the sword's wind to graze past his face, severing several strands of hair. The dark locks drifted to the ground, mingling with the bloodstains before growing cold. Hua Wuyan stepped forward, leaping into the air, his entire body and blade lunging toward the opening in Tang Lici’s chest. Tang Lici flipped backward in a wide arc to evade, but Hua Wuyan’s swordplay seemed fiercer than before, each strike aimed to kill, harmonizing with the softly sung melody of the strings...
Amid the flashing blades and blood, someone nearby strummed the strings and sang:
"Lotus fate, white water’s chant,
Pingchuan Wuzhou’s sword renowned.
Alas, a life spent loving poison herbs,
Too vain to wield a blade, betraying bonds profound.
Beauty’s grace, yet beauty spurned,
Master’s kindness, yet master scorned,
Empty paths where night’s cherry blossoms fall..."
The song was mournful, the singer pouring his heart into it, unrestrained and impassioned. Tears fell from Hua Wuyan’s eyes as he fought, drop by drop into the pool of blood. Tang Lici’s blade gleamed like silk—eyes closed, he thrust straight through Hua Wuyan’s heart. A cry of anguish, and the man collapsed. Yet the strings played on, reaching the line:
"...Life swept clean as fallen snow,
Return, return, return to purity’s glow."
Hua Wuyan fell, and the song ceased abruptly, as if no one remained in the world.
"Why did you seek death?" Tang Lici’s blade remained lodged in Hua Wuyan’s chest as he knelt beside him, not yet withdrawn.
Hua Wuyan lay on his back, the sky darkening, a few stars faintly visible. "I... I am..." He laughed. "An unfilial son. A life of ingratitude—refusing to learn the sword, cultivating poison herbs, joining the Dissolute Shop, consuming the Ape-Demon Nine Hearts Pill... All my own stubborn choices. Abandoning my wife, driving my master to his grave... There was no turning back for me... Haha... Life swept clean as fallen snow, return, return, return to purity’s glow... " His eyes slowly closed. "The Revered Master... truly understands... human hearts..."
The blood stopped flowing.
He was gone.
Tang Lici laid him down and stood abruptly, casting a glance at the dark crimson pavilion. The one who had played the song was inside, strumming the zither.
The Revered Master of the Dissolute Shop—what kind of "Revered Master" would treat a subordinate’s death as a grand performance, singing with abandon, yet regard the corpses strewn about as nothing? He picked up the bundle containing the Ape-Demon Nine Hearts Pill and strode toward the ruins of the Sword Hall.
Tang Lici.
Inside the dark pavilion, a figure draped in black gauze, face veiled, sat with his back to the window, the zither resting across his knees, fingers dancing wildly over the strings.
A refined and elegant facade, yet with a cruelty beyond the ordinary—very much like someone.
But that person was already dead. The slain could not return to life.
He had not watched Hua Wuyan’s death, nor spared Tang Lici a single glance. From beginning to end, he had faced away from the battle, wholly absorbed in plucking the strings and singing. A song not sung with one’s entire soul was no song at all.
"Revered Master, this place is dangerous. If Chi Yun and Shen Langhun still live, and the three of them turn back to intercept us, escape will be difficult," Hong Guniang murmured softly. She had changed her attire and now held a candleholder to illuminate the veiled man.
"Let’s go," the black-veiled man said. "After they leave, bury him properly."
"Yes," Hong Guniang replied quietly, silently carrying the candle as she descended into the pavilion’s underground passage. The black-veiled man left the zither behind and followed slowly. Soon, both figures vanished into the depths of the tunnel.
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