Good Cloud Mountain.
Tang Lici was reading a letter. He read all documents slowly, and this letter from the Azure Fall Palace was particularly long, so he held it in his hands for quite some time without turning a single page. Shao Yanping had wanted several times to snatch it away, read it himself, and then summarize it for him—but he never dared. After enduring for a full hour, Tang Lici finally finished reading the letter.
“Well? What does the Azure Fall Palace say in the letter?” Shao Yanping asked urgently. Tang Lici leaned against the bed, resting his forehead on his hand, his demeanor lazily indifferent. He handed the letter to Shao Yanping with a faint smile. Shao Yanping skimmed through it in a glance and exclaimed in shock, “Wan Yu Yuedan wants you to retrieve the pearl from the Emperor’s crown? This… this… Are you really going? If you go…” If you go, what if the remnants of the Dissolute Shop reappear? What then? Tang Lici slowly rose from the bed. Since his last injury, he had been resting. After the surprise attack by the black-clad man, though it had been a close call, his spirits had improved greatly, and his body had long since recovered. He might have grown idle, but Shao Yanping and Cheng Yunpao still treated him with cautious care.
“Master Shao, has the Abbot Assembly at Shaolin Temple still not reached a conclusion?” Tang Lici stood by his intricately carved and inlaid wardrobe, dressed in a plain gray robe. Having spent much time with him, Shao Yanping knew that this lord preferred simple attire. If he ever dressed extravagantly, it either meant he was about to kill someone or that he was in an extremely foul mood. After sizing him up for a moment, Shao Yanping exhaled. “No, I heard they’re still lecturing on scriptures and doctrines. Thankfully, I returned before attending, or I’d have died of boredom.” Tang Lici smiled faintly. “There’s something I didn’t want to tell you before the Shaolin abbot was decided, but since I must return to the capital and entrust all matters here to you, I can’t keep it from you any longer.” Shao Yanping was taken aback. “What is it? Could it be about that black-clad man?” Tang Lici nodded—Shao Yanping was sharp and quick to understand. “How much of what I say do you believe, Master Shao?” he asked casually, his tone as ever gentle and composed, like jade held within."I have absolute faith in Young Master Tang's words, not a shred of doubt," Shao Yanping said with evident embarrassment. "I wouldn't dare to doubt." Tang Lici smiled faintly. "I've said before that the identity of the black-clad figure shouldn't be discussed until the Abbot Assembly at Shaolin concludes. But circumstances have changed... Who exactly is the black-clad figure? Does Master Shao truly have no suspicions at all?" He spoke slowly, "That night the black-clad figure attacked you, who was absent from the Hall of Sharp Virtue? The day the black-clad figure tried to kill me, who sent Cheng Daxia to the Valley of Renowned Physicians? Who instructed Ziyun to scout ahead, and who was absent again? What kind of place is the Hall of Sharp Virtue? Could someone truly come and go as they please, as if it were unguarded?" Shao Yanping's face paled with shock, stammering, "You mean... you mean... but she... but she... she's Puzhu Shangshi's close friend. How could a woman possess such astonishing martial skills?" Tang Lici slowly pulled out a torn pink dress from the cabinet behind him. "Pretty, isn't it?" Shao Yanping gave a dry laugh. "This is..." Tang Lici smiled. "This was the dress originally worn beneath the black outer robe." The peach-colored dress in his hand was the one Xifang Tao had torn off in the instant Cheng Yunpao burst through the door the day she struck to kill. That day, Fu Zhumei had pursued with his blade, forcing Xifang Tao to retreat hastily, leaving no time to retrieve this pink dress, which Tang Lici had kept in the cabinet ever since.
"Does she wear men's martial attire beneath her dress every day?" Shao Yanping stared incredulously at the pink dress. "The one who attacked you that day was clearly a man." Tang Lici's tone remained gentle and patient. "Would a gentle and beautiful woman always wear men's clothing beneath her dress?" Shao Yanping's expression gradually darkened. "Young Master Tang implies..." Tang Lici's eyes lifted slightly, his gaze amused yet not. "What I mean is—in this world, there are only men who enjoy wearing women's clothing beneath their own, not women who prefer men's attire beneath theirs." Shao Yanping gasped. "You mean... you mean she's actually a man?"
"Exactly." Tang Lici leaned slightly to one side and reached into the wardrobe, retrieving a crystal-clear dish. On it lay a small soft yellow satin pouch. He flicked his sleeve and sat by the table, opening the pouch to reveal two small tourmaline cups and a white jade vial. The tourmaline was dazzlingly colorful—one cup half-yellow and half-purple, the other half-red and half-green, their hues strikingly vivid and their bodies exceptionally translucent, rare treasures indeed. Opening the white jade vial released a strong, sweet fragrance. He poured the contents into the tourmaline cups and gently pushed one toward Shao Yanping. "She is a man—not just any man, but one who has taken the Ape-Demon Nine Heart Pill to enhance his strength, and a very cunning one at that."Shao Yanping watched as the small white jade bottle poured out a thick, white syrup that looked smooth and delicate, quite enticing. However, he was hesitant to drink anything poured by Tang Lici, unsure of what schemes this young master might have in mind. It wouldn’t be surprising if, in a moment of displeasure, he decided to serve him poison instead. Though his heart wavered, his mind remained sharp and alert. He quickly realized that if Xifang Tao was actually a man disguised as a woman, her motives and origins would be questionable.
"Merely a torn dress is hardly enough to prove that Peach Girl is the black-clad assailant. Of course, I trust Young Master Tang, but the Central Plains Sword Association is not composed of me alone," he said solemnly. "Moreover, that black-clad figure possessed extraordinary martial prowess—even Young Master Tang was no match. If Peach Girl is not the assailant, the consequences… well, someone as brilliant as Young Master Tang surely understands without me spelling it out." If Xifang Tao was not the black-clad figure, any action taken by the Sword Association against her would only give the real culprit an opportunity to strike from behind. Wrongfully accusing an innocent was secondary—the real danger was disrupting the Sword Association’s cautious vigilance, unleashing hidden dangers and stirring chaos in the martial world. The first to take offense would undoubtedly be Puzhu Heshang of Shaolin Temple.
"Master Shao underestimates the situation," Tang Lici said, raising a small tourmaline cup to his lips and taking a slow sip. "Even if the Sword Association were to attack her en masse and capture her through sheer numbers, all she needs to do is deny everything, and we’d still be left with no resolution. Shaolin Temple would still raise doubts, and disciples from various sects who have ingested the Ape-Demon Nine Heart Pill would condemn the Sword Association. The result wouldn’t be the end of Dissolute Shop’s schemes—it would be the downfall of the Central Plains Sword Association."
Shao Yanping let out a long sigh. "We need evidence!"
Tang Lici smiled faintly. "Indeed, we need evidence—irrefutable evidence."
Shao Yanping’s heart pounded. That such a dangerous and malevolent figure existed within the Sword Association, yet they were powerless against her—it was maddening. "How do we obtain irrefutable evidence?"
Tang Lici parted his lips slightly, his tongue lightly tracing the crimson edge of the tourmaline cup in a slow, deliberate circle. "The irrefutable evidence… lies with Puzhu Shangshi.""Where to begin?" Shao Yanping tensed slightly. "Why couldn't this matter be discussed before Puzhu Shangshi ascended to the abbot's seat? What does this have to do with the position of Shaolin's abbot?" Tang Lici's snow-white, slender fingers held the translucent cup shimmering between vermilion and emerald hues, slowly raising it to his cheek to warm the creamy sweet liquid within with his skin's heat. "Xifang Tao disguised herself as a woman, spending years meticulously seducing Puzhu Shangshi—her ambitions must be grand. Do you think she wouldn't manipulate things for Puzhu during the Shaolin Abbot Assembly? And once Puzhu Shangshi assumes the abbotship, what exactly she seeks... we'll soon find out." His gaze was mesmerizing, half-smiling as the jasper cup gently grazed his cheek. "Her schemes are certainly not benign... wouldn't you agree?"
Shao Yanping suddenly understood. "You—you're saying we must wait until Puzhu sees her true nature, letting Abbot Puzhu of Shaolin announce this matter. That would carry far greater authority and credibility than if we spoke." Tang Lici's voice was soft. "Getting Puzhu to see through their years of 'friendship' and openly reveal the truth won't be easy. To cut off all of Xifang Tao's escape routes, we must rely on Puzhu Shangshi confirming her as the mastermind behind everything with his identity as Shaolin's abbot. Secondly, Liu Yan must step forward to identify her as the leader behind him. Thirdly, whether the person is alive or dead, we must tear away his disguised facade."
Shao Yanping nodded repeatedly. "Exactly! If both righteous and unorthodox factions in the martial world confirm her as the scheming villain behind the scenes, once her true face is exposed, even if the Central Plains Sword Association can't deal with her, the martial world is vast—there will always be someone capable of handling her!" Tang Lici smiled faintly in agreement. Shao Yanping sighed. "But getting Puzhu and Liu Yan to expose her as the mastermind is incredibly difficult! From what I see, both Puzhu and Liu Yan are completely under her thumb. If they don't help her deal with us, it would already be a blessing—how can we make them speak out?"
"Patience, opportunity, skill, confidence..." Tang Lici murmured gently. "At the very least, you must believe Puzhu Shangshi is not one to aid tyranny." Shao Yanping coughed. "You believe in Buddhist nature?" Tang Lici smiled faintly, taking a sip from the jasper cup. "I do."
Shao Yanping exhaled deeply, frowning as he carefully considered the many complications, then changed the subject. "Young Master Tang is preparing to return to Bianjing—when do you plan to depart?" Tang Lici smiled. "After I've trained all the Sword Association disciples once." Shao Yanping was taken aback. "Trained them once? Does Young Master Tang intend to teach them martial arts?"
"Not martial arts," Tang Lici replied. "I merely hope that after I leave, the Sword Association disciples will have more tricks to preserve their lives when facing enemies—so fewer will die." Shao Yanping was both astonished and puzzled. What exactly did Tang Lici plan to teach the disciples? This venomous, inscrutable young master—could he truly have some genuine concern for the Central Plains Sword Association?
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