The mountain stretched endlessly, draped in pristine white, icicles clinging to every surface like crystallized tears. Above, the sky spread vast and cloudless—a flawless dome of blue.
Martial world legends whispered that Biluo Palace had relocated southward, yet somehow it had appeared in the northwest instead. Even this knowledge came by accident, discovered only a year after the palace had settled upon Maoyang Peak. As for the exact location of Biluo Palace on this frozen mountain, many had searched, many had investigated. None had succeeded.
From the distant snowfields came the rhythmic thunder of hoofbeats. A small group approached slowly, their horses' breath clouding white in the frigid air. Here, at the mountain's base, the ice grew thick and the cold penetrated bone-deep. Without considerable martial prowess, advancing further would be nearly impossible.
The riders dismounted, gazing up at the towering peak with varying expressions.
"What godforsaken place is this?" Chi Yun's breath steamed as he spoke, even his considerable internal energy insufficient against the biting cold. "Can anyone truly survive here? Girl, you'd better not be leading us astray."
Zhong Chunji smiled serenely. "Even immortals could survive here once accustomed to it. From here, we proceed on foot—the horses must return alone."
She loosened her reins, and the white horse, shivering violently, immediately whinnied and bolted back down the path. One by one, the others released their mounts. As the herd departed, hoofbeats fading, Shen Langhun observed quietly, "No turning back now."
Without horses, if their petition failed, leaving this frozen wasteland would prove far from simple.
Tang Lici stood wrapped in plain cloth, a stark contrast to the dashing Chi Yun beside him. He smiled gently. "Please, Miss Zhong. Lead the way."
Zhong Chunji launched herself upward, ascending the ice face in graceful bounds. Shen Langhun followed, supporting Xiao Qilan—whose chest bones had only just been set—with such effortless strength that the man's weight seemed nonexistent. Chi Yun silently acknowledged this display of skill before leaping after them. Tang Lici climbed last, all of them moving with the ease of those for whom sheer cliffs posed no obstacle.
Maoyang Peak soared several hundred zhang into the sky. Zhong Chunji led them upward for roughly a hundred zhang before Chi Yun's patience wore thin.
"Girl, I have no interest in mountain climbing. Even spirits avoid this desolate place—where exactly is Biluo Palace?"
Zhong Chunji vaulted up another two zhang. "Almost there."
Chi Yun's voice dripped with sarcasm. "So Biluo Palace dangles somewhere in the middle of this ice mountain? There isn't even flat ground here, not a blade of grass grows—where could a palace possibly—"
His words died as his eyes caught something extraordinary. A patch of rainbow light shimmered ahead. Blinking, he made out what it was: crystal-clear ice stone, perfectly smooth and round, fracturing sunlight into seven colors.
Tang Lici paused. "Quite high up indeed."
Zhong Chunji looked surprised. "You recognized the entrance, Young Master Tang?"
Shen Langhun studied the ice thoughtfully. "This surface is so smooth—it must be touched frequently. Could it be the mechanism?"
Chi Yun reached out, running his palm across the ice. Indeed, it felt impossibly smooth. He pushed hard, and the ice glided aside with surprising ease, revealing a tunnel that gleamed with rainbow brilliance.
"Did Wanyu Yuedan hollow out the entire mountain? Can people truly live inside frozen stone?"
Zhong Chunji laughed. "People can live in many places. But not inside ice itself. Follow me."
She entered the tunnel first. Though mysterious, the passage remained unguarded. After everyone stepped through, she sealed the entrance behind them. The ice-carved tunnel proved short, its far end opening onto the opposite side of the peak.
They emerged to a dizzying view. Below them, wind and clouds churned in an endless spiral. Even Shen Langhun felt a flutter of alarm—a fall from here would mean certain death, bones shattered on distant rocks.
A rope swayed in the fierce wind, one end secured to a massive ice block, the other disappearing into thick cloud cover. From the other side of the peak, no clouds had been visible, yet here they gathered dense and impenetrable.
Without hesitation, Zhong Chunji stepped onto the rope and walked into the white void. The others stared after her in momentary disbelief before Chi Yun, refusing to be outdone, rushed to follow. One by one they stepped onto the rope, their superior lightness skills carrying them across the heart-stopping span.
Through the clouds, after only twenty or thirty zhang, sunlight suddenly warmed their faces. Their vision cleared—the rope's far end anchored to another cliff entirely. This one bore no resemblance to the frozen waste opposite. Trees grew lush and green, soil rich and dark. A gray squirrel watched their approach with curiosity rather than fear, tilting its small head.
"Xiaoqiu! Are you there?" Zhong Chunji called out loudly as she stepped onto solid ground.
A girl in azure robes emerged from the green woods, smiling. "Oh! I thought once you started wandering the martial world, you'd never return. I think of you every—" She froze, seeing the group behind Zhong Chunji. "You... all of you..."
Two figures materialized from the forest before she could finish, flanking the group in a clear defensive formation.
The right guardian spoke first. "Miss Zhong, what's the meaning of this?"
Embarrassment colored Zhong Chunji's face. "These are Young Master Tang from Wanqiao Studio and his companions. They wish to meet the Palace Master."
Tang Lici offered a courteous bow. Shen Langhun nodded respectfully.
The right guardian frowned. "This is..."
"Please wait in the guest hall," the left guardian said smoothly. "The Palace Master is writing in his study at present."
Everyone in the martial world knew Wanyu Yuedan's eyes were damaged, making the claim he was writing obviously false. Chi Yun's mouth twitched as if to speak, but he held his tongue, displeasure plain on his face.
Zhong Chunji looked at them apologetically. "Left Guardian, Young Master Tang means no harm. May I see the Palace Master?"
"The Palace Master has instructed that no matter who comes, we are to say he's writing," the left guardian replied calmly.
"But..." Zhong Chunji couldn't help protesting. "In all my previous visits, I've never seen him writing. He can't even see ink and brush—what could he possibly write?"
"The Palace Master says he's writing," the left guardian repeated quietly.
Zhong Chunji's gaze drifted helplessly to Tang Lici. She had visited Biluo Palace many times without such treatment. The rejection stung.
Chi Yun glanced at Tang Lici with barely concealed satisfaction. Shen Langhun supported Xiao Qilan, whose lips moved weakly as if to speak.
Tang Lici raised his sleeve to forestall him, smiling faintly. "Whether Palace Master Wanyu writes or paints, I must see him today."
Zhong Chunji's shock was palpable. Did he mean to force his way in?
Both guardians clearly hadn't expected this response. The left one frowned. "This palace respects you as guests. Does Young Master Tang wish to fight us?"
Tang Lici brushed his sleeves lightly. "Let me propose a wager. Are you willing, Left Guardian?"
"What wager?"
Tang Lici's voice remained gentle. "If you win, I'll give you five thousand taels of gold. If I win, you do something for me."
The left guardian's frown deepened. "Wager on what?"
Tang Lici moved like drifting willow catkins, instantly closing the distance until their faces were mere inches apart, each feeling the other's breath. His right arm rose with deceptive ease, skillfully deflecting the left guardian's defensive strike.
"I wager that he claims to be writing as a test—to distinguish who truly troubles Wanyu Yuedan. Those who retreat in the face of difficulty need not be seen."
The left guardian leaned back and retreated swiftly, his long sword singing free of its sheath. His expression remained undisturbed as the blade thrust like wind toward Tang Lici's shoulder.
Tang Lici stood perfectly still. Chi Yun's blade flashed—One Ring Crossing Moon—metal striking metal with a sharp clang.
Tang Lici's gentle voice cut through the tension. "I wager that if you die, he'll certainly come out to see his guests."
Zhong Chunji gasped in dismay. Chi Yun gripped his silver blade, eyes cold on the left guardian. "You didn't use full strength."
The left guardian remained silent. After a long moment, he suddenly sheathed his sword. "It seems you won't give up until you achieve your goal. Killing me isn't beyond your capabilities." His gaze shifted to Chi Yun. "But you also held back."
Chi Yun rolled his eyes. "You showed courtesy, so naturally I reciprocated. But if you continue fighting so politely, Wanyu Yuedan hiding in his study faces real danger—there might be guests far less courteous than me barging in at any moment."
The left guardian fell silent, then surprisingly smiled faintly. "The Palace Master truly is writing, but perhaps the people he's been waiting for are exactly you..."
Both guardians civilly sheathed their weapons and stepped aside. Zhong Chunji's surprise turned to delight. "What's happening?"
"The Palace Master instructed that all who come up the mountain should be told he's writing. If visitors retreat, let them go. If someone refuses to leave and wishes to wait, let them wait. And if visitors have truly urgent business that cannot be delayed—invite them to Lanyi Pavilion."
Lanyi Pavilion served as Biluo Palace's study. Zhong Chunji felt both happiness and bewilderment wash over her. "Young Master Tang, I'll show you the way."
She led them into the woods. Tang Lici glanced back at the left guardian with a knowing smile before following.
After the group departed, the left guardian closed his eyes and stood motionless.
The right guardian spoke flatly. "Your assessment?"
"Nothing special."
"He carried killing intent."
The left guardian didn't respond. The right guardian pressed, "If you hadn't withdrawn when you did, do you think he would truly have ordered your death?"
Still the left guardian remained silent. After a considerable pause, he spoke slowly. "I believe killing one person to demand one meeting would mean nothing to him. The calamity the Palace Master has worked so hard to avoid might be brought by this very person."
"Yet the Palace Master wants us to protect ourselves first."
The left guardian grunted agreement and said no more.
Lanyi Pavilion
Dressed in blue, cranes dancing in sky, shores of clouds.
Lanyi Pavilion perched at the summit of the mountain where Biluo Palace resided. This peak occupied the whirlwind zone between ice mountains, its climate unlike anywhere else—a branch peak a hundred zhang above Maoyang Peak proper, nearly impossible to climb from below, accessible only through the ice tunnel and rope crossing.
The mountaintop featured circular hot springs that bubbled continuously, warm and humid, while ten zhang below the summit, ice and snow still dominated.
Though the region itself was warm, the peak above remained bitterly cold.
White clouds surrounded Lanyi Pavilion on all sides. Misty water vapor drifted in and out through open windows. Wind never ceased, carrying ice-cold air from the heights above and the opposite ice peaks, blowing fierce and constant.
This was absolutely unsuitable as a study, yet it served precisely that purpose.
Tang Lici finally met Wanyu Yuedan—that legendary gentle youth who had defeated the Blood Sacrifice Society and led Biluo Palace to withdraw from the world once more.
Wanyu Yuedan had clearly been informed of his arrival. This person recently famous throughout the martial world, the mastermind behind the deaths of Shi Tinghe and Yu Qifeng, who had destroyed the Yu family sword manor, connected to the notorious Crimson Ghost Nine-Heart Pills—he was master of Wanqiao Studio and sworn son of the current National Uncle.
"Miss Zhong, Young Master Tang and I have matters to discuss." Wanyu Yuedan's gentle, refined face still carried spring-like warmth, the fine lines at his eyes suggesting the kind of person who brought peace to troubled hearts.
Zhong Chunji quietly led Chi Yun and the others out, leaving only Tang Lici behind.
The blue-robed youth standing diagonally across from Tang Lici had delicate, refined features. His distinct black and white eyes possessed unusual beauty. The way he gazed and smiled at people felt like bathing in spring breeze—much like the light blue shirt he wore, like the fine weather of a gently warming March day.
"I am Tang Lici." Tang Lici stood by the door, meeting Wanyu Yuedan's gaze directly. He smiled slightly as well. To an outside observer, these two men's smiles would appear nearly identical. Were it not for Wanyu Yuedan's more youthful appearance and Tang Lici's slightly greater refinement, they might have been brothers. But in each other's eyes, what kind of person was the other? What kind of existence?
"What are those two discussing?" Chi Yun grinned as Zhong Chunji pulled them away from Lanyi Pavilion. "Wanyu Yuedan looks like a child—a soft kid who'd burst into tears if you punched him once."
Anger flashed across Zhong Chunji's face. "You never say anything kind! Always speaking so harshly. What's good about that?"
Chi Yun spat to the side. "I won't stoop to argue with you!"
Xiao Qilan, being supported slowly by Shen Langhun, suddenly spoke. "Since Wanyu Yuedan anticipated someone would come seeking him, there might be an ambush in Lanyi Pavilion."
Shen Langhun's response was matter-of-fact. "If Tang Lici were sitting in the pavilion, there might be an ambush. With Wanyu Yuedan sitting there, there won't be."
Xiao Qilan sighed. "Even without an ambush, he must have already prepared reasons to refuse."
"The white-haired fox has never failed to close a deal he wanted," Chi Yun said coolly. "Whatever stakes he's offering probably exceed even Wanyu Yuedan's imagination."
Zhong Chunji's curiosity stirred. "What do you think he'll say to Yuedan?"
Chi Yun shrugged. "Whatever Wanyu Yuedan values most—that's what he'll discuss."
Xiao Qilan couldn't help asking, "What does Wanyu Yuedan value?"
The question stumped Zhong Chunji. After knowing each other for years, what exactly did Yuedan treasure above all else? "He... values Biluo Palace, I suppose..."
Chi Yun gazed at the sky. "Then probably the white-haired fox will threaten to blow up Biluo Palace if he's turned away..."
Shen Langhun snorted dismissively. "Nonsense!"
Chi Yun glared. "Do you know what he's scheming?"
Shen Langhun fell silent. Xiao Qilan coughed several times. "The Crimson Ghost Nine-Heart Pills matter is grave. Even if Wanyu Yuedan wishes to avoid martial world affairs, this matter will eventually implicate Biluo Palace. Wanyu Yuedan is intelligent—he should understand reason."
Zhong Chunji sighed softly. Yuedan had withdrawn from the world but hadn't escaped it. Was he truly someone content with a corner of peace? Then why did he insist on caring only for himself? Why couldn't he work for the martial world like Tang Lici? Why couldn't one feel any passionate conviction from him...
The door of Lanyi Pavilion creaked open unexpectedly, and Tang Lici emerged. Zhong Chunji hadn't expected their discussion to conclude so quickly. "How did it go?"
Tang Lici's hair had been slightly disheveled by the wind, his clothes snapping loudly. He smiled. "Palace Master Wanyu possesses great talent and vision. He's naturally agreed that we may remain at Biluo Palace for as many days as we wish."
Zhong Chunji stood dumbfounded. Chi Yun couldn't help cursing. "Damn brat putting on airs..."
But Shen Langhun asked the crucial question. "What are the conditions?"
Tang Lici's smile remained gentle. "Just now he wrote three characters. I agreed to tell him someone's whereabouts."
Xiao Qilan pressed, "What person?"
Shen Langhun asked, "What characters?"
Tang Lici gestured toward Lanyi Pavilion. "The characters remain in the pavilion. Palace Master Wanyu's calligraphy is extraordinarily beautiful."
Everyone's gaze turned involuntarily toward the open pavilion. Several sheets of white rice paper on the desk were caught by the wind, tumbling across the floor. Wanyu Yuedan stood to one side—whether because he couldn't see or didn't care, he made no move to retrieve them. As the white papers rustled and rolled, everyone glimpsed ink characters in elegant, upright script: one reading "fame," another "profit," and the last "righteousness."
What did it mean?
Fame, profit, righteousness, and someone's whereabouts—could these simple things make Wanyu Yuedan wade into such muddy waters, lend Biluo Palace's considerable power, and provide them temporary sanctuary?
Next
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