With her veil snatched away, Bai Suche's expression shifted only slightly. Seeing Chi Yun's face flushed crimson with rage, his eyes reddened, showing traces of both grievance and remorse, she said in a low voice, "It's me."
"Hehe, it's even better that it's you. If I don't sever your head tonight, I'll immediately change my name—no longer Chi Yun, but Cuckold Turtle Yun!" Chi Yun said coldly. "It's just that the dignified daughter of Bai Yuming would don a mask and act so sneakily, following some inexplicable 'master' while attempting to slaughter entire families. I truly don't know if your father would die of fury knowing all the virtuous deeds you've accomplished. But don't worry—after you die, I will never inform your father of what you've done, to prevent everyone in the Bai mansion from being angered to early graves."
"I…" Bai Suche's face alternated between crimson and pale. "I…"
The sword-wielding woman beside her said in a delicate voice, "Sister Bai, pay him no mind! For the master's sake, you've already sworn to abandon the past and stop at nothing! Don't waste words with this man—kill him!"
Bai Suche raised her head, and Chi Yun gripped his blade with a cold laugh. "Kill me? If you possess that ability, come right ahead!"
But Bai Suche said, "Sisters, this man's martial arts are formidable. Leave five people to entangle him; the rest attack Biluo Palace. Throughout the entire palace, regardless of men or women, leave no chickens or dogs alive!"
Upon these words, the women responded with battle cries. Five remained while the others rushed past Chi Yun, charging directly into the pavilions and buildings.
Chi Yun flew into a rage. "Damn crazy woman, come and die!"
His Crossing Moon Ring struck out with a clear resonant sound, attacking Bai Suche's chest directly.
The masked figures nearby all surged forward, storming into Biluo Palace buildings. Silver needles flew from the treetops but couldn't stem the advancing tide. A figure flashed, and Shen Langhun blocked the path. He usually wielded no weapons, but now held a section of tree branch. Though merely a branch, when wielded it generated powerful winds, stopping many attackers. The remainder rushed into Biluo Palace buildings, only to find the rooms empty. The vast Biluo Palace seemed like a ghost town.
The leader's heart grew cold, and he called out loudly, "Everyone be careful! This is inviting us into a trap—there must be trickery!"
"Even if there's trickery, if we don't enter, how would you know how to break it?" One among the white-robed women laughed coldly, flicked her sleeve, and rushed into a room.
As she entered, the masked figures followed en masse. In an instant, Biluo Palace's pavilions and buildings were occupied by white-robed women and masked figures. Yet still no human figures appeared, and immediately the tide of people became somewhat chaotic, like exerting full force to strike with a blade only to have the target suddenly vanish—frustrating beyond measure.
In the deep night swept by fierce winds, the empty palace halls suddenly surged with a thick layer of white mist. The white mist emerged from some unknown room but spread with remarkable speed. In mere moments, it had poured through doorframes, windows, corridors, and other passages, covering the entire mountaintop. The white-robed women's figures became even harder to distinguish in the white mist.
Among the masked figures, someone shouted, "Beware of poison!" while others yelled, "There's an ambush!"
Several screams of "Ah!" "Aiya!" "Who is it—" rang out in succession. The crowd immediately fell into chaos, with sounds of clashing blades and swords as people began fighting blindly in the thick fog.
Outside in the woods, Chi Yun, striking with his blade aimed at his former fiancée Bai Suche, heard the chaotic situation inside and suddenly couldn't help but laugh coldly. "Damn it, Wanyu Yuedan really is devastating to his enemies, hahahaha…"
On the other side, Shen Langhun, who was also fighting, said calmly, "How could it be so simple? They've sent out all their troops—can you see where their commander is?"
Chi Yun was startled, then laughed loudly. "Then do you know where that white-haired fox is?"
Shen Langhun smiled faintly. "You make a good point. Capture your woman and use her as a bargaining chip later."
Chi Yun laughed coldly, turned his blade edge, and aimed directly at Bai Suche. "Within ten moves, I want your life!"
Bai Suche bit her lower lip lightly and drew a short blade from her bosom, saying in a low voice, "I… I truly feel sorry for you, but… but… sigh…" She said softly, "Today I absolutely cannot die here."
"The man who made you flee marriage and kill people—is that the 'master' you keep invoking?" Chi Yun said coldly. "After I kill you, I'll catch this person in the future and burn him as paper money for you, so you can depart in peace."
"You really have a heart of stone." Shen Langhun said calmly while fighting. "Don't worry, even if you're just talking tough and can't bring yourself to act, I won't mock you."
"Bah!" Chi Yun struck with his blade, the blade light accompanied by a shrill circling sound, attacking Bai Suche directly.
Bai Suche, daughter of a renowned family, had learned considerable skills. Her short blade parried, and with a crisp "zing," the Crossing Moon Ring actually shattered upon contact. Two sections of the short blade swept past her face, cutting two wounds on her neck, immediately causing blood to flow like a stream!
Chi Yun laughed coldly. "You actually stole the Bai family's Vow-Breaking Blade…"
Bai Suche held the Vow-Breaking Blade to her chest. "That's right. When I left the mansion, I… I had already decided that in this life, I would never marry you."
Though her voice was low, it carried absolute resolve.
The four women around her shouted in unison, "Compared to our master, this man is like rotten mud and weeds. Sister Bai, kill him!"
As they shouted, sabers, swords, and hidden weapons all emerged. Chi Yun swung his blade to parry, and Bai Suche's Vow-Breaking Blade came without mercy.
Just as the battle reached its fiercest intensity, in an instant red plum blossoms flew like a sudden burst of dark fire, and someone in red robes with black hair walked slowly forward. At the same time, the tree branch in Shen Langhun's hand suddenly snapped. In the instant the broken branch swept past his face, he saw a person in dark purple clothing with disheveled hair blocking his path, holding a sword eight feet long, covered with rust stains.
Chi Yun and Shen Langhun exchanged glances. After several "clang" sounds blocking the attacks before them, they retreated several steps and stood back to back.
Meihua Yishu.
Kuanglan Wuxing.
In the howling mountain wind, Kuanglan Wuxing's long hair covering his eyes lifted slightly, while Meihua Yishu's sleeves fluttered, red plum blossoms dancing uncertainly, like scattered blood drops in the dark night.
Sounds of battle cries came from the distance, clear and distinguishable even across several layers of buildings.
Cheng Yunpao stood facing the open door, while Wanyu Yuedan sat quietly nearby.
"What trap have you set?" Cheng Yunpao's right hand slowly left his sword hilt. "Why can't they cross that door?"
The "door" he referred to was the wooden gate ten zhang from Wanyu Yuedan's courtyard door, connecting the front mountain flower corridor with the rear mountain courtyard.
"I hid that door," Wanyu Yuedan's delicate, handsome eyebrows relaxed slightly. "There's a formation in the corridor before that door, and I've released clouds and mist in the front mountain. They can't see the corridor's direction. Following the corridor, they won't find the door."
Cheng Yunpao slowly turned around. "Is it that simple?"
Wanyu Yuedan said, "It is that simple."
Cheng Yunpao said, "What about those fierce battle cries?"
Wanyu Yuedan said, "In the clouds and mist, vision is unclear, and they're wearing masks so they can't recognize each other. I had our palace people mix among them, shouting and yelling to disturb their morale. If anyone strays into a dead end alone, we capture them."
Cheng Yunpao said calmly, "Again so simple?"
Wanyu Yuedan smiled slightly. "Again so simple." He sighed softly. "The masked people cannot be killed. If I kill one, I fall into others' trap."
Cheng Yunpao's frown relaxed. "You mean the masked pipa player drove this group of masked people up the mountain just to send them for you to kill?"
Wanyu Yuedan said, "Fengliu Shop has only appeared in the martial world for three years. It's impossible to have trained so many assassins. Since the arrivals have different clothing and training backgrounds, they're naturally guests controlled by the Scarlet Ghost Nine Hearts Pills." He sighed softly again. "Since they're guests from various sects, if I kill one, I make an enemy of one sect; kill two, and I become a mortal enemy of two sects. Once people are dead, how can I prove they privately took forbidden drugs, forcing me to kill? So…"
"So you can't kill them." Cheng Yunpao's mind trembled. "So tonight's battle, those who bleed must be the Biluo lineage!"
Wanyu Yuedan's clear, bright eyes closed slightly. "Tonight's affair is simply fighting to the death."
Cheng Yunpao suddenly gripped his sword and drew it three inches with a "swish," then suddenly sat down. "If that's the case, why didn't you explain earlier?"
Wanyu Yuedan stood up and lightly pressed somewhere on the wall. The wood shifted, revealing a jade bottle about a foot tall, shaped like a wine jar. He brought it over, and before reaching the table, Cheng Yunpao already smelled the elegant, rich wine fragrance. Wanyu Yuedan placed the jade wine jar on the table, felt for Cheng Yunpao's teacup, opened the seal, and carelessly poured into the cup. Clear wine like water splashed into the cup with a "pa" sound. Though the cup was full, wine spilled all over the table.
Cheng Yunpao took the wine jar and poured for Wanyu Yuedan. The room filled with intoxicating wine fragrance, elegantly pleasant to the extreme.
Wanyu Yuedan raised his cup and drank. "What have I failed to explain?"
Cheng Yunpao said, "Capturing alive without killing."
Wanyu Yuedan said slowly, "Whether I kill or don't kill, Master Cheng believes that dominating the martial world is unforgivable, isn't that so? Moreover, my not killing isn't from kind intentions, but from necessity." Cheng Yunpao was slightly startled, hearing Wanyu Yuedan continue, "Since it's hard to agree, whether I mention capturing alive or not makes no difference. Besides, Master Cheng has injuries and should sit quietly to recuperate."
His tone was gentle, without any forced meaning, and came from the heart.
Cheng Yunpao drained his cup in one gulp. "With Biluo Palace acting this way, facing so many attackers, it's impossible to capture them all alive. How can you have any chance of victory? Though you intend to return to the Luo River, if the entire palace dies here, wouldn't that go against your original intention?"
Wanyu Yuedan smiled slightly. "I have no intention of capturing them all alive. As long as I don't kill a single person and control the overall situation, my purpose is achieved."
Cheng Yunpao's expression changed slightly. "Then how do you seek victory?"
Wanyu Yuedan smiled shallowly. "Seeking victory isn't my concern. Tonight's battle isn't Biluo Palace's affair alone."
Cheng Yunpao frowned. "Tang Lici?"
Wanyu Yuedan gently stroked the wine jar. "Masked black pipa, thousand-flower white-robed women—there's only one person who deserves to die, isn't there?"
As he finished speaking, a string sound suddenly rang out from Cat Tooth Peak across from Azure Mountain Cliff. With a clear "zheng," a thousand mountains responded and ten thousand valleys echoed.
Cheng Yunpao shuddered, then slowly exhaled a long breath. "That sound wasn't sonic killing. If he used sonic killing techniques from high in the mountains, countless would probably perish under one string."
Wanyu Yuedan raised his empty cup to Cheng Yunpao, who poured wine for him. Wanyu Yuedan remained delicate and gentle, smiling with great patience and composure. "Whether it's countless casualties or complete safety depends on just how profound Tang Lici's abilities are."
From the distant snowy peak summit, after one string, pipa sounds quietly arose. The music was clear and mysterious, repeating over and over, all the same phrase, like voice after voice, all asking the same question in low tones. This question was unclear, and everyone only heard its final heart-stirring, low questioning-like soft resonance, making them involuntarily focus and listen carefully to what the pipa sound was inquiring about, asking itself.
That supremely pure string resonance displayed a transcendent, otherworldly detached spirit. The calm, composed finger movements seemed to reveal the magnificent, steady demeanor of the string-plucker—like a long-lived elder with serene eyes, alone on the peak questioning all living beings, rather than some ambitious human demon.
The battle cries in the courtyard suddenly intensified, with vaguely audible near-frenzied voices, as if that pure string sound entering their ears made everyone joyfully mad, willing to die for that haunting string music. The white-robed women cried out delicately, striking even more fiercely, indiscriminately attacking suspicious people beside them.
On Azure Mountain Cliff, Chi Yun and Shen Langhun stood back to back, their clothes and hair fluttering. Just as Meihua Yishu slowly approached, string sounds arose from Cat Tooth Peak, repeating over and over like wind blowing roof tiles, water drops falling, drops entering lakes creating ripples, asking phrase by phrase in similar yet different tones.
Each time it asked, Meihua Yishu advanced one step, and Kuanglan Wuxing's wild hair became one degree quieter. Each time it asked again, Chi Yun and Shen Langhun felt the sounds around them grow quieter, as if mountain winds stopped for it, stars and moon froze for it, leaving only this string sound between heaven and earth, quietly asking an eternally unsolvable question of this world.
Flute sounds…
Suddenly, from beneath the dark cliff, among the ethereal white clouds, someone played a horizontal flute, playing exactly the same melody as the string-plucker across the mountain—still that clear questioning phrase. Only he didn't repeatedly blow that questioning tune. After repeating the low question twice, the flute sound turned low, the melody slowed, as if extremely gently re-asking that original tune, then the music turned high like a lotus maiden weeping, like tears falling creating ripples—layer upon layer, wave upon wave, sound upon sound of low questioning and mournful complaint drifted from below the cliff.
A thousand mountains echoed, every sound like tears. Immediately, all who heard felt heartache and sadness. Those with insufficient composure involuntarily had tears in their eyes and sourness in their noses, wanting only to find a place with no one around to cry bitterly in low voices.
When the flute sounds arose, the pipa sounds from the opposite peak stopped. Only the flute's low, gentle, dark weeping was heard. After the gentle melody's remaining tears fell completely, someone lightly plucked the pipa like shattering two or three light dreams. Before the tune could begin, suddenly all sounds stopped completely, becoming utterly silent.
Everyone on Azure Mountain Cliff slowed their hands and feet. The white mist poured out more densely, floating up to roof corners and hall eaves. Soon no one could see anything, and the fighting sounds stopped.
Chi Yun and Shen Langhun faced Meihua Yishu and Kuanglan Wuxing. When the pipa sounds stopped, those two didn't move a muscle, like puppets with severed strings.
Bai Suche held her blade toward Chi Yun and shouted in a low voice, "Retreat!"
The other four heard and quickly retreated, disappearing into the woods. Bai Suche followed them into the forest, losing all trace. Chi Yun and Shen Langhun dared not be careless, concentrating and calming their qi, watching the enemy's every move without daring to be distracted.
In this quiet, mysterious moment, a figure appeared on the sky rope—gray robes and measured gait, silver hair fluttering.
As the figure appeared, a sudden absolute sound pierced heaven and earth. Snow and ice from the peak summit crashed down toward the silver-haired person about to reach the Crystal Cave. With low cries of "Ah," Chi Yun, Shen Langhun, Meihua Yishu, and Kuanglan Wuxing had blood flowing from their lips. Cheng Yunpao's injuries worsened as he spat fresh blood on the ground. Though Wanyu Yuedan was uninjured, his heart raced wildly, feeling dizzy and disoriented. With a "ding," the wine cup collided with the wine jar and shattered.
The power of one string reached such extent!
This string, however, wasn't aimed at the people on Azure Mountain Cliff, but at the silver-haired person!
The gray-robed, silver-haired person was naturally Tang Lici.
Though sonic killing entered everyone's ears and injured them all, the intended target remained completely calm and unharmed!
He stepped onto the icy ground at the Crystal Cave entrance. The collapsing snow and ice from the mountain summit rushed past his sides with thunderous roars, yet couldn't approach within three feet of him. From a distance, it looked like he alone was ascending against the raging ice and snow torrent, his sleeves brushing ten-thousand-zhang wild waves, stirring up snow fragments for a thousand li, while the man remained unmoved and unshaken.
Stepping into the Crystal Cave, Tang Lici walked with hands behind his back onto the collapsed rolling boulders and ice blocks, step by step, heading toward the mountain summit. The Crystal Cave was halfway up the mountain, while the string-plucker was at the summit. He ascended step by step, his bearing peaceful and harmonious, treading on ice upward.
The few people not hidden in white mist gazed at his retreating figure from afar. Soon that gray robe could no longer be seen clearly in the ice and snow, and the earth-shaking string sounds didn't ring out again.
Meihua Yishu and Kuanglan Wuxing suddenly moved, both figures quickly retreating as if someone had given them new orders. But reaching the cliff edge, they suddenly stopped—Chi Yun and Shen Langhun glanced over—the sky rope was severed!
Whether it was cut by the recent avalanche or whether that string sound was originally intended to break the rope?
The passage between Azure Mountain Cliff and the mountain base was severed. Were these several hundred people all to die here together? Was the fundamental purpose of the string master coming up the mountain tonight not victory at all, but total annihilation? By cutting the rope down the mountain and cutting off everyone's retreat, the only one with complete victory was the one person who hadn't climbed Azure Mountain Cliff.
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