The night was deep and the dew was heavy, the mountain air was filled with a pervasive chill, yet the guest room's bedroom was warm and dry. A silent, warm current flowed slowly from the thick stone walls and from underground, quietly and gently running through the entire Twilight Palace. It was said that back then, Grandmaster Beichen had an old servant skilled in mechanics and construction. While others were engrossed in carving palace beams and jade steps with gold and gems, he silently built these pipes hidden behind the stone walls.

In the cold winters, it brought in hot spring water; in the scorching summers, it switched to injecting cool spring water, thus making the palace feel like spring all year round.

Cai Han turned over sideways, mumbling something unintelligibly. A chubby little arm and half a shoulder hung off the edge of the bed. Cai Zhao reckoned that if he moved his plump little bottom just a tiny bit more, he would inevitably roll onto the floor. Smiling to herself, she gently pushed the little fatty toward the inner side of the bed.

Sitting by the bed, Cai Zhao gazed at her young brother, whose breathing was even.

Ever since she could remember, she had always thought she was her aunt's child, and the two people called 'Dad and Mom' were kind neighbors, an uncle and auntie who often brought delicious food and fun things to see them. It wasn't until she went out to play and heard the children in the market calling for their 'Dad and Mom' that she vaguely understood that 'Dad and Mom' were actually the ones who gave birth to her. The first worry in her young life was that if she was her parents' child, then wouldn't her aunt have no child of her own?

After Cai Han was born, she was secretly happy for a long time, feeling that from then on, her aunt and her parents would no longer have to feel guilty toward each other.

Placing her palm on the chubby white boy's chest, she felt the vibrant, jumping thumps beneath it. Cai Zhao suddenly remembered the 'future sect leader' of the Siqi Sect she had seen today. Even someone like her, who knew nothing about medicine, could see that the child was congenitally deficient with damaged meridians, his life sustained entirely by precious medicines and human effort.

In the past two hundred years, the Six Sects of Beichen had undergone great changes.

The Qingque Sect and the Grand Beginning Abbey were passed down from master to disciple, so they were no longer of the original bloodlines.

The Vast Heaven Sect and Peiqiong Mountain Manor relied on having numerous descendants. If the direct line had no heirs or if the descendants were mediocre, a branch lineage could take over.

The Siqi Sect, however, clung to old ways, and the struggle for succession among siblings was exceptionally fierce. Every time one branch came to power, the sibling branches would either 'die an early death' mysteriously or change their names and retire from the Jianghu. Seeing this internal strife, the other five sects had tried to advise them or mediate, but it's hard for an upright official to settle family disputes, and it always ended with nothing resolved. Gradually, the Yang Clan's bloodline grew weaker and weaker, and for five consecutive generations now, they have had only a single heir in each.

According to Cai Zhao's ancestors, this was because Heaven couldn't bear to see the Yang family siblings kill each other anymore, so it simply made them have only one child each generation. That way, no one had to fight. Heaven was actually quite considerate.

Only Falling Blossoms Valley took a different path.

From the very first ancestor, Falling Blossoms Valley had followed the path of letting nature take its course, believing that having too many children was detrimental to both serene cultivation and physical well-being. Thus, Falling Blossoms Valley had always had few descendants. If there was a son, the son would inherit. If there was no son, the daughter would marry a man into the family. If the daughter was capable, she would be the Valley Master. If the son-in-law was more capable, it was fine for him to be the Valley Master too. If the son had other ambitions or lacked talent, the daughter and son-in-law could still be in charge.

You ask which surname to take and which ancestors to worship? It didn't matter. Whichever family they wished was fine. After all, two hundred years ago, there was no Falling Blossoms Valley. The ancestors were very open-minded.

Just like that, Falling Blossoms Valley had changed its surname three times in two hundred years.

The ugliest of them was the surname of the valley's founding ancestor, Niu. Even an ancestor who revered the natural way of the Dao couldn't stand it. The most pleasant-sounding was the surname of the husband of the third-generation Niu family's only daughter, Gu. For example, Ling'er and Yuxuan. The former would be Niu Ling'er and Niu Yuxuan, the latter Gu Ling'er and Gu Yuxuan. I invite you all to feel the difference.

In those two hundred years, Falling Blossoms Valley was not without its anomalies. For instance, one generation's Valley Master and his wife fervently had five sons and four daughters in one go. Everyone said Falling Blossoms Valley was on the verge of prosperity, but it turned out they were overthinking it.

Of these nine children, not counting those who became monks or married out, the rest either roamed the Jianghu and never married, or traveled overseas and never returned. In the end, only one was left to inherit the position of Valley Master.

Perhaps, this was fate.

About seventy or eighty years ago, the Valley Master and his wife of that generation were nearly forty and still childless. After observing the stars one night, they concluded that Heaven wanted Falling Blossoms Valley to empty the cage for a new bird. So, going with the flow, they followed the hexagrams to find an adopted son. It wasn't long before they came across an orphan of high aptitude and honest character. The couple felt immensely fortunate, thinking, 'Indeed, it's the will of Heaven, the will of Heaven.'

Who would have thought that ten years later, they would have a child late in life and be blessed with an adorable, jade-like daughter.

Following precedent, they did consider having their adopted son become their son-in-law to strengthen the family ties, but given the large age gap between their son and daughter, they decided to let nature take its course and send their daughter to a brother sect. Then she could naturally find a martial brother of good character to marry. Who knew that the year their daughter turned sixteen, while the old couple was sunbathing on a hillside enjoying their retirement, they suddenly heard of a great upheaval outside the valley.

Their steady and capable adopted son had inexplicably run out and beaten up every single eligible young man in their daughter's sect, and then challenged every rising young hero on the lake, all under the fine-sounding name of 'exchanging pointers with friends through martial arts'—this scared the old couple so much they nearly fell out of their rattan chairs. The Sect Master of the Qingque Sect at the time even came over to hint, 'Your prodigious son has a boundless future. Does he have any intention of competing for the leadership of the Six Sects?' The old couple nearly shook their heads off their necks.

After figuring out the awkward, unspoken affection between their adopted son and daughter, the old couple decisively arranged their wedding. At the same time, they pleaded with their adopted son to stop going out to 'exchange pointers with friends through martial arts'. For over a hundred years, Falling Blossoms Valley had always been moderate and peaceful. Their peers in the Wulin were used to it, so it was best not to change. The adopted son replied: Now that I have my wife, I don't actually like going out either.

By the way, this adopted son's surname was Cai.

When reading her ancestors' notes, Cai Zhao often thought that perhaps her aunt had inherited this ancestor's outstanding talent, which was why she was so omnipotent and her brilliance shook the world. However, for the past three years, sitting in her aunt's cold and empty room at midnight, Cai Zhao couldn't help but think with tear-filled eyes that maybe that ancestor was right to hide his talent and feign foolishness.

The flame on the wall lamp flickered slightly, as if a string in her mind had been plucked. Cai Zhao came back to her senses, composed herself, and went next door to check on Chang Ning.

Unlike Little Fatty Cai's wild sleeping posture, Chang Ning slept very gracefully, lying on his side facing inward like a verdant pine tree, his long eyelashes perfectly still. It was just that his quilt was not properly covering him as it had been that afternoon; instead, it was thrown open, half on the bed and half on the footstool. Naturally, his lapels had also fallen open wider, revealing a larger area of his solid, jade-like chest.

Cai Zhao very honestly averted her gaze, and with the face of a perfect gentleman, she covered Chang Ning properly with the quilt, took three steps back, and stood at a distance.

Actually, Cai Zhao had seen Chang Haosheng three or four times when she was young.

Searching the depths of her memory, she found a handsome and steady face, stern and unsmiling but meticulous and proper. Every time he came to Falling Blossoms Valley, he would inspect the formations inside and outside the valley entrance three times. Her aunt would be beside him, teasing him, 'Once a nanny, always a nanny.'

Chang Haosheng didn't visit Falling Blossoms Valley as frequently as Qi Yunke and Zhou Zhizhen. Every time he came, he would have long, deep talks with Cai Pingshu. He neither played with little Cai Zhao nor brought many gifts, so naturally, he didn't leave a very deep impression on her.

After Cai Pingshu passed away, he never came to Falling Blossoms Valley again. She didn't know what he was busy with. Three years trickled by, and Cai Zhao's memory of this hurried Great Hero Chang grew increasingly vague. She never expected to hear the news of the Chang Clan's annihilation today.

Cai Zhao let out a small sigh, her spirits low.

Just then, a slight noise and voices came from the adjacent room. Cai Zhao's heart stirred, and a smile appeared on her lips. She quickly left Chang Ning's room, hurried past the room where Little Fatty Cai was sound asleep, and went into the third guest room. There, the lights were already on. Cai Pingchun and Ning Xiaofeng had indeed returned.

Overjoyed, Cai Zhao pushed the door open and entered. She saw Cai Pingchun with a flushed face, one hand resting on the table and the other rubbing his temples; he had clearly drunk quite a bit. Ning Xiaofeng was mumbling as she searched for a sobriety pill in her medicine pouch. Looking up and seeing her daughter, she immediately asked why she wasn't asleep yet, if she had washed up, and if Xiaohan had fallen off the bed.

Hearing the familiar nagging, Cai Zhao's heart finally settled.

"Dad, Mom, you're finally back. I thought you were going to drink all night! Didn't you say you didn't want to bother with those people at all? Why did you drink so much when you could have just said hello and been done with it?" Cai Zhao poured a cup of water from the warmer on the table and brought the sobriety pill to Cai Pingchun.

Ning Xiaofeng sighed: "For one, your father wanted to ask about some things. For another, there were just too many people urging him to drink. We couldn't just get angry with them. Even refusing ten cups and drinking half a cup was tough. Your father got off easy. Song Shijun was carried back dead drunk, sprawling like a turtle. Luckily, I saw things were going south and mixed a good amount of fruit juice into your father's wine pot. Brother Zhou was the cleverest. The moment he saw trouble, he just threw his head back and pretended to pass out drunk..."

Cai Pingchun swallowed the sobriety pill and drank two more cups of water before he caught his breath. "It's been a busy day full of people, and I haven't had time to look after you and your brother. Zhaozhao, tell Dad, is everything okay? Has anything made you unhappy? It's not too late for us to go down the mountain now."

"Right, tell us everything. I thought Yin Qinglian would have improved after more than a decade, but as soon as I saw her, I was filled with rage that I couldn't suppress! If it doesn't work out, we'll just leave!" Ning Xiaofeng said hatefully.

Cai Zhao had wanted to talk about Qi Lingbo and her lackeys, but she swallowed the words back down. She blinked and said, "I met good people, and I met bad people, and I met people who were neither good nor bad—but your daughter can handle them all."

Ning Xiaofeng frowned: "What kind of talk is that! Forget it, I won't listen to your riddles. Anyway, stay at this Qingque Sect if you can, and if you can't, send a message home. Didn't your uncle give you a cage of carrier pigeons? They're very fast for sending messages. Then I'll just send you to Peiqiong Mountain Manor to stay for a few years. In any case, I won't let anyone bully you!"

Cai Zhao feigned a shy expression: "To go live at my fiancé's house so early, isn't that a bit improper? It's not like I'm an orphan like Aunt..."

Ning Xiaofeng said expressionlessly: "Then go to Xuankong Nunnery. It's quiet and peaceful..."

"No need, Qingque Sect is great! Beautiful scenery, outstanding people, a place of great fortune. Your daughter doesn't want to change sects at all." Cai Zhao immediately dropped the shyness.

Ning Xiaofeng feigned a slap and shot her daughter a playful glare.

Seeing her parents, Cai Zhao felt relieved. She yawned, ready to say goodnight, but was stopped by Cai Pingchun, who said he had something to discuss. Cai Zhao was taken aback and quickly asked what it was.

Cai Pingchun said slowly, "I was planning to tell you this after the ceremony, but I think it's better to tell you sooner. It's about Brother Chang's son, Chang Ning..."

"What about him?" Cai Zhao had been through a lot with Chang Ning that day, so her ears perked up at his name.

"Although Brother Chang always said your aunt showed him great kindness that he could never repay even with ten thousand deaths, over the years, Brother Chang has protected Falling Blossoms Valley in matters big and small. He truly poured his heart into it. You and your brother don't know about these things, and few outsiders do either, but our Cai Family must never forget them," Cai Pingchun said.

Cai Zhao nodded: "Today, your daughter heard many stories about Great Hero Chang. Dad is right. He might not keep count, but we must not forget his kindness."

Cai Pingchun glanced at his wife. Ning Xiaofeng said cautiously, "...Zhaozhao, when you spoke with Chang Ning today, did you notice anything amiss?" Her daughter had been clever since she was little and had spent years dealing with people in the city. She trusted her daughter's judgment in this regard.

Cai Zhao smiled mischievously: "Dad and Mom, you want to ask if this Chang Ning is real or fake, right?"

"Correct." Cai Pingchun nodded. "The Demonic Cult's methods are treacherous; we must be on guard. After all, none of us had ever met Brother Chang's son before."

Cai Zhao laughed: "Dad, don't worry. I've read so many storybooks and play scripts, how could I not know this trope? Villains love to disguise themselves and infiltrate the enemy's ranks. How could I trust someone I've never met right off the bat? I was on my guard from the start..."

"And? Did you find any flaws?" Ning Xiaofeng pressed.

"No, he's ninety-nine percent real." Cai Zhao's face fell. "Senior Brother Chang not only knows the events of the past clearly, but he also casually mentioned many things I'd never heard of—some were secrets that only Great Hero Chang himself would know; others were everyday trivialities that you couldn't get out of Great Hero Chang even with torture. It sounded more like things a father would ramble about while chatting with his son."

Ning Xiaofeng thought that sounded right, but Cai Pingchun was more meticulous: "Why ninety-nine percent? What's still lacking?"

Cai Zhao looked perplexed: "I vaguely remember Great Hero Chang being quite magnanimous and not very talkative, but this Senior Brother Chang of mine has such a sharp tongue, it's like 'killing a man every ten steps, leaving no trace for a thousand miles'! Not only are his words infuriating, but he also has a perverse and gloomy temper. How is he anything like his father?"

As she said this, Cai Zhao noticed her parents' expressions relax. "W-what is it? Did I say something wrong?"

"What you said, on the contrary, is right." Cai Pingchun said, "Although Brother Chang didn't mention his son much, from the few words he occasionally let slip, Chang Ning should have this kind of personality."

Cai Zhao: "Huh?"

Ning Xiaofeng said in a low voice: "Brother Chang's wife, Elder Sister of the Xue family, was quiet and frail to begin with. That year, she went back to her maternal home to rest during her pregnancy, but she ran into a sneak attack by the Demonic Cult. She hid in a secret room's mezzanine and escaped, but she had to watch as her entire family of more than a dozen people were slaughtered. After she was rescued, she became somewhat dazed and listless, which is why Brother Chang never let her go out."

"After such a calamity, your aunt searched high and low for countless panaceas to save the child in Elder Sister Xue's womb. When she finally gave birth to a son, only your aunt and I went to offer congratulations. I don't know much about it, but your aunt said the child's health wasn't good, so we never saw Brother Chang let the child out all these years. Afterward, whenever Brother Chang mentioned them, it was either that Sister Xue was becoming more and more insane, or that his son was frail and sickly and could only slowly cultivate internal arts to nourish his meridians. It wasn't until the year before last that Brother Chang wrote to say his son's health was gradually improving, and that with proper cultivation, he might not lose to the young heroes of his generation."

"Zhaozhao, think about it. A child who has never left home since birth, who has a mother that is sometimes mad and sometimes foolish, and who is himself frail and sickly—do you think his temper could be good? If a reasonable and agreeable Chang Ning had shown up today, that would have been truly suspicious."

Cai Zhao thought about it carefully. That was true.

Cai Pingchun said: "Brother Qi was suspicious at first too, but when he was treating Chang Ning's injuries, he discovered a few faint traces of internal energy in his body. Brother Qi and Senior Brother Lei both checked his pulse, and it is undoubtedly Brother Chang's unique internal art. The Chang Clan's Internal Art wasn't passed down through the family; Brother Chang created it himself. So, it's not something Old Master Chang would have passed to other relatives. And Brother Chang is even more cautious than Brother Qi and I, so how could he pass his exclusive internal art to a wicked person?"

Cai Zhao listened intently: "So, Chang Ning is the real one."

"Yes, your mother and I also think there's no mistake." Cai Pingchun nodded. "So, just now, I proposed to Brother Qi that we take the child, Chang Ning, to Falling Blossoms Valley to recuperate, but Brother Qi refused no matter what..."

"He has the nerve to say no? If you hadn't stopped me, I would have cursed him out! Just look at how sharp-tongued his wife and daughter are. That Chang Ning kid is clearly not one to bow his head. How could he have a good time in the Qingque Sect? I know Yin Sulian. The first half of her life, she was the beloved daughter of the Sect Master; the second half, the wife of the Sect Master. She's long treated the Qingque Sect as her own private little fiefdom!" Ning Xiaofeng cursed heartily—now that she was sure Chang Ning was the orphan of the Chang Clan, she immediately began to feel for him as one of her own.

"Mom's words are crude, but the reasoning isn't." Cai Zhao gently clapped for her mother.

Cai Pingchun reasoned: "But what Brother Qi said also makes sense."

"That's your blind reasoning!" Ning Xiaofeng said sulkily.

Cai Zhao asked her father directly: "Dad, what did Uncle Qi say?"

Cai Pingchun said gravely: "Zhaozhao, who do you think annihilated the Chang Family?"

Cai Zhao was stunned: "Wasn't it the Demonic Cult?"

Cai Pingchun said: "You heard today as well, the Demonic Cult is currently in severe internal turmoil. A few years ago, a female demoness appeared. After a certain Nie rebelled, she took the position of Elder Tianxuan. Many were unconvinced, and that female elder killed so many people that heads rolled—they're in such chaos, would they still have the energy to cause trouble for us? You have to know that the Chang Family Fortress is not an easy place to attack. To be honest, even I have never been to that fortress..."

"Even if you had been, it might not have been useful. Brother Chang was worried about the safety of his wife and son, so he hid the fortress in mist and clouds. An ordinary person couldn't even find the main gate. But the Demonic Cult has always had some people with special abilities. Maybe they were able to crack it," Ning Xiaofeng said, a little dejected.

"Even if they did crack it, it would have taken a great deal of effort," Cai Zhao murmured.

"Correct." Cai Pingchun frowned. "To go to such lengths to annihilate the Chang Family, they must have a deep-seated hatred."

"Nie Hengcheng's old subordinates?" Cai Zhao shook her head as she spoke. "No, the one who killed Nie Hengcheng was Aunt. If they wanted to annihilate a family, why not come to Falling Blossoms Valley? Then it must be... Zhao Tianba?!"

Ning Xiaofeng smiled slightly: "Did Zhaozhao hear this story today too? That's right. The few of us were just discussing it. Thinking about who could pull off something on this scale, it could only be the death warriors of Nie Hengcheng's head disciple, Zhao Tianba."

Cai Zhao looked up at the ceiling beams, her thoughts in a jumble: "This group of death warriors is really interesting. They don't seek revenge for Nie Hengcheng, but insist on avenging Nie Hengcheng's disciple..."

"You youngsters didn't experience the events of that time. Nie Hengcheng's four great disciples were all major villains who could stop a child's crying at night. Internally, they were on equal footing with the Seven Star Elders; externally, they commanded powerful forces and held their own. It's not surprising that Zhao Tianba would have some death warriors who were fiercely loyal to him," Ning Xiaofeng added.

"Dad, Mom, I understand everything now." Cai Zhao sorted out her thoughts, her eyes clear: "Uncle Qi means that Senior Brother Chang is safer staying in the Qingque Sect. After all, you have the natural barrier of the Myriad Waters Thousand Mountains Cliff here, so the Demonic Cult can't get up. If Senior Brother Chang really went to our home, I'm afraid Falling Blossoms Valley would be implicated. Don't worry, Mom and Dad. I also think it's better for Senior Brother Chang to stay at Qingque Sect. After all, only a few people here will give him a hard time—I can handle that good-for-nothing Qi Lingbo with one hand. I guarantee I won't let anyone bully Senior Brother Chang."

Cai Pingchun nodded: "That's what we meant as well. Inside the Qingque Sect, it's just minor squabbles, but outside, his life would be in danger. Zhaozhao, for Brother Chang's sake, you must take good care of Chang Ning, no matter what."

Cai Zhao pouted inwardly, but her face wore an obedient smile: "Dad, don't worry. Even if you hadn't said anything, I wouldn't just stand by and watch Senior Brother Chang be bullied for no reason. Has Aunt taught me the ways of chivalry for all these years for nothing?"

She felt a little guilty as she said this.

Just a little.

Cai Pingchun breathed a sigh of relief: "That's good. Now we can rest easy."

Cai Zhao heard the unspoken meaning in his words and asked nervously: "Dad, what are you going to do?"

Cai Pingchun pondered, while Ning Xiaofeng said sarcastically: "Zhaozhao, the annihilation of the Chang Family is such a huge matter. Did you hear anyone mention it at the banquet tonight? Was anyone filled with righteous indignation? Did anyone sigh and shed tears? Did anyone beat their chest and vow to avenge the Chang Family?"

Cai Zhao froze.

"No one. Not a single person." Ning Xiaofeng's eyes showed deep sorrow. "Brother Chang was a renowned figure among our orthodox sects. After such a tragedy, all the orthodox sects should have risen up to condemn the perpetrators, but now every one of them is playing deaf and dumb."

"Back when your aunt was around, such things would never have been tolerated. Back then, everyone respected and admired your aunt. As long as she issued a call to arms, everyone would answer—'Hear of injustice in the morning, arrive by evening to right it.'" Ning Xiaofeng's beautiful eyes turned red as hot tears fell. "Qi Yunke, as the head of the Six Sects, has no sense of responsibility at all. Brother Xiaochun, I just... I just can't accept this..."

Cai Pingchun held his wife's hand and comforted her in a low voice: "Don't blame Brother Qi anymore. He's always had that kind and honest personality. He never wanted to be the Sect Master in the first place. It was all a matter of time and fate. There's nothing to be done about it."

He raised his head and looked his daughter in the eye, "Brother Chang invited this disaster because he killed Zhao Tianba. Others can play deaf and dumb, but we cannot. I've already discussed it with your Uncle Qi. After tomorrow's ceremony, we will send people out to investigate the annihilation of the Chang Family. Brother Zhou and Sect Leader Song will also help. Chang Ning is still young. We will avenge this for him."

Looking at her father's firm and steady expression, Cai Zhao knew she couldn't dissuade him. She felt an unprecedented sense of helplessness. Even though she had never set foot in the Jianghu, she could faintly sense the impending storm of blood. She was only fifteen, after all. Scared, she fell into her mother's arms and began to sob: "...Mom, Mom, I miss Aunt."

Ning Xiaofeng wept: "I miss her too. If your aunt were still here, such an injustice would never happen."

Cai Pingchun's eyes reddened as well.

Through her blurry, tear-filled eyes, Cai Zhao once again thought of Cai Pingshu's eyes—so optimistic, open-minded, and fearless. Even when seriously injured and bedridden, she never showed a single trace of regret or fear, as if nothing in the world could defeat her.

She then thought of Great Hero Chang, and the many heroic predecessors whose names she had heard but whose faces she had never seen—

Those decisive youths, bright as the midday sun, were now either old or dead; those years of youthful passion and hot blood were, in the end, gone, never to return.