When Chang Ning said he would circulate his energy to heal himself, Cai Zhao sincerely hoped he would go into seclusion, and even if he didn't lock himself away for three to five years like in the legends, he should at least do it for seven times seven, forty-nine, or nine times nine, eighty-one days.

Who knew Young Master Chang wouldn't take the beaten path? His seclusion was completely irregular—

The first day, he hid in his room cultivating for a morning, then strolled out in the afternoon, first to the Apothecary, then to the Twin Lotus Pond Palace.

The next day, he was in seclusion for the entire day, but that very night, he went out with a lantern to the Outer Sect to seek revenge.

Starting from the third day, he went into seclusion for two and a half days straight, and after lunch, he disappeared again.

"What kind of self-created internal art is this, Great Hero Chang? Who ever heard of going into seclusion for an inconclusive two and a half days?" Cai Zhao stood in the courtyard with her hands on her hips, questioning the heavens. "And this person too, the moment he comes out of seclusion, he vanishes. Not even a wolfhound could catch him!" She had been busy practicing her own skills these past few days, so how could she possibly squat by Chang Ning's door at all times?

Feicui hurried over to report, "We've searched everywhere. Young Master Chang is not in the Qingjing Study."

"Can't you guys keep a closer eye on him?" Cai Zhao sighed.

Furong was quite aggrieved. "The young master's lightness skill is excellent. He disappears in a flash. What can we do?"

Cai Zhao was helpless. "Forget it, let's not bother with him. He'll come back on his own when he's had enough fun outside. Feicui, you continue brewing the qi-replenishing soup and the poison-cleansing soup for him. I just saw several baskets of cherries being sent to the main kitchen from down the mountain. Furong, go ask for some. We'll add a dish of sugar-glazed cherries for that guy tonight; he loves it."

The two maids acknowledged her orders.

Cai Zhao rubbed her forehead. She now felt that preventing Chang Ning from going out to cause trouble was ten times harder than protecting him from being bullied by others. Thinking about it carefully, her relationship with Chang Ning was actually quite distant. It would be best to get rid of this big trouble as soon as possible.

At this thought, Cai Zhao clapped her hands and said seriously, "Master is returning to Myriad Waters Thousand Mountains Cliff at noon today. As his disciple, I should go and welcome him personally."

Furong was a beat slow, but Feicui had already started praising her in a calm tone, "Wow, Young Miss is so respectful of her master, so filial and polite." She even clapped her hands. Furong quickly followed suit, offering the exact same praise and applause, with the exact same lack of emotion.

Cai Zhao was dissatisfied. "Even the fake audience members hired for an opera troupe cheer with more sincerity than you two."

Feicui: "After being a shill for over a decade, how much sincerity can be left?"

Furong: "That's enough, Young Miss. We both have to get married in the future, let's not use up all our sincerity."

Cai Zhao was indignant, "...I'm not playing with you guys anymore!"

Dejectedly, she arrived before the Myriad Waters Thousand Mountains Cliff just in time to see Qi Yunke and Zeng Dalou, covered in dust from their journey, get off the iron chains. Cai Zhao looked left and right and realized that only three people had come to greet Qi Yunke: the cold and taciturn Song Yuzhi, the constantly-wringing-his-hands Fan Xingjia, and her own empty-handed self. The scene couldn't be described as anything but desolate and cold. Cai Zhao felt that if she went out of the valley to buy a roasted duck to add to a meal, she would receive a warmer welcome than this.

What was even more desolate was that two of the three disciples who came to greet him were here because of Chang Ning.

The moment Fan Xingjia saw Qi Yunke, he happily pounced on him to report Chang Ning's 'great achievements' from the night before last. He didn't favor either side, but his main point was that 'Young Master Chang's power is boundless, and his own learning is shallow, so he really can't control him'.

Zeng Dalou frowned. "Chang Ning's temperament is a bit too perverse and cold. Even if he was bullied before, his methods shouldn't be so violent."

Qi Yunke, however, was nonchalant. He waved his hand. "Chang Ning has a bad temper, I've known that for a long time. Besides, every injustice has its perpetrator, every debt its debtor. As disciples of the sect, they should be cultivating their character properly instead of fooling around with Lingbo. Do you think they only bully relatives and children of friends like Chang Ning who come seeking refuge? Back when I was an Outer Sect Disciple, I was poor and my cultivation was low. I suffered plenty at the hands of such people with crooked minds."

Zeng Dalou could only say, "Xingjia, if Chang Ning acts inappropriately again, you must try to guide him more. We absolutely cannot let chaos arise in the sect."

"Has Eldest Martial Brother tried persuading Brother Chang himself?" Song Yuzhi suddenly spoke. "I've never exchanged more than three sentences with Chang Ning. Why must Eldest Martial Brother make things difficult for Fifth Junior Brother?"

Fan Xingjia looked at Song Yuzhi gratefully. Cai Zhao was rather surprised; she had thought a proud son of heaven like Song Yuzhi would look down on everyone and not care about anyone.

Zeng Dalou shook his head. "Fine, I'll do it myself."

Then it was Cai Zhao's turn. She was much more direct. "Master, you heard what Fifth Senior Brother said. Since Chang Ning has mostly recovered, it's time for me to move back to the Lodge of Longevity."

Qi Yunke chuckled. "Alright, since Chang Ning can protect himself now, Zhaozhao can go live somewhere more comfortable."

Cai Zhao let out a cheer, shouting that her master was brilliant.

Zeng Dalou frowned again, seemingly not pleased with Cai Zhao moving. But before he could speak, Song Yuzhi, in a rare move, quickly interjected, "The weather will be clear for the next few days, very suitable for moving. However, it rained heavily yesterday. I'll send someone to the Lodge of Longevity to get rid of the dampness first. Junior Sister can move tomorrow."

Cai Zhao had actually wanted to move a few days later, afraid that Chang Ning would go crazy if she left too quickly. But since Song Yuzhi was being so polite, she felt it would be disrespectful not to comply. "Uh... thank you, Third Senior Brother."

With matters settled, Song Yuzhi left first, perhaps to immediately send people to air out the Lodge of Longevity. Cai Zhao couldn't help but marvel that Song Yuzhi was truly a kind-hearted senior brother with a cold exterior.

Next, Qi Yunke told Zeng Dalou to go back and rest. "You've been frail and afraid of heights since you were a child. Every time you come up from the foot of the mountain, you get sick. You've been exhausted following me these past few days. Hurry back and rest. Don't be like before, where one illness lasts for half a month."

Afterward, Fan Xingjia also left with him, probably to hand over the sect's general affairs to Zeng Dalou.

Cai Zhao smiled as she saw them off, then turned her head and asked, "Uncle... oh, Master, did you encounter something bad on your trip down the mountain?"

"You could tell." Qi Yunke smiled wryly. "Originally, I just went down the mountain to receive a message from your father. Who knew that the disciples at the foot of the mountain would tell me that the men I sent to escort the various sects have not yet returned."

"Ah." Cai Zhao was bewildered. "Where did they go? Did they take a break to wander around and have fun?"

Qi Yunke was amused, then sighed. "Let's wait another two or three days. If there's still no news, I'll have to send more people to investigate."

Although Cai Zhao was not well-versed in the affairs of the Jianghu, she couldn't help but feel worried at this moment.

Qi Yunke comforted his young disciple, "A child like you shouldn't frown so deeply. Even if the sky falls, it won't be your turn to hold it up. You just need to live your life happily. Oh, right, is Chang Ning really all right? It's good that he's fine, it's good that he's fine. Alright, you go back and play. Master is going to the Outer Sect to find your Martial Uncle Li."

Her wish granted, Cai Zhao was content. She plucked two long blades of thatch grass from the cliffside and skipped back, swinging the grass. As she walked, she passed a hidden section of the cliff and suddenly stopped in her tracks.

Then, she slowly backed away, slowly turned her head, and slowly focused her gaze—

"Chang Ning! What are you doing!" Cai Zhao shrieked, her voice loud enough to scare all of Lei Xiuming's little ducks to death.

The tall young man standing by the cliff's edge turned his head, his long black hair flowing like satin.

He was slightly surprised. "How did Zhaozhao find her way here?"

Cai Zhao took a few steps forward, pointed at the person bawling on the edge of the cliff, and questioned him again, "What are you doing! Huh? You... you are..." She suddenly realized that the person lying on the edge of the cliff looked very familiar.

That narrow forehead, that crooked chin, those two triangular eyes, one big and one small—this, this, wasn't this one of the people who had bullied Chang Ning with Qi Lingbo in the Twilight Palace that day?

How many people were behind Qi Lingbo that day? Right, a bunch of ugly miscreants, four in total.

A flash of inspiration struck Cai Zhao. She quickly stood by the cliff's edge and looked down. Sure enough, she saw the remaining three hanging pitifully on the cliff face below, in danger of falling into the bottomless abyss at any moment.

After centuries of being buffeted by fierce winds, the rock face of Myriad Waters Thousand Mountains Cliff had become very smooth with few protrusions, making it especially difficult to climb. The three of them were hanging below, from far to near, with no place to get a handhold or foothold. Only a thin, pitiful hemp rope tied the four of them together.

The hemp rope trembled in the cold wind, looking as if it would snap with a single tug.

Aside from the crooked melon who was already lying on the cliff's edge, the other three were already wailing loudly in extreme terror, snot and tears streaming down their faces, begging Chang Ning to pull them up.

Seeing this scene, Cai Zhao's vision went black, and she nearly stumbled.

"Hurry up and pull them up!" she screamed, as if she had just seen Little Fatty Cai visiting a brothel.

Chang Ning said "oh" and slowly began to pull the hemp rope up. It was unclear how he exerted his strength, but the thin rope, bearing the weight of three people, somehow didn't break.

Cai Zhao vigorously shook Chang Ning's arm—she actually wanted to shake his shoulders and neck but Chang Ning was too tall for her to reach—and shouted in exasperation:

"Are you crazy, are you crazy, are you insane! This is Myriad Waters Thousand Mountains Cliff, below is a bottomless abyss, if they fall, not even their bodies can be recovered! They offended you, that's true, but their crime isn't punishable by death! Have you gone muddle-headed from cultivation, do you really want to take their lives, ah ah ah ah!"

Chang Ning straightened his sleeves, saying nonchalantly, "If they really fall, we can just say they couldn't endure the hardship of cultivation and fled down the mountain. There won't be any bodies anyway..." Seeing the girl before him with her hair almost standing on end, he smiled and explained, "Zhaozhao, don't worry. How could I possibly want to take their lives? You've misunderstood me."

"I've misunderstood you?" Cai Zhao gasped for air. "Fine, then tell me, what are you doing here?!"

Chang Ning kicked the man at the front. "Ah Gua, did you hear that? Hurry up and explain, did I intend to harm you?"

That person, having been the first to be pulled up, had already composed himself. In a daze, he blurted out, "My name is not Ah Gua..."

"No, your name is Ah Gua," Chang Ning said coldly, his eyes fierce.

When Ah Gua met Chang Ning's venomous gaze, he flinched as if burned and quickly said, "Right, right, my name is Ah Gua! Senior Sister Cai, Senior Brother Chang absolutely had no intention of harming us!"

Cai Zhao was so angry she laughed. "Fine, then what were you all doing here!"

Ah Gua was dizzy and confused. "I, I, we... we were..."

"Go on, what were you doing?" Chang Ning smiled.

Just before he suffocated himself, Ah Gua finally thought of a reason. "I, we four were feeling playful and wanted to see what the bottom of the cliff looked like, so we went down on a rope. Who knew it would be easy to go down but hard to come up? It's all thanks to Senior... Senior Brother Chang for pulling us up. Senior Brother Chang saved our lives!"

Chang Ning had a sudden realization. "Oh, so that's how it is. Junior Sister Zhaozhao, did you hear that?"

Cai Zhao: "..."

The other three heard this and also caught on, clamoring one after another—

"Senior Brother Chang disregarded our past offenses and risked danger to save us. He is truly benevolent and righteous."

"Boohoohoo, from now on, Senior Brother Chang is my savior. I will set up a longevity tablet for Senior Brother Chang, boohoohoo..."

"A righteous gentleman like Senior Brother Chang is truly the pillar of our righteous path! I was a beast before, no, worse than a beast, to dare to be disrespectful to Senior Brother Chang!" The last person, fearing the atmosphere wasn't dramatic enough, even began slapping his own face.

Cai Zhao's face was taut. Suddenly, without another word, she turned and walked away.

Chang Ning hurriedly chased after her, leaning his head on the girl's shoulder, and smiled. "Alright, alright, don't be angry, Zhaozhao. It was because I thought of your words that I didn't really throw them down."

Cai Zhao suddenly felt deflated, thinking life was truly difficult. Leaving home to become a disciple was miserable enough, but heaven had to saddle her with a Chang Ning who was either causing trouble or about to cause trouble.

She stopped on a wooden bridge over a chasm. "You really need to know when to stop. My aunt once said that the most tragic thing in the world is when a victim, in seeking excessive revenge, becomes the target of public criticism, condemned and cursed by all."

Chang Ning nodded. "I know. They were the last four Outer Sect Disciples. There's no one else."

"As long as you know, you should restrain yourself. Master is already back on the mountain. When he returns from visiting Martial Uncle Li in the Outer Sect, Qi Lingbo will definitely complain to him. You'd better watch your own hide!"

Chang Ning's long eyelashes flickered imperceptibly. "Alright, I understand."

Cai Zhao breathed a sigh of relief and walked down the wooden bridge. Noticing no footsteps behind her, she turned back to see Chang Ning still standing in the middle of the bridge's arch. She asked, puzzled, "Why aren't you leaving?"

Standing on high, Chang Ning smiled faintly into the mountain wind. "The minions have been dealt with, but the ringleader has yet to be punished. Zhaozhao, you go back to the Qingjing Study first. I'll be right back." As he spoke, he struck the wooden bridge with his palm. The force was as fierce as a heavy hammer, and the bridge split in the middle with a 'snap'. Then, with a series of cracking sounds, both ends of the bridge shattered, and pieces of wood fell into the deep chasm below.

At the same time, Chang Ning leaped into the air. His movement was light and ethereal, like a carefree green cloud rising leisurely before descending, and then he landed on the opposite bank.

"..." Cai Zhao was stunned. She only reacted after the entire bridge had fallen. "You, where are you going? Are you going to find Qi Lingbo? Don't be crazy! Come back, get back here!"

Chang Ning waved to her from afar and then quickly departed.

Cai Zhao paced anxiously by the edge of the chasm. The gap was too wide for her to jump across. If only she had a long whip or a rope to give her some leverage, but having grown up in Falling Blossoms Town, she had never been in the habit of carrying a weapon.

Finally, she gritted her teeth and decided that even if it took more effort, she had to take the long way around and rush to Qi Lingbo's residence, the Immortal Jade Exquisite Residence, as quickly as possible.

Bypassing the deep cliff chasm and struggling up the mountain slope, she saw from afar that the gilded and silvered Immortal Jade Exquisite Residence was already ablaze, with flames spreading everywhere—the Yin Family's private guards, stained with blood, were lying on the ground, groaning and clutching their stomachs or arms. The maids and servants who couldn't escape in time and were burned were wailing by the pond, while those unaffected were busy carrying water to fight the fire.

Cai Zhao carefully stepped over the charred trees and flower branches on the ground, standing helplessly amidst the chaos.