She then grabbed a passing maid and asked, "Did Chang Ning set this fire?"

The young maid trembled and said, "Yes, it was Young Master Chang! He knocked down all the guards as soon as he arrived! He told the young miss to come out, and when she didn't, he set the fire without another word, saying he wanted to force her out!"

Cai Zhao: "Where is Senior Sister Lingbo now?"

"Young Master Dai took the young miss and left through the back door. Young Master Chang is chasing after them!" The maid was already crying in fear.

Cai Zhao released the maid, picked up an intact green steel sword from the ground, and dashed in the direction the maid had pointed, channeling her energy to fly.

...

At Sky-Hanging Cove, under the green gauze veranda.

A handsome and heroic young man sat on a bamboo couch, meticulously wiping his beloved sword, 'Kunpeng'.

A servant reported in a low voice, "Young Master, it seems there's a fire in the direction of the Immortal Jade Exquisite Residence. Aren't you going to take a look?"

Song Yuzhi: "No need."

The servant hesitated for a moment, then said, "I heard that Young Master Chang caused quite a stir in the Outer Sect a few days ago. Could he be going to cause trouble for Miss Lingbo?"

Song Yuzhi didn't even look up. "And what if he is?"

"Young Master, Miss Lingbo is, after all, your..."

Song Yuzhi put down the white velvet cloth. "Lingbo has acted improperly for years. She deserves to be taught a lesson. In any case, she won't listen to a word I say, so it might be better to let Brother Chang do it for me."

The servant: "I just hope Young Master Chang doesn't go too far, otherwise he'll be severely punished."

"Not necessarily," Song Yuzhi said. "Out of respect for Old Sect Master Yin, whenever Lingbo has done something wrong over the years, Master has never been able to properly punish her. Similarly, out of respect for the late Great Hero Chang, even if Chang Ning does something wrong, can Master really bring himself to heavily punish the orphan of the Chang Clan?"

The servant couldn't help but say, "Old Sect Master Yin is your maternal grandfather, Young Master."

"I know." Song Yuzhi lifted his sword to inspect it, murmuring to himself, "They say beauties are for heroes, but the Qingque Sect is not named Yin. The next Sect Master of the Qingque Sect doesn't necessarily have to marry the daughter of the previous Sect Master. It's just that my maternal grandfather's prestige is too high, and he has been in charge of the sect for too long, so everyone has forgotten this point."

...

Cai Zhao crossed pavilions and terraces until she reached the edge of a large lake, where she saw the glint of swords as two figures were locked in a fierce battle.

Qi Lingbo was lying on the side, drenched from head to toe, watching the two with teary eyes. She was draped in Dai Fengchi's outer robe, and her face was smeared with a clump of mud.

Dai Fengchi's moniker was 'Wind-Chasing Swordsman', and his Meteor Chasing Wind Sword was certainly commendable, emphasizing speed as swift as the wind, with strikes as brilliant as meteors. This time, Chang Ning did not use a tree branch to fight; instead, he snatched a green steel sword from a guard and pressed forward. He was still using the Chang Family's 'Willow Catkin Swordplay', sparse and gentle, like willow catkins entangling the body.

There was no inherent superiority between the two sword styles. However, before Cai Zhao could reach them, Chang Ning suddenly thrust his sword diagonally towards Dai Fengchi's left shoulder. The speed of his sword strike surpassed even the Meteor Chasing Wind. Dai Fengchi let out a muffled grunt and staggered back two steps. Chang Ning immediately struck out with his right palm, sending Dai Fengchi flying back several steps. He vomited a mouthful of blood and collapsed to the ground.

Chang Ning took a step forward and pointed his sword at Dai Fengchi and Qi Lingbo. "When you told me to bark like a dog, did you ever think this day would come!"

Qi Lingbo shouted indignantly, "You kicked me into the lake and humiliated me with mud, what more do you want now! The worst you can do is kill me, if you have the guts, then kill me!"

Chang Ning chuckled lightly. "You both saw what Wu Yuanying looked like that day. What's the fun in killing you? Making you suffer is the real fun!"

The tragic state of Wu Yuanying was deeply ingrained in everyone's mind like a nightmare.

Qi Lingbo was so scared she could barely speak properly. "You... what exactly do you want... my father won't let you go!"

"That's right. For Sect Master Qi's sake, I really can't kill you two." Chang Ning nodded. As he spoke, he swung his sword out. Amidst Qi Lingbo's shriek, the sword light went straight for her face.

Just as it seemed Fairy Lingbo's face was about to be sliced open, a clear clang of swords striking each other rang out—Cai Zhao leaped forward, turning sideways and thrusting her sword, barely parrying Chang Ning's fierce blow.

Chang Ning retracted his sword and took a step back, smiling. "Zhaozhao arrived so quickly. The Flying Flower Ferry of Falling Blossoms Valley is indeed impressive."

Almost at the same time, the other inner sect disciples and guards also rushed over, just in time to see Cai Zhao standing in front of Dai Fengchi and Qi Lingbo with her sword drawn. The young girl's face was like a flower, and her longsword was as cold as ice.

Everyone had already witnessed Chang Ning's skills, and no one dared to step forward rashly.

Cai Zhao said word by word, "Senior Brother Chang, I've already said it before, you should know when to stop."

Chang Ning's expression turned serious. "Zhaozhao wouldn't be like those common folks and spout nonsense to me like 'since you weren't truly harmed, you shouldn't hold a grudge', would she? I didn't actually bark like a dog, roll in a mud pit, eat dog feces, or have my heart's blood gouged out. That was my luck, not because Qi Lingbo and the others felt a shred of compassion and showed mercy."

He swung his sword in front of him and said coldly, "Since they had the heart to harm someone, they should be judged as if they had. Why can't I take revenge?!"

Cai Zhao sighed softly. "Brother Chang, I've said all I need to say. Besides, you're so smart, there are some truths you understand without me having to say them. 'Intending to harm someone' is indeed detestable, but it is ultimately different from 'succeeding in harming someone'. It's right to seek justice, but excessive revenge is going too far."

"Did your aunt teach you that too?" Chang Ning glanced at her sideways, his smile chillingly sharp. "No wonder your aunt, despite her unparalleled martial arts, ended up bedridden for over ten years and died a miserable death. I won't be like her, and I advise you not to be either! The Jianghu is about being free and unrestrained, living as one pleases. Isn't that better than being shackled at every moment by the reputation of a benevolent hero?!"

Cai Zhao's face turned cold. "On the first day we met, we made three rules. Now that you don't need my protection anymore, you dare to speak of my aunt like that?!"

Chang Ning couldn't hide the wicked aura in his eyes and laughed loudly. "Zhaozhao, don't be angry. I shouldn't have spoken of your aunt. You can punish me however you want when we get back... as long as you let me vent my anger one more time!"

In a flash, Chang Ning spun around, his sword darting out like a serpent's tongue, bypassing Cai Zhao and once again aiming straight for Qi Lingbo's face.

Amidst Qi Lingbo's screams, Cai Zhao flicked her wrist to deflect Chang Ning's sword, then lunged forward. In a single breath, their swords had clashed more than a dozen times with clear ringing sounds. The swordplay of Chang and Cai was so fast that the onlookers couldn't see it clearly.

Cai Zhao had heard from Cai Pingshu that the Chang Family's Willow Catkin Swordplay was sparse yet grand, traceless in its movements. Its most formidable aspect was the 'entangling' technique. Once an opponent's weapon was entangled, defeat was the only outcome. Therefore, from the very beginning, Cai Zhao wielded her sword with incredible speed, striving to strike first with every move to prevent Chang Ning's web of sword strikes from ensnaring her.

After just seven or eight moves, Cai Zhao noticed that Chang Ning's left hand seemed a bit stiff, as if his sword technique was not yet perfected, or perhaps he was lacking in follow-up strength. Thus, she found an opening and swiftly thrust her sword—

"Ah!" everyone exclaimed in unison.

One drop, two drops of bright red blood fell onto the snow-white jade steps of the lake.

Chang Ning stared blankly downwards. The girl's gleaming sword point was piercing his left shoulder.

It's not deep, and it doesn't hurt much, he thought.

Everyone was stunned and couldn't help but whisper among themselves—

"Junior Sister Cai is so formidable! I didn't even see how she struck just now."

"From now on, if anyone dares to tell me that the Cai Family has declined and Falling Blossoms Valley has no one left, I'll slap them across the face!"

"I think Young Master Chang was holding back..."

"Don't flatter yourselves. Seven or eight of you brothers were knocked to the ground by a single flick of Young Master Chang's sleeve, unable to even get up, and now you're trying to save face!"

"Fortunately, Senior Brother Dai didn't insist on competing with Junior Sister Cai."

"Hehehe, I hadn't thought of that until you mentioned it..."

"Stop laughing, you guys. Young Master Chang is so vengeful. Now that blood has been drawn, who knows how this will end."

The sword blade that had pierced his flesh was pulled back with a whoosh, bringing out another line of crimson.

"Are you done being crazy?" Cai Zhao tried to even her breathing, to keep the longsword in her hand from trembling—this was the first time she had ever injured someone.

"Senior Sister Lingbo bullied you, but the maids and servants in the Immortal Jade Exquisite Residence did not. With that one great fire you set, how many people were implicated and burned! You have grievances, you want revenge, but does that mean you can disregard the innocent?!"

The girl's voice trembled slightly, but she persisted, "Someone does evil, and then to retaliate, you do even more evil. You turn yourself into the very person you once despised—I look down on people like that."

With a crisp clatter, Chang Ning gently tossed the sword in his hand to the ground. Then, clutching the wound on his shoulder, he lowered his long eyelashes, and the wild and violent aura around him dissipated like the wind.

A weight lifted from Cai Zhao's heart. She relaxed her tense body and also tossed her longsword aside. The bloodstain on its tip drew a thin red line on the white jade steps.

She composed herself, slowly walked over to Chang Ning, and took his sleeve. "Let's go. Time to go home and drink soup."

Chang Ning looked down at the small, fair hand on his sleeve, just like that day in the Twilight Palace when Qi Yunke had entrusted him to the girl's care. He answered softly, "Mm."

Under everyone's watchful eyes, they stared blankly as the two of them left.

"That's, that's it?"

"What else? You don't think it's chaotic enough?"

"But that's not right! Senior Sister Lingbo hadn't even done anything to him, yet that guy surnamed Chang caused such a huge mess. Now that swords have been drawn and blood spilled, he's just walking away like nothing happened?"

"It's good that he left, it's good that he left. Luckily Junior Sister Cai can keep him in check. Otherwise, if a real fight broke out, we would have had to step in to help—you want to get beaten up by him again?!"

...

Song Yuzhi stood under the veranda, looking up at the sky. A gentle breeze was blowing, and the weather was beautiful.

He smiled slightly. "Tomorrow's weather will be even better than today. Perfect for moving."