Chapter 33

For the next few days, Cai Zhao was exceptionally well-behaved. Besides hiding in the Qingjing Study waiting for Cai Pingchun to return, she spent her time staring at the pigeon coop.

That's right, the cage of carrier pigeons that Zen Master Juexing had given her to send complaints could finally be put to use.

The day she heard that the various sects had been attacked, Cai Zhao picked up her brush to write letters before even eating. Chang Ning ground ink and cut paper for her, occasionally glancing at the contents of the letters, earning him several eye-rolls from the girl.

The first letter was, of course, to Peiqiong Mountain Manor.

First, she asked after the health of Zhou Zhizhen, Zhou Zhixian, and the others, asking if their injuries were serious. If they lacked any medicine, they should just ask. Falling Blossoms Valley had nothing else in abundance, but they had more than enough medicine for external injuries. She even tied two vials of golden wound powder to the pigeon's leg. If not for the fear of weighing the chubby little pigeon down, she wished she could send over the entire medicine box Ning Xiaofeng had left her.

Chang Ning: "Is it because you like Manor Master Zhou and Heroine Zhou that you in turn like Zhou Yuqi? Or is it because you're fond of Zhou Yuqi that you're showing such meticulous care for Manor Master Zhou and Heroine Zhou?"

Cai Zhao: "...I can splash the ink you just ground onto your face."

The second letter was to Evergreen Monastery.

First, she asked after Venerable Fakong. How were his burns? Old skin and flesh don't heal easily. She attached two tubes of Falling Blossoms Valley's burn cream, which was claimed to be able to restore even a boiled shrimp. She also asked if Venerable Fakong had cleared the thick smoke from his lungs, and she included a recipe for a detoxifying and lung-moistening soup. If his lung injury wasn't properly cared for, the old monk wouldn't be able to chant scriptures in the future and would only be able to strike the wooden fish.

Chang Ning: "Did Falling Blossoms Valley and Venerable Fakong have a falling out before?"

Cai Zhao: "Not at all. The old monk is a very good person."

Chang Ning: "So Zhaozhao wants to comfort Venerable Fakong?"

Cai Zhao: "Naturally."

Chang Ning: "...May the Venerable's life be as long as the southern mountains, Amitabha."

She originally wanted to write the third letter to Ning Xiaofeng, but she crumpled it up after just a few words. Forget the carrier pigeons, even she couldn't find the entrance to the Ning Family Fort without concentrating with all her might.

So she thought of writing to Xuankong Nunnery to send her regards to Abbess Jingyuan. But the moment she thought of her grand-aunt's thousand-year-frozen old face, she couldn't squeeze out a single word. In the end, she could only send two tubes of golden wound powder as a show of concern.

After sending the letters, Cai Zhao wished she could sleep in front of the pigeon coop, waiting for both the replies and Cai Pingchun.

In the midst of this frustratingly tedious wait, something happened to Sect Master Qi Yunke.

Originally, everyone thought his injuries were minor, that he just needed to expel the residual poison and recuperate. Who knew that his condition would suddenly take a turn for the worse. One morning, Qi Yunke vomited several mouthfuls of black blood, and then became bedridden, drifting in and out of consciousness.

Cai Zhao went to visit him three times, but on two of those occasions, she could only see Qi Yunke lying within the tent curtains with his eyes shut tight and his face a waxy yellow.

Zeng Dalou was always in a hurry, either handling the sect's general affairs, seeking doctors and medicine, or running errands on Qi Yunke's behalf. He could only exchange a few words with Cai Zhao before rushing off again.

When they finally got a chance while Qi Yunke was lucid, all the disciples went in to see him, including Song Yuzhi, who was being supported by others.

Lei Xiuming's brows were tightly furrowed. The more he checked the pulse, the more puzzled he became, muttering, "...Why has this poison suddenly become so potent? It's suppressed for now, but I don't understand why it would relapse."

On the contrary, Qi Yunke was quite open about it, smiling weakly. "It was my own carelessness when circulating my energy. I got my breath caught and didn't expel the residual poison in time. Thanks to Junior Brother Lei's miraculous hands, I'm much better now. I just need more rest."

Lei Xiuming had no choice but to let it go.

Seeing the gravity of her husband's injuries, Yin Sulian weighed whether it was more prestigious to be the Sect Master's wife or more fulfilling to be the Sect Master's mother-in-law, and finally erupted with unprecedented wifely virtue. She served tea and water with utmost tenderness, which gave all the disciples goosebumps.

Unfortunately, Qi Yunke was completely unmoved. He mumbled a few words with a cold face. Yin Sulian refused to take this slight and stormed off in a huff.

Cai Zhao watched the show with a grin. As she turned to leave, she saw Song Yuzhi standing behind a pillar in the corridor, his expression exceptionally peculiar.

A strange feeling flashed through her heart, but she quickly cast it aside and went back to guarding the pigeon coop and waiting for news.

Over the next few days, the carrier pigeons returned one by one.

Peiqiong Mountain Manor had indeed suffered heavy casualties, with very few escaping the Demonic Cult's ambush. Fortunately, the four members of the Zhou Family were not fundamentally injured and would recover with slow recuperation. It was the old mothers and widows of the deceased disciples who were pitiable, and Zhou Zhizhen was determined to compensate them well.

The others at Evergreen Monastery only had superficial wounds. Only Venerable Fakong was not doing too well—after all, he was advanced in age. In terms of seniority and age, he was of the same generation as the Three Elders of Green Peak's master. This time, his brother, Venerable Fahai, with whom he had depended on for life, passed away. Then, after rushing back and forth, he was suddenly ambushed. The old monk couldn't quite take it.

As usual, Xuankong Nunnery sent back a thick stack of lectures, which Cai Zhao couldn't even be bothered to read.

Just as she tossed aside Abbess Jingyuan's letter of admonishment, she heard Furong come to report—Cai Pingchun had finally returned.

It was already dark when Cai Pingchun returned to Qingque Town. Not wanting to spend the night on Jiuli Mountain, he checked into the Yuelai Inn in town.

Such a common yet confident name. The inn wasn't the largest in town, but it was the most expensive.

Walking on the stone-paved paths of Qingque Town, Cai Zhao noticed quite a lot of people around. "The festival is over, why are there still so many people in town? Are they repeat customers of the shops?"

Chang Ning looked up. "These people are all skilled practitioners. I wonder what they're doing in Qingque Town."

Both of them found it a bit strange, but neither was familiar with Qingque Town, so they didn't know if these people were regulars or strangers, or if this was normal or abnormal. Unable to figure it out, they put it out of their minds.

Entering Yuelai Inn, the innkeeper, who looked like a consumptive ghost, stood expressionlessly behind the counter. He only raised his eyelids upon seeing Cai Zhao and Chang Ning, pointed to the "Heaven No. 1 Room" bamboo plaque hanging behind him, and then, half-dead, he hollered for the waiter to lead the way.

Chang Ning chuckled, "This time I can be sure, Zhaozhao and this innkeeper definitely have a grudge."

"When my family first came to Jiuli Mountain, we stayed at this inn—such a small, shabby inn, and we were the only guests. The room rate was exorbitant, and the innkeeper wore a long face." Cai Zhao said helplessly, "And so I gave him a small suggestion."

"What suggestion?"

"I said, 'Innkeeper, why don't you open a coffin home?'"

Chang Ning burst out laughing.

...

Having not seen him for half a month, Cai Zhao saw that her father was tanner and thinner. She felt a pang of heartache and wished she could immediately start a fire to brew some tonic soup for her dear dad.

Cai Pingchun also looked his daughter up and down, noticing the girl had grown a bit taller and carried herself more like an adult. He said with a grin, "It seems the chefs at Qingque Sect are good. They've fed my Zhaozhao until she's fair and plump. As expected, I should have sent you out to be raised. In just a few days, you seem so much more sensible."

Then he looked at Chang Ning.

Although the young man's face was still covered in poisonous sores, he was calm and composed, his eyes filled with light. Cai Pingchun asked, "Nephew Chang, have you fully recovered?"

Chang Ning bowed respectfully. "There is still some residual poison that hasn't been cleared."

Cai Pingchun frowned slightly but said nothing.

Cai Zhao also frowned.

From the moment this guy Chang Ning entered the room, he hadn't said a single bizarre thing. His conduct was elegant and poised, his demeanor graceful; he seemed more like the scion of a noble family than even Song Yuzhi.

It had been a long time since father and daughter had seen each other, and they had much to say. After a bit of idle chatter, the conversation turned to the attack on the Qingque Sect and the Demonic Cult's ambush on the other sects.

Cai Zhao voiced her earlier confusion, "Chang Ning said the Demonic Cult is not as strong as it used to be. Why are they still so vicious?"

Cai Pingchun said, "There are so many wicked people in the world, can you guess each and every one of their thoughts? There's no point in trying to figure it out. Once everyone has recovered this time, we'll have your master take the lead. We'll go to the Nether Bamboo Path and properly greet Cult Master Nie. After so many years of peace, since Cult Master Nie is interested in reopening for business, the Six Sects of Beichen can naturally keep him company."

The words were simple, but the bloody storm they implied was immeasurable.

Cai Zhao couldn't help but twitch her ears.

Chang Ning was also quite surprised. Cai Pingchun looked gentle and low-key, never saying much, but he hadn't expected him to be so decisive and resolute.

"Uncle Cai." He took a step forward, clasped his hands within his sleeves, and bowed, his posture upright and graceful. "Please forgive my rudeness, nephew—I wonder if Uncle Cai has found any clues about my family's case during this trip?"

Cai Pingchun pondered for a moment. "The Chang Family Fort is now in ruins. I searched it inside and out, and I also checked the surrounding mountain several times—I can confirm that it was indeed the work of the Demonic Cult."

Cai Zhao retorted, "Dad, Nephew Chang already said it was the Demonic Cult. You were gone for half a month and that's all you found out?"

Cai Pingchun rubbed his daughter's head. "What does a silly girl like you know?"

He looked at Chang Ning and said, "I initially thought someone was fishing in troubled waters, committing evil under the guise of the Demonic Cult. But I checked repeatedly. Whether it was the markers left at the foot of the mountain, the hidden threads drawn in the grass, the stakes driven for the ambush, or even the traces of fighting left in the ruins, they were all the handiwork of Lu Chennan. Hmph, the Tiangang Disha Battalion again."

Cai Zhao's mind raced. "His surname is Lu? Could he be one of Nie Hengcheng's Four Great Disciples Zhao, Chen, Han, and Lu?"

"Correct." Cai Pingchun said, "He was Nie Hengcheng's fourth disciple. His evil deeds were not usually conspicuous, so he wasn't famous in the Jianghu. In reality, this man was a genius in both literary and martial arts, proficient in everything from internal and external cultivation, mechanisms, formations, astrology, geography, tracking, to poisoning. The members of the Tiangang Disha Battalion were all trained by him."

Cai Zhao was aghast. "So this is the man who killed Great Hero Chang's entire family!"

"No, this man is already dead. He died even earlier than Nie Hengcheng," Cai Pingchun said. "Back then, a few of us youngsters tracked down several of the Tiangang Disha Battalion's minor leaders. When we charged in, we found them wearing mourning clothes, their faces streaked with tears and snot—it turned out they were burning incense and paper offerings to commemorate Lu Chennan."

"...The Demonic Cult has a humane side too," Cai Zhao said sheepishly.

Cai Pingchun glanced at his daughter with a smile. "The people of the Demonic Cult are still people; they have emotions and desires too. Lu Chennan held considerable prestige among the younger generation of the Demonic Cult back then, but no one could say for sure how he died. Some said he died from cultivation deviation, some said he was shamelessly trapped and killed by our Six Sects of Beichen, and others said he was murdered by his two jealous senior brothers in a conspiracy..."

"In any case, with Lu Chennan's death, Nie Hengcheng was like a man who'd lost an arm. If he were still alive, your aunt would not have found Nie Hengcheng so easily, nor would she have had the chance to challenge him when he was alone."

"Sounds like this person was quite formidable," Cai Zhao sighed. "What kind of people are in the Demonic Cult?"

Chang Ning glanced at the girl but said nothing.

"Even to this day, the Tiangang Disha Battalion still trains according to the rules Lu Chennan left behind. I knew it the moment I saw the traces left at the Chang Family Fort," Cai Pingchun said. "In recent years, the Vast Heaven Sect, Siqi Sect, and Grand Beginning Abbey have been acting too ostentatiously, their reach extending further and further, their power expanding larger and larger. It's understandable that the Demonic Cult would be displeased and want to teach them a lesson."

"But why did they have to annihilate the Chang Family? Ever since Nie Hengcheng died, Big Brother Chang has barely been involved in Jianghu affairs." He truly could not understand.

Chang Ning remained silent.

Hearing the words 'Vast Heaven Sect', Cai Zhao immediately thought of Song Yuzhi and quickly asked, "Dad, my Third Senior Brother... that is, Sect Leader Song's son, Song Yuzhi, he's been afflicted with Netherworld Cold Qi, and most of his martial arts are gone. Have you ever heard of a way to treat this kind of injury?"

Chang Ning took a deep breath, suppressing the sourness in his stomach, and continued to force a gentle, courteous, and proper demeanor.

Damn it!

"Netherworld Cold Qi? I don't know the cure." Cai Pingchun was taken aback for a moment. "But... it should be curable, right?"

Cai Zhao's eyes lit up. "How does Dad know it can be cured?"

"Back then, your aunt had a brother named Shi Tieqiao..."

Chang Ning: "Was it the younger of the Shi Brothers?"

Cai Pingchun: "Yes, that's him. He was afflicted with Netherworld Cold Qi back then. Later, Zhaozhao's aunt somehow managed to fix it, and Second Brother Shi recovered. I don't know the details."

"Then... how exactly did he recover?" Cai Zhao was at a loss. "Does no one know?"

Chang Ning seemed to be gloating a little. "There aren't many people who practice the Netherworld Cold Qi technique, so naturally not many have been afflicted by it. How many people could possibly know the cure?"

To prevent the girl from dwelling on Song Yuzhi's injury, Chang Ning quickly brought up another question. "Nephew dares to ask Uncle Cai about a matter."

"Feel free to speak."

Chang Ning said, "Before Wu Gang died, he said that Old Sect Master Yin was unwilling to trade Elder Kaiyang for Great Hero Wu Yuanying because he wanted to force a secret out of him. I wonder if Uncle Cai knows what that secret was?"

Cai Zhao was startled; she remembered it too.

She couldn't help but mutter, "So you've been curious about this all along. Why didn't you just ask Master directly? He would surely know Old Sect Master Yin's intentions."

Chang Ning kept up the act, wearing an understanding, bitter smile. "Nephew was afraid that this matter might not be very honorable, and forcing Sect Master Qi to speak of it would be putting him in a difficult position, so..."

Cai Pingchun nodded. "Nephew Chang is right. This matter is indeed not very honorable."

"Ah," Cai Zhao was stunned.

More than twenty years ago, although the Demonic Cult was powerful for a time, the Six Sects of Beichen were not made of clay.

The Three Elders of Green Peak were in their prime; the Twin Heroes of Taichu each had their own strengths; Peiqiong Mountain Manor, Vast Heaven Sect, and Siqi Sect all had numerous disciples and experts as common as clouds; Falling Blossoms Valley also had a top-tier expert like Cai Changfeng to hold the line. Among the younger generation, there were rising stars like Zhou Zhizhen, Song Shijun, and Wu Yuanying, not to mention a rare talent like Cai Pingshu.

In short, for a long time, the righteous and demonic factions were evenly matched, and neither dared to rashly declare war.

"Then one day, Old Sect Master Yin sensed that something was wrong," Cai Pingchun said. "He had fought Nie Hengcheng before. It couldn't be called a draw, but he wouldn't lose by more than a few moves. For experts at their level, it's not easy to make any significant improvement. However, for some unknown reason, Nie Hengcheng's power suddenly increased dramatically."

"The first time, Old Sect Master Yin fought him and barely managed to retreat unscathed."

"The second time they met, Old Sect Master Yin could no longer last a hundred moves against Nie Hengcheng."

"By the third time they encountered each other, if not for his two fellow disciples, Cheng Hao and Wang Dingchuan, sacrificing their lives to save him, Old Sect Master Yin would have probably died on the spot."

Cai Zhao's mouth fell open. "Dad, how do you know so clearly? Old Sect Master Yin wouldn't go around telling everyone about his defeat."

"A disciple of Martial Uncle Wang Dingchuan told your aunt," Cai Pingchun said flatly. "Your aunt saved his life."

This was the first time Chang Ning had heard any of this, and he was speechless with shock. Suddenly, a thought occurred to him. "With Nie Hengcheng's sudden acquisition of a divine art, the balance between the two sides could no longer be maintained."

—So, that was the reason for Nie Hengcheng's sudden offensive? Afterwards, he grew even more audacious, allowing his Demonic Cult followers to run rampant, aiming to annihilate the Six Sects of Beichen and unify the world.

Cai Pingchun nodded and continued, "Old Sect Master Yin was a man of crystal-clear insight. He naturally realized that Nie Hengcheng must have had a fortuitous encounter and obtained a tremendously powerful divine art."

"So he captured Elder Kaiyang to force him to reveal what fortuitous encounter Nie Hengcheng had?!" Cai Zhao clapped her hands.

Cai Pingchun: "Both Elder Kaiyang and Elder Yaoguang were personally recruited into the cult by Nie Hengcheng. They had been his confidants for over a decade. If they didn't know, no one would."

"So did they find out in the end?" Little Miss Cai was very nervous.

Chang Ning maintained a proper and dignified air, his features gentle. "If they had found out, your aunt wouldn't have had to risk her life to kill Nie Hengcheng."

Cai Pingchun smiled. "Nephew is correct."

Cai Zhao squinted at Chang Ning, three words flashing plainly in her eyes: You're so fake.