Chapter 34 Part 1

It was already lantern-lighting time when they returned to the Qingque Sect. Chang Ning and Cai Zhao caught the last run of the iron chains at Myriad Waters Thousand Mountains Cliff before dark. Afterwards, the gates would be closed and the path sealed. No one could cross the cliff at night without a command token.

Cai Zhao clasped her small hands behind her back, skipping and hopping as she walked ahead.

Seeing her relaxed and cheerful, Chang Ning asked, "What were you and your father talking about in the room just now?" They had specifically invited him to the inn's main hall for tea, yet he only ended up drinking half a bowl of cold well water.

Cai Zhao turned back, beaming. "Daddy said he'll come up the mountain first thing tomorrow to see Master."

Chang Ning was suspicious. "Just that one sentence?" He had drunk half a bowl of cold water for that.

Cai Zhao tilted her head up and faced forward. "Daddy also said that with things in such a mess, there will probably be more turmoil in the Jianghu. He told me to hurry back to Falling Blossoms Valley and hide the moment things look wrong. Amitayus Buddha, very well, very well."

Chang Ning burst out laughing. "Valley Master Cai is truly an honest man. I thought you would follow your aunt's example, firmly upholding justice and never retreating. Hmm, this is good too. It's a good thing you're not like your aunt."

"Not all juniors are like their elders." Cai Zhao smiled. "You're not much like Great Hero Chang either."

Chang Ning's pupils contracted sharply. "What do you mean by that?"

Cai Zhao turned around and began skipping backward. "I mean it literally."

Chang Ning stopped in his tracks, his face as grim as still water.

Cai Zhao stopped as well and noticed a large lake beside them. She glanced around. "You're good at picking places. There's no one for miles, making it convenient to talk."

"If Zhaozhao has something to say, then say it." The young man in the wide-sleeved, long robe stood by the water, looking like an exiled immortal... or perhaps a demon masquerading as one.

Cai Zhao's eyes were like pools of water. "Brother Chang, you're actually not very good at deception. Ever since arriving at Jiuli Mountain, you've deliberately acted wickedly, driving away everyone who cared for you, whether sincerely or not. That way, no one would notice that something is wrong with you."

Chang Ning: "What's wrong with me?"

"At first, I thought your perverse temperament was because you've been ill since childhood," Cai Zhao said. "But after spending more time with you, I realized you're not just temperamental, but also reckless, never considering the consequences. When you wanted to take revenge on those who bullied you, you threw all caution to the wind, prioritizing your own satisfaction."

"For decades, Great Hero Chang has upheld chivalry and been kind-hearted. Even if he doted on his frail and sickly son, he would have taught him what he needed to know—the real Brother Chang wouldn't be as reckless as you. Am I right, 'Brother Chang'?" Cai Zhao looked at Chang Ning.

The corner of Chang Ning's mouth lifted slightly. "Well said. But you've forgotten, I am not the Chang Ning I was before. My family met with disaster, my entire clan was massacred. Isn't it possible for my personality to change drastically?"

Cai Zhao nodded. "I considered that too, but while one's personality can change drastically, experience in facing enemies can't just materialize out of nowhere."

She continued, "That day at Myriad Waters Thousand Mountains Cliff, you deduced the sequence of events of their deaths from the wounds on more than a dozen corpses, and from there you perceived the Demonic Cult's scheme—these are not things one can learn in seclusion. It's a skill that can only be honed by seeing many corpses and experiencing many life-and-death battles."

"Great Hero Chang's son was frail for more than a decade and only began to recover in the past two years. He'd be too busy with secluded cultivation, trying to make up for lost time, to have so much 'worldly experience'. I suspect my father also noticed something amiss. How could someone have recovered seventy to eighty percent of their strength, yet still have their face covered in poison sores?"

"And then there's your 'Chang Family Sword Style'—the reason I don't use a saber is that I'm only used to my own, which I often don't have on me, so I just grab a sword to use. I wasn't deliberately hiding anything. But Brother Chang, you don't wield your sword with your dominant right hand, you insist on using your left. Why is that?"

Chang Ning fell silent. "...What reason does Zhaozhao think there is?"

"Because the skill in your right hand is too powerful. If you failed to hold back while using your sword, it would easily arouse suspicion." Cai Zhao continued, "No matter how great a genius Young Master Chang might be, he has only been practicing martial arts for two or three years. If 'Brother Chang' were to unleash a sword strike as unstoppable as wind and lightning, wouldn't that be strange?"

"Combined with your irritable temper that can't stand being wronged and your arrogant nature that disregards consequences—'Brother Chang,' you must have lived a very honorable and noble life in the past." The girl was all smiles.

Chang Ning did not smile. "In that case, who does Zhaozhao think I am?"

Cai Zhao said lightly, "I don't know. My father already said, how could one possibly know just by guessing?"

Chang Ning watched the girl quietly. "Then why didn't Zhaozhao report this to Sect Master Qi and have me captured for interrogation?"

Cai Zhao sighed. "Although you might be an impostor, many of the past secrets you've spoken of are true, and the 'Willow Catkin Swordplay' you use is also real."

"Especially the stories about my aunt when she was young. If Great Hero Chang wasn't willing, I truly can't imagine why he would have shared them in such great detail, holding nothing back. And also the Chang Family's internal art; with Great Hero Chang's skills, if he were truly being coerced, it wouldn't be difficult for him to tamper with it during instruction."

The girl paused, her gaze fixed on Chang Ning. "To make Great Hero Chang put all his effort into teaching the Chang clan's martial arts, and to have him recount the past, bit by bit, over such a long period of time—I believe you must be someone Great Hero Chang trusted deeply."

After a long silence, 'Chang Ning' let out a long sigh. "I've underestimated Zhaozhao."

Cai Zhao said sincerely, "It was you who let your guard down around me."

The young man pondered for a moment. "Do you want to know who I am?"

"Say it if you want to, don't if you don't. You still haven't figured out how to tell me, have you?" Cai Zhao gazed at the young man. "Right now, I only want to know one thing—is Great Hero Chang's son still alive?"

The young man spoke very slowly, "He's alive, but you might as well consider him dead."

Cai Zhao's heart trembled. "What do you mean?"

The young man shook his head. "Two or three years ago, he finally had a hope of recovery. A gratified Great Hero Chang let his son begin cultivating their internal art. Who knew that upon seeing this, Madam Chang became frantic, fearing that after learning martial arts, her son would follow the same tragic path as her own father and brothers. One day, while the young Chang was in seclusion, Madam Chang suddenly burst in, yelling and trying to stop him from practicing. This caused him to suffer a cultivation deviation, severing all his meridians. He can never practice martial arts again."

"He was unconscious for several days, and when he awoke, he remembered nothing. Great Hero Chang thought it over for a long time and said that perhaps this was heaven's will. He had a loyal old servant take his son away to live in anonymity and seclusion in the countryside. From that day on, there was no longer a Ning'er of the Chang Clan."

The young man looked up at the moon. "A few months after the young Chang left, the Demonic Cult came to their door. Later, Great Hero Chang was actually quite glad, saying that the heavens had shown mercy to the Chang Family, luckily preserving Chang Ning's life. For him to be able to live like a commoner and have children of his own was a blessing."

Cai Zhao's expression darkened. "...The annihilation of the Chang Family was such a huge event. Could that old servant possibly not have heard about it?"

"Even if he heard, there was nothing he could do," the young man said. "Before they left, Great Hero Chang repeatedly warned the old servant to never again think about the Jianghu or the Chang Family. Even if he were to die, the servant was not to return. As long as the servant took good care of his son, he would have fulfilled his duty. The old servant swore a blood oath to this."

Cai Zhao let out a long sigh. "That's for the best, too. A high position invites danger. It's not a bad thing to live as an ordinary wealthy man."

The young man waited for a while, but seeing that the girl didn't ask, he couldn't help saying, "Do you really not want to know who I am at all?"

Cai Zhao smiled, her small face pretty and innocent. "Are the words that come from your mouth necessarily the truth?" Someone who can pretend to be another person can lie just as easily.

"Is it really alright for you not to expose me?" The young man was still amazed.

Cai Zhao began to walk forward again. "Whether it's proper or not, it is what it is. In any case, Great Hero Chang trusted you, and Master personally entrusted you to my care. What could I, a new disciple who's only been on the mountain for half a month, possibly know?"

The young man took a long stride and blocked the girl's path. "I thought you were determined to follow in Heroine Cai's footsteps."

A shadow crossed the young Miss Cai's face. "My father doesn't want me to be like my aunt... My mother says nice things, but I know in her heart she feels the same as Daddy. My aunt is the person I respect and love most in this world, but, I'm afraid I can no longer be like her."

She raised her head. "Tomorrow, I'll move to the Lodge of Longevity. 'Brother Chang'... I suppose I'll keep calling you that. You should take care of yourself from now on." With that said, she turned and walked away without looking back.

Chang Ning watched the girl's retreating back, not moving an inch for a long time. Logically, he should have been relieved, but at this moment, he felt an indescribable frustration.

...

Perhaps it was because seeing her father had given her a sense of security, Cai Zhao fell asleep quickly that night.

Then she had a dream.

In her dream, her aunt was very young, just as her mother had described: her complexion was rosy, she was radiant, and her eyes, always smiling, were full of life, fearing nothing in heaven or earth. She leaned close to her little niece's ear and whispered, "Little Zhaozhao, don't be afraid of the dark. The monsters will always be chased away, and the sky will always light up..."

The little girl cried messily, wailing, 'Auntie, don't go! I'm scared!'

Then she woke up.

Cai Zhao sat up, drenched in a cold sweat. Outside, the night was a nightmarish blackness.

She stared blankly into space—why should she be afraid?

Her father had returned, and her mother and brother were safely taking refuge at the Ning Family's estate. Her whole family was safe.

Even if the Jianghu outside descended into chaos, all they had to do was seal off Falling Blossoms Valley, and none of it would concern their family.

She defiantly lay back down, determined to sleep even if she couldn't. She was no longer a child; it was too embarrassing to be kept awake by a nightmare.

More than an hour passed in a drowsy state. The inky sky began to lighten when a commotion suddenly erupted outside. Dazedly, Cai Zhao heard Furong's exclamation of alarm, Feicui's calm scolding, and a flurry of panicked footsteps.

Then came the sound of Chang Ning pushing his door open. He retorted in a tone of disbelief, 'What nonsense is this? What do you mean he's gone?'

Then, she was woken up and told—Cai Pingchun had disappeared.

...

A long procession of people filed across the pitch-black abyss. The iron chains swayed, making the torches they held high waver.

The matter was so serious that even Qi Yunke, who had not yet fully recovered from the poison, was carried down the mountain by servants in a recliner.

In the darkness, the torchlight flickered, making everyone's face seem surreal. Zeng Dalou's hurried rushing, Dai Fengchi's gloating, Song Yuzhi's anxiety, and Fan Xingjia's surprise—it was as if they were all actors appearing on a stage.

Cai Zhao couldn't see or distinguish anyone clearly. There was only Chang Ning behind her, supporting her. His arms were warm and strong, his muscles solid, allowing her to feel the ground beneath her feet.

When they arrived in front of Yuelai Inn, the area had been cordoned off by Qingque Sect disciples holding torches. A larger circle of the unfamiliar faces Cai Zhao had seen during the day had gathered beyond them.

Then, a trembling old farmer, still terrified, was pushed to the front.

This old farmer was responsible for delivering fresh food to Yuelai Inn. Although the inn's business was slow, the innkeeper and the staff still needed to eat, so every day before dawn, he would carry live fish, meat, and vegetables to make his delivery.

Who knew that after knocking on the door for a long time, there was no answer. Yet, he could see slivers of lamplight coming from under the door, so there was clearly someone inside. He had been delivering to this inn for many years. Although the innkeeper was listless and bad at business, he never failed to pay, so their business relationship had deepened over time.

The old farmer knew the inn had a back door that was never locked, so he carried his shoulder pole around to the back. He passed through the kitchen into the main hall and saw the floor covered in bloody corpses. He was nearly scared out of his wits and immediately reported it to the sect's stewards.

The inn's main door was wide open. The counter was overturned, with ink, paper, account books, and bronze keys scattered everywhere. Even the bamboo room plaques hanging on the wall had all fallen down. The innkeeper's body lay face down amidst the mess, the brazier beside him for warmth already extinguished.

The crowd was anxious to find Cai Pingchun, so they rushed to the second floor, discovering five more bodies along the way.

On the second floor, in Heavenly Room Number One, the table, chairs, and bed were neat and tidy. The teapot and teacups were arranged in the shape of a plum blossom, as if no one had ever stayed there.

Cai Zhao hurried to check the bed. The quilt was folded neatly, also without the slightest trace of use.

The room was empty and cold. It was impossible to imagine that this was the place where the Cai father and daughter had been laughing and talking just a short while ago. There were no signs of a struggle either; it had clearly been deliberately cleaned.

Everyone looked at each other in dismay. A strange atmosphere filled the room.