Chapter 41 Part 1

The mountain wind grew fiercer, and the night frost was chilling.

There were two groups of people who came to 'invite' Chang Ning and Cai Zhao.

One group was composed of sect disciples led by Ouyang Kexie and Chen Qiong. Cai Zhao recognized a few faces from the Martial Arts Field. Their expressions were grave, mixed with a hint of hesitation.

The other group consisted of unfamiliar faces that had just come up the mountain. They were said to be the 'under-the-table forces' that 'Sect Master Qi' had cultivated outside the sect. They were all uniformly dressed in dark gray short jackets and fully armed, their faces grim and their movements silent. The leader was a tall, thin man in his thirties with a very familiar aquiline nose.

Cai Zhao was slightly startled and couldn't help but whisper, "This person looks like that guy from yesterday, but his philtrum is a bit shorter..."

Chang Ning had naturally noticed. His lips moved slightly, "Perhaps they're brothers."

The man with the short aquiline nose suddenly turned his head, his venomous gaze piercing straight at Chang Ning.

Cai Zhao said silently, "...Looks like they're biological brothers."

Chang Ning was completely unconcerned, "Later, I'll send the two brothers to their reunion."

Dai Fengchi walked between the two groups, looking extremely smug. Perhaps the docile compliance of Chang Ning and Cai Zhao had robbed him of some sense of accomplishment, so he would turn back to glare at them from time to time.

He heard their voices behind him and turned his head, "You two are not allowed to whisper!"

Cai Zhao blinked, "Then we'll just talk loudly."

Dai Fengchi: ...

He shouted, "Stop showing off your quick wit! This matter is of great importance. Master is furious. To prevent you from colluding on your stories, neither of you is allowed to say a single word!"

Cai Zhao was speechless, "Collude on what story? Second Senior Brother, don't just throw accusations around."

Dai Fengchi pointed at the girl's nose, "Then what were you two doing wandering all over the mountain in the middle of the night?!"

Cai Zhao: "Can't I take a stroll if I can't sleep?"

Dai Fengchi yelled, "Then why was the Pure Abode completely empty? What about your two maids? Still say you weren't planning to escape?!"

Cai Zhao laughed out loud, "After dinner, I had Furong and Feicui take the dog I just bought down the mountain. I'm not good at raising it, so it's better to return it to the shop. They probably came back too late, saw that the iron chains had been retracted, and decided to just stay the night in town."

Dai Fengchi was momentarily choked with anger, finally saying tyrannically, "In any case, you are not allowed to speak privately!"

Chang Ning said indifferently, "And what if we must speak?"

Dai Fengchi drew his sword halfway with a 'shua' sound and sneered, "All the experts are out today. It's not up to you to show off your might!"

Chang Ning's figure flashed, and he was suddenly in front of Dai Fengchi. Before Dai Fengchi could cry out in alarm, everyone only heard a light 'clang'. Chang Ning had already returned to Cai Zhao's side like a phantom.

Dai Fengchi was so scared he fumbled, retreating several large steps.

"I insist on showing off my might. What are you going to do about it?" Chang Ning said.

Dai Fengchi lost face and furiously drew his sword—only to find that he couldn't pull it out.

He forced a calm cough, intending to sheathe his sword, "Master has important matters, so I won't bicker with you for now." —But he couldn't push the sword back in either!

By now, many people had seen that Chang Ning had pressed on Dai Fengchi's sword just now. He must have dented the blade and scabbard, causing the blade to get stuck in the scabbard, unable to be drawn or sheathed.

Light snickers erupted from the crowd. One person even deliberately said in a 'low voice', "Even if Senior Brother Song were seriously injured, he wouldn't have ended up in such an embarrassing state!"

Dai Fengchi's face turned purple as an eggplant, filled with shame and indignation. Finally, his lackey Cui Sheng rushed up to give him a way out, offering his own sword, "Ah, Senior Brother, you took the wrong sword. This is your sword. No wonder you couldn't use it properly, hehe..."

Dai Fengchi snatched Cui Sheng's sword, muttering curses.

Just then, Ouyang Kexie spoke up, "Fengchi, go to the front and lead the team." No matter how unpresentable Dai Fengchi was, he was still the Sect Master's direct disciple. He couldn't be embarrassed too much.

Dai Fengchi forced himself to appear calm and strode forward, leaving a few stifled laughs behind him.

Cai Zhao moved a little closer to Chang Ning, "Do you think this guy was replaced?"

The corner of Chang Ning's mouth curved, "Is such an idiot worthy?"

Cai Zhao nodded, "I thought so too." Young Master Qian's skills were low, and he needed to rest for a while after each body swap, causing a significant delay. That group would surely have to be meticulous in choosing their replacement targets. A lightweight like Dai Fengchi would never catch their eye.

Ahead in the night, the magnificent and ethereal silhouette of Twilight Palace appeared as if floating in the clouds.

Chang Ning suddenly said in a low voice, "Later, when I expose that impostor, don't you say a single word."

Cai Zhao was stunned. Before she could ask, the front hall of Twilight Palace's doors swung open with a 'shua' sound. The white marble walls inside were inlaid with hundreds of crystal mirrors, and the bright lights formed a huge beam of light under the ingeniously designed clusters of focusing mirrors.

For the past few hours, she had either been in the dungeon or groping her way along the mountain path in the dark. This sudden brightness almost made it impossible for her to open her eyes.

The hall was solemn. The fake Qi Yunke sat high on the main seat, his face sallow, and he coughed lightly from time to time.

To his right stood a team of grim-faced men in gray with swords and sabers. To his left sat Madam Sulian, along with Qi Lingbo and the Yin Clan's death warriors. Dai Fengchi, who had just entered, eagerly went to stand there.

In addition, Lei Xiuming, Li Wenxun, and their disciples had also arrived—it could be said that almost everyone in the sect was present.

Cai Zhao stepped into the hall, with Chang Ning following right behind her. Just then, the fake Qi Yunke abruptly shouted— "Senior Brother Chen!"

Chen Qiong, who had been silently following behind Cai Zhao and Chang Ning, suddenly struck out. His right palm aimed straight for Chang Ning's left armpit, the palm wind carrying the force of wind and thunder, while he simultaneously kicked with his left foot towards Chang Ning's abdomen.

Chang Ning dodged with a shift of his shoulders, his left palm chopping down like a blade on Chen Qiong's right wrist, while his right hand deflected the attack from Chen Qiong's leg. But just then, Ouyang Kexie leaped into the air, raised two fingers of his right hand, and struck down towards Chang Ning's face from above.

Chang Ning raised his left arm, and a gust of palm wind swept away Ouyang Kexie's finger strike. At that moment, his wide sleeve fell to his elbow, revealing a fair, slender forearm.

The fake Qi Yunke spoke, "That's enough."

Chen Qiong and Ouyang Kexie both retracted their techniques and took several large steps back.

After steadying themselves, the two looked at each other, both horrified in their hearts. Everyone thought they had retreated on command, but they didn't know that they had just been forced back by Chang Ning's overwhelmingly turbulent palm force. Even if Qi Yunke hadn't spoken, they would have had to retreat.

These few moves were exchanged with extreme speed, ending before Cai Zhao even had a chance to cry out. She hurriedly asked Chang Ning, "Are you okay?"

Chang Ning shook his head and slowly pulled his sleeve back down.

Cai Zhao turned her head to the fake Qi Yunke, "Master, what are you doing!" She was now playing the part of an ignorant little girl who was kept in the dark.

The fake Qi Yunke did not answer, instead turning his head and saying, "Did you two see clearly?"

At this moment, a middle-aged to elderly woman emerged from the crowd of gray-clothed men. Judging by her attire, she was just an ordinary wealthy city dweller.

The woman lowered her head and said, "I saw clearly—he is definitely not the young master."

The fake Qi Yunke laughed heartily, looked at Chang Ning, and said sternly, "Who is this little thief, daring to impersonate the son of Great Hero Chang. You went to great lengths to infiltrate the sect, what exactly is your intention?!"

Li Wenxun had arrived late. He frowned and said, "Sect Master, what is going on? You were the one who brought this Chang Ning up the mountain. It's not that Junior Brother Lei didn't raise his doubts, but you were the one who insisted he was the orphan of the Chang Clan. Why have you suddenly gone back on your word?"

The fake Qi Yunke was embarrassed. Yin Sulian interjected, "This little thief is extremely cunning. It's possible for us to be deceived for a time. Now that the Sect Master has finally uncovered the truth, it's time to properly punish this little thief!"

Li Wenxun ignored her and continued to cup his fist towards the fake Qi Yunke, "Sect Master, please explain this to everyone."

Yin Sulian was left aside, neither warmly nor coldly, and was displeased.

However, she also knew that although Li Wenxun was in the Outer Sect, ever since Cheng Hao and Wang Dingchuan of the Three Elders of Green Peak passed away, most of the disciples and power they left behind had fallen under Li Wenxun's control. Therefore, she did not dare to be rude to Li Wenxun.

The fake Qi Yunke coughed lightly, "Back then, with the Chang Family tragedy, I was so heartbroken that my judgment was clouded. That's why I brought this little thief up the mountain without a thorough investigation. However, in the days since, this little thief has acted perversely, being arrogant and violent, and frequently assaulting sect disciples. How does that resemble a disciple of a prestigious and righteous sect!"

Zeng Dalou, listening from the side, couldn't help but say, "Master, didn't you say before that since he was sickly since childhood and his family had suffered a great calamity, it was understandable for his temperament to be a bit perverse?" —Back when Chang Ning went to the Outer Sect and caused a ruckus, he had advocated for reprimanding and restraining Chang Ning, but it was Qi Yunke who said there was no need to be concerned about it.

He added, "Third Senior Brother and Junior Sister Zhaozhao were there at the time."

Hearing this, Cai Zhao finally realized that Song Yuzhi was actually not present tonight.

The fake Qi Yunke glared at Zeng Dalou and said in a deep voice, "Is this your place to speak? Shut up and stand down!"

He looked at Li Wenxun, "I didn't want to make it public at the time, but I secretly sent people down the mountain to investigate and finally found this person—Senior Brother Lei, you were a guest at the Chang Family in your early years. Come take a look, is this the right person?"

Lei Xiuming examined the old woman carefully, "That's right, she is indeed the nanny from Big Brother Chang's household. Later, when the fortress in the mountains was finally completely repaired, Big Brother Chang decided to move his entire family into the mountains to live in complete seclusion, cutting off all paths. But the nanny's parents, husband's family, and young children were all in the city. She was unwilling to leave them, so Big Brother Chang gave her a lot of silver and didn't take her into the mountains."

The fake Qi Yunke nodded, "That year, Big Brother Chang's son was already two or three years old, right? Why don't you tell us, did Big Brother Chang's son have any distinguishing features?"

The woman said, "The young master was sickly from birth, but he was fair and clean, with no distinguishing features. However, in the month the Chang Family was about to enter the mountains, Madam Chang suddenly went mad... fell ill, and knocked over the brazier in the room, scalding the young master's left arm... Alas, a whole patch of skin was gone. Although it wasn't a major issue later, it left a burn scar this big—" She gestured with her fingers, indicating a size of about three to four inches.

The fake Qi Yunke said, "Everyone saw just now, this little thief has nothing on his left arm!"

The people in the hall were in an uproar. Just now, they had watched intently as Chang Ning fought with the two others. They had indeed all seen Chang Ning's left arm after his sleeve fell. It was fair and slender, with clear muscle definition. They didn't know if there were any small, fine scars, but there was definitely no large burn mark.

Li Wenxun was hesitant, "Can this be determined just by the words of an old woman? But he does indeed use the 'Willow Catkin Swordplay' created by Great Hero Chang."

The fake Qi Yunke sneered, "He can put on an act to fool the disciples, but he can't keep it up against top experts. Just now, when Senior Brother Ouyang and Senior Brother Chen attacked him together, were those few moves he used also from the Chang Family?"

Li Wenxun was speechless.

The few moves Chang Ning used to retaliate just now were characterized by uncanny movement techniques and a palm style that was resolute and ruthless, definitely not Chang Haosheng's skills.

Cai Zhao glanced at Chang Ning, the meaning being 'You've been exposed'.

Chang Ning's expression didn't change, there was even a hint of a smile in his eyes, "After all this talk, what exactly does the Sect Master want to do?"

The fake Qi Yunke shouted, "So you finally admit you're a fake! Good, who exactly are you? Speak honestly!"

Chang Ning's expression was playful, "First, I have not admitted that I am a fake. Second..." He looked around, his gaze finally landing on the fake Qi Yunke, "Speaking of real and fake, there's more than just one or two fakes in this hall, right?"

Others didn't know what he was talking about, but the fake Qi Yunke's heart jolted. He immediately shouted, "Men, seize this little thief and apply the Soul-Locking Pipa Hook!"

Two men in gray stepped forward. Amidst the clanging of iron chains, the crowd saw them holding a pair of huge, ferocious iron hooks. The hooks were half a foot long, with barbs on the tips to prevent them from being pulled out. The bodies of the hooks still had dark red, stinking marks on them, a testament to how many experts' collarbones they had pierced through in the past—the sight sent a chill through everyone's hearts.