The Full Story

"Revenge? Could it be that Sister Yuè was joking with me? What exactly is going on? Explain it to me clearly."

Duàn Yì realized that things might not be as he had imagined. Much of his original excitement and joy instantly dissipated, replaced by nervousness as he hurriedly questioned her.

Hearing this, Yuè Jiāo Nú knew that abruptly bringing up such a matter was truly more than a youth raised in a mountain village could bear. But since he was the Old Palace Master's direct bloodline, he had to bear it. Thus, she slowly recounted the full story.

It turned out that Duàn Yì's mother had no ordinary origins. She was Yán Fāngfēi, the Young Palace Mistress of Moon Worship Palace, a first-rate martial arts power in Huaizhou of Great Xia.

Her talent in martial arts was said to appear only once in a century. By the age of twenty, she had already defeated everyone in Moon Worship Palace save her own mother, and had cultivated the palace's inherited divine art, the Bright Jade Skill, to the sixth level. Everyone in the palace regarded her as the sole candidate for the future Palace Master.

However, sixteen years ago, Yán Fāngfēi went out to explore the world and encountered an ordinary scholar. She fell into love and could not pull herself free, even privately pledging herself to him for life.

In Duàn Yì's view, aside from the somewhat eye-catching Bright Jade Skill, this was still a fine tale—a talented man matched with a beautiful woman. Was that not a splendid union?

Yet the truth was not so.

Moon Worship Palace was an all-female martial arts sect. The Palace Master held the highest status, while the women below all bore the surname Yuè and ended their names with Nú, such as Yuè Jiāo Nú, Yuè Bì Nǔ, Yuè Xīn Nú, and so on.

Duàn Yì's grandmother was named Yán Susu, an old woman much like Abbess Miejue. Her feelings had likely been wounded in her youth; she became pregnant before marriage and gave birth to Duàn Yì's mother, Yán Fāngfēi. After that, she strictly forbade everyone in the palace from discussing marriage, including her own daughter.

Yet Yán Fāngfēi knowingly broke the rule and even chose an ordinary man who knew no martial arts at all as her husband. This enraged Yán Susu, who flew into a towering rage and pursued her daughter and son-in-law to kill them.

Later, Moon Worship Palace truly found Duàn Yuè and Yán Fāngfēi, only to discover that Yán Fāngfēi had already given birth to Duàn Yì. The raw rice had already been cooked.

Moreover, Yán Fāngfēi's attitude had been exceedingly resolute. She would rather cripple her own martial arts than leave her husband and son. Yán Susu had no choice but to spare Duàn Yì's family.

After all, they were mother and daughter, bound by deep affection, and she had even gained a grandson. Could she truly slaughter the entire family?

Only then did Duàn Yì understand why his mother, who should have been healthy, had always been so frail and sickly. It was all because she had been forced to cripple her own martial arts back then. His impression of Moon Worship Palace immediately worsened.

Duàn Yì was not someone who could hide his feelings well. Once a knot formed in his heart, the way he looked at Yuè Jiāo Nú became cold.

Though Yuè Jiāo Nú was not particularly clever, she still saw the change in Duàn Yì's attitude. With a bitter smile, she continued,

"Young Master, do not be hasty. Please hear me out."

After sparing Duàn Yì's family, Yán Susu returned to Moon Worship Palace and stripped Yán Fāngfēi of her position as Young Palace Mistress. She then vigorously promoted outstanding disciples of the same generation as Yán Fāngfēi, seemingly intending to choose the next Palace Master from among them.

Among them was a woman named Yuè Bì Nǔ. Though her aptitude for martial arts was not especially high, she was adept at currying favor and did everything to suit Yán Susu's wishes, winning ever greater affection.

Not only did she receive instruction in Moon Worship Palace's profound martial arts, but her status gradually became distinct from that of ordinary disciples. Taking advantage of this, she won over and promoted a considerable number of people, forming a force that could not be underestimated.

But this was where the crucial problem lay. Moon Worship Palace possessed an internal martial art called the Bright Jade Skill, peerlessly powerful and passed down to no one but the Palace Master. Though Yuè Bì Nǔ had gained Yán Susu's trust and favor and learned many profound martial arts, she could never obtain the Bright Jade Skill's inheritance. This bred suspicion in her heart.

After probing from every angle and disguising herself well in daily life, Yuè Bì Nǔ eventually caught Yán Susu off guard, and Yán Susu revealed her true thoughts to her.

She had always hoped that one day, her daughter would change her mind, return to Moon Worship Palace, and take up its highest position.

Although Duàn Yì's mother, Yán Fāngfēi, had crippled her own martial arts, she was not beyond healing. Yán Susu had a way to restore Yán Fāngfēi's martial arts and even take them to a higher level. She was merely waiting for her daughter to bow her head to her.

To Yuè Bì Nǔ, learning this was no different from a bolt from the blue. Anyone who believed a position was already firmly in their grasp, only to discover it had never belonged to them from beginning to end, would surely grow resentful. She was no exception.

There was another important reason as well. Yuè Bì Nǔ was madly in love with Qū Dōng Liú, the sect leader of the great Golden Cauldron Sect in Wei Prefecture, Hebei Province. The two had secretly carried on an affair, waiting for Yuè Bì Nǔ to take power so she could openly alter the sect rules and live together as a pair of lovebirds. But with her ascension hopeless, they could never be together openly.

Thus, Yuè Bì Nǔ harbored evil intentions. Joining forces with Qū Dōng Liú and the power she had cultivated in Moon Worship Palace over many years, she rebelled against Yán Susu and used Yán Susu's long-standing trust to ambush her.

The outcome was precisely what Duàn Yì now saw. The orthodox Moon Worship Palace had been overturned. Before Yán Susu took her own life, she sent Yuè Jiāo Nú to find Yán Fāngfēi so that she could restore her martial arts and take revenge on Yuè Bì Nǔ and Qū Dōng Liú.

Yuè Jiāo Nú fought her way out of the encirclement and came to Yuxi Village, where she found Duàn Yì. Then came the scene at the beginning of this story. That was the full account.

After listening, Duàn Yì's mind raced. He remained remarkably calm and did not worry too much about their dire situation. Instead, he asked,

"What method do you have to restore the martial arts my mother crippled?"

This was a crucial point. Setting aside whether they would seek revenge, would it not be wonderful if he could use this opportunity to gain some strength?

It was not that Duàn Yì was cold-blooded. Leaving aside the soul of a transmigrator—

For fourteen years, little Duàn Yì had only had his father and mother as family. He had never met this grandmother in name, nor spent even a moment with her. Though their blood was connected, there was no familial affection. Asking him to shoulder the great burden of revenge outright was simply unrealistic.

Therefore, he cared more about himself.

"The Old Palace Master had ties with the Blood Head Monk of the South Sea in her early years. The Divine Light Skill for which the Blood Head Monk is renowned can allow someone who has crippled their martial arts to cultivate anew and rise to an even higher level. This complete Longevity Lock is the token.

"As long as the Young Palace Mistress takes the Longevity Lock and finds the Blood Head Monk, she can obtain the Divine Light Skill, restore her martial arts, and avenge the Old Palace Master."

Everything Yuè Jiāo Nú knew had been personally told to her by Yán Susu at the final critical moment, so she was utterly certain.

At the words "Divine Light Skill," Duàn Yì's long brows rose.

First the Bright Jade Skill, then the Divine Light Skill. What kind of world was this? A grand martial arts free-for-all?

And what sort of thing was this Blood Head Monk? The name sounded strange.

But that question was not important at the moment. Duàn Yì asked another key question,

"Do you know where the Blood Head Monk is? If we set out to find him and show him this complete Longevity Lock, can we obtain the Divine Light Skill?"

"This Longevity Lock is the token. So long as it proves your relationship with the Old Palace Master, the Blood Head Monk certainly will not refuse.

"But to be honest with you, Young Master, the Old Palace Master did not reveal the Blood Head Monk's whereabouts before her death. He has had no news in the martial world for nearly ten years.

"I believe the Young Palace Mistress knows where he is, but I do not know whether she ever told you?"

Yuè Jiāo Nú looked hopeful. Though she could see that Duàn Yì lacked even the slightest martial arts foundation and was completely an ordinary mountain village youth, perhaps the Young Palace Mistress had revealed some crucial information to him.

Yet when Duàn Yì heard this, his heart sank. His mother had already struggled to keep him, a half-grown boy, alive while working daily despite her illness. How could she have spoken to him of such things?

She had not even taught him a single move or stance, much less told him about matters of the martial world.

Trying to find a Blood Head Monk who had vanished for ten years somewhere in the Great Xia Dynasty was harder than fishing a needle from the sea.

The Divine Light Skill was nothing more than bait to whet his appetite—something he could hear of, but neither see nor touch.

Seeing Duàn Yì shake his head like a rattle drum, disappointment appeared on Yuè Jiāo Nú's face as well.

For a time, in the dim room, Duàn Yì and Yuè Jiāo Nú sighed repeatedly, facing each other with furrowed brows.

Duàn Yì sighed because he had missed a peerless martial art by a hair's breadth. Others might not know the details of the Divine Light Skill, but did he not? The disappointment in his heart was imaginable.

Yuè Jiāo Nú, meanwhile, felt stifled by the hopelessness of revenge.

Against colossal forces like Moon Worship Palace and the Golden Cauldron Sect, the strength of the two of them was truly tiny. Now even their final hope was gone. Were they truly to sit by and watch their great enemies live carefree and happy lives?

After quite some time, Duàn Yì finally composed himself and told Yuè Jiāo Nú to rest in the room next door. They would discuss matters again tomorrow.

Seeing that it was already late, Yuè Jiāo Nú departed.

Duàn Yì tidied up and prepared to rest as well.

Before putting out the lamp, he finally noticed the Longevity Lock on the wooden couch.

The two halves of the Longevity Lock together were only half a palm in size. It was a silver metal object, yet surprisingly light, engraved with the words "Long Life and Prosperity."

Duàn Yì remembered that he had worn one half ever since he could remember. Only today had he seen the other half. It could be considered a different kind of completion.

Thinking of this, Duàn Yì tried to fit the two halves of the Longevity Lock together in his hands. Yet the instant the broken edges met, a powerful suction force appeared from the lock. Like magnets, the halves clung tightly together, seamless and perfectly fitted. No matter how Duàn Yì pulled and twisted, he could not separate them.

"This?"

The sudden change gave Duàn Yì no time for surprise. His vision went dark, and he had already fainted. The Longevity Lock in his hand emitted a dim, eerie glow that flashed and vanished.