At the highest peak of Shalu Mountain stood a magnificent yet solemn hall. In the plaza outside, a massive bluestone had been forged into an arched gateway before the hall. The words "Golden Cauldron" were carved on both sides, imposing and majestic.
Inside a sunlit, spacious room behind the hall, Zhào Yù, who had just returned, stood expressionlessly in the shadowed northern corner, head lowered and brows bowed in utmost respect.
At this moment, he was like a bat nesting in darkness. The bright, cheerful air he had displayed before Duàn Yì and Bái Xī Wén had vanished without a trace, replaced by a cold and sinister temperament. Though he remained handsome, he was enough to make others fear him at a glance.
"How did the task I gave you go? Cough, cough. Did he accept the wedding invitation? Did he have any message for you to bring back to me? Will he attend the wedding banquet that day?"
Unlike Zhào Yù, who stood in the darkness, the speaker leaned against the window, half resting on its sill as he gazed at the scenery below the mountain. Direct sunlight bathed his entire body, as though he wore a coat of gold.
He was tall, yet seemed weak and listless. His thick brows were straight and heroic, but his face was pale as snow. He coughed once or twice from time to time, making it clear that his health was poor.
Only his eyes were extraordinarily striking, like a pool of deep, hidden spring water. They carried a chill, yet no one could see their depths.
Qū Dōng Liú, the current sect master of the Golden Cauldron Sect and one of the masterminds who had joined forces with Yuè Bì Nǔ to plot the overthrow of Moon Worship Palace, should have been high-spirited and arrogant beyond measure. Yet something had clearly gone wrong, and his body was cause for concern.
"Reporting to Master, Martial Uncle Bái asked whether you had invited experts from other sects to the wedding banquet. After this disciple answered truthfully, Martial Uncle said nothing further, only that he would attend the wedding."
"Ah, and this disciple noticed that Martial Uncle Bái seemed to think highly of the youth who had just come up the mountain. He even told this disciple to have someone make him several new outfits later."
Upon hearing Zhào Yù's words, Qū Dōng Liú finally turned around. His thick brows rose, and a thread of puzzlement flickered through his deep eyes.
"Is he the youth Wáng Jīn Guì reported—the one who came seeking relatives? Tell me about him. What do you think of him? Is he truly Bái Xī Wén's illegitimate son?"
After saying only a few words, Qū Dōng Liú coughed several more times. A flush rose over his pale face, clearly caused by surging blood and qi.
"That youth appeared to be around fourteen or fifteen. His swordlike brows swept into his temples, and his features were refined and handsome. As for looks, he was among the most outstanding this disciple had ever seen. To say he resembled Martial Uncle Bái would be rather forced."
"He was taller and straighter than others his age, and his temperament was steady. His eyes were lively, as though he had ideas of his own."
"However, judging from his breathing and footsteps, he should have cultivated true qi. He was not an ordinary person as Junior Brother Wáng claimed."
"As for whether he is Martial Uncle Bái's illegitimate son, that rumor should merely be Junior Brother Wáng's personal conjecture and cannot be taken seriously. This disciple heard clearly that Martial Uncle Bái called the youth his cousin. He should indeed be a relative."
When Zhào Yù mentioned Duàn Yì, a trace of discomfort arose in his heart. After all, the other party's attitude had been cold. For someone like him, beloved by the Golden Cauldron Sect's disciples, it was truly unusual.
Still, when Qū Dōng Liú questioned him, he did not dare conceal anything, so he gave a brief summary.
"Wáng Jīn Guì is the direct disciple of Junior Brother Hé. Though his martial arts may not match yours, his eye for people is not necessarily much worse."
"I believe Junior Brother Bái turned that youth from an ordinary person into someone who had just entered the path of internal cultivation in only a few days. That skill is not simple. Tell me, could he have taught the youth the martial arts recorded in the Invincible Treasure Codex?"
Qū Dōng Liú pulled a silk handkerchief from his robes and covered his mouth as he coughed violently several times. When he spread it open, it was dotted with Blood Plum-like stains of vomited blood, a shocking sight. Yet he seemed not to take it to heart.
To let someone with no foundation cultivate true qi and achieve modest success within mere days, aside from the person's talent, the internal art they practiced could not possibly be ordinary.
"This disciple truly does not dare make wild speculations. What does Master mean?"
Zhào Yù's heart jolted. His mouth went dry, and Duàn Yì's figure flashed through his mind as greed faintly emerged in his eyes.
For the four words "Invincible Treasure Codex" represented the Golden Cauldron Sect's greatest martial achievement today, even more alluring than the sect's own martial inheritance.
The Golden Cauldron Sect was an old-established sect of Wei Prefecture, with a long heritage. Its founding patriarch had learned the internal art known as the Pure Yang Divine Skill from within a golden cauldron. His martial arts had advanced by leaps and bounds, and he had gone on to establish the Golden Cauldron Sect's foundation.
The Pure Yang Divine Skill was immensely powerful. It cultivated a breath of Pure Yang True Qi, pure to the utmost, while also fierce and domineering. Unfortunately, it was a martial art that could only be practiced by one who remained a virgin. Once the skill was broken, its power would decline in a straight line, and there would never again be any chance of further advancement.
For men, building a family, establishing themselves, and carrying on the family line were among life's greatest priorities. To abandon all that for a single martial art was simply too regrettable. At least when given a choice, most people would not choose such a cultivation art.
Moreover, the Pure Yang Divine Skill was exceptionally difficult to cultivate. Even Qū Dōng Liú, after practicing it until now, had found it difficult to break into the realm of true essence. It was far inferior to the fierce, unstoppable progress of Bái Xī Wén's Invincible Treasure Codex.
Not long ago, during the battle at Moon Worship Palace, he had been severely injured by Yán Susu's desperate final strike. A thread of Bright Jade True Qi had crippled nearly half of Qū Dōng Liú's Pure Yang Divine Skill, and his internal injuries had yet to show any improvement.
Qū Dōng Liú's words had already revealed his fangs. If Duàn Yì truly had inherited the Invincible Treasure Codex's martial arts, he likely would not know peace day or night.
"Keep an eye on him. Find an opportunity to test his martial arts. If it truly is the Invincible Treasure Codex, report it to me immediately."
After thinking it over, Qū Dōng Liú spoke to Zhào Yù, though he did not hold much hope in his heart.
The Invincible Treasure Codex was overwhelmingly powerful. Bái Xī Wén had relied on it to roam Hebei unchecked. How could he easily pass it on to another? Qū Dōng Liú was merely preparing for the worst.
At the end, Qū Dōng Liú flicked a letter from his fingertips, and it landed in Zhào Yù's hand.
"Read this letter as well."
Zhào Yù pulled out the sheet of paper covered in writing from the envelope. After only a quick glance, his face changed drastically. Shock and uncertainty filled his eyes. Without even looking at Qū Dōng Liú, he lowered his head and stood silent as a cicada in winter.
"This... this... Uncle Liu was actually murdered in his own home. If Martial Uncle Bái learns of this, he certainly will not let the matter rest. Master, could it have been you?"
The current sect master of the Golden Cauldron Sect, its two deputy sect masters, and its six great elders were all direct disciples of the previous sect master. Experts from the other factions had been excluded from the center of power and scattered across different regions.
The Uncle Liu Zhào Yù mentioned was the disciple of one of Qū Dōng Liú's martial uncles. After Qū Dōng Liú took power, he had returned to his hometown and opened a martial arts school as a subordinate force of the Golden Cauldron Sect, living quite comfortably.
Back on the mountain, Uncle Liu and Bái Xī Wén had shared an excellent relationship. Every year, he would go up the mountain to reunite with him once. Their bond could almost be called that of family.
Now that he had been killed in his own home, how could Bái Xī Wén let the matter rest?
At this moment, Zhào Yù suspected that Qū Dōng Liú was the one who had acted. The purpose was naturally to lure Bái Xī Wén down the mountain, then set a trap and strike at him. What Qū Dōng Liú wanted was likely the supreme art of the Invincible Treasure Codex.
Before he could finish, Qū Dōng Liú flung the bloodstained handkerchief in his hand before Zhào Yù. Cold light flashed in his eyes as he snapped in anger.
"What nonsense are you saying? The Golden Cauldron Sect's first rule is that one must not betray one's master or ancestors. The second is that fellow disciples must not kill one another. Would I knowingly violate them?"
"This matter is strange. It happened precisely when I am seriously wounded and about to marry Bì Nǔ. I suspect someone wants to use this to draw Bái Xī Wén away from the mountain before dealing with me."
"Therefore, I intercepted this letter and kept it secret, because Bái Xī Wén absolutely cannot leave the mountain at present."
Zhào Yù finally let out a breath of relief. Thank goodness, thank goodness.
If Qū Dōng Liú had truly been the one to act, that letter might well have been his death warrant. Even if he remained safe for now, he would sooner or later die an unnatural death. Now, however, that hidden danger was gone.
"But paper cannot wrap fire forever. If Martial Uncle Bái blames us in the future, how should we deal with it?"
"Also, Yuè'er is currently on the mountain. The two elders by her side possess formidable martial arts. Even if someone harbors ill intent, I fear they would find it difficult to succeed, would they not?"
When Zhào Yù mentioned Yuè'er, a gleam flashed through his eyes, and his heart stirred restlessly.
A beauty who could topple a city—if he could taste her fragrance, not only would his wish be fulfilled, but his relationship with his master could be taken a step further. Would that not be wonderful?
These past days, he had even cast aside the sect's affairs just to accompany Yuè'er, hoping to move her heart. If he succeeded, he would soar into the sky in a single leap and save himself twenty years of struggle.
Unfortunately, the two elders and Yuè'er were inseparable. They watched him like guards watching a thief, and their martial arts were formidable as well. He had no way to act.
"Outsiders are outsiders in the end. Besides, although those two old fellows are powerful, they only protect Yuè'er. They do not think highly of me. They even questioned me over Zhou Xiong before. We cannot rely on them."
"Enough. I have my own plans for this matter. The reason I told you is to make you understand that the current situation is not good. You must properly coordinate everyone on the mountain, seal it tight and guard it strictly, and leave no opening for others to exploit."
"Remember, it is not only those outside the mountain. You must also keep a close watch on those within it."
"As long as we get past the wedding, and Bì Nǔ and I consummate our marriage, I can use the Bright Jade True Qi she has just cultivated to heal my internal injuries. Then every scheme will collapse without being attacked."
Zhào Yù's heart stirred. Even if Qū Dōng Liú's internal injuries improved, once he lost his virginity, the Pure Yang Divine Skill's power would diminish greatly, and he would never again be able to advance. How could he keep his position as sect master secure?
However, this was not something he could ask aloud.
Before you continue