It was late at night...
The clouds had parted, so the moonlight was suddenly much brighter than usual.
Especially after the moonlight spilled across West Lake, making its surface shimmer and illuminating the once-pitch-black water so clearly that the little boats fishing at night in the middle of the lake and even the willow branches in the distance could be made out.
After hurrying through a stretch of stealth, more than an hour later, Ren Yingying, Xiang Wentian, Linghu Chong, and the others finally managed to bring Ren Woxing, who had been imprisoned for years, safely along the lakeshore from the dangerous Meizhuang to another secluded villa of theirs, also located beside West Lake.
Though it was already the second half of the night by the time they returned to the villa, everyone let out a long breath of relief.
Next, thoughtful Ren Yingying summoned the maids she had arranged for in advance. They used the hot water they had prepared to bathe her father, Ren Woxing, who had endured years of hardship, and then helped him change into fresh clothes. Afterward, they brought out a selection of delicious dishes.
Once Ren Woxing had freshened up, everyone gathered around the table. They kept him company as he ate heartily, while also giving him a detailed account of the current state of the martial world and the major changes in its turbulent, unpredictable landscape.
They told him, for instance, about the state of the martial world over the past decade or so, and the changes in personnel and power within the Sun Moon Divine Cult.
"Father..."
"The martial world, and the cult itself, have changed greatly since you were imprisoned."
"Among the orthodox sects, the Five Mountains Sword Alliance is now the most powerful."
"Shaolin and Wudang have stepped back from