Katastrophe

Kapitel 1

"A Pitfall in the Martial World" by Tu Xiang [Completed + Extra Chapters]

The world is a dangerous place

The sky was clear and blue, and wildflowers bloomed everywhere.

Li Feiqing walked briskly, her mood as bright as the spring scenery along the way.

This is her first time going down the mountain alone after mastering her skills. She should definitely make good use of her experience in the martial arts world and hopefully make a name for herself so that her fellow disciples will stop gossiping.

Thinking of what her senior brother had said, "If she doesn't go out and learn from her mistakes, she'll never change her arrogant and ignorant nature." Even though she knew it was just his way of persuading their master, Li Feiqing couldn't help but purse her lips.

Recalling how she was still sulking about those words even after her senior brother escorted her to the foot of the mountain, and how he smiled, took off his sword, tied it behind her back, and patted her head while gently admonishing her, Li Feiqing's lips curled up again, and she couldn't help but grip the sword hilt with her other hand.

She had coveted this Gathering Shadow Sword since she was nine. That year, her eldest brother had just turned eighteen, and when their master bestowed the sword upon him, she cried and insisted on having an identical one. Her eldest brother held her on his lap, wiped away her tears, and gently comforted her, saying he would give her the sword when she grew up. She remembered how she had sobbed and whine, "When Qing'er grows up, I want to marry my eldest brother and be his wife." Only when she saw her eldest brother nod helplessly did she stop crying and smile.

Unexpectedly, her senior brother still remembered. Li Feiqing felt a flush on her face, but a sweet feeling in her heart.

As they were walking, they suddenly heard the sound of drums and music ahead. It was a wedding procession coming towards them, playing music all the way.

Li Feiqing stopped by the roadside, making way for the wedding procession. Amidst the crowd, she saw the groom, dressed in auspicious attire, riding a horse. He was handsome, but his face was listless and devoid of any joy. Just as Li Feiqing was wondering what was going on, she heard the sound of hooves again, and more than ten riders galloped in. The leader, a middle-aged man, shouted, "Mingyu, is that you?"

The groom's expression changed. The newcomer had already arrived, reined in his horse, and neighed loudly, blocking the wedding procession. The middle-aged man's face was as cold as ice as he stared at the groom and roared, "You little beast, haven't you embarrassed yourself enough? Come back with me now!"

A woman dressed as a matchmaker hurriedly stepped forward, smiling as she advised, "Sir, this is not your fault. As the saying goes, it's better to tear down ten temples than to break up one marriage—"

Before she could finish speaking, a scream rang out as the middle-aged man struck her in the chest, and she was clearly dead. The wedding procession erupted into chaos, with everyone shouting, "Someone's been killed! Bandits are trying to abduct the bride!" and attempting to scatter and flee. The middle-aged man coldly said, "Surround them all. Don't leave a single one alive."

Li Feiqing was furious and was about to shout to stop them when she heard a delicate voice from inside the bridal sedan chair: "Yu Lang, what's going on outside? Who's here?"

The groom's face was ashen. He turned back to the sedan chair and softly comforted her, "It's nothing, don't worry." Then he turned back, his voice trembling slightly, "Uncle-Master, Miss Lou Yan and I are truly in love. I hope you will grant us your blessing."

The middle-aged man laughed angrily: "Are you trying to tell me that you're determined to marry a courtesan?"

The groom lowered his eyelids and stammered, "You...you should leave as soon as possible, I beg you!"

The middle-aged man's face grew even more grim. He stretched out his left hand, and a disciple immediately stepped forward and handed him a long sword. Without even glancing at it, he flicked his finger at the scabbard, and the sword flew out of its sheath, landing about a foot in front of the groom, its tip pointing downwards as it plunged into the ground. He said sternly, "Either kill this woman immediately and come back with me, and I will plead with your father on her behalf; or draw your sword and fight me, and our uncle-nephew relationship will end here!"

The groom, Mingyu, lowered his head and remained silent as he dismounted and slowly approached. The sword, planted in the ground, still trembled slightly. Sunlight streamed down, making his face appear even more unpredictable. Suddenly, a ruthless glint flashed across his face, and Mingyu finally raised his head, gritting his teeth as he said, "Uncle-Master, please forgive your unworthy disciple."

A flash of cold light. To everyone's surprise, Ming Yu's sword turned and pierced straight into the bridal sedan chair.

Mingyu thrust out his sword, his face turning ashen. He murmured, "Louyan, I'm sorry. I hope you can forgive me this time, considering our past relationship."

Li Feiqing finally couldn't help but sneer: "So heartless and fickle, yet still putting on a show..." As soon as she said this, the middle-aged man and the disciples around him turned around and glared angrily. Li Feiqing reached for the hilt of her sword, thinking to herself: "Judging from the way these people act, they are definitely not good people. If a fight breaks out, Master shouldn't blame me for causing trouble."

Suddenly, a woman's voice rang out softly, as if sighing or muttering to herself: "Indeed, such a heartless woman deserves to die." The voice came from inside the bridal sedan chair, delicate and sweet, and sounded like the Lou Yan girl who had spoken earlier. As soon as she finished speaking, the sedan chair curtain was lifted, and a red figure swayed, revealing a woman in wedding attire standing gracefully before everyone.

This young lady, Lou Yan, had delicate features and a slender figure, possessing a captivating beauty. Her watery eyes swept over the crowd, but lingered on Li Feiqing's face for a moment longer. Her expression was calm and indifferent as she softly said, "Even this young lady can see how much you care for me, yet I still hope to grow old with you. Yu Lang, will you secretly laugh at my foolishness?"

Mingyu bit his lip and remained silent. Lou Yan ignored him and turned to the middle-aged man: "Senior Xing Nachuan of the Kongtong Sect, if you are afraid of tarnishing your sect's reputation, it is fine if you want to kill me alone, but why do you also want to kill the entire wedding procession without leaving a single witness? Your heart is truly vicious."

Xing Nachuan snorted, a suspicion creeping into his mind: "Why does this courtesan speak with the air of a martial arts expert? Could it be that she..." Before he could ponder further, Ming Yu cried out urgently, "Uncle-Master, be careful!" He leaped backward, feeling a chill on his chest as a sharp weapon slashed across him. Fortunately, his skill was profound, and his reaction was swift, allowing him to avoid a fatal blow. Even so, he was severely injured. In his shock and anger, Xing Nachuan saw Lou Yan's figure, like a red cloud, weaving and darting among the Kongtong disciples. In a short while, the ground was littered with corpses.

Lou Yan held her curved sword, calmly looking at Xing Nachuan, who was panting and clutching his chest, and smiled slightly: "Since Senior Xing wishes to leave no one behind, then this humble woman will grant your wish, so that you will not be too lonely on your journey to the Yellow Springs."

Xing Nachuan gradually felt difficulty breathing, and the numbness in his chest spread to his throat and tongue, rendering him unable to utter a single word. In his final moments, he desperately widened his eyes, as if he couldn't believe he would die at the hands of this courtesan before him.

"Uncle-Master!" Ming Yu rushed forward, but upon seeing Xing Nachuan's bluish-black corpse, he dared not touch it. He turned to Lou Yan, no longer concealing the resentment in his eyes: "How cruel you are! You poisoned me to force me into marriage first, and then hid a poisoned weapon in my wedding dress!"

Lou Yan chuckled, "Not only that, even your martial uncle's arrival today was due to the news I spread." Ignoring Ming Yu's shock and anger, she continued leisurely, "You, the only beloved son of the dignified Kongtong Sect Leader, lied and claimed to be a down-on-his-luck scholar, eloping with Lou Yan. After winning the beauty's heart, you ran away, boasting of it as a romantic affair, but you didn't expect the disaster that would befall you today, did you?"

Mingyu gave a bitter smile: "Who exactly are you, and why are you impersonating Lou Yan to deal with my Kongtong Sect?"

Lou Yan raised her eyebrows, and with a flick of her sleeve, a beam of emerald light shot out, striking his chest and instantly igniting into a raging fire. Amidst Ming Yu's screams, he was reduced to ashes.

Lou Yan's face was cold and stern. She took out a small jar and murmured, "At least you were able to discover that I was an imposter before you died. It's not a waste of Lou Yan's feelings for you." With that, she stepped forward, put Ming Yu's ashes into the jar, and then prepared to leave.

Li Feiqing hurriedly called out, "Please wait, young lady!" Lou Yan turned around, her gaze falling on the sword hilt protruding from behind Li Feiqing, and suddenly smiled, "Are you a disciple of the Shadow Mountain Sect?"

Li Feiqing nodded blankly, and Lou Yan smiled and said, "Little girl, the world is dangerous. Don't meddle in other people's business anymore, lest you get yourself killed." After saying that, she lightly touched the ground with her toes and leaped several feet away, disappearing into the distance in no time.

Li Feiqing had a bellyful of questions but couldn't ask them, which made her feel a little frustrated. But then she thought that she had encountered such strange people and events as soon as she came down the mountain, which meant that the martial arts world was really as strange and interesting as her senior brothers had described. She was overjoyed and muttered to herself, "It is indeed dangerous. Hehe, the more dangerous and evil it is, the more fun it is."

Just as he was feeling smug, a pleasant voice suddenly rang in his ears: "I'm afraid you wouldn't think that way if you were actually in the situation."

Li Feiqing turned her head in surprise and saw a white-robed man standing quietly behind her, about ten feet away, with a playful smile on his lips, looking her over.

The man was around twenty years old, tall and elegant, with eyes as bright as stars. Seeing Li Feiqing turn around, he smiled at her. Li Feiqing narrowed her eyes slightly, thinking to herself, "So there are so many handsome men in the martial world."

The man in white robes bowed respectfully and said with a smile, "My name is Murong Wuhen. May I ask your name, young lady?"

Li Feiqing blinked. "Third Senior Brother said that young ladies shouldn't casually tell men their names... especially men who are better looking than them."

Upon hearing this, the man's smile widened, but he sighed and said, "It's a pity. I just saw that you are quite nosy, and I wanted to invite you to go and see Lou Yan's true face, but you were bound by etiquette and refused to even tell me your name. I'm afraid you are even less willing to travel with me."

Li Feiqing blinked again. "We are all people of the martial world, we don't need to be so formal. My name is Li Feiqing. Does Young Master Murong know anything about Lou Yan?"

Murong Wuhen laughed and said, "I don't know. It's just interesting that she targets important figures from various sects. As far as I know, including Xing Nachuan and Fu Mingyu from the Kongtong Sect just now, more than ten experts have died at her hands. This woman is proficient in disguise. Although I have been following her all the way, I have never seen her true face."

Li Feiqing was shocked: "So she wasn't just standing up for the real Lou Yan, but had been eyeing the Kongtong Sect all along. You saw her killing people all the way here, why didn't you try to stop her?"

Murong Wuhen said, "I just followed along to watch the show because it was interesting. She can kill whoever she wants, what does it have to do with me?" He looked at Li Feiqing and a smile appeared on his lips: "She knew you were a disciple of the Shadow Mountain Sect, but she let you go, which is quite unexpected."

Li Feiqing was annoyed, thinking to herself: So you're actually waiting to see her kill me. But then she heard Murong Wuhen continue, "However, if she really attacks you, I will definitely not stand idly by."

Li Feiqing's expression softened slightly, and she asked with a smile, "Why?"

Murong Wuhen said leisurely, "The Juying Sword you carry on your back is a legendary weapon in the martial world. How could I miss this opportunity and not seize it?" After saying that, he looked at Li Feiqing's face, which had turned from white to green, and couldn't help but laugh.

Li Feiqing stamped her foot and turned to leave. Murong Wuhen, suppressing a laugh, said behind her, "Aren't you going to chase after Lou Yan? You're going the wrong way."

The Shadow Returns

Zuiyufang.

"Young master, just drink this cup of wine..." "Young master, drink this cup of mine, and I'll let you enjoy the fragrance..." "No, Xiao Lian won't listen. Young master only cares about them and ignores me..." Inside the private room, the voices of girls were incessant. Several of the most popular girls in the brothel were sitting around a large round table, taking turns to urge the two handsome young men sitting in the center to drink and flatter them.

One of the young men appeared to be about fifteen or sixteen years old. His face was flushed, and he looked extremely shy, occasionally casting pleading glances at his companion. His companion, a few years older, was completely at ease. He took the wine cup handed to him and drank it all in one gulp, laughing as he said, "Don't rush, one at a time, everyone gets their turn..." As he spoke, he reached out and gently touched the face of a girl beside him, causing the other girls to playfully protest.

Li Feiqing had already cursed Murong Wuhen countless times in her heart. This scoundrel made her change into men's clothing after entering the city, saying it would be more convenient, but after she changed, he dragged her to the city's largest brothel for a drinking session. If her master found out about this, she'd probably be half-dead, if not dead.

Thinking of this, Li Feiqing felt a chill run down his spine. He quickly cleared his throat and said, "Well... Brother Murong, it's getting late. I think we should..." Before he could finish speaking, he was interrupted by the charming voice of the girl Xiaolian beside him: "Yes, yes, it's getting late. Let Xiaolian help you get some rest, okay?" As she spoke, she snuggled into her arms.

Li Feiqing cried out in surprise and quickly pushed her away, her face flushed. Murong Wuhen laughed heartily, took out a silver ingot and threw it on the table, pointing to Xiao Lian and another alluring girl: "You two, stay and serve tonight. This silver ingot is a reward for everyone, you can all leave now." The women were delighted by his generosity, thanked him sweetly, and then left the room.

The two remaining girls chuckled and were about to step forward to serve her. Li Feiqing was about to lash out when she saw Murong Wuhen gracefully circle behind them and press his finger on their pressure points, causing them to fall into a deep sleep.

Li Feiqing frowned and asked, "What are you up to?"

Murong Wuhen shushed him and whispered, "Have you forgotten what the real Lou Yan does for a living?"

Li Feiqing asked in surprise, "Could this be... But why would the fake Lou Yan come back?"

Murong Wuhen smiled and said, "We'll find out when we go to the backyard."

The two quietly left the room, using their light-footed skills to reach the backyard in no time. The backyard of Zuiyufang was quite spacious, with artificial hills, ponds, pavilions, flowers, and plants, arranged in a rather elegant manner.

Night had fallen, and the vast backyard was deserted. Occasionally, faint sounds of men and women laughing and joking drifted from the distant side rooms. Li Feiqing's ears burned, and she couldn't help but curse Murong Wuhen silently in her heart. Murong Wuhen, however, gently tugged at her sleeve and pulled her behind some strange rocks to hide her.

Not long after, light footsteps sounded, and a figure gradually approached from the shadows, stopping near where the two were hiding. Li Feiqing glanced over and, in the moonlight, saw that the newcomer had a graceful figure and beautiful face; it was the woman who had impersonated Lou Yan.

She had changed into a light blue dress and was without makeup. Her eyes held a hint of melancholy as she gazed at a peony in the flowerbed. After a long while, she sighed and said, "I have buried Mingyu's ashes with you, so you can rest in peace now."

Li Feiqing held her breath: the real Lou Yan was indeed dead, and it seemed she was buried under these peonies, but she wondered if she had been killed by the fake Lou Yan in front of her.

Suddenly, several sharp whistles came from afar. Lou Yan raised her eyebrows and turned around.

A man in black emerged from the shadows like a ghost, bowed, and said, "I am late, please forgive me, my lord."

Lou Yan snorted and said, "But has something changed?"

The man said respectfully, "Everything has been arranged. However, we were followed on the way here. They seem to be from the Kongtong Sect. I have ordered my men to lure them away, which caused the delay."

Lou Yan nodded and said, "It's always good to be careful. If you ruin things because of these fools, you'll really be guilty."

The man in black lowered his head and said, "Yes, news came from the Nine Venerable Hall that the person is staying in Room 1 of the Heavenly Class at the Qifeng Inn in the east of the city."

Lou Yan said, "Go to the woods outside the city and tell everyone to prepare themselves, so that we can strike with one blow."

The man in black accepted the order and left. Lou Yan, a smile playing on her lips, moved swiftly and disappeared into the darkness.

Li Feiqing sighed and whispered, "Who is she going to target this time?"

Murong Wuhen's eyes flashed, and he chuckled, "Go and see for yourself, and everything will be clear."

Just as the two were about to give chase, they suddenly heard a cheerful voice shout, "Here it is!" Immediately afterward, a series of fine, whistling sounds of hidden weapons cutting through the air rang out. Li Feiqing knew something was wrong. She drew her Shadow Gathering Sword from its sheath, drew it in three circles, and collected all the hidden weapons that were shooting at the two of them into the blade. She then casually swung it to the ground, and a series of clanging sounds rang out as many tiny needles fell to the ground.

Two figures flew over immediately. The two looked alike and were quite young, seemingly twin brothers. One of them angrily cursed, "You fiend, you've got some skills!"

Li Feiqing spat and retorted, "Stop using such foul language! Using such vicious hidden weapons, you still have the nerve to call others demons."

The young man scoffed, "We've been following your accomplices all this way. Do you still want to deny your identity?"

Another person said in a deep voice, "Why waste time talking to this demonic cultist? Just kill him."

Upon hearing the words "Demon Sect," Li Feiqing felt a chill run down her spine. Her senior brothers had told her that the Xuan Yi Sect acted mysteriously and used ruthless methods, inspiring fear in all martial arts practitioners; it was called the "Demon Sect" and was universally condemned by the righteous sects. However, since the death of its former leader, Young Master Mo Zhu, the Demon Sect had been leaderless, and after numerous attacks by various sects, it had gradually disappeared in recent years. Many said that the Demon Sect had long since disintegrated and ceased to exist.

Thinking of this, she asked, "The demonic sect you mentioned, is it the Xuan Yi Sect?"

The young man, his face full of arrogance, said, "You demonic cultists, are you still putting on airs and trying to get away with this? Let me ask you, is Young Master Fu Mingyu of the Kongtong Sect in your hands?"

Before Li Feiqing could answer, Murong Wuhen preemptively asked, "What is your relationship with Fu Mingyu?"

The man said proudly, "Fu Mingyu is our best friend, and together with my brother, they are known as the 'Three Heroes of Izumo'."

Murong Wuhen nodded and smiled, "So you are the Zhan brothers from Zhan Family Fortress. My apologies for not recognizing you."

The man's face lit up with smugness, and his tone softened slightly: "Hand over Young Master Fu quickly, and perhaps we can spare your lives."

Murong Wuhen said leisurely, "We have met this Young Master Fu before. As for his whereabouts—" He drew out the word, then suddenly smiled and pointed at Li Feiqing, "You can ask her."

Li Feiqing glanced at him sideways, thinking to herself: So they are the two young masters of Zhan Family Fortress. No wonder they are so skilled in hidden weapons. Zhan Family Fortress is renowned throughout the world for its hidden weapons, and its master, Zhan Hengye, is quite close to her master. In a way, they are one of her own. So she said politely, "So you are Senior Brothers Ziyang and Zichen. I am Li Feiqing, a disciple of Yingshan Sect. I have often heard Master mention you two. I was rude not to recognize you when we met. How have you been lately, Uncle Zhan?"

The Zhan brothers were taken aback and exchanged a glance. Zhan Zichen sneered and said, "So she's a demoness. People from the Demonic Sect are good at using tricks. Brother, don't be fooled by this demoness."

Zhan Ziyang snorted and asked, "Where is Young Master Fu Mingyu now?"

Murong Wuhen quickly replied, "You're too late. Young Master Fu is already dead." He glanced at Li Feiqing and laughed, "If he were in my hands, that would be one thing, but what can he do when he offended a woman?"