Suddenly, a soft "clang" was heard, and the music stopped abruptly. The person playing the zither stared at the broken string for a moment, a self-deprecating smile appearing on their lips, before slowly turning around.
In the darkness, a hint of sorrow seemed to flash across Elder Zhai's eyes, but he quickly regained his composure and stepped forward respectfully, saying, "My lord, I have come to report."
Ruan Ziya nodded and asked, "How did things go?"
Elder Zhai said, "The leaders of the Xue and Cang halls have gathered their old subordinates and are ready to await the master's orders. However, the leader of the He Ye hall, Feng, he..."
He hesitated slightly, but Ruan Ziya raised her eyebrows and smiled lightly, though her eyes held a chill: "Has Hall Master Feng perhaps sided with Murong Wuhen?"
Elder Zhai lowered his head and said, "No, Murong Wuhen somehow found Hall Master Feng. Hall Master Feng refused to submit and was killed by him. Now, Vice Hall Master Liu has taken over the position of Hall Master and has pledged allegiance to Murong Wuhen."
Ruan Ziya remained silent for a moment before chuckling softly, "They are strong and we are weak. Murong Wuhen also has the Ink Bamboo Token in hand. The situation is very favorable."
Elder Zhai looked worried and slowly said, "The assassination attempt on Gu Qingyun outside Wuzhou City has already cost the elite of my Purple Leaf Hall. Now that the Brown Leaf Hall has been taken over by Murong Wuhen, he has five halls under his command. With Elders Yun and He assisting him, his power is indeed not to be underestimated. However, if the Nine Venerable Hall can stand on the side of the master, the situation will be different."
Ruan Ziya smiled slightly and asked, "So, what are Hall Master Qu's plans?"
Elder Zhai said, "Hall Master Qu sent a letter saying that everyone from Zhan Family Fort has been properly detained. However, regarding the dispute over the sect leader, he said in his letter that he lives overseas and is out of touch with the news, so he does not know much about the details of this matter. He hopes that the Lord will return to the island in person to discuss it in detail before making a decision."
Ruan Ziya sneered and said, "As the head of the Nine Venerable Halls, you're also out of touch with the news? This fox... Alright, let's set off back to the island immediately and see what tricks Qu Yan is up to this time."
Contrary to Li Feiqing's expectations, Fu Chong, the leader of the Kongtong Sect, was an extremely humble middle-aged man. However, having just experienced the pain of losing his son and with the sect suffering a series of defeats, he inevitably looked somewhat haggard.
Gu Qingyun had already sent a letter informing him of the murder of the Kongtong disciples. As soon as the Feihua Manor group arrived in Kongtong territory, Fu Chong led Lu Zhan and other experts from the sect to greet them.
Hua Liran recounted the circumstances of discovering the dead Kongtong disciples to him. Fu Chong's expression was grave, and he said in a low voice, "Recently, our Kongtong Sect has not made any enemies. This matter must be the work of the Demonic Sect. The Demonic Sect has killed my beloved son, my junior brother, and dozens of disciples. As long as I have breath in my body, I will fight them to the death!"
Hua Liran said, "The art of using Bilin has been lost for a long time. It's surprising that there are still such poison masters in the Demonic Sect."
Zhou Yi said, "Ruan Ziya, the purple-robed saintess of the Demonic Sect, is known as the 'Hundred-Transformation Serpent.' The word 'serpent' refers to her superb skill in using poison. Could it be that she has harmed the disciples of the Kongtong Sect again this time?"
Fu Chong gritted his teeth and said, "I won't be able to quell my hatred until I tear this witch to pieces!"
Hua Liran pondered, “The strange thing is that this poison is not easy to prepare. Although the death is terrifying, the effects of the poison are not strong when it takes effect. It takes a lot of time to use it to injure the enemy head-on. Why would she go to such great lengths... Could it be that she just successfully prepared it and wants to test it on this group of people?”
Lu Zhan said in a deep voice, "The ideas of the demonic sect are strange and cannot be understood by ordinary people. Perhaps her purpose in poisoning was to use the tragic state of the dead to show off the power of her demonic sect."
Gu Qingyun said, "I wrote to Master Yichen of Beiyuan Temple earlier, informing him of my intention to go to sea to find the headquarters of the Demonic Sect. It is estimated that the experts from various sects will arrive at Kongtong in the coming days. At that time, I am afraid I will have to trouble Sect Leader Fu to make arrangements for them."
Fu Chong clasped his hands and said, "This is the duty of Kongtong Sect. Master Gu, there is no need for you to be so polite. On this trip to the headquarters of the Demonic Sect, if there is anything that can be of use to our Kongtong Sect, please give the order, Master Gu, and I will do my best."
Thus, Feihuazhuang and the others settled down at the Kongtong Sect. A few days later, Master Yichen of Beiyuan Temple led more than ten monks from the temple, and Shen Luo of Yingshan arrived one after another with his fifth junior brother Lan Lang and sixth junior brother Bai Jun'an. Li Feiqing was overjoyed to meet her three senior brothers, but she noticed that Shen Luo seemed absent-minded and often gave irrelevant answers. Knowing that Shen Luo was usually open-minded and cheerful, Li Feiqing thought that he must have something on his mind, so she secretly thought that she had to find an opportunity to ask him clearly.
In the following days, experts from various sects arrived in droves, including Bi Jianchun, the leader of the Jade Sword Sect, and Ye Hongyun, the master of Fuliu Valley, whom Li Feiqing had met on Shadow Mountain that day.
Located on a coastal peninsula, the Kongtong Sect had already ordered its men to purchase several ships at the port, with all the necessary personnel and supplies prepared on board. Seeing that the masters from various sects had gathered, the group chose a date to board the ships in batches, set sail, and head towards Wuya Island.
Li Feiqing suffered from severe seasickness after setting sail, vomiting repeatedly in her cabin, almost bringing up her bile. Hua Liran prescribed seasickness pills and used acupuncture to stimulate relevant acupoints, which gradually stopped the vomiting. However, she became inexplicably agitated that night and couldn't sleep. Finally, at dawn the next day, she got up and went outside to enjoy the sea breeze. As soon as she stepped onto the deck, she saw Gu Qingyun standing at the bow, quietly gazing at the sea. She greeted him, "Master Gu, why are you up so early?"
Gu Qingyun turned around and saw that it was her. She smiled slightly, waved for her to come over, and said, "You've come at the right time. The sun is about to rise."
Li Feiqing walked to his side and saw a crimson glow spreading where the sky met the sea, gradually turning the entire sky and sea crimson. After a moment, a red sun slowly rose from the sea, its brilliant light flashing and the waves surging. Li Feiqing looked at the magnificent colors before her, and heard the gentle lapping of the waves. She felt the vastness of the world and her heart was filled with overwhelming excitement. She heard Gu Qingyun say softly, "This journey to Wuyai Island is fraught with danger. A great battle with the Demonic Sect is inevitable."
Li Feiqing turned her head to look at him and saw that under the golden light, his handsome face carried a hint of arrogance, and his gaze was fixed firmly on the distant sea. Suddenly, she felt a surge of heroic spirit in her chest and said, "Master Gu, I want to practice swordsmanship!"
Gu Qingyun was not surprised at all by her nonsensical words. He simply smiled, took off his sword, and handed it to her.
Li Feiqing drew her sword, lightly wielding it to create a cold, gleaming light in front of her. Taking a deep breath, she suddenly leaped into the air, her sword flashing in mid-air. With a series of flourishes, she executed sword techniques with effortless grace, her body moving with incredible agility and exhilaration. For a moment, she felt as if she had become one with the sea and sky, her mind at peace and tranquility unlike anything she had ever known. The grievances, sadness, and frustrations that had lingered in her heart for days seemed to vanish with each strike of her sword.
Gu Qingyun watched with a smile, when suddenly he saw Li Feiqing sway and fall towards the deck. He quickly leaped forward, reached out and caught her in his arms.
Li Feiqing felt slightly embarrassed and stammered, "Ah, I didn't eat anything yesterday, and I suddenly felt a little dizzy just now." As she spoke, she tried to stand up.
Seeing her lowered eyelashes and flushed cheeks, Gu Qingyun couldn't help but lower his head and gently kiss the corner of her mouth.
With a clang, Li Feiqing's longsword fell to the ground. Both of them were startled. Li Feiqing sat up, her face flushed crimson, and said in a panic, "I...I'll go back to the cabin first." With that, she ran away without looking back.
Gu Qingyun's ears turned slightly red. She stood at the bow of the ship for a while, then suddenly chuckled softly and walked down the deck toward the cabin.
When everyone gathered for breakfast that day, they all felt that the atmosphere was a bit strange. Zhang Datou looked at Li Feiqing, who was almost burying her head in her bowl in the corner, and said in surprise, "Hey? Madam, why are you sitting so far away today? Don't you always sit next to the master? Come, come, let me switch seats with you."
Li Feiqing blushed to her ears, glared at Zhang Datou, and fearing that refusing would leave a mark, she reluctantly moved slowly to Gu Qingyun's side and continued to eat heartily.
Gu Qingyun remained calm, picked up a chicken leg with her chopsticks, put it in Li Feiqing's bowl, and said softly, "Weren't you starving? Eat more."
Li Feiqing's hand, holding the rice bowl, trembled slightly, accidentally brushing against Gu Qingyun's hand. She was instantly jolted, letting out a cry of "Ouch!" and the bowl fell to the table. Li Feiqing wished she could disappear into the ground and never come out again. The people of Feihua Manor exchanged amused glances, but with Gu Qingyun watching coldly from the side, no one dared to utter a word of mockery.
After finally finishing her meal, Li Feiqing pushed her bowl away and got up from her seat, ready to rush back to her cabin, when she heard Shen Luo say, "Junior Sister, please wait. I have something I want to discuss with you and Master Gu."
The group had almost finished eating, and upon hearing this, they left their seats in twos and threes.
Li Feiqing lowered her head. Shen Luo coughed lightly and said, "Master Gu, Junior Sister, this matter has been troubling me for many days. Last night, I thought about it again and again, and I still feel that I should discuss it with you."
Curiosity piqued, Li Feiqing disregarded her shyness and looked up to ask, "Yes, Third Senior Brother, I've noticed you've seemed preoccupied these past few days. What happened?"
Shen Luo was somewhat stunned, and after a long while, he stammered, "I... I feel that Master's death that day was not as simple as a relapse of an old injury."
Li Feiqing was startled and quickly asked, "Why would Third Senior Brother think that? Have you discovered something suspicious?"
Shen Luo said, “My master loved orchids the most when he was alive, so not long after you left the mountain, I bought a batch of orchids and had them transplanted to the graves of my master and mistress. But when I went to pay my respects at the graves the next day, I found that all the orchids had withered. At the time, I thought that the orchids I bought were wrong, so I planted another batch, but it was still the same. So I became suspicious, but... later I saw that the vegetation in front of my master's grave was lush, and the ivy planted by my fourth junior sister was blooming very well, but... I still felt that something was wrong.”
Deceit and treachery
Li Feiqing and Gu Qingyun exchanged a glance, both looking suspicious.
Shen Luo said, "I also know that this matter is absurd. Later, I bought other flowers and plants and tried to plant them, and they all grew well, except for orchids... as long as they are planted, they will definitely die."
Li Feiqing whispered, "You suspect that Master died of poisoning?"
Gu Qingyun pondered for a moment and said, "This matter is of great importance. Once we return to the Central Plains, we need to take Li Ran to the grave to see for ourselves to know the truth. Brother Shen, to whom have you told this matter?"
Shen Luo shook his head and said, "At that time, my senior brother was away from the mountain on business and had not returned. I was afraid that if I told him rashly, it would arouse everyone's suspicion, so I didn't tell anyone and rushed to Kongtong to meet with you."
Gu Qingyun nodded and then said nothing more.
Li Feiqing thought to herself: His question to her third senior brother clearly indicates he suspects a traitor within our Shadow Mountain Sect. During Master's illness, all the fellow disciples have taken turns guarding Qingxin Garden day and night. An ordinary person would have no chance to sneak up and poison him undetected. And these disciples were all raised by Master, their relationship with him like father and son; how could they possibly poison him? But if not a traitor, then who could it be…? She suddenly remembered that on the night Master passed away, both Murong Wuhen and Ruan Ziya appeared at Shadow Mountain. Was this a coincidence, or a conspiracy by the Demonic Sect?
The more she thought about it, the more anxious she became. She clenched her fists, wishing she could return to Ying Mountain immediately and go to her master's grave to find out what was going on. Suddenly, she felt Gu Qingyun gently pat her shoulder and whisper, "Don't worry, the truth will come out one day."
Li Feiqing looked up and saw a warm look in his eyes as he quietly gazed at her. Feeling reassured, she slowly nodded to him.
Several days later.
On the sea, seagulls beat the waves, the waves surged, and the sails of the ships rustled in the sea breeze.
Ruan Ziya stood at the bow of the boat, letting her long black hair dance in the wind, covering her forehead as she gazed into the distance. As far as she could see, the outline of Wuya Island gradually appeared, and a smile couldn't help but appear in her eyes.
But in the blink of an eye, her smile vanished, and Ruan Ziya stared intently at the faint black dot on the distant island. As the ship drew closer, it only confirmed what she had in mind.
A tall, handsome man, dressed in a black robe, stood with his hands behind his back on the island's shore, looking at her from afar.
Seeing her gaze fixed on him, the man smiled slightly, clasped his hands in a fist salute, and his voice carried clearly across the sea breeze: "Qu Yan of the Nine Venerable Hall hereby respectfully welcomes Saintess Ruan back to the main altar."
Before the boat was fully moored, Ruan Ziya lightly touched the ground with her toes and leaped ashore, saying with a smile, "I am honored that Master Qu has come to greet me personally."
Qu Yan's gaze lingered on her face for a moment, his smile deepening as he said, "Four years have passed since we last met, yet Saintess Ruan remains as beautiful as ever, always presenting a different and radiant appearance with each meeting."
Ruan Ziya said indifferently, "It's just a physical appearance. A woman's beauty fades and she becomes sad. If Master Qu were to see Ziya's true face, he would probably be greatly disappointed."
Qu Yan shook his head with a smile and said in a low voice, "I'm afraid that Saintess Ruan thinks that I am not qualified to see your beauty."
Ruan Ziya glanced at him but didn't say anything.
Qu Yan smiled and saw Elder Zhai and the leaders of the Xue and Cang halls leading their followers off the ship and onto the shore. He walked to Ruan Ziya's side and said, "Holy Maiden, you must have received my reply. Since the Ink Bamboo Token reappeared in the martial world, I have heard rumors of fighting among the eight halls of our sect. I am very anxious. Today, the Holy Maiden has returned to Wuya Island, so we can all sit down and discuss this matter properly."
Ruan Ziya raised her eyes and said, "What Hall Master Qu wants to discuss with me must be the strategy to deal with Murong Wuhen?" As she spoke, she looked at Qu Yan with a sharp gaze, waiting for his reply.
Qu Yan simply smiled, neither agreeing nor disagreeing with her words.
Elder Zhai couldn't help but speak up: "Hall Master Qu, you heard clearly what the sect leader instructed when he passed away. You have known the sect leader for many years and were entrusted with the important task of being the Hall Master of the Nine Halls. You should do your best to assist the sect leader in managing the sect. How can you bear to disregard the sect leader's last wishes during this time of internal strife?"
When Qu Yan heard him mention Young Master Mozhu, his expression changed slightly. He said, "That's right. I remember every word the sect leader said when he passed away. I also remember that the sect leader's original words were..." He looked at Ruan Ziya with a deep meaning in his eyes and slowly said, "If there are no major changes, you must do your best to assist Saintess Ruan in taking over the position of acting sect leader."
Ruan Ziya's gaze sharpened, and she felt a moment of sorrow in her heart, but she quickly regained her composure and said, "So what are Hall Master Qu's plans now?"
Qu Yan smiled but did not answer, only saying, "I have prepared a banquet for the Holy Maiden in the main hall of the main altar. Holy Maiden Ruan, this way please."
Ruan Ziya tilted her head and thought for a moment, then chuckled and led everyone to follow Qu Yan toward the main hall.
Along the way, Ruan Ziya saw that the Nine Venerable Hall followers were heavily guarded and everything was arranged in an orderly manner. Ruan Ziya secretly praised them. When they passed a bamboo forest, Ruan Ziya couldn't help but pause. Qu Yan smiled and said, "I have always had people take good care of this bamboo forest. Do you think it is still the same as before?"
Ruan Ziya looked at it carefully for a few moments and smiled, "As expected, it's still the same as before. Hall Master Qu is quite nostalgic."
Qu Yan's eyes flickered as he looked at her and chuckled softly, "My feelings for Saintess Ruan have never changed. Saintess, you might as well consider it."
Ruan Ziya looked away and said calmly, "Master Qu is joking again."
Qu Yan smiled and said, "Saintess Ruan, please keep my words in mind for now. If you change your mind later, it will not be too late."
Ruan Ziya was slightly taken aback when she heard the implication in his words. Before she could think about it, the group had already arrived at the entrance of the hall.
A burst of laughter came from inside the door, and a man said with a smile, "Holy Maiden Ruan, I have come uninvited, please forgive me."
Ruan Ziya frowned slightly and looked in the direction of the sound. She saw a long table of wine and banquet set up in the hall. Elders Yun and He were on both sides, and a person sat in the middle with a face like jade and a white robe like snow. Who else could it be but Murong Wuhen?
Ruan Ziya was furious and glared at Qu Yan, but she saw Murong Wuhen smiling as he stood up, walked to the front of the group, and bowed to her, saying, "Holy Maiden, please do not take your anger out on Hall Master Qu. I have only just arrived on the island, and Hall Master Qu was unaware of this beforehand."
Qu Yan smiled and said, "Young Master Murong showed the Ink Bamboo Token when he first arrived on the island and made it clear that he had no ill intentions in coming. I saw his sincerity. Moreover, our sect has a rule that seeing the Ink Bamboo Token is as good as seeing the sect leader in person. As I also serve as an enforcement elder, it is inconvenient for me to refuse Young Master Murong's request to come to the island for a chat... Saintess Ruan, you won't blame me, will you?"
Ruan Ziya gave him a deep look, then lowered her eyes and chuckled softly, "The Ninth Hall Master holds a high position and great power in the sect. Young Master Murong and I are both vying to win him over, so how could Ziya dare to blame you?"
Qu Yan looked at her with a smile in her eyes and said, "That's good then, everyone please have a seat."
After everyone took their seats, Murong Wuhen nodded slightly, and Elder He beside him spoke up: "Hall Master Qu, you must already know the purpose of our visit. Before the former leader passed away, he instructed me to personally hand over the Ink Bamboo Token to Young Master Murong, which was the intention of passing on the leadership. Now that Young Master Murong has returned to the main altar, we would like to ask Hall Master Qu to summon all the members of the sect at the main altar to support the new leader to ascend to the position of leader."
Qu Yan nodded slightly and said, "I have personally examined it, and the Ink Bamboo Token is undoubtedly not a fake."
Elder Zhai said in a deep voice, "Hall Master Qu, the sect leader once left a will, appointing Saintess Ruan as acting sect leader. This is known to everyone in our sect. In the past four years, Saintess Ruan has devoted her efforts to gathering and reorganizing the sect members who had been scattered in various places, which has enabled our sect to recover its strength under the suppression of the major sects. Saintess Ruan has made merits and has done no wrong. She should be promoted to the position of sect leader."
Qu Yan nodded again and said, "I have seen how hard Saintess Ruan has worked in the Central Plains these past few years. However..."
He drew out his words, and for a moment the hall fell silent. Everyone's eyes were fixed on him, waiting for him to continue.
Qu Yan smiled slightly and turned to Ruan Ziya, saying, "By the way, Saintess Ruan, I suddenly remembered that I had a suggestion earlier. I wonder what you have thought about it?"
Ruan Ziya raised an eyebrow slightly, looked at him and smiled, "Did Hall Master Qu make any suggestions? I don't remember at all. Please forgive me, Hall Master Qu."
Seeing that although she was all smiles and laughter, her tone contained disdain, a flash of anger crossed Qu Yan's eyes. But then he heard Murong Wuhen say lazily, "Sect Leader Qu, we're waiting for what you have to say next."
Qu Yan coughed lightly and sighed slowly, "Our sect leader, Young Master Mozhu, is the person I admire most in my life. Since the Mozhu Token is real, and it is true that the sect leader appointed Saintess Ruan to take over the position of acting sect leader, I think the sect leader must have had a deeper meaning in making such an arrangement. I dare not speculate, and I ask the two of you to discuss and resolve this matter yourselves."
Ruan Ziya maintained her smile, but inwardly she sneered: "Standing idly by while waiting for an opportunity to profit; this man is indeed a fox."
Murong Wuhen smiled and said, "Does Hall Master Qu mean to remain neutral?"