Gu Qingyun raised an eyebrow slightly and said, "Because of Murong Wuhen's death, many mysteries have become difficult to solve."
Yi Feng thought to himself: That's it, he wanted to find out where his junior sister was.
But this made it even more impossible for Murong Wuhen to have a chance to speak, so he showed a look of indignation on his face and said loudly, "How can I not avenge my master's deep hatred!"
With the blade of his sword at the side, he slashed at Gu Qingyun's longsword. His Juying Sword could cut through iron like mud; as soon as the blades touched, it could cut the opponent's longsword in half. At the same time, several cold lights flew out from his sleeve, aiming straight for Murong Wuhen's vital chest and abdomen.
Yi Feng secretly pondered: Although my method of killing Murong Wuhen with poisoned hidden weapons was rather unethical, people will not blame me because they see that I am eager to avenge my master. Gu Qingyun may have some resentment towards me, but he is already poisoned by Xizhen and will die in a few years anyway. Hehe, what do I, Yi Feng, have to fear?
But Gu Qingyun seemed to have anticipated his move. She gently patted Murong Wuhen's shoulder, pushing him several feet to the side. All the hidden weapons that Yi Feng had shot were buried in the ground. At the same time, she slightly tilted her hand, and with a soft "snap", the two swords touched each other again.
Yi Feng's expression changed slightly. He saw Gu Qingyun staring at him and said calmly, "Sect Leader Yi already knows that someone else poisoned your master. Why are you in such a hurry?"
Yi Feng was startled, but his face showed surprise. He asked in astonishment, "What makes you say that, Master Gu? If it wasn't this demonic cultist who poisoned my master, then who else could it be?"
Gu Qingyun smiled slightly and slowly said, "Senior Mu died from the poison of 'Orchid Tomb'. This poison, along with the 'Stream Poison' that Sect Leader Yi secretly put in Li Feiqing's soup bowl a few days ago, was recorded in the ancient prescriptions. Since Sect Leader Yi is the owner of the prescriptions, how could he not know who the murderer is?"
Upon hearing this, Yi Feng's expression changed drastically. He took two steps back, stroked his sword, and forced a smile, saying, "An ancient formula? I have only heard of it from others, but I have never seen it before... How could Master Gu misunderstand that I possess this formula? It's truly laughable... Haha, haha..." He chuckled twice, but his face was already pale, and his voice trembled slightly. The people from various sects watching couldn't help but feel suspicious.
The nameless swordsman laughed loudly: "You have calculated everything, but you never expected that among the Kongtong disciples you poisoned with 'Azure Phosphorus' that day, one of them was saved by Young Master Hua. Today, in front of all the heroes of the world, let him come out and identify you, this heartless and shameless villain."
He then called out towards the direction of the Kongtong Sect, "Sect Leader Fu, please let that disciple come out and confront Yi Feng face to face!"
Everyone followed his gaze toward the Kongtong Sect, but Yi Feng remained calm and sneered, "Now that she's been poisoned by the Azure Phosphorus, and a day and a night has passed, how could Hua Liran possibly be saved? Don't try to fool me..."
He was halfway through his sentence when he suddenly realized something was wrong. Cold sweat poured down his body, and his face instantly turned ashen.
Hua Liran coldly said, "That's right. If someone is poisoned with Bilin for twelve hours, they will definitely die. But Sect Leader Yi is usually famous in the martial arts world for his Shadow Mountain Sword Technique. I wonder when he became so knowledgeable about poisons?"
Gu Qingyun said, "That day you had already poisoned your master, but you were also wary of Li Ran, so you secretly went down the mountain and poisoned those Kongtong disciples on the way. You knew that Li Ran would stay and see what was going on when he saw 'Bi Lin' reappear. As long as you held him back, no one would be able to discover that Headmaster Mu was poisoned by a strange poison. But you did not expect that the orchid planted in front of the grave would become the flaw in this matter."
Yi Feng's expression shifted, and after a long while, he sighed, "That's right. The poison prescription left by my master's wife did not mention that this poison clashes with orchids. Otherwise, knowing that my master loves orchids, I would never have given him this poison."
Shen Luo was filled with grief and indignation, and he said hoarsely, "Your master raised you with his own hands and treated you with kindness as heavy as a mountain. How could you bear to do such a cruel thing to him!"
Yi Feng remained silent for a moment, then smiled and slowly said, "Back then, my master ordered me to save Qingqing and forced me to secretly let her go down the mountain to find Young Master Mozhu. His actions were so perverse, protecting evil forces, that he is no longer worthy of being the head of Yingshan Sect. Moreover, if he finds out that I used an ancient and strange method to deal with Qingqing, how could he let me go? I should strike first, and if Yingshan Sect flourishes under my leadership, it will be a way to repay his kindness in raising me over the years."
At this moment, Murong Wuhen's body was afflicted by the poison of the Xizhen, and his blood and qi were churning in his chest and rushing to his throat. Although he was suffering terribly, Yi Feng's words still clearly entered his ears. Suddenly, he was shocked: Yi Feng is the one who holds the ancient formula?! He said that he would use this formula to deal with Ziya, so my poisoning by the ancient formula has nothing to do with Ziya!
In an instant, regret, self-blame, sorrow, and panic surged into my mind. I wished I could find Ruan Ziya and bring her back to my side immediately, but I also felt a sense of despair: I treated her like this, she must be extremely disappointed in me, how could she forgive me?
Yi Feng laughed again, "Gu Qingyun, I underestimated you. I, Yi Feng, thought I was meticulous and cautious enough to deceive everyone, but in the end, you found out."
Gu Qingyun said calmly, "The net of heaven is vast, and though its meshes are wide, nothing escapes it. Now that your treacherous scheme has been exposed, what else do you have to say?"
Yi Feng sneered and said loudly, "The victor is always king, the loser is always villain. Do you think I would just surrender? Gu Qingyun, since you have the reputation of 'God of War,' today I, Yi Feng, will fight you to the death and see who comes out on top." With that, his long sword trembled and he launched several lightning-fast attacks at Gu Qingyun.
Gu Qingyun's expression darkened, and she drew her long sword, already engaged in combat with Yi Feng.
In an instant, cold glints flashed across the arena. Both were masters of swordsmanship in their time. Kageyama's swordsmanship was known for its composure and unpredictability, while Gu Qingyun's swordsmanship was more casual and unrestrained, with one ingenious move after another. The onlookers were mesmerized, feeling that witnessing this battle today was truly worthwhile.
Bi Jianchun sighed, "Yi Feng's Shadow Mountain Sword Technique has surpassed his master, far exceeding Mu Feiyu's. If he hadn't committed so many evil deeds, he might have become a grandmaster in the future. What a pity!"
Master Yichen laughed and said, "Sect Leader Bi has once again taken pity on talent? You should know that although Yi Feng has a strong comprehension in martial arts, judging from his actions and his character, he is unlikely to achieve great things. Even if he succeeds for a time, it will only be a flash in the pan."
Bi Jianchun nodded in agreement, then turned his gaze to the two people fighting in the arena.
Seeing that Gu Qingyun's moves were unpredictable, Yi Feng often found himself forced into a defensive counterattack by Gu Qingyun's casual sword strikes, despite his own repeated use of the Shadow Mountain Exquisite Sword Style. The more they fought, the more astonished he became, knowing that victory was unlikely if things continued this way. Just as Gu Qingyun thrust out another sword, Yi Feng tried to block with his Gathering Shadow Sword, but the sword suddenly dipped slightly before reaching him and instead attacked his lower abdomen. Yi Feng was caught off guard and had to retreat a step. Gu Qingyun stepped forward, his longsword flashing, its movements unpredictable, and in an instant, he had already launched several more attacks.
Yi Feng chuckled softly, took another step back, and flicked his fingers repeatedly, sending out puffs of green smoke that flew straight towards Gu Qingyun.
Hua Liran's expression changed, and she shouted, "Be careful, he might use poison!"
Everyone knew that Yi Feng had harmed several people with his ancient and strange remedies. Now, seeing him use poison, they were all terrified. Those standing around him involuntarily moved aside and kept their distance.
Seeing the chaos, Yi Feng leaped forward, attempting to escape through the gaps created by the crowd. However, the moment he moved, he saw a flash of sword light before him. Gu Qingyun had already appeared, sword in hand, blocking his path, her eyes flashing with coldness as she unleashed a flurry of sword strikes. Yi Feng only saw flashes of cold light before his eyes, his heart pounding with panic. Unable to discern the direction of the sword strikes, he could only retreat step by step.
He was forced to retreat repeatedly by Gu Qingyun, when suddenly he remembered something, his heart tightened, and he hurriedly shouted, "Stop! Do you still want Li Feiqing's life!"
Author's Note: Ahem, it's almost finished! Time for a final push... Trying to update twice tonight!
A single thought of obsession
Gu Qingyun paused with his longsword, and Yi Feng quickly stopped and glanced behind him. Sure enough, he saw that the sheer cliff was only a few feet behind him. If he had taken a few more steps back, he would probably have fallen into the valley by now.
Yi Feng forced a smile and said to Gu Qingyun, "If I die, Li Feiqing will have to be buried with me."
Gu Qingyun looked at him coldly. Yi Feng saw that he showed no panic or concern, and felt a sense of unease. He then heard someone say in a low voice, "Senior Brother, even now, you are still stubbornly clinging to your delusions."
Yi Feng was startled, only to see Li Feiqing, with a look of pity on her face, slowly walk out from the crowd.
The nameless swordsman sneered, "We rescued Miss Li last night. Do you think Flying Flower Manor is really under your control?"
A murderous glint flashed in Gu Qingyun's eyes as she said in a deep voice, "Considering your past relationship with her, I will spare your life."
Just as he was about to brandish his longsword, a woman's voice called out urgently, "Wait!"
Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw Mu Linlang, pale-faced, rushing from the forest behind the mountain. Gu Qingyun saw her running towards Yi Feng and reached out to pull her, but a cold light flashed and Mu Linlang had already pressed the Marked Sword against her throat, whispering to him, "Master Gu, may I pass?"
Gu Qingyun hesitated for a moment, but Mu Linlang had already floated past and stood in front of Yi Feng, calling out, "Senior Brother, I will die with you."
Yi Feng's expression shifted slightly. Mu Linlang lowered her voice and said softly, "Use me as leverage to find an opportunity to escape."
Seeing that she had the Mark-Leaving Sword pressed against her throat with one hand and her other hand hanging at her side slightly forward, indicating to him, Yi Feng had no more hesitation. He reached out and grasped her hand, pulling her in front of him with force.
Just then, Yi Feng suddenly felt a slight pain in his palm, and his entire arm went numb. He was startled and looked down to see a trail of black blood slowly flowing out between their tightly clasped hands.
Mu Linlang gently swung her arm and raised her hand, revealing a black gold ring on her slender finger. The protruding bee stinger on her fingertip was still stained with the blood from Yi Feng's palm; it was the Ghost Soul Bee Ring.
Yi Feng was furious and said in a hoarse voice, "Linlang, how dare you lie to me!"
Mu Linlang's eyes were filled with sorrow, and a bitter smile appeared on her lips. She sighed softly, "Senior Brother, I am also Father's daughter." With a flick of her wrist, she swung the Marked Sword straight into Yi Feng's chest.
Yi Feng was half-numb, and was pushed back several steps by the force of her sword. A fierce look flashed in his eyes. He took a deep breath and forcibly gathered the remaining strength in his body. He was about to thrust out his sword and perish together with Mu Linlang.
But then Li Feiqing cried out in a shrill voice, "Senior Sister, stop! There's a cliff ahead!"
Mu Linlang's gaze was deep and unfathomable. She did not release the hilt of her sword, but stared intently at Yi Feng and said in a low voice, "I said I would die with you, and I did not lie to you."
Yi Feng was startled, and before he knew it, he had stepped into thin air, and the two of them fell into the deep valley at the same time.
In a flash, countless images flashed through Yi Feng's mind: learning martial arts from Mu Feiyu in Yingshan as a child, his childhood sweetheart relationship with Mu Qingqing, the Mozhu Prince stealing his love, poisoning his master, and his wedding night with Mu Linlang...
He remembered that Mu Linlang was pregnant, and he didn't know if it was a boy or a girl. With a sudden thought, he used his strength to lift her up and throw her body toward the cliff.
※※※※
Several days later.
On the back mountain of Shadow Mountain, both the righteous and demonic factions had long since dispersed, leaving only two young men and women standing and kneeling silently before the tomb of the former sect leader, Mu Feiyu.
Li Feiqing knelt before her master's grave, silently praying: "Master, you must already know that Fourth Senior Sister recently killed Yi Feng here on the back mountain to avenge you. Now that the traitor within the sect has been eliminated and Third Senior Brother has taken over as sect leader, he will surely govern the sect well and restore the name of Shadow Mountain. Qing'er... will also be married to Gu Qingyun. Your spirit in heaven can rest in peace now."
Thinking of this, she glanced at Gu Qingyun beside her, and her face flushed slightly.
Seeing the expression on her face, Gu Qingyun smiled slightly, stepped forward to help her up, and asked in a low voice, "Tell your master we're getting married?"
Li Feiqing blushed and nodded.
Gu Qingyun smiled, took her hand, and the two strolled hand in hand through the back mountain.
Li Feiqing said in a low voice, "I... I only told my master the good news and not the bad news. I don't know if he will find out."
Seeing the deep frown on her brow, Gu Qingyun comforted her, "If he is watching from heaven, he will surely protect your two senior sisters and keep them safe."
Li Feiqing was lost in thought and sighed, "Fourth Senior Sister is determined to leave Shadow Mountain. She's pregnant now, and I'm really worried..."
Gu Qingyun said, "Don't worry, I have sent someone to keep an eye on her. If she hadn't noticed that Yi Feng had poisoned your soup bowl that day, and then discovered the ancient remedy and the Moon-Surging Golden Lotus, I'm afraid we wouldn't have discovered Yi Feng's evil scheme."
Li Feiqing said, "You noticed something was off about Fourth Senior Sister that day, and you already had suspicions?"
Gu Qingyun said, "Well, although I saw that you did not show any discomfort, I was still worried, so I took a piece of broken bowl and asked Li Ran to examine it. The soup in that bowl had been changed by your senior sister, so it was not poisonous. At the time, I thought I was overthinking it, but the next day, when I heard Shen Luo say that he saw Yi Feng outside your door, and when I saw that the broken bowl pieces had disappeared, I became suspicious of him."
Li Feiqing said, "So that night when you discovered I was missing, you went to find Fourth Senior Sister?"
Gu Qingyun's hand tightened, and she whispered, "But I was still too late. I never expected him to be so ruthless as to attack you in Shadow Mountain. If it weren't for the jade pendant left by your master, I..."
Li Feiqing felt a chill in his palm and said softly, "It's clear that Master has been watching over me from heaven and protecting me."
The two of them stopped at the front of the dense forest behind the mountain.
Li Feiqing whispered, "Is Murong Wuhen still guarding that stone chamber?"
Gu Qingyun nodded and said, "After Li Ran prepares the antidote for Xi Zhen tonight, he will go down the mountain to find Ruan Ziya overnight."
It turns out that when Mu Linlang was thrown back onto the cliff by Yi Feng that day, she was heartbroken and only said that she had given the ancient magic formula and the Moon-Surging Golden Lotus to Ruan Ziya before leaving the mountain in despair.
When Murong Wuhen arrived at the stone house, he found it empty. The Moon-Surging Golden Lotus and the ancient formula were left on the table in the stone room.
Li Feiqing sighed, "Second Senior Sister left the antidote to Murong Wuhen, which shows that she has feelings for him. But why did she leave quietly? Doesn't she know that the ten-year period is coming to an end, and if the poison of the Xizhen in her body takes effect, then... then what will happen?"
Gu Qingyun remained silent, thinking to herself: Ruan Ziya actually gave the Ghost Soul Bee Ring to her own sister, causing Yi Feng to be poisoned to death by her closest relative. Although she avenged her deep-seated hatred to the fullest, she almost caused Mu Linlang to lose her life. How could ordinary people fathom such a complex and strange mind?
Thinking of this, he smiled slightly at Li Feiqing and said softly, "Your two senior sisters are both strong-willed and skillful, so you don't need to worry too much about them... But you yourself are about to get married, and you haven't even chosen your wedding dress yet. I'm afraid that after you marry into Feihua Manor, I'll have a lot to worry about."
Li Feiqing blushed and stamped her feet in protest. Gu Qingyun smiled and pulled her into his arms. The two intertwined their fingers, smiled at each other, and felt that the sweetness of life was contained in this moment.
※※※※
Six months later.
Inside Wuzhou City, Ruan Ziya sat in the city's largest restaurant, Zuiyuelou, waiting for the waiter to serve the food and drinks, unaware that everyone around her was now focused on her.
A beautiful young woman, alone, dressed in a luxurious but mismatched green shirt and blue skirt, with a bloodstain on her chest, how could she not attract attention?
Several burly men sitting nearby had been staring at her for a long time. Seeing that she was poised and generous, not caring about the opinions of others, and dressed strangely but spending lavishly, they exchanged glances and got up together to sit down at Ruan Ziya's table.
One of them laughed and said, "Young lady, are you drinking alone in Drunken Moon Pavilion? Is something troubling you?"
Ruan Ziya's expression remained indifferent, but she didn't even glance at him. She simply raised her cup slowly and sipped the Daughter's Red wine that the waiter had just served.
The other man rolled his eyes and laughed, "Could it be that you've been abandoned by your lover, and that's why you've ended up drowning your sorrows in alcohol here?"
Ruan Ziya raised her eyebrows slightly, turned to him with a smile, and said softly, "That's right."
The man hadn't expected the beauty to acknowledge him. When she smiled, her beauty was breathtaking, and he was instantly dumbfounded, almost losing his soul. He glanced at his companions beside him, swallowed hard, and said, "In that case, why don't I keep you company?"
The people sitting nearby already knew that he and his companions were local bullies. When they saw them surrounding Ruan Ziya and making lewd remarks, they all shook their heads in secret, but no one dared to step forward and stop them.
Ruan Ziya was not angry. She turned her head and thought for a moment, then chuckled and said, "Alright."