Ruan Ziya exclaimed, "Senior Brother? What brings you here?"
Yi Feng looked at her with a gentle gaze and a smile on his lips, saying, "Junior Sister, there is no place for you in the Demonic Sect anymore. I have come to take you back to Shadow Mountain."
Ruan Ziya was surprised and thought to herself: In just half a day, my identity has been exposed and my senior brother already knows about it. It seems that he has spies in my sect. His information network is really good.
Thinking of this, he shook his head slightly and said in a low voice, "Senior Brother, I am very grateful to you for rushing to my rescue from hundreds of miles away. However, I have already told you that I will never return to Shadow Mountain in this life."
Yi Feng lowered his eyelids slightly and said calmly, "Now that things have come to this, I'm afraid you have no say in the matter."
Ruan Ziya's expression shifted slightly as she saw Yi Feng slowly draw his Shadow Gathering Sword.
Elder Zhai stepped forward, blocking Ruan Ziya's path. Ruan Ziya handed him the Mark-Leaving Sword and whispered, "Use this sword."
Yi Feng's eyes flashed, and he slowly said, "Junior Sister, I personally gifted this Marking Sword to you back then, and today you actually let another man use it against me?"
As he spoke, the Gathering Shadow Sword in his hand was already outstretched, its cold light flashing, the blade pointing directly at Elder Zhai's three vital points: chest, abdomen, and neck.
Seeing that his sword moves changed rapidly and were extremely ruthless, with each sword strike containing hidden power that enveloped his vital points, Elder Zhai dared not be careless. He swung his Mark Sword repeatedly, using speed to counter speed. With a series of crisp whooshing sounds, the two swords clashed several times.
Elder Zhai felt a tingling sensation in his chest from the shock, knowing that he would be defeated in a prolonged battle. He took a few steps back, threw the bundle he was carrying to Ruan Ziya, and said in a deep voice, "I'll hold him off. You take the antidote quickly and leave this place!"
Yi Feng smiled and asked, "Can you withstand it?" He leaped forward, his long sword flashing like a storm, slashing left and right, each strike seemingly aimed at killing him instantly.
Elder Zhai pushed Ruan Ziya behind him and shouted, "My lord, run!" He drew his sword and charged forward, desperately trying to defend himself.
Although Yi Feng's skill was far superior to Elder Zhai's, seeing that Elder Zhai's eyes were red and he was risking his life to fight him, Yi Feng was unable to shake him off for a while.
Seeing that Ruan Ziya was biting her lip and watching the battle from the sidelines without showing any intention of escaping, he let out a cold laugh, flicked his wrist, and changed his sword moves, leaving a deep gash on Elder Zhai's chest.
Seeing that Elder Zhai was bleeding profusely from his chest and had been seriously injured, Ruan Ziya hurriedly shouted, "Stop!"
Yi Feng raised his sword and looked at her. Ruan Ziya bit her lip and said, "Senior Brother, please don't kill him. Let him go, okay?"
Yi Feng recalled how she would involuntarily bite her lower lip when she was being stubborn and coquettish. Now, seeing her lips bitten until they turned white, her bright eyes filled with pleading as she stared intently at him, he couldn't help but sigh, "You always have a way of making me soften my heart towards you..."
Without pausing, he plunged the sword down, piercing through Elder Zhai's chest, and Elder Zhai died instantly.
Ruan Ziya's face turned pale instantly. Yi Feng said calmly, "But this time, I can't tolerate you anymore. Junior sister, why do you always like to associate with evil men? First it was Young Master Mozhu, then Murong Wuhen, and now you even have to plead for this nobody."
He approached Ruan Ziya step by step, then suddenly grabbed her wrist and asked through gritted teeth, "In your heart, where do you place me, your senior brother?"
Ruan Ziya felt an excruciating pain in her wrist, and cold sweat poured from her forehead, yet she bit her lip and remained silent.
Seeing her stubbornness, Feng loosened his grip slightly and sighed, "You've always been like this since you were little. Even when you've made a mistake, you never admit it and just wait for me to coax you."
He snatched the porcelain bottle from Ruan Ziya's hand, uncorked it, smelled it, and sneered, "Murong Wuhen fed you the Drunken Tendon Powder, humiliated you in every way, and now he's pretending to give you the antidote, hoping you'll change your mind?"
He tossed the porcelain bottle far away, stared at Ruan Ziya, and asked sharply, "Junior Sister, if you don't want to come back to Ying Mountain with me, do you want to go back to find him?"
Ruan Ziya shook her head and said softly, "I will never see him again."
Yi Feng's expression softened slightly. He then untied the bundle Elder Zhai had left for her and examined it. Inside were all the medicines Ruan Ziya used for disguise, as well as various poisons and hidden weapons. He sneered, "Your subordinate is quite loyal to you."
Ruan Ziya felt a pang of sadness and remained silent.
Yi Feng picked out a Jade Flame Bullet and launched it at Elder Pei's corpse. Flames erupted, instantly turning his body to ashes. He then picked up his bundle, turned to Ruan Ziya, and smiled, "Let's go back now."
Ruan Ziya took two steps back, but Yi Feng held her tightly. So she whispered to him, "Senior Brother, please let me go. From now on, I will live a quiet life incognito and never go astray again or become your enemy."
Yi Feng shook his head, his tone resolute: "You are not allowed to go anywhere. From now on, you can only stay with me."
Ruan Ziya's eyes turned cold as she slowly asked, "What about Linlang? What will happen to her?"
Yi Feng looked at her and smiled slightly: "She won't know you exist."
※※※※
Several days have passed in the blink of an eye, and tomorrow is the day of the duel between Kageyama and the others.
Li Feiqing felt depressed thinking about the inevitable battle between Murong Wuhen and her senior brother after their duel, which would then turn her into an opponent of Ruan Ziya.
These past few days, Gu Qingyun and his fellow disciples from Yingshan have been busy discussing strategies to counter the enemy, keeping Li Feiqing extremely occupied. She hadn't been able to find anyone to confide in. She was pacing back and forth in her room like a headless fly, feeling incredibly agitated, when suddenly she remembered: her fourth senior sister had been resting in Qingxin Garden lately, perhaps she should go and talk to her; it would be better than being alone and troubled.
Thinking of this, he hurriedly left the room and walked quickly towards Qingxin Garden.
It was already evening when Li Feiqing quietly approached Mu Linlang's residence. She saw that an oil lamp had been lit in her room, and through the paper window, she could see Mu Linlang's shadow motionless in front of the window, as if she were in a daze.
Li Feiqing smiled slightly, thinking to herself: It seems that Fourth Senior Sister is just as bored as I am.
Just as she was about to call out, everything went dark. Mu Linlang had already extinguished the oil lamp with a single blow and slipped out of the room.
Li Feiqing was stunned. Involuntarily, she shrank back and hid to the side. She saw Mu Linlang's face was pale. She looked around and, seeing that no one was around, used her lightness skill to rush out.
Li Feiqing was secretly surprised, wondering why Mu Linlang, who was pregnant, would go out alone so late. Feeling that this was quite strange, she mustered her strength and followed her.
The two walked one after the other, their feet never stopping. Li Feiqing watched as Mu Linlang headed towards the back mountain. Once there, she wandered through the woods, deliberately choosing secluded spots. Sometimes, even when there was no path ahead, she would push aside the weeds and bushes and keep going. Li Feiqing followed from a distance, realizing that they were already deep in the back mountain, a place she had never been before. Her heart pounded, and for some reason, she suddenly felt a little scared.
After a while, a stone house appeared ahead, with a faint light shining from it. Li Feiqing was startled to see that Mu Linlang did not go into the house, but instead quietly leaned down under the window.
Li Feiqing wondered to herself: Who is in the room? And how does Fourth Senior Sister know about this place?
He held his breath, quietly circled around to avoid Mu Linlang, and hid on the other side of the stone house. Listening closely, he could hear people talking inside.
A familiar male voice rang out, its tone gentle, and he said softly, "Why haven't you eaten yet? The sect has been busy today, so I'm a little late and can't have dinner with you. Don't be angry."
Li Feiqing heard it clearly; it was indeed the voice of her senior brother, Yi Feng. Judging from his tone, it was clearly the way he spoke to someone close to him. She was immediately dumbfounded and gradually understood why Mu Linlang had come here alone and was hiding under the window.
She was both surprised and saddened for Mu Linlang: it turned out that her senior brother had secretly kept a lover in the back mountain and came to meet him every night, but somehow the fourth senior sister found out. What should they do?
Then Yi Feng said gently, "Take a look and see if there's anything missing here? I'll have someone go down the mountain to buy it and bring it to you after tomorrow."
After a moment, a woman sighed softly and said in a low voice, "Senior Brother, why deceive yourself? Do you think you can keep me locked up here forever?"
Upon hearing this, Li Feiqing was shocked and almost cried out in surprise: Second Senior Sister?
The Eve of the Decisive Battle
Inside the stone chamber, a single lamp flickered dimly.
Ruan Ziya was dressed in a light purple dress, with her black hair draped over her neck and her long eyelashes slightly lowered. She leaned against the bed in the corner of the room, her hands and feet bound by heavy shackles connected by iron chains. The slightest movement of the chains produced a clanging sound.
Seeing that she looked thin and had lost her former sharpness, but had become more delicate, Yi Feng was delighted and said softly, "I have kept all the clothes you used to love to wear. Now when you wear them, you are still as charming and otherworldly as before."
Ruan Ziya looked down at her clothes and said slowly, "Even if I change into these clothes, I am no longer the Mu Qingqing I used to be, Senior Brother..."
Yi Feng smiled faintly, interrupting her, and said, "Eat something first." He walked to the bedside, lifted Ruan Ziya onto his lap, picked up a bowl of porridge from the table, scooped up a spoonful of porridge, and brought it to her lips.
Ruan Ziya hesitated for a moment, then opened her mouth and swallowed. Yi Feng smiled and said, "That's a good girl." He then spoon-fed her the whole thing.
Yi Feng placed the bowl of porridge back on the table, but felt the soft, warm body in his arms and couldn't bear to let go. He tightened his arms slightly, and looking down, he saw a blush slowly spreading across Ruan Ziya's pale face under the lamplight. His heart stirred, and he whispered, "Qingqing." He slowly lowered his head and kissed her red lips.
Ruan Ziya tilted her head slightly. Yi Feng saw her eyelashes tremble, her cheeks flush, and her expression somewhat embarrassed. He smiled slightly, no longer pressing her, and moved his lips to her cheek to gently caress it. He sighed softly, "You still have feelings for me, don't you?" Ruan Ziya lowered her eyes slightly and responded softly. But a golden needle had already appeared at her fingertips, and she quietly inserted it into the back of his neck.
Yi Feng heard the chains rattle softly and caught a glimpse of golden light out of the corner of his eye. Startled, he immediately exerted force in his palm and pushed Ruan Ziya on the shoulder, knocking her down onto the bed.
He rushed forward, grabbed her hand, and tightened his grip. Ruan Ziya felt a sharp pain in her fingers, and the gold needle fell out.
Yi Feng picked up the golden needle and saw a black dot on the tip. He held it to his nose and smelled it, knowing it was contaminated with a deadly poison. His face immediately darkened, and he angrily said, "You actually tried to ambush me!"
Seeing that her scheme had been seen through, Ruan Ziya simply stopped pretending and said coldly, "Senior Brother, you want to lock me up here for life like livestock, what do you expect me to do to you!"
Yi Feng clenched his fists, his eyes filled with malice, staring at her for a long time before suddenly letting out a cold laugh. He leaned forward, pinched her chin, and slowly said, "As expected of the 'Hundred Transformations Serpent,' this golden needle has been hidden in your hair all along?"
Ruan Ziya looked away, but Yi Feng grabbed her chin and forced her to look at him. He said coldly, "It seems you want to force me to imprison you here naked so you won't think of any more ways to escape?" With that, he reached out to unbutton her clothes.
Ruan Ziya's face turned pale, and she whispered, "If you really humiliate me like this, I will immediately bite my tongue and commit suicide."
Yi Feng paused, then chuckled softly, and said with a sneer, "Using death as leverage? You think I'm afraid?" He flicked his finger across her neck, and Ruan Ziya felt her tongue go numb, unable to speak.
Yi Feng leaned over her, his fingers sliding down to her chest, his breathing becoming heavy, and a fervent look appearing in his eyes.
Ruan Ziya was pinned down by him when she suddenly felt a burning sensation in her lower abdomen, as a hard object pressed against her. She was shocked and angry and struggled fiercely, but Yi Feng held her down firmly.
She heard him chuckle softly in her ear, the laughter growing louder and louder. Suddenly, he reached out and released her pressure points, then stood up, panting, and said with a laugh, "Don't worry, I won't touch you... I wouldn't dare!"
Ruan Ziya quickly sat up. Seeing the strange smile on Yi Feng's face, she instinctively felt that he had ill intentions, and her vigilance increased.
Seeing the slight doubt in her eyes, Yi Feng felt a surge of pleasure and asked with a smile, "Do you know why Young Master Mozhu died so young?"
Ruan Ziya felt a chill run down her spine. She saw Yi Feng's lips curl slightly as he looked at her and said softly, "He took you from me, so he deserves to die."
Ruan Ziya could hardly believe her ears, and said in a trembling voice, "It's you? You are the one who possesses the ancient formula!"
Yi Feng smiled slightly and said, "That's right. This stone chamber is where my master's wife used to secretly refine poisons. I found it by chance and obtained the ancient formula and the strange poison she left behind. It can be seen that there must be a destiny in the dark, allowing me, Yi Feng, to become famous in the martial arts world with this formula."
Ruan Ziya's fingers trembled slightly. She managed to compose herself and asked, "Mo Zhu is a very vigilant person. How did you have the opportunity to poison him? How could he have been completely unaware?"
Yi Feng stared at her and slowly smiled, "No matter how cunning Young Master Mo Zhu is, he can't guard against the person closest to him. Even if he is wary of you, how can he resist sharing the pleasures of your bed?"
Ruan Ziya trembled violently, a chill ran through her, and she felt a bitter taste in her mouth, unable to speak.
Seeing her reaction, Yi Feng revealed a cruel smile and said leisurely, "An ancient remedy records a rare poison. This poison is colorless and odorless, capable of killing silently, and there is no antidote in the world. However, even the most potent poison cannot be administered if the person poisoning it is well-prepared. Therefore, after years of painstaking thought, my master's wife finally devised a clever method, adding a rare flower to the formula, thus solving this problem..."
Li Feiqing listened to their conversation outside the stone house, her heart pounding. She froze, not daring to move an inch. She had a vague feeling that if her senior brother found out that she was eavesdropping, she might not be able to escape her life tonight.
Upon hearing Yi Feng mention the words "strange flower," he suddenly recalled what Ye Hongyun had said in Fuliu Valley that day: "Uncle Li said that once the Moon-Surging Golden Lotus blooms, a strange poison can be made from its roots and stems. This poison is colorless and odorless, and can cause those who are poisoned to die without realizing it. It is called 'Stream Poison'."
Sure enough, Yi Feng continued with a smile, "Junior Sister, do you want to know how this problem was solved? Our master's wife actually thought of first putting this poison into one person's body, and then using that person as a catalyst. When this catalyst has intercourse with another person, the poison will be transferred to that person's body. In this way, although the poison takes effect more slowly, it is completely undetectable and difficult to guard against. Our master's wife named it 'Stream Poison,' which is quite fitting."
Ruan Ziya asked in a hoarse voice, "When I attempted suicide but failed, you saved me and then took the opportunity to poison me?"
Yi Feng laughed and said, "That's right. When you were healed from your injuries, you insisted on leaving me, so I took this poison and put it in your medicine and fed it to you. Qingqing, I am reluctant to let you die, but I think it's not so bad to use your body to kill the people I want to kill."
Ruan Ziya gripped the edge of the bed, her heart filled with sorrow and self-reproach, words failing her. Suddenly, she remembered something and cried out, "Murong Wuhen..."
Yi Feng sneered and said coldly, "Since he has slept with you, he is naturally also poisoned. This kid is quite shrewd. He must have realized that his symptoms are the same as Mo Zhu's, which is why he suspected you and expelled you from the Demonic Sect. Qingqing, being abandoned by your beloved must not be a pleasant experience, right?"
Ruan Ziya's face was ashen. After a long silence, she said in a low voice, "I wronged you first. You poisoned me and made me suffer all my life. It can be said that this is retribution for your actions. But..." Her voice turned sharp, and she asked, word by word, "Why did you poison my father to death?"
Yi Feng's smile faltered, a wave of melancholy washing over him. He turned away and snorted, but did not reply.
Ruan Ziya looked at him coldly and said slowly, "Whether your actions are truly to avenge my abandonment of you back then, only you know the truth in your heart. Yi Feng, if you want to kill me now, then please do it."
Yi Feng frowned slightly and sighed softly, "Why would I kill you?"
Ruan Ziya sneered, "Since I hate you to the bone, given your meticulous nature, how could you possibly feel at ease keeping me by your side any longer?"
I fear that when you revealed the truth just now, you already harbored the intention to kill me to silence me.
Yi Feng slowly shook his head and sighed, "Qingqing, you really misunderstand me. No matter how much you hate me, I will never have the heart to kill you." He reached into his robes, took out a porcelain bottle, poured out two pills, dissolved them in water in a teacup, turned to Ruan Ziya with a smile, and whispered, "However, I have my own way to make you stop hating me."