The moon hangs in the corridor, a crescent moon

The wind has swept away the last petals, but the remnants of the flowers have not yet settled.

Prelude

Cangzhou, located north of the South China Sea, lies between the states of Qinglong and Zhunan. It borders Fengzhou, Yaojiang, and Mandi.

Since ancient times, Cangzhou has been a place of great turmoil, and the conflicts among the martial arts world are particularly fierce here.

Qingzun Tower is the number one tower in the world. The Qingzun Ranking, published by Qingzun Tower over generations, is also known as the number one ranking in the martial arts world and is recognized by all.

However, many years ago, the Cangming Ranking of the Demonic Path suddenly appeared. It was announced by the Cangming Young Master Xiao Wuqing and was known as the number one ranking of the Demonic Path. It became a ranking recognized by both the Jianghu underworld and the Demonic Path. It had the momentum to rival the Qingzun Ranking, which was recognized by the Jianghu. It caused the bandits in the underworld who considered themselves heroes but could not make it onto the Qingzun Ranking to fight tooth and nail. The competition for the ranking on it was even more fierce than that of the Qingzun Ranking, with constant turmoil.

The Cangming Ranking, written in blood, changes almost every month. Only one miracle remains steadfast on the Cangming Ranking—the number one swordsman of the demonic path on the Cangming Ranking—Cangming Siyue.

April refers to four people. It's common knowledge in the martial arts world that these are the four bodyguards of the Cangming Young Master, Xiao Wuqing.

Only by surpassing April can one become the new number one swordsman of the demonic path.

No one knows how many people went to challenge it, but all of them never returned—thus, the name of Cangming April became a legend stained with blood…

But all of that is now irrelevant to this story...

The wind has swept away the last petals, but the remnants of the flowers have not yet settled.

Chapter 1

The story began a long, long time ago, but it didn't happen until much, much later. When the story took place, Adi had just traded his horse for a mule, and with coarse clothes and some loose silver, he left the town and wandered aimlessly along the mountain road.

The sky is high and the clouds are light, and the season is warm.

The warm sunlight shone on me, making me feel lazy and slowing my pace, which conveniently masked my slight sense of bewilderment.

If the wind remained warm and the sky remained clear, he would continue to drift aimlessly until a strong smell of blood in the wind interrupted his leisurely state.

Adi was unusually sensitive to the smell of blood. He frowned slightly and followed the scent of blood.

In the woods, pools of blood dripped intermittently onto the grass, slowly spreading until they pooled together. And the person lying in the crimson pool—if it was a human, it would be a mangled mess.

Adi frowned and slowly approached. Beneath a pool of blood, one could barely make out that the person was wearing a white robe. The slender body was wrapped in the robe, which was mostly soaked to a reddish-brown color. So frail, it was a woman. The exposed wrists and legs had broken bones, and the flesh was torn and twisted, a gruesome sight. Beneath the marks left by torture instruments, the body was completely mutilated, except for the face, which was pale and delicate, without a single scar.

Adi looked down at her; it was an exquisitely beautiful face, yet utterly lifeless.

Is he dead? With such injuries and so much blood loss, how could he still be alive? His paper-white face made Adi lose interest in bending down to examine him closely; he hated dead people.

It's such a pity; with such a beautiful face, I wonder what kind of eyes she has.

As Adi was about to leave, the woman on the ground slowly opened her eyes. Contrary to his expectations, these beautiful yet lifeless eyes held only a deathly stillness, devoid of any vitality. He gazed at her silently; those calm, expressionless eyes seemed to be looking at him, yet also seemed unfocused, simply waiting to die. No matter how beautiful she was, Adi felt no beauty in those lifeless, emotionless eyes.

However, Adi suddenly dispelled his previous confusion and his mind became clear.

He found what he wanted to do.

He took out a porcelain bottle from his pocket, bent down and forced her to swallow it, then carefully picked up the woman covered in blood, abandoned the mule, and ran quickly and slowly toward the nearby town.

The innkeeper in town was terrified when he saw the woman covered in blood being carried by Adi. Adi stepped in front of him, made up an excuse with his sincere face, and managed to get a room for him, and began to treat the woman in blood.

For seven days straight, she stayed indoors without changing her clothes, relying solely on a waiter to buy medicine and deliver food. Finally, amidst a persistent high fever and recurring wounds, the woman opened her eyes.

*

She had endured endless pain and anxiety for far too long, so long that she had lost track of time. She had thought she had fallen into hell... She was destined for hell, wasn't she? What hope could someone like her possibly have?

The prolonged torment from her wounds left her initially disoriented and unsure of her surroundings upon waking. Then, a pair of hands gently yet firmly pressed down on her body as she tried to lift herself.

"Don't move, be careful not to aggravate the wound."

Then she saw a gentle face. Though dressed in simple, coarse cloth, his features were handsome, his gaze sincere, enough to instill a sense of security in any ordinary person. An ordinary person… but she felt nothing. She stared blankly at that face, her voice dry, managing only a few words, “Where…is this?”

She didn't die... How could she not die from such a battered and tortured body?

"I didn't know either..." Adi smiled apologetically. "I met you on the road and hurried to this nearby town, and I really didn't pay attention to the place name." If it were someone else, they would at least know where they came from, where they were going, and what road they were taking. But Adi, who was aimlessly wandering, didn't pay attention to any of these things.

She turned her head slightly to look at him; such a slight movement caused her wound to throb with pain. She remained indifferent, her face expressionless.

"Did you save me, young master?"

“Yes…” Adi smiled modestly, but she couldn’t help but glance at him again. “Thank you, young master… young master… your medical skills are superb.” It would be beyond the capabilities of ordinary people to save her from these injuries.

"Not at all, it was nothing, Miss. You don't need to worry about it. Just focus on your recovery and don't overthink it."

Ordinary coarse clothes, a peaceful expression, an unassuming demeanor, yet he possessed such medical skills—she couldn't imagine who he was, nor did she have the energy to think about it. What entanglement did this world have with her? She slowly closed her eyes, and after a long while, she softly asked, "My injury..."

After a slight hesitation, Adi decided to tell the truth and uttered eight words: "His bones and tendons are broken, and his martial arts are completely useless."

The eyelashes of those closed eyes trembled slightly, and they slowly opened...

In those eyes, Adi saw a momentary emptiness, a void devoid of anything, which quickly subsided, becoming as still as an ancient well. She must have been in great pain; the numerous, gruesome wounds all over her body, constantly recurring, were enough to cause unbearable agony. She must have been shocked, knowing that from now on, she would likely be confined to her bed as a cripple. But she simply accepted it quietly, without any further reaction.

Such a beautiful woman, her stillness like the shimmering light of jade, was too indifferent, as if her heart were as cold as stone, unable to stir even the slightest life.

“Miss…if you are willing to cooperate and do your best to treat me, I am confident that I can make you look no different from an ordinary person after you recover.”

The woman finally showed a slight surprise and doubt, turning to look at him—she knew this injury very well. To survive was already a feat, yet he had healed her so that she appeared outwardly normal? This medical skill was truly remarkable. Was there ever such a person in the martial world?

A thousand thoughts raced through her mind in that instant, a habit she'd long since formed. Her eyes quickly returned to their usual calm. What did the martial world have to do with her now? Who was this young master, and how was he any different from her?

"Thank you, young master."

"Where... do we not yet know the young lady's name?"

She seemed to hesitate for a moment, paused slightly, and then said softly, "Brocade."

Brocade. Upon closer examination, it seems to belong to a woman who is fresh, gentle, and adorned with vibrant flowers, rather than someone like her, who, though a rare orchid in a secluded valley, se

……