PaiPai Novels

The Moon Shines Over the Fire Author: Tianlai Zhiyuan

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1

Chong Xuezhi lived in seclusion in the martial arts world for two years.

Two years ago, everyone in the world knew that Chong Xuezhi had given up her position as the young palace master and broken ties with Chonghuo Palace in pursuit of Xia Qingmei. Xia Qingmei was the ninth disciple of Lingjian Manor, a renowned handsome man, gentle and refined, tall and elegant, with long, bright eyes that seemed to hold water. When he smiled, he often revealed snow-white teeth and a single dimple, making him truly captivating. Countless women admired him, but he rejected them all, including Chong Xuezhi.

Xia Qingmei was known for his upright conduct in the martial arts world, but his romantic relationships often drew sighs of pity. It was said that there were men in this world who wouldn't accept women even when they offered themselves to them; was he a paragon of virtue, or simply a homosexual? Many said that Xia Qingmei had a woman's face and a woman's name, so perhaps he was a woman. Every time Chong Xuezhi heard such remarks, she would beat the person who said them to a pulp.

Chong Xuezhi said that he would one day take the initiative to pursue someone else.

But she never expected that the first woman Xia Qingmei would seriously pursue would be Lin Fengzi.

If Chong Xuezhi were to rank the people she hates most, the result would definitely be as follows: Third, Lin Xuanfeng, the master of Lingjian Manor. Second, Lin Xuanfeng's daughter, Lin Fengzi.

To express my feelings for this father and daughter, all I can say is: How despicable!

Lin Fengzi's mother's background is a mystery; rumors say even she herself doesn't know. But Chong Xuezhi knows her better than anyone—she's the last person who should exist in this world.

In Chong Xuezhi's eyes, Lin Fengzi had a tragic appearance, with a pair of lifeless, gleaming eyes and a bright red mole on her forehead, just like her father's, making her repulsive. Every time she said this, someone would correct her, saying that those were peach blossom eyes, a beauty mark. She ignored them all.

The funniest thing is that Xia Qingmei was deeply in love with Lin Fengzi, but this woman with the mole on her face rejected him. She even pretended to come to Chong Xuezhi and said, "Sister, I won't compete with you for your sweetheart."

Every time Chong Xuezhi heard her call her "sister," an unnamed rage would ignite in her chest, erupt from her mouth, and finally, a thousand words would transform into a sword strike aimed at Lin Fengzi. Lin Fengzi, using gentleness to overcome strength, twirled her whip, ensnaring the sword, and said with a smile, "Sister, he doesn't like you, so you hit me. Isn't that a bit unfair to me?"

Chong Xuezhi had only one last choice: to go on a rampage.

However, her dislike for another person was something that Lin Xuanfeng and Lin Fengzi combined couldn't match.

That person's name is Shangguan Tou.

Two years later, Chong Xuezhi made a comeback, becoming famous again for a reason she preferred—her beauty.

She thought she had turned over a new leaf and returned to the martial arts world, and being single, she was of marriageable age. She wanted to find a suitable husband in this turbulent and heroic world, but her dreams were quickly shattered by rumors about Shangguan Tou.

Shangguan Tou, the master of Moonrise Valley, is incredibly philandering, with an astounding number of women, including: XXX, XXX, XXX, Chong Xuezhi, XXX, XXX...

Yes, she's inside.

She was more unlucky than others because she was the most famous. And what made her even more unlucky was that by then, Shangguan Tou had already completely and utterly taken advantage of her.

Throughout history, beautiful women have faced numerous hardships in their love lives, but to endure hardships like hers is truly exceptional.

Everyone knows that the easiest thing in the world is to anger Chong Xuezhi; while the most difficult thing in the world is to anger Shangguan Tou.

Even a three-year-old child could make Chong Xuezhi so angry that her face turned red and her neck bulged; and no matter how mean or sharp-tongued a person was, they could not remove the ever-present smile from Shangguan Tou's face.

When these two are together, the scenes are quite amusing. People often complain, "Miss Chong, your temper is too bad, can't you change it?" Chong Xuezhi would immediately slam her hand on the table and roar, "What's wrong with my temper?!" If Shangguan Tou were there, he would definitely laugh heartily, "Having a bad temper is a good thing, no one else can tolerate her. Then, she'll have no choice but to be with me."

If someone asked Chong Xuezhi to recall the most disgusting scene, this would definitely be the one that comes to her mind:

Shangguan Tou's face clearly said, "I'm a bad guy," and he lightly lifted her chin with his folding fan: "Zhi'er, the angrier you are, the more you care about me. Don't be angry, come back to my arms."

Sometimes, Chong Xuezhi wasn't even sure what she was thinking. She disliked Shangguan Tou, but often felt that life was exceptionally easy as long as he was around. Because in Shangguan Tou's eyes, even the biggest problems seemed insignificant.

However, these are all things to be discussed later.

At first, Chong Xuezhi wasn't the kind of person who was good at self-regulation, and she often got upset for a long time over very small things.

2

Nearly three years ago, in autumn. Fengtian.

There are two major martial arts tournaments in the Central Plains: the Fengtian Heroes' Tournament, held every three years, and the Shaolin Weapon Ranking, held annually. And in Fengtian this year, the eve of the Heroes' Tournament was as lively as ever.

Although Fengtian Inn was the largest inn in the entire city, it was frequented by important figures from major sects. Therefore, the group of people sitting by the window, trying their best to keep a low profile, attracted particular attention.

There were two middle-aged men and two women, two maids, and a young boy and girl.

Everyone knows that these are people from Chonghuo Palace.

If you had asked someone ten years ago what kind of sect Chonghuo Palace was, they would have given a vivid description: "Chonghuo Palace is the number one evil cult in the martial arts world, composed of hundreds of disciples, four elders, four protectors, and two palace masters. Both palace masters are unparalleled in martial arts, but most people only recognize Palace Master Chong Lian. Don't tell me you don't know who Chong Lian is." If you said you didn't know, the other person would have said, "Good heavens, there are still people in this world who don't know Chong Lian. You... must be a reclusive master, right?"

No one can describe Chong Lian in a single sentence. But even a three-year-old child could sum him up in two words: legendary.

Chong Lian rose to fame at the Heroes' Gathering twenty-four years ago. At only fifteen years old, he participated as the young master of Chonghuo Palace, defeating Lou Qizhi, the master of Lingjian Manor, in two moves to claim first place. He became renowned throughout the martial arts world as "Martial Arts Overlord" and "Peerless Beauty." Some jokingly said that Chong Lian truly possessed unparalleled beauty, as he had everything men and women desired. Unfortunately, these people failed to see the immense price Chong Lian paid for his unparalleled martial arts prowess. Those in the know rarely offered him a positive assessment.

Among the universally acknowledged evil martial arts techniques, two manuals stand out as the most controversial. One is the *Hibiscus Heart Sutra*, and the other is the *Nine Forms of the Lotus God*, collectively known as the "Lotus Wings." Both were written by the same person, Chong Jiuzhi, the founder of Chonghuo Palace. Whether it was Chong Jiuzhi's penchant for self-harm or the manuals' requirement for extraordinary skill to master, those who practiced either manual met a terrible end, without exception; those who succeeded were left riddled with wounds. The *Hibiscus Heart Sutra* was stolen by a notorious thief before Chong Jiuzhi's death and was only discovered over fifty years ago to have been kept as an antique in a prince's mansion in the capital. After the prince's death, it reappeared in the martial arts world, causing widespread bloodshed. Countless people died because of this evil technique, and the manual's whereabouts remain unknown to this day. The *Nine Forms of the Lotus God* was passed down as a secret treasure by Chonghuo Palace, yet only two people successfully mastered it: Chong Jiuzhi and Chong Lian.

Chong Lian lived up to expectations, becoming the martial arts overlord of the entire Central Plains and the strongest person in the history of Chonghuo Palace. Some even said that his handsome appearance was thanks to this martial art. It was precisely because of this inexplicable martial art that Chong Lian did many things differently from ordinary people. Many secretly said that Chong Lian had gone mad from practicing the "Nine Forms of the Lotus God," becoming androgynous and having an abnormal sexual orientation, preferring men. Some even said that Chonghuo Palace claimed Chong Xuezhi was Chong Lian's adopted daughter, but in reality, she was his daughter with his male lover, Lin Yuhuang. In short

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