"Wasn't the original manual of the 'Nine Forms of the Lotus Goddess' carved on amber? And how did this person figure it out without soaking it in water? Moreover, if they had so much time to copy the manual, why didn't they just take the whole piece of amber with them?"
"You think it wouldn't be easy for anyone to notice carrying such a large piece of amber on your person?" Elder Yuwen's anger was already slightly evident. "Chong Xuezhi, you violated the rules of Chonghuo Palace. Originally, you should have had your martial arts abolished and your tendons severed. But Mu Yuan signed a lifelong contract with Chonghuo Palace to plead for you, and since you are Chong Lian's daughter, this matter will be let go." With that, he turned to leave.
Xuezhi stepped forward: "I will go back."
Elder Yuwen turned his head slightly to the side, his face expressionless: "I've had all your clothes put back in your room by the maid."
Elder Yuwen has left.
Xuezhi felt a chill run down her spine and hesitated before asking, "Brother Mu Yuan, Elder Yuwen... what does that mean?"
Mu Yuan hesitated, looking away, before slowly saying, "The punishment has been waived, but you... can no longer stay in Chonghuo Palace."
Two days later, Xuezhi reluctantly returned to Chonghuo Palace once again. However, this time, the disciples passing by did not greet her.
The Spring Festival is just a few days away, but the territory of Chonghuo is so desolate that not even a single fallen leaf remains.
From a young age, Chong Xuezhi had heard that many palace masters and young masters in the history of Chonghuo Palace had been expelled from the sect, but she never expected that she would have such a day. Yet, she refused to believe it. Instead of returning to her room, she went directly to Elder Yuwen's Elder's Pavilion.
Elder Yuwen sat by the window, deep wrinkles etched on his face. His complexion grew paler year by year, and his eyes grew duller with each passing year. Xuezhi knew that he had also entered Chonghuo Palace when he was around ten years old, following the then Palace Master, and that he was now the fourth generation to join her.
Xuezhi walked over and knelt down on the ground.
Elder Yuwen remained leaning back in his chair, turning the pages of his book.
"I'm sorry, I was wrong." This was the first time Xuezhi had admitted her mistake so readily, her head bowed low. "Please give me another chance. I promise I will practice my skills diligently from now on, never leave Chonghuo Palace again, and never interact with others without permission again."
Elder Yuwen didn't even look up: "Isn't it too late to say these things now?"
"Please," Xuezhi kowtowed, her head remaining raised. "I grew up here; this is my home. I can't go anywhere without it. Please give me another chance."
"You still haven't figured out your own position." Elder Yuwen's voice was very old. "Chonghuo Palace is not a refuge, nor is it a place for little girls to play. Actually, this is not your fault. If anyone is to blame, it's Chonglian's bad luck to have two daughters. Daughters are born to be loved... Xuezhi, I have always treated you like a granddaughter. My conscience can't bear to be so harsh on you all these years. From now on, you are free."
"No!" Xuezhi shook her head vigorously. "I will master martial arts. I will start practicing the Nine Forms of the Lotus God right now. I may not be able to surpass Father, but I will definitely become very strong. Please give me another chance!"
Elder Yuwen waved his hand: "Don't say anything more. Pack your things and leave as soon as possible."
26
Xuezhi knelt in the Elders' Pavilion all night, but Elder Yuwen remained unmoved. Without even a ceremony, the expulsion procedure was carried out. Xuezhi returned to her room, packed all her belongings, and as soon as she stepped outside, she saw Mu Yuan standing at the door, along with the four guardians and some disciples.
Everyone seemed very downcast.
Xuezhi smiled and said, "They've all come to see me off?"
Zhu Sha suddenly rushed over and hugged Xue Zhi tightly: "The elders have gone too far! The young palace master is still so young, how can she withstand the trials and tribulations of the martial world?"
"How can you see the world without experiencing wind and rain?" Xuezhi patted her shoulder. "If we meet somewhere in the future, don't pretend you don't know each other."
“Impossible.” Haitang’s nose was red. “We watched the young master grow up. If we don’t care about seniority or status, you are like our own niece. No matter where you go in the future, we will definitely take care of you.”
Liuli said, "Actually, objectively speaking, this time it wasn't the young master's fault at all. But there's nothing we can do, the rules are there. I hope you will train and learn a lot after you leave, and don't join any shady sects."
Zhu Sha retorted angrily, "You still dare to talk like that at a time like this!"
Tridacna handed Xuezhi a package: "Some pills and hidden weapons."
Xuezhi accepted the gifts: "Thank you."
Mu Yuan also handed Xue Zhi a package: "There are some important things inside. Take them out and open them later." Then he handed Xue Zhi a jade pendant: "This was the Palace Master's favorite. Take it with you."
Xuezhi took the third package and the jade pendant, and said with a smile, "Okay, thank you."
Then everyone fell silent.
Xuezhi said, "I'm leaving now. Take care of yourselves from now on."
After saying goodbye to everyone, Xuezhi gritted her teeth and walked straight out of the palace without looking back. However, when she reached the middle of the mountain, she couldn't help but stop near Yaoxue Pond.
The tombs of all the palace masters in the past are located behind Chonghuo Palace, except for one person's tomb here.
The name Xuezhi comes from Yaoxuechi and Tiancan Lingzhi.
She put down her bundle and knelt before Chonglian's grave. The air was extremely cold, and withered leaves were swept up by the wind, dancing haphazardly throughout the courtyard, some even falling into Yaoxue Pond, creating ripples on the frozen surface.
The tombstone bears the inscription in bold, flowing characters: "Tomb of my beloved Chonglian."
Because whenever Xuezhi was in the palace, she would often come to sweep the grave and pull weeds. This time, she brushed away the dust next to the grave, and finally, facing the grave, she opened and closed her mouth for a long time without saying a word.
In the end, he remained silent, kowtowed three times heavily, and carried his bundle down Mount Song.
Xuezhi dared not look back. The scenery around her kept changing, but the majestic mountains behind her remained standing, like a towering hero who had taken root in this land and would never waver.
Settling into the Fude Inn at the foot of the mountain, Xuezhi first opened the package Mu Yuan had given her. It was filled with books, and upon closer inspection, she discovered they were all secret manuals from the Chonghuo Palace: *Nine Luminous Shadows*, *Chaotic Moon Sword Technique*, *Rebirth Through Fire*, *Heavenly Revelation Dragon Claw*, *Sunset Flame Sword*, *Crimson Flame Divine Skill*, *Red Cloud Technique*… He had practically packed all the important secret manuals from the Chonghuo Palace into one. She had just regretted not having mastered martial arts before, knowing she would never have the chance again. For the first time in her life, seeing these manuals—which she had once dismissed as mere scraps of paper—felt like she had found a priceless treasure.
Then she fastened Chonglian's jade pendant to her waist, finished organizing all the secret manuals, and saw another letter. Opening it, a line of powerful and elegant writing appeared before her eyes:
I can't get away these next few days, so you can stay at Fude Inn for a few days first. I'll try to find you a place to stay after that, and we can discuss things further later.
Xuezhi smiled slightly, packed everything up, and prepared to wash up and go to bed.
But as soon as she turned around, she caught a glimpse of a dark figure flashing by in the gray expanse outside the window. She froze, waiting to see what would happen. After a long while, still no reaction, she whirled back around, opened the window, but found no one outside except for the withered trees.
Xuezhi let out a long sigh, closed the window, but heard a faint sound behind her.
She immediately turned around and saw a masked man in black behind her, and screamed in surprise.
But it was too late to fight.
The man moved so fast that she had no chance to fight back. He quickly pressed Xuezhi's pressure points, drew a dagger from his waist, covered Xuezhi's nose and mouth, and stabbed her in the neck.
Xuezhi frowned, unable to utter a sound, and almost fainted from fright.
But the dagger stopped just before it reached her neck. The man's eyes darted around, and he turned back. Xuezhi noticed a few crow's feet at the corners of his eyes; he wasn't young. Then, two figures, one tall and one short, darted out.
27
The shorter one immediately started fighting with the man in black. Their movements were so fast that their faces were not visible. All that could be heard was a series of clanging sounds as a small hand deftly and forcefully poked several holes in the cabinet.
The taller one was a boy, slightly thin, dressed in very light and close-fitting blue clothes, with his hair loose, and several small braids made of purple silk mixed in on the right side of his hair. He had his back to Xuezhi, and was playing with something in his hand, standing there leisurely.
Looking at the holes in the wall again, the edges seemed to be stained with some kind of liquid, which quickly spread like corrosive wounds. The man in black also seemed unusually cautious, showing no mercy in his attacks, and showing signs of wanting to kill to silence witnesses.
At this moment, the boy looked up cheerfully and said, "All done!"
The shorter one spoke in a sweet, childlike voice: "Do it!"
The man in black gasped, retracting his outstretched hand, but it was too late. The boy threw something at him, and he suddenly screamed, his voice sounding rather aged. He clutched his hand, lightly tapped his feet a few times, and leaped out of the window, his figure disappearing into the darkness in a few swift movements.
"Ha, you escaped? Let's see how you escape my grasp!" The boy jumped up, but the girl grabbed his clothes, almost making him fall. He whirled around, flicking his wrist, his braid swung, and a sticky little ball flew out, heading straight for the girl. The girl calmly dodged, and the ball flew towards the riddled wardrobe again. With a snap, several poisonous insects slid down the wardrobe, while most of the rest clung to it, cracking and splintering as the wardrobe crumbled even faster than before.
"The Holy Mother is wise!" The boy immediately bowed in worship to the girl. The girl kicked him in the knee, and he fell to the ground.
"Only you would dare to make such a move, so I'll spare your life."
A sweet, innocent voice spoke bold words. Xuezhi saw her face clearly and believed that only she in the world could speak such words with such a face—Man Feiyue, the abbot of Xuantian Hongling Temple.
The boy who had fallen to the ground had no intention of getting up again. Although his appearance was very different from last time, and he had grown bangs and changed to a gourd that was much larger than before, Xuezhi would never forget the person who had taken her first kiss, no matter how many times it had happened.
Man Feiyue came over and released Xuezhi's pressure points. Xuezhi pressed the points where she had been acupunctured and plopped down on the bed.
"Don't worry, Miss Chong, I can only hurt people if I wear this." After saying that, he raised his other hand, on which the middle, ring, and little fingers were covered with metal nail guards, the color of which was gold with a bluish tinge. Xue Zhi looked at them and felt like she was poisoned.
Xuezhi asked, "What... exactly happened?"
“Now that you’ve been expelled from Chonghuo Palace, things might not go as smoothly for you in the martial world as they used to.” Man Feiyue pointed to the secret manuals on Xuezhi’s bed. “It would be better to keep these things safe.”
Xuezhi was stunned. Most people would pounce on the Chonghuo Palace's secret manuals like wolves, but Man Feiyue and the boy beside her saw those books as if they were excrement.
"Those secret manuals may be treasures to you, but they are worthless to me. Don't look at me like that."
Xuezhi then began packing her bags: "How did you know I was expelled?"
"We always know the news a little earlier than others."
"Who was the person who tried to kill me just now?"
"How could I possibly know?" Man Feiyue glanced at the boy beside her. "Feng She, check if she's hurt."
Feng She walked over with a smile, sat down next to Xue Zhi, poked her hand, and widened his big eyes even more: "Okay." After saying that, he pinched her waist, then her arm, patted her back, and pounded her knees.
"You're going to die." Xuezhi's eyes were fierce. But after seeing the poison they used, she only dared to speak.
Feng She smiled and said, "No."
Man Feiyue asked, "What do you plan to do now?"
"I have no idea."
"Waiting for your sweetheart, huh?"
"My lover?" Xuezhi thought for a moment, then suddenly stood up. "No! I've always thought of Mu Yuan as my older brother!"
"Hehe, a little girl is still a little girl." Man Feiyue walked over and held Xuezhi's hand with great sympathy. "Your sweetheart has achieved his goal, so why is he here again?"
"Even though you saved my life, you still have no right to say that!"
"Too naive, hehehehe." Man Feiyue lifted the little girl's face, revealing a rather womanly expression. "Interested in joining the Xuan Tian Hong Ling Temple?"
"No."
"Really? I might not get first place in the Heroes' Tournament, but the number of people in the whole world who can truly defeat me can be counted on one hand."
Xuezhi remained silent.
Want to join?
"No."
“Really…” Man Feiyue said, raising her little finger adorned with a poisoned nail guard, “Don’t you want to consider it?”
"I...I'll think about it for a few more days."
"Do you think your sweetheart will come in a few days?" Man Feiyue twitched her little finger. "Think about it some more."
This is forcing a good woman into prostitution.
"Tomorrow morning."
“Very well, I’ll come find you tomorrow morning.” Man Feiyue’s voice was much gentler, and even a little charming. She turned to look at Feng She, “She’er, let’s go.”