"It's just returning to its previous appearance, nothing to be surprised about."
"But this doesn't seem like Xuezhi's style at all. Could something have happened to Yipintou?"
As people in the martial arts world say, after Chong Xuezhi inherited the position of Palace Master, the image of Chonghuo Palace changed and gradually began to be accepted by the world. However, this state did not last for many years.
Hell's palace is ablaze with fire on earth; the god is the Jade Emperor, who is but a lotus wing.
—These are the words people used to describe Chonghuo Palace many years ago. Now, they are being widely circulated once again.
Chong Xuezhi remained silent for over five years after her husband became disabled, gradually fading from the martial arts world. However, at the beginning of the sixth year, she suddenly remarried Mu Yuan and underwent a dramatic change in personality, making a fierce comeback and using the pretext of providing support to annex more than twenty sects of varying sizes.
Nowadays, the only ones in the martial arts world who can restrain Chonghuo Palace are Shaolin and a few other major sects in the alliance.
A month after Chong Xuezhi married Mu Yuan, Lin Fengzi, who had long since become an old maid, married Cai Cheng, the third disciple of Wudang. It was common knowledge that Cai Cheng had been interested in Chong Xuezhi for many years, and his wife had passed away early, so Lin Fengzi's wedding was not very grand.
That day, after the routine Wudang council meeting, Cai Cheng returned home, looking preoccupied. Lin Fengzi immediately stepped forward to serve him tea and water, standing beside her husband with an air of gentle charm.
Cai Cheng remained as elegant and refined as ever, his face as beautiful as jade. After drinking his tea, he murmured, "Mount Hua... I'm afraid it won't be able to hold on."
Lin Fengzi smiled slightly and peeled an apple for him, asking, "What do you mean?"
"Sect Leader Feng has sent word that it has been confirmed that the Vice Sect Leader has completely betrayed Chonghuo Palace. Currently, 20% of the disciples of Mount Hua have joined Chonghuo Palace, and 50% have close ties with Chonghuo Palace."
Feng Zi maintained her smile and soft voice, but suddenly turned cold: "I don't understand a single word of what you're saying, my lord."
"In short, if Mount Hua falls, Wudang will not be far behind."
"Does my lord hate my sister?"
Cai Cheng was momentarily speechless, looking slightly embarrassed.
Feng Zi chuckled and said, "Sister has always been like this. No matter how big a mistake she makes or how many unforgivable things she does, there are always so many people on her side. Even now that she has become a public menace in the martial arts world, my husband still can't forget her, can he?"
"Of course not." Cai Cheng put his arm around Feng Zi's shoulder and said softly, "Right now, you are the only one in my heart."
"If your sister came to you again now and said she wanted to be with you, would you not want her?"
Cai Cheng paused for a moment, then smiled and said, "Of course not."
"That's good." Feng Zi tossed the peeled apple into the basket, stood up, and said, "I'm going back to my room to rest."
"My wife."
Feng Zi ignored him and walked straight ahead.
Six years ago, not long after Shangguan Tou became crippled, he witnessed Xue Zhi's suffering firsthand. Xue Zhi would spend all day holding Shi'er, lost in thought, wondering why she hadn't been kinder to Shangguan Tou and Xian'er back then. No matter what happened, she should have been more forgiving. Feng Zi also witnessed Xue Zhi kissing Shangguan Tou's horribly disfigured face and lips, feeling disgusted yet deeply shocked.
In this turbulent world, there are too many uncertainties. No one knows what the future holds, and no one knows if they will see each other again. Feng Zi finally mustered up the courage to confess her feelings to Mu Yuan.
She arranged to meet him in the maple forest outside Chonghuo Palace.
She still remembers that day; the wind was strong, whipping up the entire maple forest. The crimson leaves were like raging flames, burning endlessly in a fiery inferno. He walked out from the depths of the maple forest, his long, dark blue hair tied back and fluttering in the air. His face was clean and handsome, making her heart flutter.
I almost don't want to recall how out of control and incoherent I was; anyway, I just want him to know how I feel.
Mu Yuan wasn't one to play dumb, nor did he know how to speak tactfully to a young woman. He simply said one sentence, then left, leaving her no room for negotiation:
“I don’t like you. But you are the Palace Master’s sister, so I won’t completely ignore you.”
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Although he was unwilling to make any promises to her, and even spoke in a cruel and arrogant manner, Feng Zi jumped up with joy, laughing so hard that her eyes disappeared and she couldn't stop smiling.
She believed that as long as she worked hard, she would definitely be able to win Mu Yuan's heart.
For the next six years, she stayed by his side. For him, she argued with Lin Xuanfeng several times and ran away from home several times. After finding Mu Yuan, he repeatedly left her alone on the street with the simple excuse of "having things to do."
Spoiled since childhood, Feng Zi had countless times wanted to give up because she couldn't bear such treatment. But each time, just as she was about to speak, one or two gentle gestures from him made her unable to continue. It wasn't that he treated her badly, he just didn't know how to sweet talk, and whenever it came to matters related to Chonghuo Palace, she was always the last one in line.
She even considered giving herself to him in an attempt to keep him. But Mu Yuan remained completely oblivious, rejecting her without hesitation each time.
She had initially thought this situation would last a long time, and that it couldn't get any worse than this. But to her surprise, only six months later, after she had consistently given in, he beat her for not mending her clothes. Finally, she couldn't take it anymore, and covering her bruised cheek, she said, "We're over."
Mu Yuan probably never expected that she would want to leave him. Overnight, he became gentle and affectionate, not only kneeling down to apologize to her and spending a lot of time with her, but also quickly having the most intimate relationship with her.
Feng Zi knew Mu Yuan's character. His actions must be a sign that he would take responsibility for himself.
But it wasn't until the end of the fourth year that she realized she had wasted five years of her youth on this person.
When Xuezhi's attitude changed slightly, Mu Yuan was completely smitten. Soon after, he proposed to Xuezhi, who painfully agreed.
Feng Zi knew that Xue Zhi didn't love Mu Yuan. Not at all.
Over the years, she had consistently visited Xuezhi. Xuezhi had been living with Shangguan Tou, and no matter how far she went, she would return to Chonghuo Palace within half a month to take care of him. Initially, her emotions were very unstable, and she was constantly filled with self-blame and sadness. But gradually, she began to get used to Shangguan Tou's new appearance and decided to start anew, living a simple and ordinary life with him.
However, when she visited Xuezhi again at the end of last year, she found that Xuezhi was in poor spirits, looked sickly, and had lost a lot of weight. Whenever Shangguan Tou was mentioned, Xuezhi would change the subject.
From beginning to end, the only person she loved was Shangguan Tou.
At the beginning of the year, she suddenly married Mu Yuan. The most absurd thing is that she had no idea about Feng Zi and Mu Yuan's relationship.
Mu Yuan didn't value Chonghuo Palace the most. In his heart, as long as Chong Xuezhi was there, Lin Lin Fengzi would always be second.
She once revered the love between Xuezhi and Shangguan Tou as a sacred belief. Once, she visited Xuezhi at Chonghuo Palace. Shangguan Tou was sitting outside Chaoxue Tower, his eyes closed. Xuezhi stood under a pear tree, her face alluring, dressed in pure white like a fairy. She approached Shangguan Tou and said, "Husband, Fengzi has come to see me. I need to go in and serve her something to eat. Would you like to stay here a little longer?" Shangguan Tou nodded. Xuezhi said, "Let me get you a coat; it's chilly outside." She then gently kissed his forehead. This was just an ordinary scene in their married life, yet Fengzi inexplicably burst into tears.
After Xuezhi and Muyuan got married, she visited Chonghuo Palace again. At that time, Xuezhi was receiving guests from several other sects. She was dressed in a flamboyant manner, with a long, bright red dress that hung to the ground, and her gold and jade hairpins glittering dazzlingly in the sunlight.
She walked over, trying to remain calm, and pressed her for an explanation as to why she wanted to marry Mu Yuan.
Xuezhi paused for a moment, then said, "Because I like Brother Mu Yuan."
Feng Zi said, "No, you've always liked Young Master Shangguan."
“Sister, you need to see the truth. I have served such a disabled person for so many years, and I have done more than enough. Responsibility and love are two different things.”
"But you don't like Mu Yuan."
"It's you who doesn't want me to like him. It's not that I don't like him." Xuezhi smiled charmingly. "Good sister, think about it from your older sister's perspective. If the person you like became like Shangguan Tou, would you still love him?"
"meeting."
Xuezhi closed her eyes instantly and turned her back to her: "But I love Shangguan Tou, who is skilled in martial arts and has a dashing and romantic personality. Living with such a cripple for five years is already my limit."
"Feng Zi." Cai Cheng also stood up. "You're usually so gentle and considerate, but why do you..."
"That's because I care about you," Lin Fengzi said coldly as she left the hall.
Chonghuo Palace.
Chaoxuelou.
Cherry branches are in full bloom, and blossoms are falling. A thin mist shrouds the woods, and the cherry blossom rain is enchanting and gentle, as gentle as a lover's gaze.
A red figure darted through the flower grove.
Crimson silk, a silver-white scimitar, and a woman's long hair fluttering as she wielded an incredibly graceful and ethereal swordsmanship. Amidst the swirling cherry blossom petals, a stunningly beautiful face was faintly visible, along with deep black eyes that slanted upwards.
A flurry of blades danced, flashing like sword shadows. A chilling light slashed straight ahead, and through an intact cherry tree, a stone forest collapsed with a deafening roar.
At the same time, applause rang out from the woods.
The woman gripped her precious sword tightly, staring blankly at the woods ahead. A few strands of her thick, dark hair were tied in small, yellowish braids. She remained lost in thought until a voice sounded behind her:
"Your Highness has impressive skills."
Xuezhi took a deep breath, turned around and smiled, "Brother Mu Yuan."
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Mu Yuan's tall figure appeared under the cherry tree.
Xuezhi slashed with her sword, cutting off the flower branch that was blocking his face.
Mu Yuan held a bowl of medicinal soup in his right hand and reached out with his left hand to catch the cherry blossom branch. He smiled slightly and said, "Just move it aside. Why cut it down?"
"The cherry blossoms in this courtyard always bloom too profusely; if we don't pick some, they won't bear good fruit." Xuezhi took the branch from his hand, rushed over, and took his arm, whispering, "Where have you been these past two days? Why haven't you come to see me?"
"Wasn't I helping you with the Huashan matter?" Mu Yuan lowered his head and gently kissed the side of her hair, then stirred the medicinal soup in his hand. "Someone came looking for you. Guess who it is."
"Willow painting".
"That's clever. How did you guess?"
“Shi Yan is definitely anxious. Judging from the current situation of Huashan, he wants to make a decision: whether to get a share or to do his best to protect Fengcheng.”
"Worry about your health first. I don't know what's wrong with you, your health has been getting worse and worse these past few years." There was a hint of reproach in Mu Yuan's tone, but he still gently brought the spoon to Xue Zhi's lips. "Be careful not to burn yourself."
Xuezhi took a sip, played with the cherry branch in her hand, turned it around gently, and took the medicine: "I'll drink it myself. You go first, I'll be right back."
Mu Yuan left. She poured the medicinal soup on the ground.
Six years ago, she fell seriously ill and was bedridden for months. The doctor said it was a relapse of her old ailment caused by overwork, and that her condition was severe; if she didn't take proper care, it would become chronic. She needed to take her medication regularly and nourish her internal energy. So for the past six years, Mu Yuan had been taking meticulous care of her, urging her to take her medicine and rest. However, for some unknown reason, Xue Zhi's condition hadn't improved, and she often experienced chest tightness and coughing. She herself didn't care. As long as she didn't die, she was fine with anything.
Xuezhi leaped onto the second floor, landing on the eaves. She plucked the old flower branches from the celadon vase and replaced them with new ones. The bright spring sunshine gently fell upon her fluttering red skirt.
Inside the window, beside the bed, lay a pale blue cane, the gem at its tip shimmering with an icy blue light.
Standing on the high balcony, below, the flowers still bloom in a sea of red, like clouds. In the empty courtyard, cherry petals fluttered and fell to the ground.
Although the sunlight wasn't glaring, Xuezhi felt a distinct burning pain in her eyes. She closed her eyes and quickly left Chaoxue Tower.
Chonghuo Palace has indeed changed a lot over the years.
All four guardians have passed on their positions to new guardians. Zhu Sha and Liu Li are now married and still helping Chong Huo Palace. Hai Tang has been promoted to an elder candidate, and Tridacna, having been highly valued by Mu Yuan, has been following him closely.