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Master Tao meant that the wasteland behind the cliff was quite suspicious and should be thoroughly investigated before further exploration. Moreover, someone finally remembered that place seemed to have been the former residence of the Crimson Demon Palace, the location of the Holy Maiden who guarded the palace, and that those who had been abducted and had their blood drawn were apparently imprisoned near the Crimson Demon Palace. Some also said that the explosion that year seemed to have occurred not in the Asura Palace but in the Crimson Demon Palace, which is why the Crimson Demon Palace was destroyed beyond recognition.

However, people still went down to explore the Asura Prince's tunnel every day, though they always came back empty-handed. Among them were people from the six major sects.

When I returned and told everyone what had happened, Yi Ge's face remained calm, but his eyes seemed to be deep in thought.

It would take a lot of effort to clear that wasteland, as it was almost entirely filled with garbage.

But ever since that wasteland was cleared, strange things have been happening one after another.

First, friction increased between smaller sects, with swords drawn against each other from time to time. People in the martial arts world also have some complicated connections with each other, and the superficial peace gradually became unsustainable.

Before any progress was made, the group continued clearing away the debris in front of the back cliff. The Ghost Palace was built against the mountain, and although the slope wasn't steep, the site of the Crimson Demon Palace was at the highest point, making it unsuitable for storing such waste. However, during their previous clearing, the group had unknowingly piled up stones and scorched beams there. This was probably because a large pile of scorched beams and broken pillars had already been accumulated at the site of the Crimson Demon Palace, with rubble underneath. It was unclear whether this was the case when the palace was destroyed or if someone had added it later.

Perhaps because of the previously discovered tunnel, everyone has been extremely enthusiastic about clearing that wasteland these past few days, and the progress has been much faster. A lot of waste materials and stones have been thrown into the valley, and the wasteland has gradually been revealed.

That day, after a huge charred beam was removed, someone suddenly exclaimed, "We've seen the tunnel entrance!" It was the exit of the passage discovered in the Asura Hall that day, but it was still quite a distance from the back cliff. It was said that the Crimson Demon Hall was built against the cliff, but this place looked like the front courtyard of the Crimson Demon Hall. There were traces of a dried-up pond and artificial hill on the cleared ground.

Perhaps due to the large crowd crowding the tunnel entrance, some collisions were inevitable, leading to an argument between two people. This escalated into a factional dispute, and it's unclear who started it. Eventually, even those trying to break up the fight were drawn into the melee. Two or three days ago, I might have intervened to stop this, but now I'm somewhat indifferent. There are many others like me; besides those fighting, most of the surrounding crowd are simply watching from the sidelines.

Suddenly, Zibu next to me nudged me and said, "Look at the person in the middle, that person's knife is very strange."

I looked in the direction he was pointing and saw a very tall man among those fighting the Tianshan Sword Alliance. He was wielding a saber. Using a saber wasn't unusual, but his saber was quite peculiar—it was semi-circular, or rather, a crescent-shaped saber. This type of saber was rare in Yunyang, and I'd never heard of any sect using it, nor had I heard of any masters wielding it. However, I was familiar with this type of saber, as Western barbarian soldiers commonly used crescent-shaped sabers. I lived in Xuefeng Mountain, and although I often traveled southeast after descending the mountain, I would still visit Longwu Mountain every year or two, so I was familiar with Western barbarian weapons. Looking closer, I saw that although the man was dressed in Yunyang clothing, his face was flat, long, with narrow eyes and thick lips—a very typical Western barbarian appearance. I nodded to Zibu: "That man is a Western barbarian."

Although various martial arts sects were involved in clearing the site of the Ghost Palace, as the cleanup progressed, they eventually hired local villagers or mountain dwellers from outside the mountains to do the initial clearing work. They only started clearing the area in front of the Crimson Demon Palace themselves, resulting in countless strangers mixed in. This is why the Northern Barbarian soldiers brought by Qi Long and the Yunyang Imperial Guards I brought were able to mingle among them and dig around. Thinking about it this way, I could be certain that the Western barbarians were most likely soldiers as well. But who brought the Western barbarians? If there were Western barbarians, how could there not be Southern Dan people? This place has truly become a battleground for four kingdoms vying for supremacy, making it increasingly interesting.

But my soft remark was overheard by Nan Cong, who asked in surprise, "Princess, are you sure?" I nodded. He suddenly raised his voice and shouted, "There are Western barbarians! Everyone, surround them! Don't let them escape!"

The crowd of heroes was stunned and slowed down. The Westerner jumped up and tried to leave, but Nan Cong had already rushed over. Before he could meet the man, several more people suddenly appeared and blocked his way, protecting him as he walked away. The people holding these people were also carrying crescent-shaped blades. They hadn't noticed them before, probably because the man was exceptionally tall.

There were originally over a hundred people in the arena, with forty or fifty observing from the sidelines. Upon seeing the sudden appearance of the Westerners, some gave chase, turning the area in front of the Crimson Demon Palace into chaos. The group of Westerners headed northwest, displaying remarkable bravery, and several among the crowd were injured. Suddenly, the tall Westerner seized one of the men, pressing a curved blade against his neck, and shouted, "Back off, or I'll kill him!" The crowd paused briefly, then looked closely at the captured man; it was none other than the eldest son of the Ouyang family. It was said that the eldest son was skilled in ingenuity, having figured out the mechanisms and traps at the tunnel entrance, but his martial arts were inferior to those of the second son. It seemed he had been caught off guard and captured.

Among the crowd, some who were not coerced tried to rush forward. The tall man's blade drew a thin line of blood on the eldest son's neck, and blood slowly seeped out. Seeing this, the second young master of the Ouyang family became anxious and sharply pointed his folding fan at the leader of the Tianshan Sword Alliance who was charging forward: "If you go any further, don't blame me for being impolite." Naturally, there were also sects that were on good terms with the Ouyang family and were allied with them, so the situation became deadlocked.

The Westerners, carrying Young Master Ouyang, slowly retreated towards the gap in the back cliff. The only respected elder in the group, Master Bai, said, "Let them go. Don't let them hurt Young Master Ouyang."

In my opinion, it would be better to let them go first. If they came for the treasure, they will definitely come back after escaping this time, and then everyone will be on guard. If they don't come, then there will be one less opponent. As for the clever and resourceful eldest son, he is indispensable to the people here.

Everyone stopped chasing, except for the second young master of the Ouyang family, Nan Cong, and Sun Jing from the Lingnan aristocratic family. Although the Westerners were somewhat barbaric, they were trustworthy, and I thought the eldest young master of the Ouyang family would likely be safe. After about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the two young masters of the Ouyang family returned with Nan Cong and Sun Jing. When asked about the Westerners, they said there were actually reinforcements on the other side of the mountain. Just as I had suspected. I had no right to pursue those Westerners; after all, I had soldiers from both countries behind me.

After watching the excitement, I was about to return to the village when I saw Yi Ge standing behind me. I didn't know when he had arrived. When he saw me turn around and look at him, he smiled slightly and said, "Chunman asked me to come and call you back. It's time for dinner."

At the dinner table, Zibu and I recounted the events of the day once again. Qilong said, "I heard that Nandan has formed an alliance with the Western Barbarians. There must be a reason for that. Nandan has also been harassing the border recently, hasn't it?"

Uncle Xu nodded: "Indeed, the border is not very peaceful, and there are some minor skirmishes, especially in the areas bordering the Western Barbarians."

Yi Ge suddenly said, "The eldest son of the Ouyang family was deliberately subdued."

I turned my head, and he continued, "When I arrived, the Southern Young Master had just ordered everyone to surround the Westerners. Originally, only the Second Young Master of the Ouyang family was fighting in the arena, but after the Southern Young Master spoke, the Eldest Young Master also rushed down. However, since the Eldest Young Master rushed down, he has been blocking the Sword Alliance's swords aimed at that person to some extent, while the Second Young Master, although he also turned around, was entangled with someone from some sect. Later, the Eldest Young Master charged straight at that blade." Hmm, in that situation, how could he not be captured?

It seems that even the various sects in the martial arts world serve their own masters; it's just a matter of who is helping the Nandan people.

The next day, the corpses of the Westerners were discovered in a secluded spot on the back cliff, less than half a mile from where they had released Young Master Ouyang. Each man had a bloody hole in his throat. Master Bai, Master Nan, and Master Tao examined them closely, concluding that the wounds were either sword wounds or stab wounds, sharp and narrow. But who had the skill to kill these Westerners in one move? There were no signs of a struggle at the scene, meaning it was a sudden, unexpected attack; the men were killed before they could even react. The person's movements were truly ghostly. Some speculated, "Was it Second Young Master Ouyang's revenge? If the three-edged nail in his fan had been fired, the wounds should be similar." Everyone thought this was correct, but Master Bai only shook his head slightly. A three-edged nail should have sharp edges, while the wounds were smoother.

After listening to Yi Ge's analysis yesterday, I also felt that it couldn't be the second young master. Could it be that he killed him to silence him?

Little did we know that the deaths of these few Westerners were just the beginning.

As the area in front of the Crimson Demon Palace was cleared, people from various sects inexplicably died at the bottom of the cliff.

The martial arts heroes were also quite alarmed. Following Master Tao's advice, they formed a patrol team to regularly inspect the old site. However, as the charred remains outside the Crimson Demon Palace were removed, the original pile of rubble began to emerge, and the answer seemed to be getting closer. As a result, people would come to investigate at night, and people would perish.

After eight people died in succession, Master Tao advised that no one should go to the back cliff alone at night, and that they should at least go in a group of four or more, or better yet, not go at all.

In fact, on the later occasions, the people who went to investigate at night were also in pairs. Once, both of them died, and the other time one of them survived, but he was obviously not in his right mind. When asked questions, he only said that someone was talking in his ear, saying, "Don't bother me." Could it be the ghost of the master of the Ghost Palace?

But I didn't believe in that, and my gaze turned to Yi Ge.

Yi Ge is no different from when he first came to Da Mang Mountain. He still goes out at night, but I've lost interest in following him. He never discusses exploration with me unless Qi Long asks him, in which case he answers one question at a time. His analysis of Young Master Ouyang's matter last time was quite rare.

However, the Crimson Demon Palace was his mother's original residence, and the tunnel to the Asura Palace led to it. He must still have some reservations, right? Besides, Master Gui hasn't shown himself, but I don't believe he hasn't been to Mount Da Mang; he's probably been in contact with people in secret. But what was the motive for this murder? Revenge? But not all those who died were among those who besieged the Ghost Palace twenty years ago. And the method of killing—a clean, swift stroke to the throat—could it be him? I suddenly realized that, aside from his lightness skill, I had no idea what weapon Yi Ge was skilled in. Although he had demonstrated his "Ingratitude" sword technique with me, that's different from actual combat. And I'd never seen him use his "Heart-Blocking Palm" technique either.

A few days later, three more people died, this time the fatal wounds were not just a small wound to the throat. Perhaps it was this personal grudge that made things increasingly complicated.

Author's Note: With the remaining courage to pursue words...

Do not learn from the tyrant anonymously.

Launch torpedoes to blow up the overlord!

Chapter Thirty-One: Testing

Qi Long asked me that day, "Has Yi Ge been going out a lot lately?"

So, he had noticed it too; Yi Ge was obviously not someone he had sent out. My heart skipped a beat, and I hesitated, wondering whether I should tell him about Yi Ge's background.

After thinking for a moment, I stammered, "Brother, wasn't there someone from the Ghost Palace causing trouble at the martial arts tournament? Well, actually, what he said was true. That descendant of the Ghost Palace is Yi Ge."

To his astonishment, I told him everything I had learned in Duwang Village, and then said, "I'm only worried about two things now: one is that he wants to rebuild the Ghost Palace, and the other is that he wants revenge. If he does these two things, I'm afraid he'll never have a peaceful life."

Qi Long tapped his knuckles lightly on the table and said, "Have you asked him?"

I shook my head: "He never talks to me about these things. Well, actually, he doesn't say much to me. I don't know how to ask, and I'm afraid of getting a result I don't want to hear."

Qi Long asked again, "Wu'er, do you really like him? If you don't like him that much, you should leave as soon as possible. If it weren't for the Ghost Palace incident, I wouldn't have advised you to leave. You yourself said that if it works out, you can stay together, and if it doesn't, you can leave. But during this border inspection, I think Yi Ge can be considered a ruthless person. If you two don't get along and it's not good for him, I'm afraid he might hurt you."

Ruthless? I think Yi Ge is usually a bit aloof, but I don't see any ruthlessness in him.

Qi Long said, "When inspecting the border, Yi Ge led his men to scout ahead. Sometimes he would capture enemy people and bring them over for questioning. None of those captured ever left alive. He once said that we should not give the enemy a chance. In a battle, this is naturally not excessive, but if we act this way in ordinary times, it is somewhat ruthless."

I rested my chin on my hand and said, "So, do you also suspect that the deaths in those sects are related to Yi Ge?"

He said, "Suspicion is one thing, but we have no evidence, so we cannot make arbitrary accusations."

I asked him, "Do you know what Yi Ge's signature martial art is?"

He frowned and said, "Actually, apart from his lightness skill, I have never seen him fight anyone. In the two years he served as my shadow guard, we didn't encounter anything that required us to fight to the death. He was just gathering information and passing on messages. This time, he was at the forefront of the reconnaissance mission, and I didn't see how he fought anyone."

He was just like me; he probably didn't know what weapon Yi Ge was using either. I sat there, lost in thought, stunned.

Qi Long interrupted my deep thoughts and said, "I just asked you if you like him. He seems to treat you quite well, although he is a little distant, but at least he still protects you."

I said "Ah" and slowly replied, "I think I've just started to like him."

Qi Long sighed and said, "That makes things a bit difficult. But in the end, as long as you like it, your status doesn't matter to us. He is the young master of the Ghost Palace. He wants to rebuild the Ghost Palace and seek revenge. It won't affect us. At most, it will damage our reputation. But what does it matter whether a reputation is good or bad?"

But the Ghost Palace previously kidnapped people to collect their blood, which seems to be somewhat heinous.

Qi Long said, "Perhaps we can test the waters by simply saying that you no longer want the knife and want to return to the capital. Actually, Wu'er, I don't really want the knife that much either."

I said, "But I want to help you find a knife. If we can find Zhuhong, it's easier and more reliable than finding a master to forge a peerless knife. Actually, I'm a bit discouraged after getting involved in all this mess."

After speaking with Qi Long, I returned to my room. I had intended to continue embroidering the purse, as it was almost finished, but I couldn't concentrate. I pricked my fingers a few times and almost made a mistake with the needle. So, somewhat frustrated, I put it down and just stared blankly at the small bamboo basket where the needle and thread were kept.

Speaking of which, this little bamboo basket was left over from this house. When we found the house, it wasn't too dilapidated, and the furniture inside was complete, but there weren't enough beds for so many of us. Fortunately, spring in Lingnan is warm, so Qi Long, Uncle Xu, Zi Bu, Zi Qian, and Yi Ge went up the mountain to cut some wood and bamboo to make a few beds, and the bedding and other quilts were bought in Qushui.

While cleaning the house, we found it to be quite sturdy. The furnishings, though simple, were also remarkably durable. Even the stools and chairs had carvings, and a half-carved mallet lay discarded on the veranda. Other small items were also quite exquisite; for example, the bamboo basket I was using was intricately woven. I liked it, so I had Chunman wash it and keep it. We all speculated that the original owner had abandoned the house hastily for some reason, and judging from his demeanor, seemed to have been a craftsman.

I suddenly noticed two small brocade pouches in the bamboo basket that I had never seen before, one red and one blue.

I reached for the red brocade pouch, opened it, and inside was a white jade bracelet. Opening the blue pouch, however, I was taken aback by what I found inside: two jade hairpins, one with an orchid design, the other also with an orchid design—one a spring orchid, the other a cymbidium. There was also a folded note inside. I recognized these two hairpins; Bai Yifei had bought them for me in Longcheng two years ago. Nan Ya liked them, so I later gave her the spring orchid one. When I left Baima Manor, I left the remaining cymbidium hairpin in my room, intending to discard them. But now, how did they end up back in my hands?

I opened the note, and Bai Yifei's slender yet powerful handwriting appeared before me: "A pair of hairpins, whether it was a gift or not, should be returned to their rightful owner." Is this a complete resolution? But how did they end up in this bamboo basket? It seems he hasn't been here recently.

Thinking about it more, I remembered the scene on my birthday when Yi Mei got drunk and stuffed things into my arms; these were probably things she brought with her. Bai Yifei, he had also said before that he would celebrate my birthday, but that day never came.

I held two hairpins in my hands, feeling somewhat lost. This was adding to my unease. Should I use them or not? These were hairpins I used to love. Using them would signify nostalgia, while not using them would suggest I still cared. Inevitably, I recalled his tender and caring expression when he helped me choose and try on hairpins. What a pity, what a pity…

When I snapped out of my daze, I saw that Yi Ge had been standing beside me for a while. I hadn't even noticed when he came in. I rolled the two hairpins in the blue silk and tossed them back into the small bamboo basket, but the note fluttered to the ground. Yi Ge bent down, picked it up, and returned it to me.

His expression remained unchanged—no, he actually had no expression at all. I started to feel anxious again; it seemed he didn't care.

He said, "Wu Bao, come downstairs, Springtime dinner is ready."

I really have little patience and can't hide my thoughts; it's already a long time if I can wait until after dinner.

After dinner, I asked Yi Ge to accompany me for a walk by the stream. The sunset was in full bloom, and it was indeed cool by the stream and in the woods, although there were quite a few mosquitoes.

I said to Yi Ge, "More and more people are dying here, and it's getting more and more boring. I don't want to stay here anymore, and I don't want the knife anymore either. Yi Ge, why don't we go back to Shangjing?"

He turned to look at me, raising an eyebrow slightly: "You don't want the knife anymore? Isn't this your wish? It looks like it's about to come true."

I gave a wry smile: "Maybe I shouldn't have wanted it in the first place."

He gently hugged me and said, "If you don't want to, why don't you go back to the capital first, and I'll help you find the knife here?"

A thought struck me, and I said, "If I want it, I'll take it myself. Don't you want to go back to the capital?"

He fell silent. After a long silence, he finally said, "I have some things to do."

I asked calmly, "What is it? Revenge killing?"

He was startled and stopped in his tracks: "I didn't kill him."

I stopped and stood in front of him, raising my chin: "Maybe it wasn't you, but it might be because of you. I asked you what your plans were after learning about your past, and you said you'd help me find the knife, nothing else. Now, I don't even want the knife anymore, so why do you have other things to do?"

He remained silent. I began to hate his silence.

The forest was quiet, save for the chirping of insects. I turned to leave, but he grabbed my arm: "Wu Bao, I'm sorry."

I'm sorry, I hate saying sorry more than anything in my life, because it means he won't change his mind for me.

I shook him off, but couldn't shake him off. A sudden thought flashed through my mind, and I swiftly struck his chest with my palm. He was startled, released me, and dodged backward. But I continued my relentless barrage of blows, saying, "I hate being lied to, and I hate people who go back on their word." Even with his exceptional agility, he was somewhat flustered. I snapped, "Why are you dodging? Attack!" He suddenly stopped, no longer dodging. I struck his shoulder with my palm; although I held back the force, I still saw him sway.

I couldn't figure it out! I was frustrated, angry, and a little heartbroken, and I couldn't bring myself to strike again.

I turned away angrily, my head throbbing and my chest feeling like it was about to explode. Just as I was about to leave, he suddenly pounced on me from behind and hugged me tightly: "Wu Bao! I'm sorry, but I really can't leave."

His strength was so great that my back hit his chest, and it hurt a little. He loosened his grip slightly, turned me around so I was facing him, and quickly pulled me into his arms again, so urgently that it seemed I would run away if he loosened his grip even slightly. One arm was around my back, and the other around my waist, and I was immediately breathless from his grip. I said angrily, "I only slapped you, and you're trying to strangle me?" He loosened his grip a little, then suddenly lowered his head to find my lips, quickly covering them with his. His kiss was urgent and heavy, as if he had a lot to say but couldn't get it out. I suddenly regretted it a little; actually, I didn't care that much about those things.

After a long while, he finally released my lips and whispered, "Wu Bao, I'm bad with words and can't explain it clearly, but I really can't leave."

My heart softened, and my eyes reddened slightly as I said, "But I'm a little scared, scared that I won't be able to control what will happen in the future."

He gently kissed my lips again and said, "No matter what, I will not hurt you, nor will I let anyone else hurt you."

"Then tell me, what have you been doing going out at night lately? Is it because Master Gui is looking for you?"

He nodded and then shook his head: "Besides Master Gui, there are others. Master Gui found some former palace staff of the Ghost Palace. After the Ghost Palace was burned down, some of the former staff scattered and did not all die in the fire. They came to me, and I cannot abandon them."

I lowered my head: "So you still want to rebuild the Ghost Palace?"

He sighed: "I haven't thought about that, but I don't want the treasures of the Ghost Palace to be leaked."

Things always happen one step at a time. I think he might not want to now, but he might not want to later. I remained silent.

He said softly, "Misty Child, have I put you in a difficult position? But their appearance gave me a sense of responsibility. Also, I didn't kill those people who were wandering around the back cliff."

I can hardly imagine Yi Ge practicing the Blood Jade Technique, but for now, I don't know what to do.