Forget about the next life, he didn't even keep his promise for this life.
He disappeared from her life forever.
The boats glided smoothly on the shimmering water, gradually disappearing into the distance.
The Weaponry Ranking Conference is coming soon.
Green grass like skirts, white clouds like ribbons. The gray-yellow trees of Shaoshi Mountain have turned green, and white flowers, like snowflakes, cover the treetops. A spring breeze blows from the top of Jiulian Mountain, carrying the fragrance of early spring blossoms from the stone archway. Speaking of the best season for martial arts competitions, it is still spring.
Master Shi Yan stood in the center of the arena, presiding over the opening of the event. He had changed a lot over the years; his martial arts skills had reached their peak, and he increasingly possessed the ethereal and otherworldly demeanor of past abbots, thus earning him widespread respect and admiration.
However, there were an unusually large number of people attending this year's Weapon Ranking Conference. It wasn't because of Shi Yan, nor because of the chivalrous and righteous Huashan Sect Leader standing to Shi Yan's west, nor because of the handsome and upright Lin Xuanfeng among the disciples in white robes, nor because of the Ciren Abbess or Danyuan Daoist who never missed the conference.
Rather, it was because she had been sitting quietly in a corner, seemingly isolated, yet also surrounded by a sect—or perhaps the sect's master, the alluring woman with black hair and red clothes sitting in the middle of the crowd.
Aside from the four new Four Protectors in their early twenties behind her, she was the youngest and most outstanding among that group. The people around her were always quite peculiar:
For example, the chief protector standing beside her, who resolutely refused to sit down, was her husband, Mu Yuan. He was clearly her closest person, and his serious attitude and expression were no less than those of the four protectors behind her.
For example, the three elders, with their respectful demeanor, seemed to be her direct disciples. And sitting among these three elders was a beautiful woman nearing forty, whose appearance was so out of place with them, yet whose expression was exactly the same as theirs.
This woman is Haitang, one of the previous generation of protectors. She was promoted to elder the day before, becoming the youngest elder in the entire line of leaders.
Strange as it may be, this martial arts family, once considered a fallen noble family, has once again become a nightmare for all the major sects. The name "Chonghuo Palace" actively and forcefully occupies the top two spots on the weapon ranking list.
There are many rumors about the reasons for Chonghuo Palace's resurgence. However, each one is inextricably linked to their palace master. And the packed venue on this day is also inseparable from Chong Xuezhi's personal attendance at the conference.
Chong Xuezhi is twenty-six years old this year. From any angle, she is young and inexperienced. But just sitting there, she exudes an aura.
Some seasoned veterans in the crowd couldn't help but sigh to their buddies, "That brat is just like her father, a carbon copy of him. So arrogant, she's really annoying." Before their buddies could reply, the man was already lying on the ground, convulsing and foaming at the mouth.
"Look at my daughter, that's my daughter." Lin Yuhuang ignored the person on the ground rolling their eyes, wiping their eyes which were clearly smiling, and sighed.
“She has really suffered these past few years. However, Xuezhi’s participation in the Weapon Ranking Conference is probably not just about showing her face,” Jieyu, who was traveling with Lin Yuhuang, said. “She probably wants to avenge Shangguan Tou.”
"That's for sure."
"She wants to kill Shi Yan?"
"No. Shi Yan will die eventually, but he shouldn't die at my daughter's hands."
At this moment, in the Chonghuo Palace's seats, Elder Wen Gu finally couldn't contain his anger and slammed his fist on the table: "Not kill Shi Yan? Why not kill Shi Yan? He stole our martial arts manuals, wreaked havoc on the martial world, opposed Chonghuo Palace at every turn, and even crippled Young Master Shangguan! If this scoundrel doesn't deserve to die, then everyone else should be pardoned! If we couldn't kill him before, that would be one thing, but now that the Palace Master and the Grand Protector have joined forces, they might not be unable to defeat him! The best time to expose his true colors, yet you—"
"Elder," Mu Yuan interrupted him, "the Palace Master has her own reasons for doing this."
"I can't understand the Palace Master's arrangements. We've endured this for far too many years."
“Shi Yan isn’t the kind of person who doesn’t strive for victory, nor is he incapable of winning first place in every martial arts competition. It’s just that he’s been holding back for that person’s sake, and also to avoid revealing that he’s practicing the Nine Forms of the Lotus God.” Xue Zhi said calmly, “Besides, if I kill Shi Yan, I won’t be able to kill the person I truly want to kill.”
"Who does the Palace Master want to kill?" Wen Gu asked impulsively, while the two elders beside him remained silent.
"The person who could make him endure such humiliation."
"Who is that person?"
"I don't know." Xuezhi rested her chin on her fingers, looking thoughtfully at the arena and the two people who had already started fighting. "But I will find out."
172
At this moment, Elder Yuchi quickly looked up at Xuezhi. But soon, his gaze met Elder Yuwen's. He closed his mouth somewhat unwillingly.
“I won’t let this person die right away.” Xuezhi gently fiddled with a strand of hair, the corners of her mouth turning up. “Isn’t there many times when being alive is more painful than being dead?” After saying that, she patted Yanhe’s shoulder: “Girl, you go up later. Win well today, don’t play like you always do, making mistakes.”
Yanhe nodded vigorously: "Yes, Palace Master!"
Xuezhi ran her fingers up her hair, all the way to the few small braids tangled at the roots: "Xiao She, you must keep your eyes wide open and watch all of this the day after tomorrow." Her smile was radiant yet carried a touch of girlish innocence.
First came the weapons ranking competition. The weapons ranking competition lasted four days, with weapons and martial arts manuals each lasting two days. Top-tier sects rarely participated on the first day, but Chonghuo Palace sent Yanhe to the competition in the third round, leaving many people puzzled.
However, when Yan He repeatedly used the "Qilin Sword" in several matches, many people saw Chong Xuezhi's ambition—the tournament rules stipulated that no matter how many weapons a person used in a match, the one they used most frequently would be listed on the leaderboard after winning. Mu Yuan had already won the top spot on the Hunyue Sword leaderboard for three consecutive years, and he couldn't possibly win two rankings by himself.
For Chong Xuezhi, having only the Hunyue Sword on the list is not enough.
On the first day, Chonghuo Palace's Qilin Sword entered the top ten for the first time, while the Water Pattern Sword, Flame Sword, and Starry Sky Sword entered the top twenty. However, in the final match, Abbess Ciren couldn't sit still and stepped in, knocking the Qilin Sword down to eleventh place.
The next day, the masters competed. People eagerly awaited the appearance of the Palace Master of Chonghuo Palace.
Xuezhi watched the martial arts competition with a nonchalant expression. Every time Chonghuo Palace was defeated, the crowd's eyes would invariably turn to her, but Xuezhi remained calm and showed no sign of wanting to participate. As a result, all that remained was her ranking steadily declining and the crowd's repeated disappointment.
As always, the first person to challenge Fengcheng this year was Man Feiyue.
As always, Man Feiyue was defeated, and Xuan Tian Hong Ling Temple was left far behind by Hua Shan.
Xuezhi had never held Man Feiyue in high regard. However, she was filled with gratitude for Man Feiyue's repeated challenges—this vicious woman, barely taller than her chest, was always thinking of avenging her most beloved disciple, doing only what she could.
Recently, Fengcheng had a son late in life and was in high spirits. Watching him humbly bow on the stage while laughing arrogantly, Xuezhi almost wanted to rush onto the stage and fight him.
But she had to endure it. The people of Chonghuo Palace knew why she had to endure it. They all knew that her goal was not just to kill Fengcheng. She wanted to kill Fengcheng and then continue to win the dual crown.
However, how to kill Fengcheng without leaving a trace at the Weapon Ranking Tournament remains a mystery.
After Feng Cheng stepped down from the ring, Xue Zhi turned to look at him. Perhaps noticing the gazes of those around them, Feng Cheng turned back, and their eyes met.
Then, Xuezhi gave him a captivating smile. Such a stunningly beautiful smile was irresistible to any man. However, upon seeing her smile, Fengcheng, while flattered, gradually revealed a hint of panic in his eyes.
Everyone knows that the smile of the thousand-year-old fox demon is both beautiful and deadly.
After the new Four Protectors were defeated and the rankings of the four sword techniques other than the Hunyue Sword fell behind, Haitang, Tridacna, and Elder Yuwen Wengu, who had sealed his sword for many years, surprisingly made their appearance. Soon, the Chonghuo Palace's Xingyao Sword, Qilin Sword, Flame Sword, and Water Pattern Sword quickly surged into the top ten.
Next, Mu Yuan took the Hunyue Sword and stepped onto the arena. He didn't come down until the very end of the final match.
The competition for the weapons rankings has ended. The large red list from the previous year was torn down in front of the south wall, and a new list, its ink still wet, was pasted up.
First place: Chonghuo Palace, Hunyue Sword (Mu Yuan).
Second place: Shaolin Temple, nunchucks (Shi Yan).
Third place, Wudang Mountain, Tai Chi Sword (Tan Yi).
Fourth place: Lingjian Manor, Xuji Sword (Lin Xuanfeng).
Fifth place: Chonghuo Palace, Xingyao Sword (Haitang).
...
Chong Xuezhi never appeared on stage. Many people left disappointed, many felt cheated, but many more were talking about the beauty of the Chonghuo Palace Master—a large number of whom said that Chong Xuezhi might just be a figurehead in Chonghuo Palace, and the real Palace Master was Mu Yuan.
Xuezhi didn't care about these things.
The martial arts ranking competition is about to begin, and she is both excited and nervous.
As the sun set, the crowd gradually dispersed. She was about to leave, arm in arm with Mu Yuan, when she saw Lin Fengzi coming against the flow of people.
Feng Zi hadn't changed; she was still as slender and graceful as a willow in the wind. However, when she saw Xue Zhi and Mu Yuan holding hands, her gaze became particularly heavy: "Sister, my father said that you came to attend the conference because there must be someone you want to get rid of."
Xuezhi smiled and said, "This is none of your business."
“I don’t know what exactly happened to you, but like I told you last time, you’ve changed a lot.” Feng Zi lowered her head, not daring to look Xue Zhi in the eye. “Do you know that everyone says you’re a great demon who will surely cause bloodshed in the future?”
"Sister, it's too early to say that now. I haven't done anything yet."
"Stop. I don't want to see you fall into depravity."
"We have things to do tomorrow, so we'll be going now."
Feng Zi stepped forward and stopped Xue Zhi: "What exactly are you planning to do? The people you want to kill are very likely good people! No matter what mistakes they made that offended you, Palace Master Xue, they also have families and relatives. How can you do such a heinous thing?"
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Clearly sensing the rising anger, Xuezhi simply smiled and said, "There are many things you don't know, and I don't want to say more."
"You... are you just starting to stir up trouble because you're tired of Shangguan Tou?"
Upon hearing those three words, warm tears welled up in her eyes. Xuezhi gripped Mu Yuan's sleeve tightly, trying to remain calm: "This is between him and me, it's none of your business."
"I've cried countless times because of your relationship, but you still betrayed him in the end—"
"I'll say it again, this is my business. It has nothing to do with you."
"It has nothing to do with me?" Feng Zi's expression turned extremely painful. She looked up at Mu Yuan, then at Xue Zhi, "All these years, I've always... I've always... What do you know?"
As if realizing she was superfluous, Feng Zi stood there awkwardly, stunned. Then she turned and ran away.
Only after Feng Zi had walked away did Xue Zhi suddenly realize what was happening and look at Mu Yuan with a panicked expression: "Could it be...could it be that Feng Zi still has feelings for you...?"
"No, you're overthinking it." Mu Yuan patted her head affectionately. "You know she's always had a princess-like temper."
The following day, the Martial Arts Tournament officially began. If the rankings on the Weapon Rankings represent a sect's strength in the martial arts world, then the rankings on the Martial Arts Tournament represent that sect's historical status. Compared to the fiercely competitive Weapon Rankings tournament, the Martial Arts Tournament appeared more cautious and fraught with danger.
As a newly established sect, Huajian Manor's achievement of ranking in the top twenties on the weapon ranking list is already quite remarkable. However, Liu Hua did not stop there, frequently appearing in the previous few matches and keeping a close eye on Chonghuo Palace's position.
Shi Yan was clearly more composed than Liu Hua. He appeared perfectly fine, showing no signs of distress.
Xuezhi still hadn't made a move all day. In fact, very few people from Chonghuo Palace had even shown up.
Just when everyone had almost given up hope of witnessing the exciting events on the final day, Chonghuo Palace suddenly regained its usual vitality. The four guardians took turns on stage, winning eight consecutive battles against major sects such as Shaolin, Emei, Wudang, Huashan, Lingjian, and Shushan. Finally, after noon, the final sect leaders all made their appearances. Chonghuo Palace also had Haitang take the stage.
"To get on the list, please invite Haitang"—this is the catchphrase of the new generation of disciples of Chonghuo Palace. Haitang's strength is no less than that of the leaders of the major sects. After successfully defeating the leader of Shushan Sect and the deputy leader of Huashan Sect, Fengcheng lightly touched the ground and jumped onto the arena.
Feng Cheng has never valued the weapon rankings; he cares more about Huashan's status in the martial arts world. Therefore, he usually strives to achieve a ranking on the martial arts manual rankings and has been holding back his strength in the past.
His martial arts skills have improved by leaps and bounds over the years, and Haitang is no match for him. In addition, Haitang was ordered to use the "Golden Wind and Sun Hand" technique, and the limitations of the moves meant that she was clearly at a disadvantage after less than ten moves. Yanhe clenched her fists and said, "This is bad, Great Protector. We may need you to come to our rescue in a little while."