"Ah—!" The women of Apothecary Valley, having never witnessed such a gruesome sight, screamed in horror and covered their eyes.
"Stop!" Xue Zi Ye shouted instinctively, throwing open the sedan curtain. "Stop at once!"
Before the words were fully out of her mouth, Lü-er, acting on the command, leaped with the agility of a rabbit. In a few swift movements, she crossed the stone formation and lunged toward Miao Feng, trying to prevent him from taking his own life—but she was a moment too late. The short dagger had already pierced his abdomen, and blood flowed out in torrents.
"…" Xue Zi Ye rushed forward, momentarily speechless as she saw Miao Feng collapse.
She knelt beside him and got a closer look at his face: he was about the same age as Ming Jie, with strikingly long blue hair. His features were refined and gentle, his eyes bright. Unlike Ming Jie, though, his demeanor, likely due to his mastery of the warm, soothing technique, radiated calm warmth, with none of the cold, sharp cruelty she had expected from someone in the demonic cult.
"Heh..." The man raised his head, his blood-stained hand reaching out as he smiled faintly, speaking in broken words. "Valley Master Xue… you… you’ve already crossed the stone formation... which means... you’ve agreed to come and treat him?"
She let him hold her hand, feeling his blood gradually grow cold in her palm. Waves of shock crashed within her, leaving her speechless—
This man from the demonic cult was as mad as Ming Jie!
Having been raised on Ice Silkworm poison since childhood, she could only imagine the immense pain and suffering he had endured over the years. But why would he still go to such lengths for the cult leader? Were all members of the demonic cult this insane?
He clung to consciousness, stubbornly refusing to pass out, determined to wait for her final answer.
She said nothing, only raised her hand and sealed the ruptured arteries in his abdomen.
"Lü-er, Xiao Cheng, Lan Lan," she called to the maids, still frozen in fear, "bring him into the valley."
As they lifted Miao Feng from the snow, he was barely conscious from the pain, but a faint smile curled at the corner of his lips. He had been right—Valley Master Xue had no fear of anything except death occurring right before her eyes.
He had won.
* * *
Kunlun, west hall of the Grand Palace of Light.
In the dimly lit chamber, two men sat in silence, staring at the dismembered corpse that had just been cleared away. The red-haired man who had just returned twirled a snake in his hands, clicking his tongue. "Good thing we didn’t act in time! Otherwise, that would have been us lying there!"
"The cult leader failed in his seclusion and lost control of his inner energy. He barely managed to suppress the rebellion from the Sun Holy Maiden’s faction and must be gravely weakened now." Tong held his sword as he leaned against a pillar, gazing at the gray sky outside. His voice was cold. "That cunning old fox… Even in his weakened state, he had the audacity to meet me in person just to keep me from suspecting anything."
Had they acted then, they could have easily cut him down with the Bloodletting Sword! But unfortunately, Tong had been deceived by the cult leader’s bluff at the time.
“Damn it, Miao Shui didn’t even send a timely message to warn you,” Miao Huo spat bitterly, frustrated. “We missed such a perfect opportunity!”
Tong's eyes narrowed as he gathered his thoughts. "Miao Shui can’t be relied upon—looks like we’ll have to plan this ourselves."
"Exactly!" Miao Huo’s eyes flared with anger as he punched his fist into his palm. "The cult leader’s in a weakened state after losing control of his energy, and that bastard Miao Feng has been sent away. Only Ming Li is left in the palace. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!"
"Miao Feng should already be at Apothecary Valley by now," Tong’s eyes darkened, turning a deep shade of purple, his lips pressed into a thin line. "Whether or not he convinces Xue Zi Ye to help, we must act before he returns. If he discovers that I’ve stolen the Dragon Blood Pearl, it’ll be too late—once that information leaks, Miao Huo, we’ll be completely exposed."
Miao Huo glared at Tong, anger boiling over. “I told you, you should’ve killed that woman! What were you thinking back then, letting her live? Now she’s a real threat, isn’t she?”
Tong furrowed his brow, unable to argue.
It was true—he should’ve killed Xue Zi Ye when he left Apothecary Valley. But why had he hesitated? Why had he, at that critical moment, allowed her to live?
Annoyed, he shook his head. Once this plan succeeded, he would have to return to Apothecary Valley. No matter what, that woman had to die—he had to sever that lingering attachment completely.
If not, it would eventually be the cause of his downfall.
He gripped the hilt of his Bloodletting Sword tightly, his voice cold and raspy. "I’ll pick a group of trusted men from the Asura Field and have them ambush Miao Feng on his way back. Miao Feng’s martial skills are formidable; I don’t expect them to succeed in killing him, but if they can delay him, it will give us the time we need to make our move."
Miao Huo nodded. "And how do we handle things here?"
"The cult leader will try to keep up appearances, pretending to be well. As always, he’ll take his grey mastiffs to the Heavenly Garden at the summit for his walk." Tong glanced toward the snow-capped peak of Kunlun, his voice frigid. "I’ll return to the Dark Realm of the Asura Field to meditate and gather my strength. Three days from now, we act."
"Understood," Miao Huo thought for a moment, then asked, "Should we inform Miao Shui?"
Tong hesitated, then shook his head. "No need. That woman’s loyalties are unclear—we can’t rely on her."
Opportunities like this don’t come twice. If they missed this one, they might never have another chance to overthrow the cult leader.
Success or death.
Anything would be better than a life spent groveling like a pig or a dog.
* * *
Far away in the snowy valley of Mohe.
In the Summer Garden, Xue Zi Ye gazed southward, her brows furrowed in thought.
It had been more than twenty days. Huo Zhan Bai should have reached Yangzhou by now—had he found her master? In eight years, she had never sought her out and didn’t even know if her master still lived in Yangzhou. She could only hope Huo’s luck would hold and that he’d find her.
If not... then there would be no one in the world who could cure Mo'er’s illness.
She sighed, wondering what Huo Zhan Bai’s expression would be when he realized she had deceived him for the past eight years.
Her gaze shifted west, and her worry deepened—what about Ming Jie? Despite the lies, despite the pain he’d caused her, she couldn’t help but feel concern for him.
Even if he had obtained the Dragon Blood Pearl and completed this mission, what kind of life awaited him when he returned to the Grand Palace of Light? Would it be any better than before, back in the Asura Field, waiting for the next bloodthirsty command like the other killers?
Ming Jie, Ming Jie... have you really forgotten everything?
Or is it that, even if you remember, it’s useless, and recalling it only adds to the suffering?
How can I ever bring you out of that darkness...
She pondered in silence, when she heard movement behind her.
"Don’t move." Without turning, she scolded softly, "The wound on your abdomen is too deep—you’re not ready to leave the bed."
However, the blue-haired man had already reached her side.
"Already healing so quickly?" Xue Zi Ye let out a cold laugh, glancing at his wound. "You deliberately avoided cutting any major arteries when you stabbed yourself, didn’t you? You were betting that I wouldn’t let you die?"
"If my death would ease your anger, I can end my life immediately," Miao Feng offered with a polite smile, handing her a short dagger and bowing slightly. "But before that, I humbly ask that you agree to travel to Kunlun soon, to prevent any delay in the cult leader’s treatment."
Xue Zi Ye was momentarily at a loss for words.
Miao Feng still wore that same gentle smile—the kind of smile that radiated peace and calm from within. The "Spring Breeze Technique," recorded in the Sacred Flame Manual, was one of the highest forms of martial arts, along with the "Iron Horse and Ice River." However, it required the practitioner to have a warm and peaceful heart. If someone with a dark and cruel nature practiced it, they would easily lose control of their inner energy.
This man had spent more than twenty years mastering the technique, perfectly harmonizing his internal energy with his character.
She looked at him, confused. "You’ve been poisoned by the Ice Silkworm since childhood, yet you willingly risk your life for him?"
Miao Feng smiled gently, bowing as he replied, "The cult leader has given me life. His grace is like that of a second parent."
Xue Zi Ye furrowed her brow. "I don’t understand."
"Valley Master Xue, you may not know, but I was once part of the royal family of Loulan," Miao Feng said with a faint smile on his face. "But when the kingdom fell, I was forced into exile. During that time, I encountered bandits and only survived thanks to the cult leader's rescue. Since then, I have devoted my entire life to him, viewing him as a father. I am willing to face any danger in his name."
"Oh..." Xue Zi Ye murmured, gazing at the sky. "So, it seems your cult leader has done some good things after all?"
Miao Feng bowed respectfully. "I humbly ask Valley Master Xue to extend her healing hand."
"Very well. I will agree to go to Kunlun and treat your cult leader." Xue Zi Ye stood up, brushing her sleeve and fixing her gaze on the young man who had been smiling the entire time. She raised a finger. "But, I have one condition."
Miao Feng nodded. "Please, name your condition, Valley Master Xue."
Xue Zi Ye smirked. "Can you make such a decision?"
"I can." Miao Feng bent down and respectfully took something from his sleeve, presenting it to her with great care. "This is a sacred artifact given to me by the cult leader when he sent me here. As long as Valley Master agrees to help, any condition you ask for will be granted."
"The Sacred Flame Token?!" Xue Zi Ye exclaimed, recognizing the object.
The iron token, forged from black metal, was heavy and glinted coldly. It was covered in dense inscriptions of an unknown script. Xue Zi Ye had heard rumors from Jianghu figures who entered the valley. She knew that this was the highest sacred object of the demonic cult, always in the possession of the cult leader.
"Well... it seems," she said with a faint smile, "your cult leader must be gravely ill."
Miao Feng remained silent.
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