Outside the entrance to the peak, there were a throng of demonic sect disciples. Leading them was a young man in gray, holding a wine jug and drinking nonchalantly, his narrow eyes half-closed, clearly a bit sleepy.
Next to him stood a bewitchingly beautiful demonic sect enchantress and the stern-faced, blonde Left Protector of the demonic sect.
The first to arrive were the elders of Baiya Peak. The atmosphere instantly grew tense, and the peak lord of Baiya Peak, Bai Henghuan, soon arrived with a helpless expression. He tried to maintain a solemn demeanor and said, “What brings the demonic sect here?”
Xie Yingxian put down the wine jug, his eyes curving into a smile, and said, “We’ve come to participate in the Sword-seeking Tournament.”
Bai Henghuan stiffened and said, “Sorry, we did not invite the demonic sect to our Sword-seeking Tournament.”
Xie Yingxian continued to smile and said, “A guest is a guest. We came from afar, and we lost quite a few people on the way. Isn’t it proper for Baiya Peak to show some hospitality?”
Before Bai Henghuan could speak, an elder of Baiya Peak behind him already scowled and retorted, “Nonsense! Baiya Peak has never welcomed you!”
Xie Yingxian laughed and said, “Last time we saved you once. Now we come with good intentions, and you treat us so unkindly. It’s really quite hurtful. I even specially prepared ten Huanchun Pills.”
Huanchun Pills are a sacred medicine used to restore one’s power, made from rare materials and extremely difficult to produce.
Although Baiya Peak had a reserve, it was all used up by Bai Yujiang, restoring some of his power but clearly not enough.
With the demonic sect bringing such valuable gifts, the Baiya Peak elders looked at each other, ready to discuss, when Xie Yingxian reported several other rare pills and medicinal materials.
After all, they belonged to Yu Ye, so he wasn’t worried about giving them away.
While the Baiya Peak elders hesitated, the sect master of Qingcheng Sect, Xu Bujing, and the sect master of Dangshan Sect, Ling Tianxiao, also arrived.
As the two sect masters arrived, their disciples began to confront each other aggressively.
“Who allowed you Dangshan people to come with us! Weren’t you supposed to be training this morning?”
“In urgent matters, we act accordingly. Look at the virtue of you Qingcheng Sect people.”
“What’s wrong with our virtue? If you dare, come and fight!”
“With the demonic sect enemy before us, you Qingcheng scoundrels still…”
“I think you Dangshan dogs are just as annoying as the demonic sect!”
The disciples from both sects quarreled noisily until their senior disciples intervened and barely managed to quiet them down.
Xu Bujing, who always kept out of worldly affairs, had a senior disciple, Mu Xuelang, who was famously good-natured. Just having received the demonic sect’s favor at the Five Sects Tournament, it was unlikely that he would come forward to pick a fight.
Usually, both Dangshan Sect and Tingjian Manor detest the demonic sect deeply. However, this time, Ling Tianxiao, the sect master of Dangshan Sect, glanced at the demonic sect leader and the demonic enchantress, and surprisingly did not look as hostile. He asked, “What brings you here?”
Xie Yingxian repeated what he had said earlier.
Ling Tianxiao asked, “Are you really not here to cause trouble?”
Xie Yingxian smiled and said, “You have many people, and we have few. If we were looking for trouble, we wouldn’t come so openly. Sect Master Ling, we’ve dealt with each other before. Although I’m not a gentleman, I’m not a despicable villain either. Since I’ve come openly today, it’s for the purpose of participating in the Sword-seeking Tournament.”
Hua Yan looked at Ling Tianxiao, who was deep in thought, and couldn’t help but recall Xie Yingxian’s evaluation of him.
When she first met Ling Tianxiao, she thought he was quite intimidating. Later, Xie Yingxian told her that Ling Tianxiao was actually a fool.
Hua Yan was puzzled, “How so?”
Xie Yingxian explained, “He might be even more foolish than our Great Hero Lu. He’s genuinely hateful of evil, simple-minded, easily trusting, and prone to being deceived. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have almost fallen into Yu Ye’s trap. Yu Ye chose him precisely because he’s foolish.”
Hua Yan was dumbfounded, “Is that really the case!”
Xie Yingxian nodded, “Otherwise, he wouldn’t have gotten married so late in life, nearly at forty.”
Hua Yan hesitated, “But you, Master…”
Xie Yingxian raised an eyebrow, “Hmm?”
Hua Yan quickly said, “Never mind!”
The Fanyin Temple usually doesn’t get involved in such matters unless the demonic sect initiates a massacre. The last to arrive was the delayed Tingjian Manor.
When Lu Huaitian led a group of disciples in black, there was no one around him, but the surrounding area was already crowded with disciples from other sects watching the commotion.
Whether there would be a fight depended on Tingjian Manor.
More than fifty years ago, when the previous demonic sect leader came, the two sides were still in a standoff. Unfortunately, the then-young and impulsive Lu Zhenxing rushed out at the slightest disagreement. As the young manor master, he couldn’t hold back, and the other disciples of Tingjian Manor naturally couldn’t sit idly by. That was how the fight started. The five major sects, sharing a common enemy, had no choice but to join in.
Although the last Five Sects Conference had eased tensions, the grudge between Tingjian Manor and the demonic sect had been brewing for years. The spectators around were all gripping their weapon handles, ready to react quickly if a fight broke out.
Lu Huaitian walked steadily, his face cold and stern, causing everyone to hold their breath.
Is the fight about to start?
Is it going to start now?
“What are you here for?” Lu Huaitian asked sternly.
This was already the third time. Xie Yingxian gestured to Hua Yan, who straightened her posture, cleared her throat, and said seriously, “We’re here to participate in the Sword-seeking Tournament. Can you make an exception for us?”
Lu Huaitian stared at her.
Hua Yan didn’t flinch, meeting his gaze directly.
After a moment, Lu Huaitian said, “If you have any ulterior motives, Tingjian Manor will surely…”
Hua Yan interrupted, “We don’t! We’re really just here to participate in the Sword-seeking Tournament and to do some good deeds along the way!”
Her casual tone startled everyone. This was too informal!
Yet, Tingjian Manor did not erupt in anger!
In fact, while the disciples of Tingjian Manor were all glaring at the demonic sect disciples, ready to strike at any moment, they hadn’t made any aggressive moves.
At that moment, a disciple of Tingjian Manor suddenly charged forward, sword drawn, heading straight for the demonic sect. However, Xie Yingxian waved his sleeve and pulled him back, grabbing the disciple by the collar. He said calmly, “Perhaps you should check if this disciple has any issues. I believe you were told not to act rashly before coming here.”
Jiang Louyue would undoubtedly have planted people to incite discord, and Xie Yingxian had no doubt about it.
During this time, he had dispersed the demonic sect disciples, instructing them to immediately intervene wherever there were rumors of demonic sect misdeeds. He also stationed people outside various small sects where Jiang Louyue might strike, ensuring that their sect’s reputation didn’t worsen drastically during this period.
But it was very risky.
Xie Yingxian threw the Tingjian Manor disciple back and said calmly, “Today, as I’ve said before, if any of my disciples provoke others, you righteous sects don’t need to act. I will personally deal with them. I hope this shows our sincerity in participating in this event. Is it enough?”
Whether true or not, he had at least shown the stance. If the righteous sects took the initiative now, they would seem unreasonable.
Even so, many couldn’t believe it.
Could there really be a day when the demonic sect would participate in the Sword-seeking Tournament? It was absurd!
Not only did they want to register for the disciple battle, but also for the sect battle!
The person responsible for registration at Dongfeng Buye Tower stated that the slots for the disciple battle were already full and couldn’t accept more entries.
Unexpectedly, the demonic enchantress, as if she knew all along, held up a Sword-seeking Tournament handbook and said with a smile, “I remember there’s a rule that if there’s any objection to the selected list, you can challenge a selected disciple before the disciple battle and seize their spot.”
Indeed, there was such a rule.
The person responsible for registration at Dongfeng Buye Tower sighed and asked, “Who do you want to challenge?”
Hua Yan thought for a moment and said, “Chu Jun, then.”
Everyone: “…??? Why not just say Lu Chengsha directly!”
Seeing the demonic enchantress eagerly preparing for battle, Chu Jun felt a headache coming on.
Ling Tianxiao, tortured by Ling Aoxue, had been keeping Chu Jun busy with Dangshan affairs, leaving him no time to properly train.
They had fought before, and Chu Jun knew that the demonic sect’s Tiancan Sword Art was wicked and difficult to counter. Winning was no easy task, and with Lu Chengsha participating this year, he had no chance of taking first place. He didn’t want to risk falling in rank, so he simply said, “I forfeit.”
Everyone: “…???”
What’s going on!
Why did Chu Jun suddenly decide not to fight? Could it be that he couldn’t beat this little girl?
Or maybe this demonic enchantress was no longer satisfied with just targeting Lu Chengsha and wouldn’t even spare Chu Jun?
Hua Yan complained, “How boring. Do you look down on me?”
Recently, Chu Jun had become more tempered by mundane affairs, his long hair hanging limply over his shoulders. He replied, “Is your demonic sect always this free, with nothing to do?”
Hua Yan protested, “Of course not! We’re very busy! But we do have an important matter to attend to this time, and we came to participate in the Sword-seeking Tournament along the way.”
Chu Jun was skeptical, “If you have any ulterior motives, I won’t go easy on you.”
Hua Yan insisted, “It’s true! You’ll see soon enough!”
As they talked, Hua Yan suddenly noticed a familiar figure kneeling not far away. Three years had passed, and his appearance had changed significantly, so she almost didn’t recognize him. It was Ning Chang, who had once tried to become Lu Chengsha’s disciple and flattered her, only to later insult her during an ambush arranged by Lu Zhenxing.
He was kneeling and pleading with a Dangshan elder, “Uncle Liu, why are you letting them in? Why not take action! Just because they did one good deed, we forget about all those who died at the hands of the demonic sect?”
Elder Liu replied, “It’s not that we’re ignoring it, but now is not the time.”
Ning Chang couldn’t hold back, “I think you all just don’t care since the high-ranking members of the demonic sect are all dead! The debt of the father should be repaid by the son! How can we forgive them so easily…”
“The sect master has already decided. Stop arguing.”
Still filled with resentment, Ning Chang begged, “At least… at least let Uncle Ling or Senior Brother Chu take me as a disciple!”
Elder Liu said, “The sect master isn’t taking any more disciples, and your Senior Brother Chu is too busy lately. You’re still full of hatred. Martial arts require a clear mind. Wait a couple more years…”
Ning Chang exclaimed, “Wait another two years! I’m already so old!”
Despite his persistence over the past three years, Hua Yan found his situation slightly amusing. She commented, “It seems you just don’t want to take him as a disciple, right?”
Chu Jun glanced over, his expression cold, and said, “His aptitude is too poor.”
Hua Yan retorted, “Your standards are really high. Do you only accept talents like Zuo Jingshuang?”
Chu Jun replied icily, “More or less. Would your demonic sect accept someone with poor aptitude?”
Hua Yan responded, “Yu Ye.”
Chu Jun was momentarily speechless, then said, “Back then, even the senior brother from Sister Zuo’s original sect wanted to join Dangshan Sect. He knelt outside our gate for a month, and we didn’t accept him because his aptitude was just as poor. Taking him as an outer sect disciple was already a favor due to his parents.”
Initially, Hua Yan didn’t think much of it, but as Chu Jun walked away with a cold expression, she suddenly realized that the senior brother he mentioned was likely You Weitian. She felt a complex mix of emotions.
No wonder he trained so desperately with those evil techniques and used sinister gu techniques like Fenghao Tian. He must have been trying to prove himself, but falling into Yin Xiangsi’s hands left him with no way back.
—
After Hua Yan finished registering, the first day of the Sword-seeking Tournament was about to begin.
At the opening ceremony, the peak lord of Baiya Peak and the master of Dongfeng Buye Tower were to take the stage. Lu Chengsha had arrived at the tournament several days earlier, but Hua Yan hadn’t told him about this matter. At least, she hadn’t directly discussed who Jiang Louyue was.
She wasn’t sure how much Lu Chengsha had figured out. But as the flamboyant red robe, more vivid than a theatrical costume, appeared, she couldn’t help but feel nervous.
Bai Henghuan read his speech like reciting a script, and then it was Jiang Louyue’s turn. Wearing a mask and dragging a long robe, he was about to speak when Xie Yingxian’s voice interrupted from below the stage.
“Master Jiang, I have something to ask you.”
“Over a decade ago, did you imprison the real Jiang Louyue and take her place, then kill her family one by one? Did you orchestrate the tragedy of the Miyin Dragon Cave to frame my sect? And what about the death warriors at the Five Sects Tournament and the demonic sect traps during the sect war three years ago… Will you admit to all these crimes, Master Jiang?”
His voice was light, but each statement was enough to cause an uproar.
On stage, Jiang Louyue, with a voice that was indistinguishable in gender, replied, “I don’t know what Sect Master Xie is talking about.”
Xie Yingxian clapped his hands.
Qi Xiusi pushed a wheelchair forward, in which sat a woman missing an arm and a leg. Her face was pale and calm, her voice slow and hoarse, “I am the real Jiang Louyue. He is an imposter. He imprisoned me for over ten years, cut off my limbs, and killed my family. He is a complete madman! I can prove my identity. Over a decade ago, when I was still Jiang Louyue, I had conversations with many of you sect leaders. Sect Master Ling, I once gifted your wife ten chests of jewels, and when you found out, you were furious and returned them. But your wife took a liking to a particular Baobao Panchi Silver Hairpin, and you had to come to me privately to buy it. Sect Master Xu, at the last Qingcheng Sect Sword-seeking Tournament, you didn’t want to appear in person, so you asked me to find someone to disguise as you and sit on stage…”
As she recounted these events, all of them were rare occurrences known to few, yet none of the sect leaders contradicted her, confirming her statements were true.
Finally, Jiang Louyue said, “My ancestor, the original founder of Dongfeng Buye Tower, created two tokens to prevent such occurrences. The one worn daily is a fake, while the real token, known only to the successor, will shatter instantly when struck against the fake, revealing the character ‘fake’ inside.”
Saying this, she raised her hand, revealing a jade token of extraordinary quality.
At the same time, the current Jiang Louyue also had a similar token hanging at his waist.
If anyone thought the demonic sect was playing a trick, now there was growing suspicion towards the red-robed master on stage.
“Master Jiang, why don’t you strike the tokens together?”
“Master Jiang, what is going on? Could what the demonic sect leader said be true?”
Even the people of Dongfeng Buye Tower started to feel uneasy.
Without a word, Jiang Louyue suddenly leapt into the air, trying to escape. His sudden flight only confirmed suspicions, and several people rushed to stop him.
Although he fled quickly, he couldn’t outrun the skilled martial artists attending the Sword-seeking Tournament. He was soon caught.
Someone reached out to remove his mask.
The bright red mask was taken off, revealing an unfamiliar male face. No one recognized him. He gritted his teeth, and before anyone could stop him, blood trickled from his mouth, and he slumped unconscious.
Someone checked his pulse and exclaimed, “He’s dead!”
No one expected it to turn out this way. The entire event felt like a farce, ending in absurdity.
Could it be that the fake Jiang Louyue mentioned by the demonic sect leader died just like that? And without any chance for confirmation?
Doubts began to arise in everyone’s minds. Some even suspected this was another ploy by the demonic sect to clear their name.
Hua Yan glanced at the man’s face, unsurprised. Knowing the demonic sect was coming to cause trouble, the fake Jiang Louyue standing there waiting would indeed be strange.
Xie Yingxian, not even sparing a glance at the man, addressed the crowd, “Fake Jiang Louyue, there’s something I don’t understand. What was written in those records you took that drove you to such madness? Why do you hate the demonic sect so much, and why do you even retaliate against the righteous path? Based on your actions over the years, my biggest conclusion is that you’ve been fanning the flames, hoping to intensify the hatred between the demonic sect and the righteous path.”
No one knew what Xie Yingxian was talking about.
He continued, “I understand your hatred for the demonic sect because of Xie Changyun and your family, but the righteous path has never wronged you. In fact, they even raised you. Members of other sects treated you with respect, never daring to offend you. So, there’s only one possibility—her death is related to the righteous path. Either you’re misdirecting your anger, or you don’t know which sect is responsible. I suspect it’s the latter, which is why you said ‘which one’ when inspecting your work at the Miyin Dragon Cave.”
“Have you found your enemy after all this time? If not, give me the clues. Maybe I can help you find—the person who killed Lu Huaixian.”
The crowd, initially puzzled by the demonic sect leader’s words, was stunned.
What did this have to do with Lu Huaixian?
Why did her name suddenly come up?
The most shocked were the people of Tingjian Manor. Some even began to suspect the demonic sect leader was trying to divert trouble their way.
Lu Huaitian stood up, his gaze coldly fixed on Xie Yingxian.
Xie Yingxian’s next words further provoked Tingjian Manor, “Using Duan Yan to invite everyone, it’s clear that only Tingjian Manor would have the least attendees. It seems you still have feelings for your sect. Although this nearly brought harm to Tingjian Manor last time, you realized it and became more discreet. If you don’t appear, I might have to say things you don’t want to hear… For example, the Xianjiang Treasure Pagoda was originally just called the Treasure Pagoda. Only after you took over did it get renamed and painted red. The original Tingjian Manor Treasure Pagoda had three floors. You burned it down and replaced it with the unique seven-story Xianjiang Treasure Pagoda. Who are you commemorating?”
“Lu Zhusheng, you don’t really like bamboo green, do you? I guess what you truly like is this bright, striking red.”
This was truly shocking.
“What nonsense are you spouting! How could it be Second Master Lu!”
“Second Master Lu, with his carefree nature, would never do something like this!”
“And you say he pretended to be Jiang Louyue and renamed the tower to commemorate Lu Huaixian. That’s ridiculous! It’s all your baseless speculation!”
“Second Master Lu isn’t even here!”
Ignoring the surrounding doubts, Xie Yingxian said, “Actually, I have a vague idea who killed her. Don’t you want to know who it is?”
As soon as Xie Yingxian finished speaking, an eerie, gender-neutral voice suddenly echoed from the sky. It was the voice of Jiang Louyue.
“—Who is it?”
The crowd searched for the source of the voice, some feeling a chill run down their spines.
“Who’s speaking?”
“Is it the fake Jiang Louyue?”
“…Could he really be real!?”
“Where is he?”
Xie Yingxian’s gaze slowly swept over the crowd. Everyone present was both startled and fearful, afraid that he might continue his wild speculations and randomly accuse someone. Yet, they were also curious about who he claimed was responsible for Lu Huaixian’s death.