Since everyone thought she was a villain, Hua Yan decided she might as well truly become a demonic maiden.
As Hua Yan pondered seriously, she saw Xie Yingxian trying to suppress his laughter. “Thinking like that proves you’re not bad enough.”
“If I were bad enough, wouldn’t I just ignore those righteous people? Wouldn’t I just…” Her tone inevitably carried a hint of urgency.
Xie Yingxian replied, “However they treat you, you treat them the same way. An eye for an eye, repay them double. If Tingjian Manor ambushes and besieges you, you strike back twice as hard. How about it, can you do that? If you really have the heart for it, I wouldn’t mind accompanying you for a try.”
Hua Yan was momentarily stunned.
Xie Yingxian smiled and said, “You don’t have to force yourself if you can’t do it. How you act depends on…” He pointed at Hua Yan’s chest and said, “Our sect’s principle is not to burn, kill, loot, and commit all kinds of evil, but to act freely according to one’s heart.”
Hua Yan was silent for a while before saying, “I want to see him, to be with him, to save him.”
Xie Yingxian said, “Then you should take good care of your body first. It’s not like you won’t have the chance.”
It didn’t take long for Hua Yan to realize that Xie Yingxian’s words were unreliable because Lu Chengsha’s current situation was not optimistic.
In front of so many people, he stood against everyone, releasing her, a demonic maiden, and fought fiercely with Lu Zhenxing. He betrayed the righteous path, colluded with the demonic sect, betrayed his master, and acted against his elders, committing the gravest of sins.
For a time, rumors spread throughout the entire martial world.
“My senior brother went to the siege of the demonic maiden that day. He said Lu Chengsha was completely heartless for that demonic maiden, even striking down his own old manor master.”
“What a pity, what a pity. A young hero turned into this for a demonic maiden.”
“I always thought he wasn’t a good person. Wasn’t he also involved ambiguously with Qin Muyan from Qiqin Tianxia? And now it’s this demonic maiden. It seems he can’t resist the allure of beauty.”
“But Lu Chengsha really endured. Despite being severely injured, he still managed to drag himself and let that demonic maiden escape. I really don’t know what kind of magic that demonic maiden has to make him go to such lengths.”
“What else could it be? Demonic maidens are all skilled in enchantment. We’re all men here; he’s probably tasted it and can’t give it up, haha.”
“Is that so? It’s truly unimaginable. I wonder how Tingjian Manor will deal with Lu Chengsha.”
“I think the lightest punishment would be expulsion from the sect. His mistakes are too severe. The old manor master might even take the drastic step of punishing his kin for the greater good. It’s a pity that at the next Sword Tournament, we probably won’t see him. Chu Lao’er must be overjoyed right now.”
It was as if overnight, he had fallen from a high and mighty favored son of heaven, an outstanding young disciple of the righteous path, to a lowly figure everyone could criticize and belittle. Hua Yan, disguised and mingling in the crowd, listened to their lamentations, regrets, mockery, and rumors. She held back and held back, but finally, she couldn’t resist kicking over several tables in teahouses.
But no matter how many tables she kicked, she couldn’t stop the incessant gossip.
At this moment, another piece of news spread: Baiya Peak was pressuring Tingjian Manor, involving an old incident.
Bai Yujiang, the young master of Baiya Peak, had been severely injured in Migu Town , likely never to recover, and several other disciples had been crippled. The sect was furious, demanding severe punishment for Lu Chengsha for colluding with the demonic maiden and… questioning who Lu Chengsha’s biological father was, suspecting that Lu Chengsha had intentionally retaliated against Bai Yujiang.
For many years, few dared to bring up Lu Chengsha’s lineage publicly. Baiya Peak’s outrage was evident.
Once, Hua Yan had tried hard to find out but couldn’t. Everyone was too afraid to speak. Now, with Lu Chengsha’s tarnished reputation and Baiya Peak fanning the flames, it all became gossip.
“Do you really not know or are you pretending not to? Years ago, Baiya Peak’s young master Bai Hengjue was engaged to Tingjian Manor’s eldest daughter Lu Huaixian. But she not only broke off the engagement but also eloped. Lu Chengsha is the child she had with someone else.”
“What? Then who is his father?”
“No one knows! Tingjian Manor kept it a tight secret. Bai Hengjue was furious. He proposed to Lu Huaixian when she was fifteen and got the engagement when she was seventeen. But less than a year after the engagement, she eloped.”
“Was Lu Huaixian very beautiful? As beautiful as Qin Muyan?”
The speaker, an older man, stroked his beard and said, “You young people are ignorant. Over twenty years ago, when people mentioned beauties in the martial world, everyone thought first of Lu Huaixian. Not only was she beautiful and charming, but she was also gentle and kind, from a noble family, yet approachable, speaking softly with a smile. She was the apple of the old manor master’s eye. No wonder Bai Hengjue wanted to marry her when she was fifteen. As she grew older, more suitors would have lined up at her door. It’s a pity… They say Bai Hengjue, even after becoming the sect master and marrying, still couldn’t forget her.”
“Bai Yujiang is Bai Hengjue’s son. Why does he think Lu Chengsha has a grudge against him? Shouldn’t it be the other way around?”
“You don’t understand. After Bai Hengjue’s outrage, he went to confront them. The old manor master of Tingjian Manor issued a kill order across the martial world, disowning his daughter and vowing never to let her step foot in Tingjian Manor again. No one knows how Lu Chengsha ended up at Tingjian Manor or whether Lu Huaixian is dead or alive. But given his solitary existence and resentment towards Baiya Peak, it’s understandable.”
This gossip captivated everyone.
“Who is Lu Chengsha’s biological father? Is Lu Huaixian still alive? How does Bai Hengjue feel about this now?”
The person asking the question was immediately given a flick on the forehead, “Are you stupid? Bai Hengjue is long gone… During the massacre at the Demonic Sect’s Miyin Dragon Cave… The current master of Baiya Peak is his younger brother, Bai Henghuan. But Bai Henghuan has always been weak-willed, always heeding his nephew’s words. This time, he must indeed be extremely furious. I wonder how severe his injuries are…”
Listening to the end, Hua Yan felt both heartache and anger—Lu Chengsha knew nothing and didn’t even care!
Bai Yujiang had carelessly been drained by the Yin Xiangsi technique. How could that be blamed on Lu Chengsha!
This only made Hua Yan more worried. If Lu Chengsha were expelled from his sect, she would celebrate. But if he were executed for his supposed crimes…
Determined, she disguised herself and headed to Jiancheng once more.
Everything in Jiancheng was as usual, with no sign of anything amiss. However, the vendor selling portraits of great heroes had silently removed Lu Chengsha’s portrait.
Hua Yan’s heart tightened. She disguised herself as an old lady, hunching her back and moving slowly, looking at Tingjian Manor hidden in the mist halfway up the mountain. There were patrols at the entrance, and even on the surrounding mountains, disciples were constantly patrolling to prevent anyone from climbing up.
She spent the whole day observing the number of patrols, their deployment, and personnel changes. If she abandoned being good, she had a chance. She could silently use poison and gu insects, swiftly killing one of the patrol teams, giving her a chance to sneak in before the next shift change.
Though there was still risk, it wasn’t impossible.
Previously, she had avoided killing, which caused many complications. They all carried signal smoke. If even one escaped, she would be discovered. Moreover, if she were caught, she’d be restricted in her actions. But as long as she was ruthless, there was nothing to fear.
She had also arranged for people to respond outside Jiancheng and had informed Xie Yingxian’s spies.
With her plan in mind, Hua Yan felt nervous and uneasy as she touched the silk fan hidden in her sleeve.
She repeated to herself: I am a bad person, I am a bad person.
As she was reciting, someone suddenly patted her shoulder. She was startled and turned around, trying to stay calm. She saw someone in a bamboo-green outfit, smiling, “Old lady, where are you going?”
It was Lu Zhusheng!
Hua Yan became even more nervous and coughed, disguising her voice to sound elderly, “I’ll be going home soon.”
“Really?” Lu Zhusheng twirled a green flute in his hand and smiled, “It’s quite late now. How about I escort you home? Where do you live?”
Alarm bells rang in Hua Yan’s mind, but she maintained her kindly smile, “I live outside the city. No need to trouble you.”
Unexpectedly, Lu Zhusheng insisted, “I’m very familiar with the area outside the city. I also want to take a walk. Old lady, let’s go together.”
Hua Yan could only shake her head gently, “I’m waiting for someone. You go on ahead.”
Lu Zhusheng smiled, “Who are you waiting for? Why don’t I wait with you?”
Seeing that he wouldn’t give up, Hua Yan thought quickly and said, “Never mind, I won’t wait anymore. I’ll leave the city with you.”
Step by step, she followed Lu Zhusheng slowly towards the city gate, clutching the silk fan tightly. The steel ribs of the fan gave her a slight sense of security—Lu Zhusheng’s martial arts skills were not great, she should be able to handle him. But what then? She couldn’t really kill Lu Chengsha’s relative.
Unexpectedly, just as they left the city, before she could figure out her next move, she heard Lu Zhusheng say, “Hunching your back must be tiring. When do you plan to make your move?”
Hua Yan was shocked, not expecting him to reveal her disguise so soon. She feigned ignorance, “What are you talking about?”
“If you don’t act, I will.” As he spoke, Lu Zhusheng reached for her shoulder.
Instinctively, Hua Yan struck back, lightly pushing him away. It was then she realized he hadn’t used any force at all. Seeing the scuffle, the hidden demonic sect disciples emerged, surrounding Lu Zhusheng.
Lu Zhusheng grasped his flute, looked around, and smiled, “Don’t be so surprised. Though I’m not skilled in martial arts, I’m well-versed in the tricks of various sects. Your disguise was easy for me to see through. Young lady, are you planning to capture me to threaten my father?”
His words hit Hua Yan like a bolt. She hadn’t considered it before, but now, she realized that Lu Zhusheng could indeed be used as leverage. Lu Zhenxing felt guilty towards his brother and was very lenient towards this adopted son. Perhaps he could be used to exchange for Lu Chengsha.
Standing tall, Hua Yan looked at him, struggling internally.
But considering that Lu Chengsha’s family had suffered at the hands of the demonic sect, and Lu Zhenxing held a deep grudge against them, her actions might only exacerbate Lu Chengsha’s troubles.
Seeing a hint of reasonableness in Lu Zhusheng, Hua Yan dismissed her men and said, “I won’t capture you. Can you let me see Lu Chengsha?”
This time, she used her own voice.
Lu Zhusheng paused, “Hey, young lady, why are you almost in tears? I can’t help you. If my father finds out, I’ll be in deep trouble.”
Only then did Hua Yan realize her voice was choked with emotion. She tried to calm herself, “Is he in a bad state now? Please, I won’t do anything, I just want to see him.”
Lu Zhusheng sighed, “If you know he’s suffering, don’t make it worse for him.”
Hua Yan said, “I’m sorry, I don’t know what to do.”
Lu Zhusheng’s previously casual tone turned cold and hard, “Want to help him? It’s simple. Offer your own head. It would calm my father’s anger and silence Baiya Peak. Then, he would be free of trouble.”
Hua Yan was stunned.
Lu Zhusheng shrugged, “He risked the world’s condemnation for you. Your supposed deep love and loyalty for him don’t seem that significant now.”
She paused, repeating, “If I die, he’ll be fine.”
Lu Zhusheng replied, “Yes, exactly. What else?”
Suddenly, Hua Yan realized that Lu Zhusheng was right. The reason Lu Chengsha had fallen to this state was indeed because of her. If not for being with her, Lu Chengsha would still be the revered and renowned Great Hero Lu, free from ridicule and scorn, and wouldn’t be subjected to continued punishment.
Lu Chengsha wasn’t afraid; what was there for her to fear?
Knowing that Lu Zhusheng might be using reverse psychology, she nevertheless didn’t want to back down.
With that in mind, Hua Yan took out the dagger hidden in her clothes and said, “Everyone else, go back. No matter what happens, don’t come out.”
“But…”
“Holy Maiden…”
The demonic sect disciples hesitated, sensing something was wrong from afar, even though they couldn’t hear the conversation.
Hua Yan commanded, “Retreat!”
Reluctantly, the disciples returned to their hiding spots.
Hua Yan lowered her head, her fingers trembling slightly, and whispered, “Then… I’ll leave it to you.”
With that, she closed her eyes, steeled herself, and aimed the dagger at her chest, thrusting it in.
However, the moment the blade pierced her skin, it was halted by a firm grip. Lu Zhusheng grabbed her arm, exclaiming, “Hey, hey, hey! I didn’t mean for you to actually kill yourself! Wait, wait! Alright, alright, I get it… Stop the bleeding quickly.”
Hua Yan looked bewildered.
Lu Zhusheng, looking somewhat embarrassed, said, “I was just joking! That idiot would give up his life for you. If you died because of a few words from me, he’d come back and try to kill me. It’s better to stay alive if you can. Unless living becomes more painful than dying, there’s no need for such drastic measures. Hurry up, I won’t look. Just bandage yourself quickly!”
Only then did Hua Yan feel the pain.
Numbly, she said, “There’s really no need…”
Lu Zhusheng turned his head away and shouted, “There’s really no need! Hurry up, I’ll take you to see him, okay?”
Hua Yan’s eyes lit up instantly. She quickly treated her wound, tore a strip from her clothing to bandage the injury on her chest, and carefully moved closer to ask, “Will you really take me to see him? You’re not lying to me?”
Lu Zhusheng, exasperated, replied, “You’re not afraid of dying, but you’re afraid I’d lie to you?”
Hua Yan thought about it and realized he was right. Even if she were to die, she wanted to see him first.
Lu Zhusheng found her an outer disciple’s outfit from Tingjian Manor. Hua Yan tied the gray headband tightly around her head, and after disguising her face to look as plain as possible, she looked in the mirror and noticed that apart from the color of the headband, the outfit was almost identical to what Lu Chengsha usually wore.
Despite the inappropriate timing, she couldn’t help but feel a subtle joy.
It felt as though she was wearing Lu Chengsha’s clothes.
After changing, Hua Yan nervously asked Lu Zhusheng, “Are you sure I won’t be discovered like this?”
He replied confidently, “Just follow me inside. You have nothing to worry about.”
Sure enough, Lu Zhusheng swaggered through the entrance of Tingjian Manor with her in tow. The guards on either side seemed not to notice them at all. Hua Yan then understood that he often brought all sorts of people in, and the guards were used to it. Following an ordinary outer disciple wouldn’t arouse any suspicion.
Hua Yan counted the steps as they ascended.
Lu Zhusheng said, “He’s in the dungeon. My father is still furious, so it will be a while before he’s released.”
Hua Yan asked nervously, “Has he been punished again?”
Lu Zhusheng replied, “No, not this time.”
Hua Yan breathed a sigh of relief.
Lu Zhusheng added, “Mainly because if he were punished again, he might die.”
Hua Yan’s heart sank, and she asked in a trembling voice, “Is he badly injured?”
Lu Zhusheng replied, “You’ll see for yourself soon.” After a pause, he continued, seemingly unable to hold back, “When I said he was willing to risk his life for you, I wasn’t exaggerating. Even when he was barely conscious, he was begging my father to spare you. It infuriated my father to no end. He’s never been so defied in his life…” He sighed deeply, “Though he won’t admit it, that fool probably really wants to see you.”
Hua Yan was silent for a moment and then said, “Thank you.”
Lu Zhusheng smiled, “Thank me? I’m not doing this for you… Let’s just say I’m getting old and felt like doing a good deed for once.”
“But I’m from the demonic sect, and you’re helping me. Don’t you…” Hua Yan hesitated, knowing well that his parents and family had all perished at the hands of the demonic sect. “Shouldn’t you hate me?”
“Of course I hate them,” Lu Zhusheng admitted bluntly, tapping his green flute lightly against his wrist and smiling at Hua Yan. “But the righteous path can be just as despicable as the demonic sect, don’t you think?”
Hua Yan nodded involuntarily, feeling that he made a lot of sense.
Lu Zhusheng laughed heartily, “Alright, young lady, call me brother and let me hear it.”
Hua Yan shook her head, “We’re not of the same generation.”
Lu Zhusheng blinked in surprise, “Wait, so you’re already considering yourself my nephew’s wife?”
Blushing, Hua Yan nodded slightly.
The lighthearted moment ended abruptly when they entered the dungeon of Tingjian Manor. While Lu Zhusheng chatted with the guard at the entrance, Hua Yan slipped inside.
The dungeon of the Zhengyi Sect was already quite grim and terrifying, but Tingjian Manor’s dungeon was even more so. Located within the mountain, it was damp, dark, and suffocatingly foul-smelling. Hua Yan had once thought dungeons were romantic places, but now she knew it depended on who was confined inside.
As soon as she entered, she was assaulted by the stench. The dungeon was dark and damp, illuminated only by occasional faint candlelight. The chilling silence was occasionally broken by faint, ghostly sounds. Unlike the Zhengyi Sect’s dungeon, which echoed with continuous screams, Tingjian Manor’s dungeon had only these subtle, haunting noises and people who seemed like living corpses.
Hua Yan carefully identified each cell, searching for a long time before finally finding Lu Chengsha in the innermost cell.
He lay there motionless, eyes closed, with a bowl of water and some leftover food beside him. Hua Yan panicked and quickly took out a silver needle from her sleeve, unlocking the cell in a few swift movements. Lu Chengsha didn’t even react.
Removing her disguise, she cautiously approached and gently touched his cheek with her fingers.
Finally, Lu Chengsha opened his eyes and stared at her without blinking, showing no other reaction.
Hua Yan whispered, “Are you badly injured?”
Lu Chengsha didn’t respond.
“Are you too hurt to speak?” she asked again, but still got no reaction.
Hua Yan panicked. Could he have lost his mind?
She lifted his head, intending to check for injuries, when suddenly, Lu Chengsha raised his head and kissed her on the lips.
His lips were dry and cold. Hua Yan instinctively extended her tongue, wanting to moisten and warm them.
Lu Chengsha parted his lips, drinking deeply from her like a parched traveler. Hua Yan hadn’t expected such an intense kiss and knelt on the ground, whimpering for a while before he finally released her. She felt dazed.
Then Lu Chengsha seemed equally stunned.
He stared at her for a moment before realizing what was happening. His voice was hoarse, “…Why are you here? You need to leave, this place is…”
Hua Yan quickly said, “Someone brought me in. Don’t worry, no one will find out!”
Lu Chengsha’s expression was still uncertain, clearly not reassured.
Hua Yan continued, “Don’t you want to see me?”
Just a moment ago, he had kissed her so passionately!
Lu Chengsha moved his lips, “…I do.”
Hua Yan said, “Then it’s settled. Don’t move, let me check your injuries.”
Lu Chengsha replied, “I’m fine.”
Hua Yan wanted to knock some sense into him. “Fine, my foot! I could smell the blood from a distance. Lie down and let me undress you!”
She then realized that apart from his head, he couldn’t move much. He had likely used all his remaining strength just to kiss her.
Lu Chengsha let her undress him. The surface wounds were one thing, but many were internal injuries from fighting, looking horrifying.
No wonder he had no strength.
As she examined him, Hua Yan cursed Lu Zhenxing in her heart. How could he be so cruel to his own grandson?
She took out a variety of medicines she had brought, first giving Lu Chengsha something for his internal injuries using a water pouch, then tending to his severe external wounds. When she felt along his ribs, she discovered several were broken. Though they had partially healed, it still looked frightening. The people at Tingjian Manor had given him only the most cursory treatment, merely sprinkling some medicinal powder on the wounds.
His ribs hadn’t been broken when she last saw him!
Looking at his injuries, Hua Yan sniffled, “I ran away, and you immediately surrendered. They wouldn’t really kill you. Just soften up a bit with your grandfather, don’t be so stubborn. It’s okay to lie a little. And if worse comes to worst, just… just don’t worry about me. You can always rebuild, why make yourself suffer so much, you idiot! Don’t you think I feel heartache seeing you like this?”
Tears filled her eyes as she spoke, her voice choked with emotion.
Lu Chengsha stared at Hua Yan without blinking.
Hua Yan demanded, “Why aren’t you talking again?”
Prompted by her, Lu Chengsha finally spoke slowly, “…It feels like a dream.”
He feared that if he spoke too much, the dream would end.