The three Guardians stared in astonishment. Good heavens! His movements were so nimble and his speed so incredible that they had never seen anything like it before.
Even if the Cult Leader had been there, he probably wouldn’t have been able to catch him. If Jing Teng could maintain this level of performance under normal circumstances, his martial arts rating would have to go up another notch.
The Elder Guardian glared at Meng Liuli, looking incredulous as well. “Y-you’re talking nonsense!”
Even Meng Liuli hadn’t expected Jing Teng to be so easy to tease this time.
The smile still lingered on her face as she said casually, “Do you really think it doesn’t look that way?”
The Elder Guardian carefully recalled what had happened, and a shiver ran through his entire body.
Now that he thought about it, it really did have that sort of feel.
It was exactly like a maid accompanying her young mistress, growing ambitious and betraying her mistress before taking advantage of an opening to climb into the young master’s bed.
And that young master was no better—a lecherous glutton who refused no woman.
As for the three of them, they were merely the personal attendants who had followed their young mistress home and accidentally stumbled upon such an indecent scene.
It was heartbreaking. Absolutely heartbreaking.
The Elder Guardian snapped, “Stop imagining things. It was all because of that demoness. She was impossible to guard against and still managed to lead us down the wrong path.”
The Flower Guardian said, “I think you should stop calling her ‘that demoness’ every other sentence. It only makes us sound less confident.”
“And what’s wrong with that?”
“That isn’t the point.” The Flower Guardian said, “People are reluctant to criticize those who feed them. I’ve noticed you enjoy those desserts and drinks immensely, Elder.”
The Elder Guardian’s face turned crimson.
Alas! At his age, he had still been defeated by his appetite—and now he was being held hostage by the enemy.
Times were indeed difficult. And somehow, perhaps because of whatever Sect Leader Pei had said to her, it seemed that she had managed to grasp three parts of their Cult Leader’s weakness.
By the time Situ Zhuo emerged, he no longer looked quite so angry.
His gaze still fell upon a certain spot, however, and the other three immediately understood that it must be where Protector Jing was hiding.
Who would have thought he had hidden so far away this time?
Perhaps he sensed Situ Zhuo’s penetrating gaze through the ground. Protector Jing held out for a while, but in the end, he reluctantly crawled out from beneath the earth.
He looked exactly like a maid who had climbed into her master’s bed and now had no choice but to face her young mistress’s interrogation.
When his entire body emerged from the ground, his head was bowed so low that he looked timid and pitiful.
The sight was completely at odds with his massive physique, creating a strangely comical effect.
At that moment, Meng Liuli and the other two Guardians completely forgot about their comradeship and watched the spectacle with keen interest.
Situ Zhuo asked Protector Jing in a deep voice, “Why didn’t you resist just now?”
Protector Jing stammered for a long while before finally answering with disarming honesty. “I couldn’t break free!”
That response made not only Situ Zhuo but the other three laugh as well. Fortunately, their Cult Leader was already angry, so they didn’t dare actually laugh aloud. Otherwise, their composure would have shattered on the spot.
Situ Zhuo was furious. “Couldn’t break free? Among the younger generation of our Holy Sect, you have the greatest physical strength.”
“Are you saying that the strongest Guardian in our Holy Sect was nothing more than a helpless weakling in front of that dead woman?”
“Look at your build, then look at hers. And you still dare argue with me?”
Protector Jing was terrified. Naturally, he didn’t dare let the Cult Leader question his loyalty.
He was an honest and straightforward man, and he had no idea how to talk his way out of such a situation.
Although he found it mortifying, he still gritted his teeth and told the truth. “The moment she put her hands on me, my body went limp.”
“I couldn’t raise my arms or legs. It was as if she had used some kind of evil technique on me.”
“Once I finally recovered, my body felt strange again. My heart was pounding wildly, and I felt empty, as though I had been yanked up into the air and was bobbing helplessly, unable to find solid ground.”
“Then I couldn’t gather my inner energy either. If I had been able to circulate my inner force successfully, I would definitely have driven her away with a palm strike.”
The three Guardians all drew in a sharp breath and stared at Protector Jing in disbelief.
Did this idiot even realize what he had just said?
Their Cult Leader was already burning with jealousy and interrogating him, yet he had gone and described in detail exactly how that demoness had toyed with him.
He looked utterly foolish, but he had just spilled every last detail of that private and suggestive encounter. The fact that the Cult Leader hadn’t immediately struck him dead was proof of how much trust he placed in him.
But the three Guardians had underestimated not only Protector Jing, but also their Cult Leader.
After hearing Protector Jing out, Situ Zhuo actually looked as though he found the explanation reasonable.
He even nodded and said to Protector Jing, “That is true. That dead woman is very good at getting people under her thumb.”
“I have no idea where she learned such abilities. No matter how formidable your martial arts are, once you fall into her hands, you can only meekly submit.”
“Your cultivation is still somewhat lacking. It’s hardly surprising that you fell into her trap. I would have found it strange if you had managed to withstand her.”
“After all, even I—”
Fortunately, he realized at the last moment that he needed to preserve his dignity as the Cult Leader. Under the four Guardians’ eager, craning necks, he abruptly swallowed the rest of his sentence.
When the topic ended so suddenly, Protector Jing merely wanted to confirm that he wasn’t the only unlucky victim. The other three, being more worldly, could only feel deeply disappointed.
Situ Zhuo’s face flushed inexplicably. Embarrassed and furious, he vented his frustration on Protector Jing. “Even if you couldn’t break free, couldn’t you have called for help?”
At this point, Meng Liuli and the other two all felt that their Cult Leader was being unreasonable.
If Protector Jing had really shouted for help, how would he ever be able to show his face again?
He probably wouldn’t have had a place in the entire martial world. At least Jiang Xun had become famous far and wide, which was something people could envy.
But what would Protector Jing have had?
A “demonic cult fiend” visiting a prestigious orthodox sect, pinned down and toyed with, unable to break free, and reduced to shouting for help?
Then everyone from the Pei family would come rushing in, only to find him with his clothes half undone, thoroughly bullied, and sobbing piteously?
The imagined scene was simply too beautiful to bear. All three Guardians shuddered in unison.
Protector Jing, however, hadn’t considered any of that. He simply didn’t want to, and answered his Cult Leader directly, “It would have been too embarrassing.”
“Besides, I don’t know how to ask for help.”
Situ Zhuo’s heart softened.
That was true. The subject had suddenly become rather heavy.
Protector Jing was now at the age of twenty, and had been born after the Holy Flame Cult was defeated and forced to flee westward into the regions beyond the Central Plains.
Life had been anything but easy for the followers born afterward, under the harsh and oppressive rule of the Old Cult Leader.
Their training environment had been brutal from childhood. To bring out their potential, they had routinely been threatened with death.
Children of Protector Jing’s generation had been forced to fight and compete for survival from a very young age. They could not afford even the slightest weakness.
Any trace of hesitation or distraction would have meant that they were already nothing more than a pile of yellow earth.
Protector Jing’s naïve and straightforward nature was partly the result of growing up under such intense pressure. Apart from focusing on martial arts, he had never had the luxury of harboring any other thoughts.
Situ Zhuo felt considerable pity for him and could not bear to reopen that wound.
But he was still carrying a bellyful of anger, so he continued grumbling inwardly.
In the end, he petulantly scolded, “Then you should have tried something else!”
Protector Jing’s face suddenly lit up with pride. “I did.”
“You did? What did you do?” Meng Liuli asked cautiously.
“I begged for mercy,” Protector Jing said.
He looked as though, although he had been powerless to resist, he had at least remained utterly loyal to his Cult Leader.
A moment later, the smugness on his face suddenly turned into dejection. “But the moment that woman heard me beg for mercy, she seemed to become even more excessive.”
When Situ Zhuo heard this, he unexpectedly felt that he had found a kindred spirit. For a moment, he even forgot that he was supposed to deal with Protector Jing.
They immediately joined forces against their common enemy. “Exactly! That dead woman is vicious and twisted at heart.”
“The more I beg for mercy, the more she pushes her luck. Even I—cough, cough! Of course, that’s only because I spoiled her. Otherwise, how could she possibly get away with being so insolent?”
Protector Jing looked at his cult leader with an expression that practically said, You understand me, don’t you?
“Mm-hmm! Exactly! I truly can’t understand how a woman born into a prestigious orthodox sect could have such a warped mind.”
Third Protector: “...”
These two idiots—did they even know what they were talking about?
Fortunately, there were no outsiders present. Even if they embarrassed themselves, at least it was the members of their own Holy Cult who would be burying their heads under the covers in front of their fellow disciples.
Still, the three of them now understood one thing clearly: from this day onward, they absolutely could not allow these two to discuss romantic affairs in public.
The pair’s utter lack of common sense was simply astonishing. If they were allowed to continue unchecked, given the way the martial world loved to watch a spectacle, their Holy Cult could forget about establishing any prestige.
Regardless of how bizarre the situation was, at least everyone’s emotions had been soothed.
Situ Zhuo began disguising Protector Jing, while Pei Liang made her way to Xia Yunsha’s courtyard.
At that moment, a maid was helping Xia Yunsha change into a thin, drab gray outfit. Her hair had been tousled, and her face had been smeared with dirt.
Xia Yunsha had no idea how she was supposed to react to any of this.
Other prisoners who had endured endless torture were usually hastily washed and tidied up when the time came to put on a show.
In her case, however, things were exactly the opposite. During her seven days at Zhan Yue Manor, she had eaten well and lived comfortably.
Although she had been too worried about her life to make any demands, the Pei family had provided her with treatment no less luxurious than that given to the daughters of official families.
Every day, she bathed in fragrant water, wore fine clothes, and ate delicacies. If not for the execution awaiting her seven days later, Xia Yunsha might have been so comfortable that she would never have wanted to leave.
Perhaps she had developed a case of Stockholm syndrome. When Pei Liang entered, the hostility had disappeared from Xia Yunsha’s face.
Instead, she looked pitifully at her and asked, “I-I’m going somewhere next?”
“Didn’t I already tell you? You’re only taking a trip before the ancestral shrine.” Pei Liang smiled sweetly. Then she flicked a small pill into Xia Yunsha’s mouth.
Xia Yunsha swallowed it instinctively, then cried out in alarm. “What is that?”
“Poison,” Pei Liang replied. “If you try to escape, you’ll suffer unbearable pain for forty-nine days before your entire body slowly rots away. It won’t last a day longer, nor a day less.”
As she spoke, she smiled kindly. “Believe me. By the third day, you’ll understand that being killed with a single stroke would be far more merciful.”
Xia Yunsha immediately burst into tears. “But I wasn’t planning to run! Please, give me the antidote!”
Pei Liang comforted her. “Be good. It’s only there as a precaution. What if your sect comes to rescue you and you lose your head and run off with them?”
“If you behave yourself, I’ll naturally give you the antidote when the time comes.”
It was only a candy pill, enough to fool a child like Xia Yunsha.
Xia Yunsha was clever, though. She immediately picked up on Pei Liang’s implication and looked at her expectantly. “That means you won’t kill me, right?”
Pei Liang replied, “Unless something unexpected happens, I naturally couldn’t bear to let such a beautiful young woman like you perish.”
Then she added, “However, once we’re before the ancestral shrine, you may speak only when I tell you to. Understand?”
How could Xia Yunsha dare disobey? She was certain that if she opened her mouth and started shouting then, Pei Liang would cut her down before she could finish even two words.
After all, she had personally witnessed the people who came to rescue her suddenly lose their heads right before her eyes.
It was obvious how thoroughly Pei Liang had prepared everything.
* * *
By then, the guests had begun arriving one after another. They were mostly the same people who had come to offer condolences after the deaths of the Pei family father and son.
The only difference was that Abbess Yuqing of the Emei Sect and Sect Leader Qiu of the Wuji Sect were absent. In their place were even more uninvited guests who had come under the noble pretext of paying respects, though each harbored ulterior motives.
It would not be entirely fair to say that these people’s intentions were impure.
On the public side of things, they were naturally wary of the growing entanglement between the Pei family and the Demon Cult, and afraid that the balance of power might change.
When the Demon Cult Leader and the four guardians had personally escorted the murderer who had killed Sect Leader Pei’s father to the Pei residence to discuss matters concerning the Han family and the Three Divine Weapons, quite a few people had taken secret pleasure in the situation.
The Pei family had risen too rapidly over the past two years, and the emergence of the Zhan Yue Sect had naturally diminished the influence of the other great clans.
If the Demon Cult helped suppress them a little, that would not necessarily be a bad thing.
Fortunately, the Demon Cult did not seem inclined to launch a direct attack on the orthodox sects. Its previous actions had at least been justifiable on the surface.
These people did not wish to see the Pei family utterly destroyed and the fragile peace of the martial world shattered. At the same time, they hoped the Pei family would suffer a minor setback and have its momentum checked.
No wonder the Demon Cult’s schemes worked every time against people with thoughts like these.
Yet the Pei family had not clashed with the Demon Cult at all. According to rumor, the two sides had even spoken quite amicably, with Sect Leader Pei supposedly expressing immense gratitude toward Situ Zhuo.
The Pei family had even invited him to stay and witness the execution of the criminals.
The Demon Cult had accepted the invitation readily. For a time, many people in the martial world began to worry that the two sides might form an alliance and upset the existing balance.
Neither the Demon Cult nor the Pei family in its current state was easy to deal with.
If they joined forces, how many more people would Situ Zhuo need to win over before he could face the entire martial world without fear?
That was, of course, the important official reason.
As for the other reason—the one no one could openly mention—it was that everyone still vividly remembered how much fun they had had watching the Pei family’s drama three years earlier.
Those who had missed it had all regretted it bitterly afterward. So this time, regardless of their relationship with the Pei family—even those who had long been at odds with the Pei father and son—had brought lavish gifts.
For a while, the Pei residence was positively overflowing with splendor, making it seem as though the father and son had enjoyed wonderful popularity while alive.
The Jiang and Cao families naturally would not miss such an important occasion. Jiang Xun, however, had not come this time.
Just as Pei Liang had said, he had gone off to seduce another man’s wife. He was spending his own money and offering his own body to gather intelligence for his fiancée and her lover.
The Demon Cult delegation had already taken their seats, naturally in the place reserved for honored guests.
Today, Cult Leader Situ seemed much more composed than before and did not say much.
Nor did anyone nearby approach them to exchange greetings. This was a memorial ceremony for the Pei father and son, and the most powerful figures—the Great Monk and the Old Beggar—had not come.
Given their seniority, they generally did not appear unless the entire martial world was involved in some major matter. They certainly would not come merely to join the crowd and watch a spectacle like ordinary busybodies.
Thus, no one present could identify the difference between this “Situ Zhuo” and the one they had seen that day merely from his gait or appearance.
The real Situ Zhuo, after appearing as Protector Jing, had concealed himself underground right before countless pairs of eyes.
Everyone had witnessed his peculiar techniques and was inevitably on guard, but no one had imagined that he had merely used a simple illusion.
A moment later, he appeared in public alongside Pei Liang in the identity of Han Weiliu.
The two of them immediately drew everyone’s attention.
Judging solely by their appearance, they truly looked like a perfect couple.
After all, they were an unmarried couple to begin with. Even if people had never heard about their previous affair, the two of them looked well matched together. As for this tangled relationship, everyone in the martial world already knew about it.
For a moment, quite a few busybodies turned their gazes toward the Jiang family again. Although the Jiang family looked grim, they had actually swallowed their anger and let it pass.
Some people began whispering among themselves.
“Indeed, thirty years in the east of the river, and thirty years in the west.”
“Think back to three years ago, when Sect Leader Pei’s father and brother passed away. The Jiang family showed no decency at all and started making trouble in front of the coffins, trying to take advantage of the Pei family.”
“They bullied her because she was just a lone girl with no one to stand up for her. And now? She’s openly cheating on Jiang Xun right in front of the Jiang family, and they don’t even dare make a sound.”
“Hey! The main issue is that Jiang Xun has no moral standing. If he himself had any backbone, Sect Leader Pei wouldn’t have treated him with such utter contempt.”
“Oh, give me a break. What face does the Jiang family have left?”
The Jiang family’s fists clenched so tightly they nearly cracked.
The female heroes surrounding them, however, had all kinds of reactions.
Some looked at Pei Liang with admiration for standing up for Jiang Xun. Some gazed at Han Weiliu’s appearance and bearing with undisguised envy. Others saw this as an opportunity to persuade Jiang Xun to dissolve his engagement with them.
If many sects hadn’t been worried that their female disciples might run into Jiang Xun and embarrass themselves, there would have been even fewer female heroes who had interacted with Jiang Xun in the past. In that case, the atmosphere at the gathering would have been even more delicate.
Some particularly farsighted people had begun snatching the best seats for watching the spectacle as soon as they arrived.
But there were only so many seats. Naturally, people began fighting over them.
Two sects with old grudges between them even nearly came to blows, though fortunately, someone intervened in time.
Some wealthy sects simply scattered money to clear a path. For a small memorial gathering, the front-row seats were actually more coveted than those at a concert by a top celebrity in later generations.
If Pei Ye and his father could see how popular the people behind them were, they would probably be moved to tears.
Once everyone was seated, Pei Liang, as the host, stepped forward.
She began with a series of conventional formalities, expressing her gratitude for everyone’s arrival and saying that her father, if he knew of it from beneath the earth, would be eternally grateful.
Then, without any unnecessary ceremony, she had Xia Yunsha brought out under guard.
Most people in the martial world were unfamiliar with Xia Yunsha. After all, three years ago, she had merely been a petty thief from a second-rate sect.
Now, although the girl had a pair of lively eyes, she was disheveled from head to toe. Short and thin, she looked thoroughly unremarkable.
The crowd began discussing her.
“So that’s the murderer who killed Sect Leader Pei’s father and brother?”
“You really can’t judge a person by appearances. Who would have thought the Former Sect Leader Pei, a man clever all his life, would ultimately fall victim to such a pitiful little trap?”
That was already a charitable way of putting it. Who in the martial world didn’t know that the Pei father and son were lecherous?
Moreover, when Pei Liang had announced the cause of their deaths back then, she had not stated it outright, but her hints had been more than clear enough: they had been overcome by lust and ambushed as a result.
Ultimately, they had died because they could not control the two ounces of flesh between their legs. Among the leaders of the prestigious orthodox sects, the deaths of the Pei father and son were likely among the three least dignified.
When many people had come to pay their respects, they had been thinking, “The Former Sect Leader Pei was a respectable man while alive. I’ll spit on him inwardly, then leave.”
But now that they had seen Xia Yunsha, the people present were not particularly eager to shout for her death or demand that she be punished.
After all, Sect Leader Pei herself looked completely composed, without the slightest trace of rage on her face.
It was nothing more than a way to preserve the family’s reputation.
Just as everyone had expected, after Pei Liang introduced Xia Yunsha’s identity and sect, she said, “Recently, Cult Leader Situ sent this woman to my Moon-Slaying Sect, finally resolving the predicament my family had faced for so long—the inability to track down the murderer responsible for my father and brother’s deaths.”
“However, there were many suspicious points surrounding their deaths. Therefore, over the past seven days, I conducted a thorough interrogation of Miss Xia from every possible angle.”
That’s one way to put it. Just look at what you beat the poor girl into!
Pei Liang continued, “Sure enough, I had always found it strange. How could a young woman with such mediocre martial arts have successfully ambushed my father and brother, whose internal cultivation was so profound? And how had she managed to escape from a heavily guarded prison?”
“These questions have tormented me for the past three years, leaving me unable to sleep at night.”
The crowd’s expressions turned serious. Those doubts had existed from the very beginning. In theory, a petty thief like Xia Yunsha could never have accomplished all that on her own.
But Han Weiliu had also been there at the time, so many people had naturally assumed that Han Weiliu had helped her.
Yet Han Weiliu was standing perfectly well beside Sect Leader Pei at that very moment, looking as though he knew nothing about the matter either.
Then, recalling that Sect Leader Pei had once informed the Four Gates and Eight Sects about the Fentian Sect spy she had uncovered, the crowd realized that Pei Liang’s deliberate mention of the matter most likely meant she had gained some new information regarding the Fentian Sect.
Everyone grew excited. After all, ever since the great purge of the various sects three years ago, every martial arts sect had been trying to dig up information about the Fentian Sect.
The Wangqiu Sect, Xia Yunsha’s former sect, had naturally been investigated repeatedly as well, but nothing useful had ever been uncovered.
Someone impatiently asked, “What was the result, Sect Leader Pei? Could it be that you really managed to extract the whereabouts of some Fentian Sect remnants from this woman?”
Pei Liang revealed a confident smile, causing the hearts of the people hiding in the shadows to leap into their throats.
If anyone else had acted so assuredly, they might have scoffed, confident in their disguises and concealment. But when it came to Pei Liang, they no longer dared place such faith in themselves.
Some had already silently readied concealed weapons. Just as everyone assumed Pei Liang would finally get to the point, she suddenly seemed to remember something.
“Oh, right! Before that, I should warn everyone: while you are inside Moon-Slaying Manor today, do not consume anything except the food and water you brought with you.”
Some of those present had just lifted their teacups, while others were holding pastries, melon seeds, or other snacks.
They had not even had time to take a bite when they froze upon hearing Pei Liang’s words.
“Why is that?”
“Because it’s poisoned!”
Pei Liang casually dropped a bombshell into the gathering.
Those holding pastries or melon seeds, and those who had already taken a sip of tea, immediately reacted as though they had been scalded. Some threw away what they were holding. Others spat out what was in their mouths, then hurriedly untied their water pouches and frantically rinsed their mouths.
Pei Liang did not seem to mind in the slightest. She even paused to wait for everyone to finish dealing with the situation.
Someone, still shaken, asked, “Sect Leader Pei, are you saying that the food and drinks provided to the guests by the Moon-Slaying Sect are poisoned?”
Pei Liang smiled. “It’s not that my Pei family deliberately wished to give our guests poor hospitality. After all, these tea leaves and pastries cost a considerable sum. Although my family has prospered in recent years thanks to everyone’s support, we have not become so extravagant as to spend like this without reason.”
That was true. The tea was of the highest quality, the sort of premium tea that even the various sect leaders kept for their own enjoyment. Compared with it, their personal collections seemed inferior, let alone those exquisite and delicate pastries.
Fortunately, there was no such thing as taking photographs and posting them to one’s social media in those days. Otherwise, the refreshments the Pei family served their guests would definitely have become the kind of thing countless socialites would pool their money to come photograph and show off.
Pei Liang continued, “The Fentian Sect has remained hidden until now. It still has countless experts under its command, and its methods are impossible to guard against.”
“Since yesterday, everyone in my Pei family has been instructed not to consume any food or drink.”
“We adults are strong and healthy, so going without food or water for a day or two is not a serious matter. But the young disciples of the sect have truly suffered.”
Everyone erupted in an uproar. So the Pei family had already been infiltrated by the Fentian Sect to such an extent?
They had come today already wary of the ambiguous relationship between the demonic sect and the Pei family, but their attention immediately shifted to the Fentian Sect.
“How could this be? Has Moonrend Manor truly become so besieged on all sides?”
“Sect Leader Pei, do not panic. If Fentian Sect remnants have already infiltrated this place, we will certainly join you in apprehending them.”
A grateful smile appeared on Pei Liang’s face. “It is best that everyone understands.”
Everyone assumed she was finally going to return to the main topic and reveal what she had learned from Xia Yunsha.
Unexpectedly, she simply took advantage of the situation and said, “Since that is the case, there is indeed a favor I must ask of everyone.”
She truly did not hold back.
As soon as she finished speaking, a line of Pei household maids filed in, each carrying a sizable tray.
On each tray were dozens of bottles and jars, all of uniform size. Those with keen noses could even detect the fragrance of flowers.
Perplexed, someone asked, “Sect Leader Pei, what is this—”
“This is a new product developed by the Pei family. It is called ‘makeup remover.’ Soak a cloth with it, and it will remove the makeup from your face. This is the most potent version. Even heavy makeup can be removed instantly.”
Everyone was rendered speechless by her utter disregard for convention. They had been discussing Fentian Sect spies threatening the entire martial world.
Never mind that this was also the anniversary of your own father’s death.
Was it really appropriate to use the momentum of the occasion to promote a product?
Yet some people’s expressions changed. A few even shifted their feet. But the moment they moved, Pei Liang raised her voice.
“Stop!”
Her voice carried powerful inner force. Pressure swept over everyone, startling them. Under that imposing presence, they instinctively froze for several seconds.
Then they heard the faint hint of a smile in Pei Liang’s voice. “From this moment onward, anyone who dares to take even one step from their position will be considered a Fentian Sect spy.”
“Kill without mercy!”
The sect leaders of the Four Sects and Eight Schools present were highly skilled and remained relatively unaffected. But for everyone else, their hearts pounded, and they could not summon the will to resist. It took them quite some time merely to recover from the intimidation.
Those with sharp eyes had already noticed that Pei Liang’s elder uncle, Pei Ye, who had returned three years ago and displayed unparalleled martial prowess, was sitting beneath a tree outside the ancestral hall.
He held a stone in his hand and was carefully carving it, as though he were completely indifferent to everything happening around him.
Yet everyone understood that if anyone dared to make a reckless move, he truly would obey his niece’s command and execute them on the spot.
Not to mention the solemn-looking elite members of the Pei family standing nearby.
Some people were inwardly resentful, believing that the Pei family was using its strength to oppress them.
But before they could voice a challenge, Pei Liang said, “I apologize for the offense. I ask that everyone remain calm.”
“There are simply too many spies who have infiltrated us today. They may be among you or me, so before announcing the important matter, we have no choice but to take precautions.”
Everyone was startled.
If they had assumed the poisoning earlier was merely a display of the Pei family’s vigilance, then if what Pei Liang said was true, they had now reached the point where the truth was finally being exposed.
The only difference was that one side was in the open, while the other remained hidden.
Pei Liang had been leading them by the nose, making them confront a powerful enemy they had been completely unprepared for.
Those who had come merely to watch the excitement were beginning to regret it.
The carefree ease they had felt at the beginning was gone. Everyone was now on guard against those around them, as though a battle might erupt at any moment.
Those who had worked closely with the Pei family over the past two years and had built good relationships with them, however, trusted Pei Liang’s words completely.
Several sects immediately took a few bottles of makeup remover, poured it onto the soft cotton cloths that had been prepared, and scrubbed their faces furiously.
They rubbed until their entire faces were red. Then one of them held up the somewhat dirty cloth and said, “At a time like this, exposing the Fentian Sect remnants is what matters. We are all martial artists—why put on airs?”
“Even if Sect Leader Pei’s methods are forceful, these are extraordinary times that call for extraordinary measures.”
Once someone had taken the lead, the others readily followed.
Han Weiliu could be considered the most accomplished disguise master of his generation. Unless someone in the Fentian Sect had, like him, created an equally convenient disguise technique and selflessly shared it with countless disciples, the possibility was extremely remote.
Otherwise, they would still have to rely on disguising materials.
And those materials could not escape the ravages of the makeup remover.
Everyone began using the makeup remover in groups. Some people exchanged a glance with one another before suddenly getting to their feet and rushing outside.
The hidden spies were exposed at once. Seeing this, some people tried to rise and pursue them, while others attempted to fish in troubled waters.
But before they could make a move, a sharp crack rang out.
Pei Liang had thrown her cup to the ground. In a clear voice, she said, “I said that anyone who dares to leave their position will be killed without mercy.”
The next instant, the people who had deliberately revealed their intentions to create chaos and give their accomplices an opportunity to escape had not even made it out the door before two bloody holes appeared in their foreheads.
Pei Ye had made the attack. He had killed both men in an instant without changing his posture in the slightest.
After withdrawing his hand, he resumed carving the jade in his grasp, the carving knife rising and falling in steady strokes.
Several others tried to escape amid the chaos, or lunged toward Xia Yunsha. Some were suddenly assaulted by a storm of razor-sharp blades, while others turned deathly green, clutching their throats and struggling to breathe.
It was obvious that the two Guardians of the demonic sect had made their moves.
The chaos had not even begun before it was suppressed with overwhelming force.
No one dared to act rashly, afraid of being caught in the crossfire. The people hiding among them, meanwhile, hated Pei Liang to the core.
By now, the exposure of the infiltrators present was unavoidable. They did not even need to proceed to the final step.
Quite a few people had already revealed their flaws, and the number of spies dragged out into the open left everyone in an uproar.
Because the Pei family had taken precautions and maintained strict defenses from the beginning, there were essentially no infiltrators within the Pei household itself. Most of them had come in alongside the various sects.
Several sect leaders were shocked. “How could they be impostors? You demonic fiends—what have you done with the disciples of my sect?”
The captives were already under control, yet malicious smiles appeared on their faces.
At a glance, it was clear that the sect disciples had probably met with disaster.
Now that the Fentian Sect remnants had been exposed, there was no reason for them to restrain themselves. They glared venomously at Pei Liang.
“Parlor tricks. Do you really think this will be enough to stop us?”
Pei Liang smiled. “Indeed. A thief may guard against capture for a thousand days, but how can one guard against a thief for a thousand days?”
“We have been constantly on our guard, which leaves us at a disadvantage. If the Fentian Sect were to take a different path and come up with something beyond the expectations of ordinary people, then it would truly be impossible to defend against everything.”
A smug expression appeared on the captive’s face, and the fanaticism in his eyes grew even stronger, as though he possessed absolute faith in his sect.
But although Pei Liang spoke those words, her expression showed no sign of difficulty or unease.
A knife suddenly appeared in her hand. She hurled it toward Xia Yunsha, sending it straight at her face.
The Fentian Sect disciples’ eyes widened with fury. They had never expected her to resort to such a decisive move—to strike at the root of the problem.
From the beginning, she had maintained an evasive, half-hearted posture, as though she intended to use Xia Yunsha to accomplish some ulterior purpose.
To expose the Fentian Sect’s true identity, they needed Xia Yunsha’s testimony. Moreover, Pei Liang’s behavior bore some resemblance to Jiang Clan’s intentions back then: using the demonic sect to unite the orthodox martial world and seize temporary command.
Although the people working in the shadows had repeatedly been infuriated and suffered heavy losses because she refused to play by the rules, they had remained relatively calm.
But when she caught them completely off guard and made them realize that, in order to maintain her advantage, she was capable of anything—and that she would strike directly at their vital points—even the most deeply concealed among them could no longer sit still.
Seeing that Xia Yunsha was about to die beneath the blade, one figure suddenly appeared and caught the knife hurtling toward her. Given Xia Yunsha’s importance, there had been no time to think it through.
Pei Liang smiled. “So there really are still people you haven’t exposed. I knew it. With the confidence your sect possesses, there was no way my little tricks alone could have wiped you all out.”
As she spoke, Pei Liang pointed at the few survivors hiding among those present. “Arrest them all.”
Naturally, these people were not about to surrender meekly. The one who had gotten closest to Xia Yunsha in particular scooped her up and attempted to break through the encirclement and flee.
But despite all his calculations, he had failed to anticipate that the greatest obstacle would not be the people surrounding them, but Xia Yunsha herself, who resisted most fiercely of all.
“No! I’m not leaving! I’ve been poisoned. I can’t leave!”
“You—” The man turned around and glared at Pei Liang. “Shameless!”
Pei Liang smiled. “That’s nothing. There’s more.”
The people from the Fentian Sect were stunned by her shamelessness. Given how vicious her methods were, even though they wanted to maintain a bold front after hearing those words, their hearts were filled with dread.
Yet Pei Liang seemed to have suddenly lost interest in exposing the Fentian Sect’s remaining members, and turned the subject back to Xia Yunsha.
She looked at Xia Yunsha. “I’m rather ashamed to have kept Miss Xia waiting so long.”
“I’m sure everyone is curious about the truth behind the deaths of my father and brother three years ago.”
No. Not really. Who still had the energy to care about how those two men had died?
Neither of them had been particularly well-liked.
But they were standing before the memorial tablets of the dead, so even the Fentian Sect remnants, who were burning with impatience, had to show proper respect.
Someone played along and asked, “Oh? What truth has Sect Leader Pei uncovered?”
“The truth is that Miss Xia is innocent.”
Even those who had been completely uninterested were caught so off guard by that statement that they nearly stumbled.
Everyone stared at Pei Liang in disbelief. Their expressions seemed to say, “If she’s innocent, why were you acting like you were putting her on trial in open court?”
But after things had reached this point, many people naturally understood that Xia Yunsha was of immense importance to the Fentian Sect. She had probably only been used as bait to lure out all these hidden remnants.
If that was the case, why had Pei Liang suddenly declared her innocent? Wasn’t she throwing away the moral high ground she had claimed for herself?
The Fentian Sect members sneered. “If that’s so, Sect Leader Pei, why won’t you let us take this innocent woman away?”
They knew it was impossible, of course. But since Pei Liang had offered them a convenient way out, how could they not take advantage of it? Even if they could only argue back and forth for a while, it would still buy time for those outside.
Pei Liang, however, smiled. Her next words shattered their optimism into pieces.
“No need to rush. Once the imperial court has taken your Wangqiu Sect, Miss Xia will be free to come and go as she pleases.”
The Fentian Sect members’ ears rang. They stared at Pei Liang as though they had seen a ghost.
The woman’s face twisted into a malicious smile. “What are you looking at? Your Fentian Sect isn’t merely the enemy of the martial world. You’re also rebels plotting to overthrow the legitimate order.”
“The imperial court naturally has a duty to send troops to suppress you. Since all the experts of the Wangqiu Sect have come out in force today, they should be able to greatly reduce the pressure on the imperial army.”
Several of them stood there in a daze. Their faces were so horrified that they looked almost idiotic. If anyone had come closer, they would even have noticed that gooseflesh had risen all over their bodies.
Their scalps tingled and their spines ran cold, as though they had been dragged straight into the underworld.
“You—you—” Two of them, apparently core figures of the Wangqiu Sect, were so enraged that they spat blood.
Pei Liang clicked her tongue in admiration. “You were supposed to be great schemers who had lain low for fifty years. The Fentian Sect Leader back then harbored ambitions for the entire world. I never thought that, by the time it reached the Wangqiu Sect’s generation, you’d have become so useless—fixated on fighting over this tiny scrap of the martial world.”
“Once it was confirmed that your Wangqiu Sect was the Fentian Sect, my Moon-Slaying Sect, as law-abiding citizens of Great Qi, naturally reported it to the imperial court.”
“Did you really expect us to expose every one of you publicly, confront you face-to-face, and then organize people to come and besiege you? What, are we supposed to have something wrong with our heads?”
Well, huh. That really was how things were usually done in the martial world.
