There were rules in the martial world. Whenever a common enemy appeared, an invitation to heroes from every sect would inevitably be sent out, calling all the great warriors together.
First, they would gather and enumerate the enemy’s crimes—just as the Jiang family had done when they organized the campaign against the Demon Cult.
Aside from placing themselves on the moral high ground, stirring up the righteous indignation of those who still had reservations, and binding all the martial sects to the same war effort so that they became a community of shared fate, there was also another purpose: subtle bargaining.
Before the battle began, they had to settle how the spoils would be divided. Afterward, the final distribution would be determined according to how much each sect was willing to contribute.
Who would take command and reap the prestige that might last for years? What price would they have to pay? Would any sects compete for that position? And if so, how should the matter be negotiated?
All of these things followed established rules.
Although the Fentian Sect was hated by everyone in the martial world, it had ultimately been destroyed fifty years ago.
Fifty years was a long time. Most of the people present had not even been born back then. Those who could truly empathize with the threat it had once posed were fewer than those who feared the Demon Cult’s current power.
It was only three years ago that Pei Liang had exposed the astonishing affair involving the sect’s hidden agents, making everyone unusually wary.
But in the end, several decades had passed. The martial world no longer reacted to the Fentian Sect as it had in the past—at the mere mention of its name, all the sects could no longer instantly form an alliance.
After all, every sect had once lived beneath its crushing oppression. The sects of today had never experienced that kind of threat, so they naturally could not suddenly summon the resolve to stake everything on a desperate battle.
Anything requiring a significant commitment of manpower and resources could not be settled overnight.
Who would have thought that Pei Liang would refuse to play by the usual rules?
Only after her reminder did everyone suddenly come to their senses—
That was right! The Fentian Sect was not merely a thorn in the side of the martial sects. The imperial court would naturally rather kill a hundred suspects than let one rebel slip away when dealing with a group that had once harbored ambitions of overthrowing the government.
People in the martial world were accustomed to settling martial-world affairs within the martial world. Anyone who involved the imperial court was usually looked down upon.
But that was merely the thinking of foolish country bumpkins. Those who truly managed the great sects—who among them cared about anything other than the interests of their sect and its continued survival?
If enough evidence could be found to prove that the Wangqiu Sect was made up of remnants of the Fentian Sect, then the manpower and sacrifices these people would have to commit would be greatly reduced.
That was the true way to cut costs.
Thus, everyone turned to Pei Liang. The meaning of the expression on her face was obvious—
“If we’re going to hit you, we’ll hit you. Do we really have to announce it far and wide and give you time to prepare?”
Brilliant. Truly brilliant.
Those nearby were more than happy to sit back and watch the greatest hidden threat in the martial world—the remnants of the Fentian Sect—be wiped out without having to send a single soldier into battle.
But the Wangqiu Sect could no longer remain calm.
Even if their followers were willing to die without hesitation and regarded sacrificing their lives for the Fentian Sect as an honor, watching the sect they considered their faith face annihilation and imminent destruction was another matter entirely. Even if they were ordered to die on the spot, they would not be able to rest in peace.
The spies who had been dragged out began struggling frantically. Those who had escaped detection outside no longer had the leisure to concern themselves with anything here. They turned and rushed for the exit.
They wished they had wings so they could return to the Wangqiu Sect in an instant.
But everyone hiding throughout Zhanyue Manor clearly heard Pei Liang’s voice, carried by her inner force:
“Stop running. It’s already too late! Why else would I dare announce it publicly?”
Everyone thought about it and realized that she was right. Not to mention the journey back to the Wangqiu Sect—even if they managed to return, they would only arrive in time to collect the bodies of their fellow disciples.
If Sect Leader Pei had already joined forces with the imperial court and arranged the timing of the encirclement and attack, then the people of the Wangqiu Sect had probably already been captured.
After all, it was nearly noon. When conducting an encirclement and suppression operation, one would normally choose the time when the enemy’s defenses were weakest—usually the dead of night.
The entire martial world knew that the Pei family would be executing the murderer of Sect Leader Pei’s father today, and sects of every size had come to Zhanyue Manor.
The Wangqiu Sect believed itself to be hidden in the shadows. Moreover, after suffering repeated setbacks at the hands of the Pei family, it had poured all its energy into carefully planning a rescue operation.
The people responsible for the rescue had probably departed only a few hours earlier. Everyone would be exhausted and worn out, and they knew that all eyes in the martial world would be focused on Zhanyue Manor today.
They would naturally let down their guard at their own headquarters. That was precisely when they would be tired, careless, and vulnerable.
If the imperial army had begun closing the net in the middle of the night, then the Wangqiu Sect had likely already been finished.
But clearly, the Pei family’s preparations—and their ambitions—went far beyond that.
They had no intention of sparing even the forces that had come to Zhanyue Manor.
Suddenly, explosions erupted outside in rapid succession, shaking the entire manor as though it were about to collapse.
Then came a deafening roar of battle. Judging by the sound, it was almost as if two armies were fighting.
Some people wanted to go outside and see what was happening, but then remembered Sect Leader Pei’s warning.
If the enemy had already laid a net from which nothing could escape, then staying where they were was indeed the safest choice.
But while they remained still, the people beside them began to move.
Throughout the rooms and courtyards, many of the Zhanyue Sect’s attendants and disciples—who had maintained expressionless faces all this time—suddenly tore off the outer robes bearing the Zhanyue Sect’s insignia.
Beneath them, astonishingly, were the uniforms of constables from the Six Doors.
They scattered in different directions. Their movements were disciplined, and their routes had clearly been planned in advance.
As for Sect Leader Pei, her expression remained calm and composed.
Everyone immediately understood.
“No wonder there seemed to be so many guards at Zhanyue Manor when we arrived today.”
“We thought the Pei family had merely strengthened their defenses to prevent anything from going wrong. Who could have imagined that the imperial court’s men had been lying in ambush among them?”
That was not even the most shocking part.
What the various sect leaders and core disciples saw in the inner compound was far less astonishing than what the disciples accompanying them witnessed outside.
Just as had happened at the Jiang family’s estate, someone had apparently intended to use poison and formations to coordinate an attack from within and without and force their way through.
But before the formation could fully take effect, explosions broke out in several locations. Several groups that had been advancing separately under cover and had already reached the vicinity of the Zhanyue Sect were blown apart by sudden blasts along their routes. They suffered heavy casualties and were scattered into disarray.
And that was not the end of it.
Once the explosions subsided, countless imperial soldiers emerged from every corner. In an instant, they surrounded the teams that had launched the secret attack, trapping them like dumplings in a steamer basket.
The entire process lasted less than the time it took three incense sticks to burn.
Even those who possessed formidable martial skills and stubbornly resisted were subdued by several highly accomplished experts.
For the sake of today’s operation, the Wangqiu Sect had mobilized most of its elite forces and spent a long time planning its rescue mission. Yet before the plan had even begun, it had already collapsed completely.
The Wangqiu Sect’s people could hardly believe what had happened.
With the preparations and manpower they had assembled today, they could have torn a chunk from even the Demon Cult if they had launched a direct assault.
Who could have expected the Pei family to render all their abilities and schemes useless, uprooting them before they had even had the chance to put them into practice?
That was not how this was supposed to work!
The people of the Wangqiu Sect were so aggrieved they nearly choked on their own frustration. In stark contrast, the famous constables of the Six Doors had reaped an impressive harvest.
Once the commotion outside had subsided somewhat, everyone saw a team of Six Doors constables drag in a string of Wangqiu Sect experts whose limbs had been dislocated and whose martial power had been sealed.
They had been bound together like a string of grasshoppers, making for a rather comical sight.
It was difficult for anyone to connect these people with the legendary sect that had once struck terror into the hearts of the entire martial world—the Fentian Sect.
Someone could not help sighing. “No wonder they’ve spent decades trying to launch an uprising without success. How could this so-called successor to the Burning Heaven Sect still possess the might it once had?”
The people from the Burning Heaven Sect glared venomously at the members of the various sects, especially Pei Liang.
As the saying went, a true man would rather die than be humiliated. The death warriors of the Burning Heaven Sect had never feared death.
But this woman had turned them completely into a joke. Their decades of patience and effort had become a joke as well.
The expression on Pei Liang’s face remained as calm and unconcerned as ever. She glanced at them and said, “The Sect Leader of the Wangqiu Sect isn’t here.”
The handsome constable at the head of the group seemed very familiar with her. He smiled and said, “He isn’t. He must be holding down the fort at their headquarters. Sister Liang, let us wait a little longer.”
“We should receive word from our senior brothers by carrier pigeon before long.”
Pei Liang shook her head. “No. He’s definitely here.”
“Miss Xia’s life absolutely cannot be put at risk, so Sect Leader Wang will certainly come in person to ensure nothing goes wrong.”
Everyone’s expression changed.
Yet Pei Liang seemed not to care in the slightest that her opponent was a supreme master, or that he might be hiding somewhere and making everyone uneasy.
She shouted loudly, as though calling for a dog, “Sect Leader Wang, aren’t you coming out?”
“I’ve gone to great lengths to prepare for your arrival today. My Pei family’s resources are limited, so I even had to take out a loan from the imperial court.”
“Yet Sect Leader Wang won’t even show himself for a cup of tea. You’re truly breaking this junior’s heart.”
By now, the remnants of the Burning Heaven Sect were more or less finished. Hearing Pei Liang’s teasing remarks, the onlookers could not help laughing.
If they had been the Sect Leader of the Wangqiu Sect, they would have been furious by now.
But they were merely spectators enjoying the spectacle. The moment Pei Liang’s voice fell, Han Weiliu’s long sword left its sheath and shot toward an inconspicuous person in a certain direction.
That man was dressed in the uniform of an imperial soldier and was escorting members of the Wangqiu Sect.
If no one had pointed it out, nobody would have noticed anything unusual about him.
But Han Weiliu was utterly certain.
The instant he moved, Pei Liang’s Moon-Sundering Saber also left its sheath.
The man’s reaction was indeed far beyond that of an ordinary soldier. He casually dragged someone over and held them in front of Han Weiliu’s sword, briefly slowing Han Weiliu’s attack.
But Pei Liang seemed to have anticipated this response. She cut in from the side, instantly interrupting his attempt to escape and completely blocking off his route.
Now that he had been exposed, the man no longer bothered to conceal his emotions. His eyes fixed on Pei Liang as if she were already dead.
A ruthless intent appeared in them—the sort of merciless resolve that would drag her down with him regardless of the consequences. He quickly circulated his internal energy, and a palm strike carrying the force of roaring flames slammed toward Pei Liang.
Objectively speaking, the Sect Leader of the Wangqiu Sect’s cultivation was far deeper than Pei Liang’s. He was in no way inferior to the Shaolin Great Monk or the old beggar from the Beggars’ Sect.
At such close range, there was no way to evade that palm completely. If Pei Liang took it head-on, even if she did not die on the spot, her meridians would be shattered and she would be crippled for life.
Yet there was no fear on her face. Instead, she slipped past the point where the man’s palm was about to land at an utterly bizarre angle.
Sect Leader Wang’s expression changed.
To outsiders, it might have looked as if Pei Liang had merely relied on an unusual movement technique to narrowly avoid the blow. But only he understood what had truly happened.
It was as though she had borrowed his force to strike back.
First, she had identified the precise point where his palm’s strength converged. Then she had used that point as a pivot, sending a thread of her internal energy to cling to it before swinging away like a child on a swing.
What kind of method was that?
Even the strange and elusive techniques of the Burning Heaven Sect had never displayed anything like it.
Sure enough, Pei Liang had avoided the vital point. The fearsome Burning Heaven Palm struck her only with its residual force.
Given the Sect Leader’s cultivation, it was impossible for her to emerge completely unscathed, but the blow would not damage her foundation.
Pei Liang even took advantage of the impact to circle behind him. Her Moon-Sundering Saber cleaved through the air, revealing the shape of a full moon.
Sect Leader Wang hurriedly circulated his energy to block it, but Han Weiliu had already swept aside the person in his path. At the same time, the handsome young constable from the Six Doors had arrived before Sect Leader Wang, his Embroidered Spring Blade in hand.
He was surrounded on three sides, with Pei Ye attacking ferociously from the nearby tree as well.
The sequence of events sounded complicated when described, but in reality, it had all happened in the blink of an eye.
Before many of the weaker martial artists could even process what they were seeing, Sect Leader Wang of the Wangqiu Sect was already kneeling on the ground, all the major acupoints in his body sealed. He had been captured just like that.
Those with profound cultivation could naturally tell that, in terms of strength, Sect Leader Wang was absolutely on the same level as the Great Monk.
Yet he had been effortlessly subdued by three young people. Even with Pei Ye guarding the perimeter, the sight was still breathtaking.
There was no need to mention Sect Leader Pei. Her previous feat of single-handedly overpowering the three great protectors of the Demon Cult was still fresh in everyone’s minds.
Nor was there any need to mention that young constable from the Six Doors. Though he was young, he was one of the famous Four Divine Constables—Zhuhua.
Han Weiliu’s performance was what shocked everyone the most. His cultivation seemed to be even deeper than that of Sect Leader Pei and Zhuhua.
Only three years had passed.
Three years ago, everyone had known exactly what Han Weiliu was capable of. Otherwise, they would never have lamented his fate so deeply.
They had all understood that, with his abilities, completing his revenge had been utterly impossible.
But in the short span of three years, his cultivation had reached such astonishing heights. With the Nameless Sword in hand, he seemed capable of suppressing ten thousand troops.
When he had suddenly returned and immediately stayed at the Moon-Sundering Manor, entangling himself with his former fiancée, quite a few people had assumed that this down-and-out young master had abandoned his pride and was living off a woman.
Did young geniuses come in bulk these days?
Some of the older generation could not help lamenting that they had already been beaten to death on the beach by the waves of the new era.
Then they looked at their own disciples, who stood around with foolish expressions, utterly overwhelmed by one development after another, and grew so angry that they wanted to beat them senseless.
In any case, the Wangqiu Sect had now been captured in its entirety. There was no longer any possibility of a comeback.
The capture of Sect Leader Wang also allowed the imperial court’s people to breathe a sigh of relief.
Only with the ringleader in custody could they prevent the remaining fugitives from regrouping in the short term. The subsequent purge would be much easier as a result.
Moreover, since he had been captured at Moon-Sundering Manor, everyone present would certainly be credited with a major achievement.
Zhuhua smiled. “Thank you for your help, Sister Liang.”
Pei Liang smiled back. “Not at all. It is our Pei family, and the entire martial world, that should be thanking the imperial court and His Majesty.”
“His Majesty is wise and decisive. Without such a thunderous show of force, this certainly wouldn’t have gone so smoothly.”
Naturally. Pei Liang had provided such overwhelming evidence that any emperor who was not a complete fool would have accepted her proposal.
What was more, in the emperor’s eyes, the Pei family was now both perceptive and agreeable, constantly coming up with all sorts of ingenious novelties.
They enhanced the prestige of Great Qi, promoted trade, earned a huge amount of silver for the emperor, and contributed an enormous sum in taxes.
Pei Liang and Zhuhua continued reminiscing while showering one another with mutual commercial praise.
Though Zhuhua was young, he was extremely shrewd and seasoned in dealing with people.
Seeing this, everyone suddenly recalled that at the gathering organized by the Jiang family, Sect Leader Pei had seemingly proven that several horrifying incidents at the time had not been the work of the Demon Cult. Much of the information she had relied on had come from the Six Doors.
She had also repeatedly mentioned that she enjoyed a close personal relationship with the Six Doors.
Now, it seemed that she had truly been telling the truth.
But as the exchange of compliments continued, something gradually began to feel off.
That handsome constable, Zhuhua, was clearly far too warm toward Pei Liang. From the moment he opened his mouth, his tone carried a faintly ambiguous, almost clingy intimacy.
Seeing the other man’s dashing appearance and youthful age, everyone assumed that was simply the sort of personality he had.
That was, until they saw him gazing at Pei Liang with an expression full of concern.
“Sister, have you had breakfast?”
“The Wangqiu Sect is utterly deranged. They’ll stop at nothing to achieve their goals, even if it means harming innocent people. You anticipated this poisonous scheme long ago and ordered that no one consume anything today. I imagine you followed your own orders and haven’t eaten either?”
How could anyone resist being fussed over by a handsome man? Pei Liang replied gently, “It’s nothing to worry about. Those who practice martial arts can easily go without a meal or two.”
Zhuhua’s face filled with melancholy, as if she could not bear to see her mistreat herself. “With a beauty like yours, Sister, you must never neglect yourself like this.”
“Zhuhua happens to have brought some pastries along. Sister, why not have one? There will still be plenty to do later.”
As he spoke, he blinked playfully. “I made them myself.”
“You can make pastries?” Pei Liang asked with great interest.
Zhuhua looked bashful. “It’s merely a worthless little hobby. People always look down on me for it, and even my master scolds me. I hope you won’t dislike them, Sister.”
“How could I?” Pei Liang took out a pastry. “Boys who can cook are adorable.”
Zhuhua’s face lit up with delighted surprise. “Really? You’re different from other women, Sister.”
While Pei Liang ate the pastry, he continued, “You truly went to great lengths this time, Sister.”
“Not only did you painstakingly lay out the entire plan, you even risked yourself and used the whole Mooncleaving Sect as bait. That is what allowed everything to proceed so smoothly.”
“All of our achievements are thanks to your selfless efforts. But at the same time, you must take good care of yourself, Sister.”
“Otherwise, all three of your senior brothers will worry.”
Of the Four Divine Constables of the Six Fan Gate, which one wasn’t a strikingly handsome man with a distinct personality?
When Pei Liang had first met them, she had even wondered whether the imperial court selected its officials based on looks.
But then again, wasn’t that why all the handsome men had been handed over to the imperial court? And they had another deadly weapon besides their looks—their uniforms.
Those austere, abstinent-looking Embroidered Uniforms.
Although Han Weiliu, Situ Zhuo, and even Jiang Xun were all breathtaking beauties of the martial world, the martial world was hardly lacking in talented people.
Pei Liang felt thoroughly pleased with herself and asked Zhuhua, “Oh? Are your senior brothers the only ones who worry about me? What about you?”
“I—I naturally worry about you too, Sister.” He said it as though he had just uttered something terribly embarrassing.
His gaze suddenly began to dart about, and he no longer dared look at Pei Liang.
His face flushed slightly, and he hurriedly changed the subject. “By the way, the success of this operation, and the precision with which everything was timed, was all thanks to the watch you gave us, Sister.”
“This object is truly of immense benefit to the nation and its people, yet you gave it to us without asking anything in return. Zhuhua truly doesn’t know how to repay you.”
“We have received countless favors from you, Sister.”
Even after witnessing such a major incident, the people around them instantly switched back into spectator mode.
Everyone watched the exchange between the two with keen interest.
Every so often, they glanced at the Jiang family, then at Han Weiliu.
The meaning in their eyes was impossible to miss.
The Jiang family was already furious, but they also knew that speaking up now would only humiliate themselves further.
Pei Liang had single-handedly wiped out the remnants of the Fentian Sect. That was a contribution without equal throughout the martial world. Now that she had also forged close ties with the imperial court, her momentum was unstoppable.
The Jiang family already had quite a reputation, but if they dared open their mouths, Pei Liang would be more than happy to make them lose face on the spot.
So be it. Jiang Xun wasn’t here anyway. If he couldn’t keep control of his own fiancée, there was nothing anyone else could do.
But Han Weiliu and Protector Jing, who was disguised as Situ Zhuo, were utterly dumbfounded.
The master and servant had only just been discussing that wretched woman that morning. Yet both of them were rather innocent when it came to matters between men and women.
Where had they ever seen a scene like this? Who was that fellow?
Why did their fists clench the moment they heard Zhuhua speak?
Han Weiliu had to struggle desperately to suppress his other personality and restrain the man’s urge to draw his sword and hack Zhuhua to pieces.
Zhuhua, however, believed that his intentions were perfectly obvious.
The Mooncleaving Manor had money. Pei Liang had money, ability, and all sorts of bizarre products with an absolutely unbeatable edge—products capable of monopolizing entire industries. She also possessed business methods so seasoned that no one could help but submit to them.
The Six Fan Gate had always looked down on everyone else. Even when they maintained connections throughout the martial world, when had they ever truly humbled themselves and treated those people as equals?
It wasn’t that their dignity was worthless. It was simply that Pei Liang had given them far too much.
Over the past three years, whether directly or indirectly, openly or behind the scenes, the Six Fan Gate had received no small number of benefits from her.
Those things could not be measured by money alone.
With Pei Liang’s schemes and material support, the Six Fan Gate had repeatedly achieved great feats, while casualties and losses had fallen lower and lower.
A goddess of wealth glittering from head to toe like this—how could they not hold on to her tightly?
Previously, they had been content to leave things as they were. But recently, they had heard that Sect Leader Pei did not seem particularly devoted to the idea of remaining with only one person. The men who knew how to manage their affairs had begun to grow restless.
Other than the taciturn eldest senior brother, who had never expressed an opinion, the other three all felt that they had a chance.
A little sacrifice of their looks could buy them lasting benefits. Besides, she was so beautiful that even without those benefits, a single night with her was something any man in the world could dream of.
She was a Xi Shi beneath the moon.
Zhuhua had practically written the words “Sister, I don’t want to work hard anymore” all over his face.
Han Weiliu was naturally displeased. In a deep voice, he said, “A-Liang, don’t neglect Sect Leader Wang.”
Pei Liang had just finished another pastry. She dusted off her hands and turned toward Sect Leader Wang.
He glared at her with murderous hatred, his eyes bulging with rage. The mask on his face had already been torn away, revealing his true appearance.
Sect Leader Wang was no longer a young man. According to Pei Liang’s intelligence, he was seventy-four years old this year.
That happened to be about the same age as a certain big blond cutie Pei Liang knew. Like that person, he was already advanced in years, yet still worked tirelessly to compete for a particular profession, killing anyone who stood in his way.
His fighting spirit and ambition were enough to make every young person reflect on themselves in shame.
Thus, Pei Liang looked at him with genuine admiration and said sincerely, “Sect Leader Wang—you’re already so old. It hasn’t been easy for you, has it?”
Sect Leader Wang immediately launched into a furious tirade. “Despicable and shameless! Your Pei family is nothing but a nest of despicable, shameless snakes and rats, lackeys of the imperial court! Bah!”
Pei Liang replied indifferently, “Sect Leader Wang, there’s no need to put it that way. We are all citizens of Great Qi. Though we enjoy the blessings left by our ancestors and have received the support of various parties, allowing us to establish sects and enjoy wealth and freedom beyond the reach of ordinary people…”
“But as we live in Great Qi and roam the martial world so freely, we ultimately depend on the imperial court’s governance and His Majesty’s wise and benevolent rule.”
“The sects of the martial world have never been opposed to the imperial court—oh, I nearly forgot. You are different, Sect Leader Wang. After all, the Fentian Sect once attempted to overthrow the government.”
“As a citizen of Great Qi, I naturally have a duty to report such a thing. And Sect Leader Wang, you needn’t be so unwilling to accept it. If you truly believed yourselves to be acting honorably, why hide for several decades?”
Sect Leader Wang was so enraged he nearly died on the spot. He had long heard that this woman was skilled at sophistry, and that her sharp tongue had repeatedly caused the Wangqiu Sect considerable trouble.
But only after facing her in person did he realize how badly he had underestimated her.
Still, Sect Leader Wang was an old fox with plenty of bite. He revealed a sinister smile.
“Does Sect Leader Pei truly believe that after today, you’ll be able to sleep soundly without a care in the world?”
“Naive! If the Wangqiu Sect were still around, Sect Leader Pei might have had one or two ways to keep us in check. But now that the Wangqiu Sect has been destroyed, the real disaster is about to descend upon the Pei family.”
“And as for the rest of you, the disciples of the Wangqiu Sect fear neither death nor hardship, and we are experts at biding our time. Are you truly certain you’ve wiped us out root and branch? Even if you have, so long as a single disciple of our sect remains alive, we will wait for the chance to avenge ourselves.”
“You’ve all witnessed our patience.”
He gave a sinister chuckle and looked at Pei Liang. “Sect Leader Pei, from now on, you’d better sleep with one eye open.”
“And as for the Pei family’s descendants and every disciple of the Zhanyue Sect—take even one more of them with you, and the Wangqiu Sect will consider today’s revenge repaid.”
His words sent a chill through everyone present.
It was true. When it came to patience and underhanded ruthlessness, who could compare with them?
They could even conceal themselves within other sects for decades, striking only when the time was right.
The Han family had been a mighty and influential clan, yet it had still been wiped out because of this very reason. What of the others, then?
They could patiently wait for years, decades, even generations. They might assassinate your children and leave you in unbearable agony, or poison your residence and cause countless deaths and injuries.
As long as they had enough patience and were willing to pay any price for revenge, the damage they could inflict was often utterly devastating.
The mere thought of the sinister methods they might employ was enough to make one’s blood run cold. Other remnants might not necessarily leave endless trouble in their wake, but the fanaticism and loyalty of the Fentian Sect’s disciples could easily be passed down for decades.
Everyone’s expression changed. Clearly, Sect Leader Wang’s words had shaken them deeply.
Seeing the fear in their eyes and hearing them whisper among themselves, Sect Leader Wang revealed a smug, vicious smile.
But Pei Liang merely adopted a troubled tone. “That is indeed a problem. I must thank Sect Leader Wang for reminding me.”
Anyone familiar with her knew that if she put it that way, she had clearly anticipated the issue long ago.
Sure enough, Pei Liang continued, “It would indeed be troublesome to let a group of lunatics with no reason left, and nothing in their hearts but hatred, scatter in all directions.”
“Fortunately, I have Miss Xia. So, Sect Leader Wang, there is no need to worry on my behalf.”
The smile on Sect Leader Wang’s face froze, leaving him looking particularly ridiculous.
He stared at Pei Liang. His drooping eyelids slowly lifted, and his eyes widened until they were round with disbelief. “How could you—”
How could she know how to break the deadlock? How had she seen through the crucial point? How could she—
Pei Liang smiled and sat down. “Did Sect Leader Wang take me for a fool?”
“Your Wangqiu Sect has already fallen into my hands. Yet even now, you still refuse to acknowledge your opponent. It seems the arrogance instilled in you by the Fentian Sect is not entirely a good thing.”
As she spoke, Xia Yunsha was brought over under guard and forced to sit beside her. Pei Liang rubbed her chin as though she were petting a little dog.
“With Miss Xia here, it makes no difference who takes the position of sect leader in your Wangqiu Sect.”
“His Majesty is benevolent, and naturally cannot bear to slaughter every one of your talented people. So long as the ringleaders harboring rebellious ambitions are dealt with, the rest may still be useful to the imperial court.”
“After all, the Wangqiu Sect has no shortage of capable individuals.”
“You—you—” Sect Leader Wang finally understood. Pei Liang already knew Xia Yunsha’s true identity from beginning to end.
That was precisely what they had always been unwilling to accept. After the Holy Flame Cult incident, anyone with a brain could have guessed how important Xia Yunsha was to the Fentian Sect.
But as for the exact reason, the Wangqiu Sect had refused to imagine the worst. They had long since constructed layer upon layer of cover stories for her identity. No matter how deeply anyone investigated, the clues they found would be deliberately muddled.
But in the end, the truth had still been exposed.
Pei Liang’s voice held a hint of amusement. “Sect Leader Wang certainly went to great lengths. It’s true that, over the past three years, every trail uncovered by my Pei family’s intelligence network pointed in a different direction.”
“But that only proves how extraordinary Miss Xia must be.”
Some clues suggested that Xia Yunsha was Sect Leader Wang’s illegitimate daughter. Others pointed to a bloodline descended from the former imperial family. Still others claimed she was a precious pearl lost by the current imperial family and left wandering beyond the palace.
For an ordinary person, uncovering any one of these possibilities would have been explosive enough, and they would have believed it without question.
No one would have imagined that such bizarre identities were merely a fraction of the disguises surrounding Xia Yunsha’s true origins.
In the original story, Pei Liang herself had created many smokescreens to make the female protagonist Xia Yunsha’s background seem mysterious. In the end, even the secret of her identity had been left incomplete.
That made this part especially easy to get wrong. But viewed from the opposite direction, it also allowed one to eliminate most of the possibilities.
Thus, Pei Liang had not tried to reason from clues that would appear later in the story. Instead, she had approached the matter from the perspective of interests.
Then, by making use of Xia Yunsha and eliminating the impossible step by step, she had arrived at the one remaining answer—which had to be the truth.
Pei Liang twisted the knife. “Speaking of which, I should thank Elder Hu.”
Elder Hu happened to be there as well, one of the people bound together in a line.
At those words, he raised his head and cursed loudly, “Shameless wretch! Even now, you’re still trying to sow discord!”
Pei Liang spread her hands. “I’m not lying to you. I really do have to thank you for being away from home all year and neglecting your wife.”
“Madam Hu was lonely, and when she met someone willing to talk to her, she let down her guard.”
“My fiancé may be useless in many respects, but when it comes to making friends, he has always been quite gifted.”
“During his in-depth conversations with Madam Hu, he learned quite a bit about Miss Xia. Otherwise, we wouldn’t have dared place our bet on her this time.”
“If the imperial court had mobilized all those people and come away empty-handed, my Pei family would have committed a grave offense.”
The people around them had originally been waiting for the mystery of Xia Yunsha’s origins to be unraveled. Instead, they were left utterly stunned.
This was also why everyone loved visiting the Pei residence: Sect Leader Pei never disappointed.
No matter how hard you tried to guess her methods, you could never predict her next move. At any moment, she might catch you completely off guard with a fresh surprise.
How exactly had Jiang Xun “conversed” with a woman? And what did she mean by an “in-depth conversation”? Just look at Elder Hu—his wife was certainly no young girl of sixteen or seventeen anymore.
Wasn’t that exactly Jiang Xun’s favorite type?
Poor Elder Hu of the Wangqiu Sect. He was already advanced in years, yet still refused to admit he was past his prime and had thrown himself into the fray with all the passion of his youth. In the end, his own household had caught fire, with Jiang Xun slipping in to comfort his wife.
Not only had a green cloud settled over his head, but the man had also been tricked into handing over crucial intelligence. It might not have been all that important—but once it fell into Sect Leader Pei’s hands, who could say what she might do with it?
Everyone’s eyes gleamed with excitement. Even the people from the Six Fan Gate were getting a taste of the thrill of gossip.
The imperial court had captured the criminals. If they could also extract twice the entertainment from them while crushing their arrogance, what could be more satisfying?
But Pei Liang was not finished. She added, “Oh, right. Madam Hu seems to have recently discovered that she’s pregnant. Congratulations, Elder Hu.”
“Pffft—”
Elder Hu spat out a mouthful of blood.
Pei Liang even put on an apologetic expression. “I truly didn’t want to disturb Madam Hu. Elder Hu, rest assured. After you’re gone, my Pei family will ensure that Madam Hu remains safe and secure for the rest of her life.”
“It’s just that my fiancé has sown his seeds everywhere. I’m worried that eighteen years from now, he’ll cause a tragic family scandal throughout the martial world, so I thought I’d give you a little warning in advance.”
Good heavens. Just—good heavens.
Jiang Xun was quite a character, and Sect Leader Pei was even more remarkable. For a moment, no one could decide which part of the story they ought to focus on.
Was Sect Leader Pei really this calm, magnanimous, and utterly matter-of-fact about selling her fiancé’s body to obtain information? Or had everyone suddenly realized that Sect Leader Pei’s concern was, in fact, entirely justified?
With Jiang Xun’s methods of seduction, in eighteen years, when a new generation had sprung up, what would happen if youthful infatuation led to love at first sight, only for the truth to emerge in the end—
“You two are siblings. Your biological father is Jiang Xun.”
The thought was too horrifying to contemplate. Those sect leaders whose sects had female disciples—especially those who had already been involved with Jiang Xun—felt their bodies jolt, their scalps turn numb.
For many years to come, perhaps every child born in the martial world would have to undergo a careful paternity check.
The standard for confirmation would be whether Jiang Xun had been seen anywhere nearby during the mother’s pregnancy.
If he hadn’t, then everything was fine. But if he had, they might have to dig three feet underground to make sure their wives were truly carrying their own children.
For a while, even the matter of Elder Hu’s head of graying hair suddenly returning to its youthful color no longer seemed particularly important.
Once everyone had somewhat digested the revelation, Pei Liang reached out and lifted the collar at the back of Xia Yunsha’s neck, revealing a birthmark hidden beneath her clothes.
The mark was unusual. It was a pale red, shaped like a flame, resembling a sacred fire burning fiercely.
Sect Leader Wang’s pupils contracted sharply. Pei Liang continued, “Although too much time has passed and the martial world has long forgotten the rules of the Blazing Heaven Sect—and even more so after you spent decades in hiding—the records and evidence that needed to be destroyed have surely all been disposed of.”
“It’s rather amusing. In the ten years after the Blazing Heaven Sect was destroyed, more than a dozen fires, large and small, broke out in various martial arts sects across the realm. Every one of them was limited in scope, and they all happened to burn places such as study rooms.”
“But no matter how thoroughly you erased everything, the imperial palace’s intricate and independent intelligence archives were not so easy to get at.”
Of course, the imperial palace was not a place the Wangqiu Sect had focused on. Martial artists had no qualifications to access such secrets in the first place, and that had made them exceptionally confident.
But Pei Liang had obtained them nonetheless.
She turned to explain to everyone present, “There is something you may not know. Perhaps the final sect master of the Blazing Heaven Sect was extraordinarily gifted and possessed pure blood, so he never had to make use of this rule.”
“The records before his time date back more than a century. That is why no one still living is likely to know about it.”
“In fact, besides the sect master’s lineage, the Blazing Heaven Sect also had the position of Saintess.”
“When the Blazing Heaven Sect was founded, it was guided by a Saintess born from the gathering of heavenly fortune. However, a Saintess did not appear in every generation. She would be born only when the Blazing Heaven Sect fell into a disadvantageous position, in order to reverse the sect’s fortunes.”
When Pei Liang had first uncovered this ridiculous setting, she had been rather speechless. This was the first novel she had encountered that had gone so far as to rationalize the female protagonist’s halo.
“There is one more point. If the person in charge of the Blazing Heaven Sect at the time was not descended from the sect master’s lineage, then to rule the sect’s followers legitimately, he had to receive the Saintess’s support.”
Pei Liang looked at Sect Leader Wang. “Sect Leader Wang, you do not appear to be descended from the original sect master, do you?”
Obviously not. The sect master of the Blazing Heaven Sect had been only in his early thirties when he died. Where would he have found a son in his twenties?
The entire matter now fell into place. According to the Blazing Heaven Sect’s rules, if the position of sect master was vacant and the sect master’s bloodline was temporarily unable to lead the followers for one reason or another, an elder within the sect could serve as regent.
However, that elder had to possess the Saintess’s support. Furthermore, the regent’s position could not be passed down through inheritance. In the end, it would still have to be returned to the sect master’s bloodline.
“So here is the problem. It seems that the bloodline of the Blazing Heaven Sect’s sect master has already been severed. If Sect Leader Wang wishes to truly take control of the Blazing Heaven Sect and ensure that your descendants become its rightful rulers…”
“You must establish an achievement that has never been equaled—for example, lead the sect back to its former peak—and obtain the Saintess’s support. The Saintess is an indispensable part of this. Otherwise, even if Sect Leader Wang accomplishes your grand ambitions, once you are gone, countless people will invoke the sect’s rules to drive your descendants from power. In the end, you will merely have laid the foundation for someone else.”
Everyone suddenly understood. So that was how it was. This girl seemed like an ordinary little thing; even if she were Sect Leader Wang’s own daughter, she would hardly be worth mobilizing the entire sect and paying such a price.
Ordinary followers were naturally afraid that the Saintess might perish, which would mean the Blazing Heaven Sect’s fortune had run out. Sect Leader Wang, however, had clearly considered the matter in much more practical terms.
Sure enough, upon hearing this, Sect Leader Wang looked as though he had suffered the death of his parents. That reaction proved every word Pei Liang had said was correct.
But a moment later, he raised his head. A madness resembling a determination to drag everyone down with him appeared on his face.
He smiled faintly. “Who says the sect master’s bloodline has already been severed?”
As he spoke, his gaze fell upon Han Weiliu.
“Young Master Han, your maternal clan is now in grave danger. Will you really do nothing to save it?”
