Han Weiliu and Situ Zhuo were arguing so fiercely that, if they had not been sharing the same body, they would have come to blows long ago.
Moreover, because they had carried over the habit of discussing matters with the four Guardians earlier, they were saying absolutely everything out loud.
The scene had become somewhat surreal. It was only one body switching seamlessly between voices and trading barbs with itself, yet the sight was so bizarre it looked almost like a fit of convulsions.
The four Guardians, however, had no trouble understanding the battle currently raging between their two Cult Leaders. Sharing a single body did nothing to diminish the intensity of the confrontation.
People said an argument needed two sides, but this one was just as explosive with one person starting and the other answering. And if one carefully considered the things coming out of their Cult Leaders’ mouths, one would discover that the information contained in them was astonishingly plentiful—and enough to make anyone blush.
It was no wonder that everyone in the martial world developed the bad habit of gossiping whenever they came to the Pei residence. It was simply too sweet and too entertaining. Once you had a taste, you could not stop.
Meng Liuli cracked sunflower seeds as she laughed and said to Flower Guardian beside her, “Don’t they look like consorts in the imperial harem fighting over a chance to receive the emperor’s favor?”
Han Weiliu and Situ Zhuo were not deaf. Realizing that something was off, they paused and turned toward the Guardians.
Well, well. These people had actually been treating them like a show.
Situ Zhuo’s expression darkened. “You dare sit there and watch this Cult Leader make a fool of himself?”
The four hurriedly wiped the shamelessly gleeful expressions from their faces and shook their heads in unison. “Of course not!”
Situ Zhuo pointed at Elder Guardian. “Then what are those pastries in your hand?”
He then pointed at Flower Guardian and Meng Liuli. “And what are those sunflower-seed shells on the ground?”
Then he looked at Protector Jing.
Good heavens. Earlier, the young man had been so mortified that he had burrowed into a crack in the ground. Before the argument began, he had still been keeping his distance, yet somehow he had crept astonishingly close.
Situ Zhuo could see him just by lowering his head. Taking advantage of his low presence in the ground, he had secured the best seat in the house for watching the drama—only a short distance from Situ Zhuo’s feet.
Anyone seeing him there would worry about accidentally stepping on him.
Situ Zhuo let out a cold laugh. “It seems I have indulged you far too much lately.”
The four Guardians immediately stood up and lined themselves in a row as they explained, “We were merely worried that the two Cult Leaders might argue themselves into a fight, so we did not dare leave.”
“Though the two Cult Leaders are two souls sharing one body, if matters were to escalate, it could still be extremely dangerous. We had no choice but to keep watch.”
“We absolutely would never eavesdrop on the things you said during your argument. We were simply bored, so we had a few sunflower seeds and pastries.”
Situ Zhuo would have believed them only if he were a fool. These men had long since been corrupted by Pei Liang and the others.
And today, their secret had been exposed. They were being despised from every direction.
So Situ Zhuo imitated Pei Liang’s half-smiling, half-mocking expression and said, “Oh? What is there to worry about?”
“How could I possibly fight myself? Why don’t you offer this Cult Leader some advice? Should we have my left hand spar with my right? Or perhaps choke and scratch each other? Maybe he punches me, and I kick him in return?”
The four Guardians shook their heads repeatedly. “That won’t do, Cult Leader. Choking and scratching would damage your handsome face. If both of you were beaten up, that woman might reject you both. Then you would lose everything!”
“As for taking turns striking yourselves, the pain would still be yours, Cult Leader. And if one of you controlled the body and struck yourself, it would still be you who felt the pain. When the other came out, he would only feel the lingering aftereffects. That would be a classic case of inflicting eight hundred points of damage on the enemy while suffering a thousand yourself.”
After saying this, one of them hesitantly asked, “By the way, could it be that the two Cult Leaders experience some unusual sensations when switching control?”
“No,” said Situ Zhuo. “The two of us share the same senses. It makes no difference whether one of us is in control or not.”
“Ohhh…”
The four of them immediately seemed to understand something.
They huddled together and whispered, “Then do they share their senses in the bedroom as well?”
“That must be it. No wonder that demoness failed to notice anything before. There would be no flaw to expose at all.”
“Could it be that things aren’t happening in turns the way we thought? Could the three of them be doing it together—ugh…”
Elder Guardian wore an expression of utter disgust. “Shameless. Absolutely scandalous.”
When he looked up, he found the Cult Leader’s murderous eyes fixed on him.
The four immediately fell silent, but Han Weiliu’s gaze remained locked on Elder Guardian.
Elder Guardian felt his heart go weak with guilt and hurriedly offered another suggestion. “Cult Leader, what about this? Each of you controls half the body and circulates a different cultivation technique while fighting one another.”
“We set a time limit of one incense stick. When the time is up, whoever has suffered the more serious injuries loses. How does that sound?”
Before Situ Zhuo could respond, the other three immediately rebuked Elder Guardian.
“Absurd! One side circulating one technique and the other side circulating another? If two different kinds of internal energy interfered with each other during the fight, you could suffer serious injuries at best, or go berserk at worst. How could you come up with such a vicious idea?”
“Ah, this old man was wrong. I was so focused on figuring out how to make the two Cult Leaders fight that I forgot that, despite their formidable skills, even they might make a mistake once their tempers flared. If that happened, I would become a sinner of the Holy Sect.”
Elder Guardian was quick to admit his mistake. He repeatedly apologized to the other three.
“I’m old and muddleheaded. We cannot put the Cult Leaders’ safety at risk just for the sake of watching a spectacle.”
“Exactly. Even watching a show requires some restraint. They are our own Cult Leaders, after all. That should be enough. How can you be so eager to see things get worse?”
The moment Elder Guardian finished speaking, he realized he had let something slip and clamped his mouth shut.
Unfortunately, Flower Guardian behind him had not noticed. He instinctively added, “That’s right—”
By the time he realized what he had done, the other three had already gone deathly silent.
Cold sweat trickled down Flower Guardian’s back as he slowly raised his head to look at their Cult Leader.
The smile on the Cult Leader’s face was more gentle than any they had ever seen before.
“You weren’t watching a spectacle, hmm?”
“So the four of you have imagined countless ways for me to fight myself, and you were all looking forward to seeing how it turned out?”
The four hurriedly shook their heads, but it was already too late.
An incense stick later, the Pei family disciples coming and going saw that four new “tree stumps” had appeared outside the guest courtyard.
Half of each man’s body had been buried in the earth, leaving only the portion above the waist exposed. All four looked dispirited, their expressions wilted.
Each had also been made to balance a broken bowl on his head. The bowls had to be filled with copper coins before Situ Zhuo would allow them to climb out of the ground.
The poor Guardians of the Demon Cult were martial arts masters who could travel like the wind. They wore red robes as vivid as blood, and wherever they went, tales of rivers of blood were sure to follow.
They were the sort of figures who could stop children from crying at night. Yet here they were, looking so wretched and ridiculous in the bleak wind.
Protector Jing had it worst of all. He had originally been able to travel freely through the earth, but now he had been dragged halfway out and did not dare go up or down. His abilities seemed to have been completely restrained, and he was utterly aggrieved.
No one knew where Situ Zhuo had gone. The men had made such a spectacle of the argument that the issue they had actually wanted to settle still remained unresolved.
Someone had only seen Young Master Han fly toward the back mountain in his white robes. He was probably looking for somewhere deserted to continue arguing.
Pei Liang had just finished dinner. She was leading Hongxiu, Qingyi, and several younger half-siblings out for a stroll and to aid their digestion.
The guest courtyard where the Demon Cult members were staying was right beside her own. After walking only a few steps, she saw the spectacular scene.
Pei Liang immediately grinned. “Oh my! What’s this? Have the Guardians been punished?”
Other than Situ Zhuo, she couldn’t think of anyone capable of being so childish.
The moment the four Guardians saw her, they glared at her as though she were the culprit, their eyes practically brimming with murderous resentment.
All because of this woman’s one vague, half-hearted remark, the Holy Flame Cult’s entire inner circle—with the Cult Leader at its head—now seemed to be teetering on the verge of mutual distrust.
It was all this woman’s fault.
Pei Liang knew exactly why without even looking.
Han Weiliu had only just been driven out by her, less than half an hour ago, and already all four Guardians had suffered for it.
The other three could be dismissed as mere collateral damage, but Miss Meng Liuli was famous for her emotional intelligence and her ability to protect herself. How could some ordinary little incident possibly have caused her to be dragged into the punishment?
Besides, Pei Liang wasn’t deaf. Although the two courtyards were fairly large and said to be closely connected, it wasn’t as though anything said in one courtyard could automatically be heard in the other.
Yet when the four of them had gathered in the courtyard to discuss matters, they had gotten so worked up that they might as well have been shouting through a megaphone. Pei Liang had occasionally focused her attention to listen in, and the dinner she ate had been made considerably more entertaining by it.
The four of them were classic examples of people who enjoyed watching a spectacle in the moment, only to end up in a crematorium when the reckoning came.
In Pei Liang’s opinion, they simply lacked experience as onlookers. They had focused too much on the thrill of watching the drama and forgotten to protect themselves.
Throughout history, let alone in ancient times, when watching a spectacle meant standing close enough to be caught in the crossfire, even gossip on the modern internet required a certain degree of self-preservation.
Otherwise, one might happily finish watching the drama, only to return home and find that one’s own house had collapsed. Then the tears would come all at once.
Pei Liang crouched half-way down in front of the four men and cheerfully asked, “What’s with those broken bowls on your heads? I don’t recall seeing anything like that in the Pei family’s guest rooms.”
Hongxiu and Qingyi didn’t know the exact reason. They assumed that Han Weiliu had angered their mistress and been thrown out, and that she had taken her anger out on her own people.
They were more than happy to gloat and put on a show of concern. “Miss, surely you jest. Even if the Pei family’s hospitality leaves something to be desired, we would never use broken bowls to entertain our guests.”
“Look at these bowls. The material is fine, and the glaze is smooth and delicate. They’re all excellent pieces for receiving honored guests. It’s only the rims that seem to have been chipped recently.”
“That Cult Leader Situ really is a mischievous one. Punishing his subordinates is one thing, but he just had to chip the rims as well. How amusing, hehe!”
Surrounded by a crowd of spectators, the four Guardians flushed bright red.
The Elder Guardian glared angrily. “Bah! You still have the nerve to mock us? If it weren’t for you, how would we have ended up like this?”
Pei Liang smiled. “What do you mean, Elder Guardian? Are you saying I was the one who came up with that idiotic idea?”
“You—you…” The Elder Guardian had not expected her to know about it. Suspiciously, he asked, “Were you spying on us from the wall?”
Several of Pei Liang’s younger half-siblings immediately bristled at that. “Bah! What a senile old man. Does he really think anyone cares about the nonsense happening in his courtyard?”
“Our elder sister was with us for the entire dinner just now. Who would stoop to such crude behavior? You’ve done so many stupid things yourself that anyone could see through you at a glance. Don’t tell me you’re blaming our elder sister for being too clever!”
Over the past six months, the Elder Guardian had seemed to grow younger with every passing day, as though the vivid, uninhibited life he had never experienced when young had finally been released in his old age.
He often traded barbs with Pei Liang’s sharp-tongued younger siblings, and under normal circumstances, he would not have been afraid to take on ten of them at once.
But at the moment, he was covered in dirt and thoroughly humiliated. He had lost all interest in arguing.
Pei Liang teased them for a while but did not push things too far. Then she asked, “When did your Cult Leader say you could come out?”
Miss Meng Liuli was the cleverest of them all. She replied, “When the bowl is filled with copper coins.”
As she spoke, she cast Pei Liang a flirtatious glance. Her seductive, bewitching charm came straight at her in full force. Even with half her body buried in the ground, it did nothing to diminish the allure of this beauty.
Pei Liang’s bones practically melted. Then Meng Liuli said, “Sect Leader Pei, my legs are a little cold. My monthly cycle is due in a few days. In this condition, do you think it’ll be painful when the time comes?”
She was obviously pretending to be pitiful. Martial artists circulated true qi through their bodies, and unless they practiced some unusual form of cultivation, how many female heroes actually suffered from menstrual cramps?
But when a breathtaking beauty looked at you with misty eyes and a melancholy frown, her expression full of fear and vulnerability—
If Pei Liang could still harden her heart against that, would she even be human?
She immediately said gently, “Of course it won’t hurt. I’ll get you out right away. I happened to obtain a few remedies for regulating the body a few days ago. I’ll have someone send them over later. I absolutely won’t let you suffer.”
“But I don’t like drinking bitter medicine,” Meng Liuli said.
“You won’t have to take it by mouth. Just have someone boil it and add it to your bathwater. A few baths should be enough. I hear it’ll leave you with an elegant, fragrant scent afterward. Very refined.”
Meng Liuli’s expression brightened. “In that case, thank you, Sect Leader Pei.”
As she spoke, her eyes flicked upward, subtly urging Pei Liang not to waste time admiring her beauty and actually do something.
Pei Liang instinctively reached into her sleeve, then remembered that she was at home and never carried money around with her—certainly not copper coins, whose purchasing power was pitifully low.
A trace of embarrassment crossed her face. This was the first time she had ever felt awkward over money in front of a beauty.
Meng Liuli, however, was highly perceptive and pretended not to notice her embarrassment, unlike the others, who would have immediately changed their attitudes.
Instead, she let out a faint sigh. “I suppose if it’s inconvenient for Sect Leader Pei, I’ll simply accept your kindness in my heart.”
Such a thoughtful and magnanimous beauty made Pei Liang feel even more protective of her.
She hurriedly called out, “You there—does anyone have any copper coins? Lend them to me first.”
Hongxiu and Qingyi rarely left the mountain gate, so naturally they had no reason to carry money. The pouches they had contained only small gifts Pei Liang had given them over the years, each one worth a fortune.
Pei Liang’s younger half-brothers and sisters, on the other hand, had plenty of loose silver and copper coins on them. Recently, a school had opened at the foot of the mountain, and a newly developed commercial district offered all kinds of delicious food and fun diversions.
They had been going down the mountain to play quite often. Pei Liang did not restrict them, so long as they did not neglect their studies.
Thus, they had accumulated a fair number of coins.
At Pei Liang’s request, they began digging through their pockets. Before long, Miss Meng Liuli’s bowl was filled to the brim, and she was able to climb out of the ground.
Seeing how easily it had been done, the other three looked at Pei Liang pointedly.
The Elder Guardian in particular wore an expression that clearly said: You created this mess yourself, and we suffered because of you. You’re responsible for getting us out.
Pei Liang pretended not to notice and turned to leave.
Protector Jing hurriedly called out, “Wait!”
Pei Liang looked back and sized him up from head to toe. She teased, “Protector Jing, your current appearance is quite distinctive. It reminds me of what happened at the Jiang residence that day.”
The other three immediately thought, That lecherous fiend is flirting with someone again.
With that behavior, he still had the nerve to put on an air of righteous self-denial? Only the Cult Leader, with his simple and stubborn nature, would actually believe him.
Sure enough, Protector Jing’s face turned red at once. He had been stripped naked at the Jiang residence that day.
Ignoring the woman’s remark, he said, “Get me out.”
Pei Liang sighed. “Protector Jing, you’re making things difficult for me. You’re used to staying buried in the ground, and unlike Miss Meng, you don’t have any feminine concerns to worry about. If I let you out, what am I supposed to do about the other two Guardians?”
“You’re all members of the Holy Flame Cult. As an outsider, how could I interfere while your Cult Leader is punishing you? That wouldn’t be appropriate.”
Protector Jing was willing to go all out. His gaze fell on the younger siblings standing behind Pei Liang.
They were all still in their teens. Even the oldest, Pei Wen and Pei Wu, were not yet sixteen. Their eyes were still clear and innocent, and whenever they looked at Pei Liang, their gazes were filled with admiration and affectionate dependence.
Grinding his teeth, Protector Jing said, “If you refuse, I’ll tell your younger siblings what you did to me this morning and let them judge who was in the right.”
“I was bullied in your Pei household. At the time, with the guests about to arrive and the gathering imminent, I let it go. But now seems like the perfect time to settle the score.”
Pei Liang was startled and hurriedly covered Protector Jing’s mouth.
She had gotten a little carried away. Han Weiliu had caused such a commotion that morning, and after the matter had been smoothed over, she had assumed it was finished. She had overlooked the fact that the true victim was still there, waiting to air his grievance.
She did not mind having all sorts of romantic gossip attached to her, but such things were inappropriate in front of children.
She quickly grabbed another handful of copper coins and placed them in Protector Jing’s bowl.
Protector Jing emerged from the ground and shot her a look. He felt deeply ashamed of having threatened her with what had happened that morning, but on the surface he did his best to maintain an expression of indifference.
The tips of his ears were still a little red, however. He deliberately cast Pei Liang a disdainful glance, snorted, then hugged his bowl and copper coins and burrowed back underground.
The Cult Leader would be checking on him again when he returned.
Seeing that the two of them had already left, Flower Guardian hurriedly called out, “Little Wen and Little Wu, give Brother Hua a hand!”
Of the four guardians, Flower Guardian was the most outgoing and the best at dealing with people.
During his time with the Pei family, he had struck up friendships with many of them, especially the older children.
His martial arts were superb, and even the slightest bit of guidance from him could benefit others immensely. He was generous with his instruction and patient with children, so naturally he was well liked.
Pei Wen and Pei Wu therefore put aside their enjoyment of the spectacle, filled his broken bowl, and pulled him out.
Finally, seeing how easily the other three had escaped, Elder Guardian became full of confidence as well.
He beckoned to the remaining, younger children. “Children, it’s cold underground. Your grandpa’s bones are aching. Come and rescue me.”
The children clutched their coin purses tightly and looked at him with undisguised contempt.
“Bah! Why don’t your bones ache when you’re fighting us for sweets every day?”
“Exactly. He was the one who snatched the last pastry off the table that day, and he moved plenty fast then.”
“He’s always fighting children for candy. What shamelessness.”
“He even made Thirteenth Sister cry after stealing from her. At his age, he still won’t show mercy to a five-year-old.”
“That’s right. Don’t believe him. When Little Seven and Little Eight got angry and chased him around, he ran faster than anyone!”
With that, the children heartlessly dispersed, leaving Elder Guardian alone in the ground, staring blankly after them.
Even Pei Liang shook her head with a tut. “I always thought that when you bickered and played with the little ones, you were simply acting like a child alongside them.”
“I never realized you were so hated by children.”
Elder Guardian’s face flushed crimson. In humiliation and fury, he snapped, “What are you looking at? Get me out of here! Everyone’s bullying an old man with a pile of bones!”
Pei Liang shook her empty purse and said helplessly, “It’s not that we don’t want to. We really don’t have any copper coins left. And since the younger ones refuse to lend you any, I can hardly rob them, can I?”
Seeing that there was no hope of relying on that demoness, Elder Guardian glared at the other three. “You’re all young. What does it matter if you stay underground for a while? Hurry up and spare me a few coins.”
The three of them immediately turned around and went into the courtyard.
Poor Elder Guardian. He had been formidable all his life, yet in his old age he had somehow ended up despised by everyone, humans and dogs alike. What a miserable fate.
*
There had been nothing to worry about lately. The shadows hanging over the martial world, along with the conspiracies lurking behind them, had all been dispelled. Only because of that could everyone finally afford to relax.
In any case, compared with before, the atmosphere throughout the martial world now seemed as clear and bright as a sky after rain.
The major sects had originally been constantly on guard against the demonic cult. But after the cult had made its position clear at the Pei residence and received recognition from the imperial court, there was no longer quite so much panic and suspicion—as long as it intended to establish itself properly rather than deliberately set itself against the entire world.
All the surviving members of the Fentian Sect had been captured. Apart from a group of ringleaders whose crimes were beyond forgiveness, the rest had been placed under the charge of Young Master Han, so there was no need to worry about them for the time being.
Many sects had been prepared for a battle sooner or later. Now that the crisis had been resolved without requiring them to pay any price at all, it was naturally excellent news.
It was the fifteenth of the month, and all the major sects were enjoying an uneventful day.
Then, people dressed in Pei family uniforms suddenly arrived at the various sects and sought out prominent wandering heroes, presenting each of them with a copy of a newspaper.
The word “newspaper” had come from the Pei family. Before this, everyone had assumed it was yet another message from the Pei family, especially when they saw the thick stack of paper.
The members of the various sects unfolded the newspapers, and the contents immediately seized their attention.
The headline on the front page read:
“The Fentian Sect’s Fifty Years.”
The article recorded how the Fentian Sect, after being jointly wiped out by the imperial court and the martial world, had gone into hiding; how it had sent spies into the various sects; how it had joined forces with the Han family to preserve its bloodline; how it had operated in secret; and how, once the time was right, it had begun plotting its schemes.
Although many people had personally witnessed the Fentian Sect’s downfall that day, most knew only the broad outline of what had happened. The martial world was vast, and how many people had actually been qualified to attend the scene? Once news was passed from mouth to mouth, distortions were inevitable. There were even those with ulterior motives who tried to muddy the waters.
This newspaper, however, had distilled the Fentian Sect’s decades-long history and set it down vividly on paper. It allowed people to learn the truth while also dispelling many groundless rumors.
Some petty-minded people had attempted to exploit the Fentian Sect’s downfall by branding their own rivals and enemies as members of that sensitive faction, leaving those accused unable to defend themselves. Now, those schemes had come to nothing.
The newspaper had laid out the Fentian Sect’s methods of operation over the years. A comparison made the truth obvious. In addition, Six Gates had issued a statement confirming that all personnel responsible had been apprehended.
As for everything else, there was no need to concern oneself with rumors.
Everyone read on in horror and delight. After the section on the Fentian Sect came an account of the incident involving the Pei, Jiang, and Cao families joining forces to destroy the Han family.
The two matters were connected, after all. The Han family had also been backed by the Fentian Sect.
Although the newspaper had been published by the Pei family, its stance remained remarkably objective. When discussing the destruction of the Han family, it did not beautify or whitewash the Pei family’s position in the slightest.
It also issued a clear statement regarding Han Weiliu’s origins. According to the testimony of Gang Leader Wang, they had indeed followed the clues and found evidence that Han Weiliu carried the bloodline of the Fentian Sect.
This spared everyone the need to argue themselves hoarse. Han Weiliu had openly admitted it.
With certain matters, once one dared to place them in the open, much of the darkness lurking behind the scenes would vanish on its own.
It was much the same as Jiang Xun stealing from the entire martial world. Once he calmly admitted it and acted as though it were nothing out of the ordinary, people throughout the martial world still loved to gossip about his romantic escapades, but they no longer harped on his personal morality.
He had already made it clear that he was not interested in playing by their rules of propriety.
Those two sections alone were enough to leave everyone in the martial world utterly absorbed, unable to put the paper down and forgetting even to eat.
But the topics that followed were by no means mere filler.
For instance, one of the Tang Clan’s treasured hidden weapons had recently been stolen. The scene bore the mark of the martial world’s greatest thief, Bailixiang, and the room was still filled with Bailixiang’s distinctive fragrance.
This, then, was Bailixiang’s method of committing crimes.
The Tang Clan had already gathered its forces, sent out invitations to heroes across the martial world, and begun searching far and wide for Bailixiang, determined to drag him out and recover their supreme treasure.
But the newspaper had reached a different conclusion—
[The editor believes that Bailixiang was not responsible for the theft of the Tang Clan’s hidden weapons. The following is the editor’s own analysis and is provided for readers’ reference only—]
“First, Bailixiang was placed on the Northern Court’s wanted list half a month ago. His crime was infiltrating the Northern Court’s imperial palace and stealing a royal horse. Wanted posters bearing his name can now be seen everywhere in the Northern Realm. The Northern Court has also sent a formal protest, requesting that our court issue a joint warrant and cooperate in capturing the criminal.”
“However, for various reasons, our court rejected the request, and the news has yet to spread throughout the martial world. The Northern Realm is a great distance from the Tang Clan. In such a short time, merely reaching the Tang Clan would have been difficult enough, let alone devising a way to evade its countless mechanisms and traps. The plan simply lacks feasibility.”
“Second, according to clues provided by enthusiastic witnesses at the scene, the scent of Bailixiang left inside the room was far too strong. The Tang Clan keeps hounds to guard its grounds. If the scent left behind was already this intense, then the moment Bailixiang entered the Tang Clan, the dogs would have detected him. Clearly, something is amiss.”
“Third, again according to clues provided by enthusiastic witnesses at the scene, an analysis of the footprints revealed that the thief first stepped onto the windowsill, then borrowed the momentum to fly several dozen feet to a tree branch, and from there used the branch as leverage to leap onto the roof before departing gracefully.”
“But what is Bailixiang’s qinggong like? It is unrivaled beneath the heavens! For someone of his stature to need to borrow momentum once merely to cross a distance of less than ten zhang—how laughable.”
The first two pages, although explosive, had merely elaborated on matters that were already broadly known, making them more detailed and accurate.
But the case of the Tang Clan’s stolen treasure was genuinely fresh gossip.
At that moment, the various sects still had invitations to heroes from the Tang Clan sitting on their tables, unopened. Before they had even had time to read them, a rebuttal had appeared. The speed with which the Tang Clan had been slapped in the face was almost as satisfying as what the Pei family had experienced.
The other sects were feeling this way, and the Tang Clan’s mood was naturally even more complicated.
They read the newspaper’s analysis and found that it matched the actual circumstances perfectly. What was more, by following the several suspicious points listed in the paper, they easily found the mole who had impersonated Bailixiang and stolen the treasure.
For a moment, they did not know whether to laugh or cry. Recovering the supreme treasure was certainly a good thing, but they had now lost a tremendous amount of face.
The clan leader stared at the words “according to enthusiastic witnesses at the scene” and asked in a low voice, “Who was this enthusiastic witness?”
His son answered, “That was me, Father!”
Realizing he was about to be beaten, he hurriedly added, “They said there would be payment.”
“Are you short of those few coins?” Sect Leader Tang barked.
“The Six Doors came too, and it was hardly a secret. With the Pei family’s deviousness, they would have found out somehow. Besides, only the first person to provide the clues would get paid. If we waited, someone else would beat us to it. They were going to find out sooner or later, so we might as well tell them ourselves and at least make a little money.”
“And look—the thief was caught, wasn’t he?”
Sect Leader Tang was speechless. Judging by the result, it really was a good thing.
They had avoided making an enemy of the mysterious and all-powerful Bailixiang. They did not need to trouble the other sects or incur any favors. The treasure had been recovered quickly, eliminating the danger of it being lost or damaged.
Moreover, the thief had not yet had a chance to use those hidden weapons to commit any crimes. It could be considered a blessing in disguise.
But why did it feel so humiliating?
After the Tang Clan’s story came two second-rate martial sects and the grudge between them that had lasted for many years. Because of that grudge, the two sects had been fighting constantly.
As it happened, when the newspaper arrived, both sects were preparing for a final, decisive battle.
Both sides were armed, and the atmosphere was grim. It seemed certain that countless people would die that day.
Just as they were about to clash, both sides received the newspaper from their respective underlings. The fourth page exposed the origins of the grudge between the two sects.
It also provided evidence proving that a sect on friendly terms with both sides had been scheming behind the scenes, constantly inciting them against each other. Even the murder that had sparked the entire conflict had been committed by members of that very sect.
You say the claims in this mysterious newspaper cannot be trusted?
Unfortunately, the article listed everything clearly and presented a complete chain of evidence.
More importantly, the member who had committed the murder had already been arrested and taken into custody by the Six Doors.
After reading the article, the two sects stared at each other.
Were they still supposed to fight?
In the end, their fury at having been deceived for so many years won out. The two sects joined forces and went after the sect that had manipulated them.
Those with a keen eye had already discerned what was happening, and they marveled at Sect Leader Pei’s methods.
“The martial world is going to change from this day forward.”
“Indeed. The martial world is full of people who blindly follow the crowd and are easily incited. Whenever sects clash, with rivers of blood and corpses piling up, isn’t there always someone behind the scenes fanning the flames? The earlier conflict between the Han family and the Blazing Heaven Sect is the perfect example. If not for Sect Leader Pei’s methods, the martial world would probably have descended into chaos again, with countless dead and wounded.”
“If another major incident occurs in the martial world in the future, and this newspaper is there to provide a rational analysis and dispel rumors at the earliest opportunity, how many pointless conflicts will it prevent?”
Bailixiang, who had just escaped from the Northern Realm and returned to the Central Plains, also received a copy of the newspaper.
When he saw the page devoted to himself, he raised an eyebrow, a look of interest appearing on his face.
“I haven’t returned to the Central Plains in several years. I didn’t realize that someone this remarkable had appeared in the martial world.”
Of course, aside from these major stories, there was plenty of miscellaneous gossip, and it was just as delicious.
Who among them had ever encountered such fresh and timely news?
Even the advertising pages—despised by people in later generations—were astonishingly novel to them.
The Pei family’s real-estate advertisements aside, there was also publicity from the Six Doors, calling on martial artists not to conceal incidents or handle them privately. They were the professionals when it came to solving cases.
In the past, people might have dismissed such claims. But after witnessing one wrongful or mishandled case after another, cases that the martial world had investigated on its own and that had nearly resulted in tragedy, they began to understand how disastrous things could become if all the old cases were dug up.
Some people realized that if they truly cared about the dead, they should leave specialized matters to specialized professionals.
And then there was the basic cultivation manual that the Pei family had released free of charge. It explained everything in great detail, from guidance for beginners to in-depth analysis. When people reached this section, every one of them was shocked.
In other words, as long as someone could afford a copy of the newspaper, knew how to read, and possessed even a little talent, they could embark on the path of martial arts.
They did not even necessarily have to know how to read. They only needed to find someone literate to read it aloud to them.
The article encouraged more people to give cultivation a try. Those with the right destiny might enter the martial path, while even those without such fortune could strengthen their bodies by practicing a little.
Furthermore, every six months, the Pei family would hold a selection process for those who practiced this technique. Outstanding candidates would be accepted into the sect and given excellent treatment. They would even gain access to more advanced cultivation manuals.
The entire martial world went mad.
The Pei family’s strategy of casting a wide net without having to invest anything themselves made it obvious how many hidden geniuses living ordinary lives they would recruit after several years.
Some people thought the Pei family had gone insane. How could they dare to distribute the cultivation manuals passed down by their ancestors so carelessly?
Others believed the move was brilliant. They were giving away only a basic manual, yet in return they would gain an endless stream of new disciples. Quite a few major sects were tempted.
The two most interested were the accommodating Shaolin and Beggar’s Sect.
But to achieve such efficiency, they truly needed a medium like the Pei family’s newspaper. Thus, one sect after another came looking for them.
The Pei family naturally welcomed them. They led the visitors to the advertising department, where, while accepting their payment, they informed them that the benefits of appearing in the newspaper went far beyond this.
Wouldn’t it be much more convenient to announce anything important publicly from now on?
And finally, the newspaper even organized a poll to choose the number-one beauty of the martial world.
There were ten women on the list, all renowned female heroes of the jianghu.
With every newspaper purchased, readers received a ballot with which they could vote for their favorite heroine.
The young martial artists naturally went wild over it. The first issue had barely arrived before countless people were placing advance orders for the next issue—and for a long-term subscription at that.
Many young heroes even subscribed to multiple copies, all for the sake of the voting ballots.
The newspaper was hardly priced as cheaply as something from an industrial society, either. It was quite expensive.
After the first issue was released to an enthusiastic response, Pei Liang sat in her room, going over the account books and counting the money she had earned from her first round of advertising deals. The smile on her face was unmistakable.
Just then, rain began to fall outside. Thunder and lightning crashed overhead as raindrops the size of beans battered the banana leaves beyond the window with a sharp, incessant patter.
It was as though a gust of wind had blown into the room, snuffing out the candle.
The atmosphere in the room instantly grew tense and eerie.
Yet Pei Liang seemed completely immersed in her fortune-making and failed to notice any of it. The smile on her face did not diminish in the slightest.
With a deafening boom, another bolt of lightning split the darkness.
A human figure seemed to appear outside the window, but when Pei Liang looked again a moment later, there was nothing there, as though she had merely imagined it.
Pei Liang set down the account book and gave a soft laugh.
The next instant, a hint of moisture suddenly gathered behind her.
Pei Liang turned around, only to be met by a flash of silver.
She reached out with her bare hand and caught the other person’s sword blade.
Sure enough, Jiang Xun stood there, drenched from head to toe, his eyes fixed fiercely on her, filled with undisguised killing intent.
As usual, Jiang Xun was dressed in white.
But now his white robes were soaked through, clinging to his body. Water pooled at the hem and instantly drenched the small patch of floor beneath his feet.
The carefree grace and confident spirit he had once possessed were gone from his face. He looked haggard and gloomy, his wet hair hanging loose, with several strands plastered against his cheeks.
The sight made him look almost tragically beautiful.
He let out a bleak laugh. “I’ve been gathering clues for you out there, single-mindedly carrying out every task you assigned me.”
“Whether you were using me or despising me, I always held on to that last shred of hope.”
“I thought that since you had never considered breaking off our engagement, you must still have some feelings for me. Ha…”
“But I never imagined that even that was nothing more than wishful thinking on my part. If you had felt even the slightest pity for me, you wouldn’t have sent me out on missions while destroying my family at the same time.”
Pei Liang sighed. “There was, in fact, some affection.”
Jiang Xun sneered, clearly seeing through Pei Liang’s insincere words.
But Pei Liang had not lied. At first, she had not taken him seriously at all. Later, however, she began to feel that the jianghu would lose much of its entertainment if it were missing such an intriguing man.
“That’s precisely why I sent you on that dispensable mission at a time like this,” she said.
Jiang Xun immediately understood.
On the day of the Pei family incident, the entire Burning Heaven Sect had been arrested. In other words, the only task he had truly needed to carry out was luring Madam Hu into their trap.
The other missions had all been unnecessary—indeed, they had been entirely unrelated to the matter.
Since Pei Liang already possessed conclusive evidence, why had she still ordered him to continue carrying out those missions? Why had she not even given him time to rest?
The moment he returned, she had urged him to leave again.
So that had been her purpose. She no longer needed him to do anything. Her sole aim had been to send him away.
Jiang Xun knew his own abilities. Even if he had been present at the scene that day, he would not have been able to change the fate of the Jiang family. Pei Liang naturally understood that even better than he did.
Her only purpose had been to ensure that he could escape when the Jiang family fell…
But Jiang Xun would rather she had never spared a thought for him. Whether this concern came from pity or from their former feelings, to him it was nothing but torment.
Jiang Xun gave a bitter laugh. “My cultivation is lacking, and I’m nowhere near your equal in schemes or strategy. I can’t avenge my family.”
“Sect Leader Pei, I truly cannot accept your good intentions. You may as well kill me.”
Pei Liang, however, said, “Dream on.”
“Other than your father and the other masterminds, the rest of the Jiang family have been registered as slaves. You’re included, of course.”
“Through my connections within the authorities, I’ve obtained the contracts of servitude for your entire family.”
“Now you belong to me. How could I possibly let you die simply because you feel like it?”
