In a secluded valley a hundred li southeast of Piaomiao Peak.
Having received orders issued under Qin Zheng's name, the men of the Thirty-Six Caves and Seventy-Two Islands had assembled here half a month ahead of schedule.
Although the Shennong Gang had already been annihilated, costing them one faction, they had enlisted the help of Sword God Zhuo Bufan, leaving their collective strength greater than ever.
As the convener of the gathering, Boss Wu looked over the assembled forces from every path. Stepping forward, he addressed the crowd. "I trust you have all received the summons from Tianshan Tonglao. Let us put our heads together and decide whether we should truly go help her quell this rebellion."
A diminutive old man strode forward, eyes glinting sharply. "Now that Tianshan Tonglao has lost her power, we can force her to remove our Life and Death Talismans. If she refuses, we can throw our lot in with her disciple, Tianshan Tongnü. Perhaps she holds the antidote instead. In short, whoever gives us the cure is the one we follow!"
A woman knitted her brows tightly and asked, "And what if Tianshan Tongnü has no antidote either? What do we do then?"
The moment her words fell, the desolate valley erupted into an uproar.
"I think we're better off helping Tonglao. Seeing that we've rendered meritorious service, she might grant us the antidote..."
"Indeed! If we back Tianshan Tongnü and she turns out to have no cure, we might as well slit our own throats right now!"
Just then, an arrogant voice rang out: "Hah. A motley rabble. No matter how many of you gather, you will never achieve anything of consequence."
"Who's talking out of their ass? Show yourself!" a burly brute cursed, glancing around angrily.
An instant later, Zhuo Bufan stepped into view. A flash of light gleamed from his sword as half a foot of flickering azure sword glare manifested at the tip. With a midair slash from a distance, before the burly man could even react, the sword glare cleanly severed his head.
The single stroke struck instant terror into everyone in the valley, plunging it into dead silence.
Zhuo Bufan rested his sword behind his back, an expression of total confidence on his face. "I am Zhuo Bufan, the Sword God. Tianshan Tonglao owes me a blood debt for the extermination of my sect. If you cowards dare not oppose her, I shall ascend the mountain alone and end her with a single strike!"
Boss Wu recovered his wits and nodded in praise. "With Master Zhuo's assistance, Tianshan Tonglao will certainly be no match for us! Then let us capture her directly and force the antidote from her!"
"Well said! We'll follow Master Zhuo to take Tianshan Tonglao alive, storm Lingjiu Palace, and vent all the bitter hatred we've swallowed over the years!"
"Don't slaughter all the maidens of Lingjiu Palace! Some of them are quite fetching, heheh!"
"Right! We've paid so much tribute to Lingjiu Palace over the years. This time, we're taking every bit of it back!"
As the crowd eagerly discussed how to divide the spoils after their victory, an aged voice echoed from outside the valley: "What insolence! Who dares speak of capturing Tonglao alive?"
Escorted by Qin Zheng and the others, A'Zi came into view, seated upon a cushioned litter carried by eight burly men.
The litter was encircled by dragon-patterned drapes and lined with yellow silk bedding—none other than the imperial palanquin used by the Liao emperor on his travels.
An accompanying eunuch bellowed, "Insolent fools! Tianshan Tonglao has arrived! Kneel at once to welcome Tonglao's exalted presence!"
Dozens among the crowd instantly felt their knees buckle, sinking to the ground. "Greetings, Tonglao!"
Behind the curtains, A'Zi was practically bursting with glee, but she managed to stifle her laughter and spoke in a solemn tone. "You may all rise. That treacherous disciple of mine took advantage of my absence to launch a rebellion and usurp my Lingjiu Palace. In such an urgent crisis, we may dispense with formalities."
Zhuo Bufan's gaze sharpened, and he let out a great shout. "Zhuo Bufan of the Single-Character Wisdom Sword Sect, here to avenge my slaughtered sect! Face me!"
With those words, he launched himself from the ground, soaring into the air like an eagle spreading its wings. He unleashed the technique The Sky Like a Canopy, immediately followed by Dense White Fog—nine feints and one true strike. A dazzling flurry of sword glare blanketed the sky, cutting off every angle of retreat for A'Zi.
Qin Zheng flicked his right sleeve. Under the surge of his internal power, the sweeping sea of sword glare dissipated in an instant, leaving only Zhuo Bufan's real sword, tipped with flickering sword glare, thrusting directly toward A'Zi.
Qin Zheng stepped forward, forming a sword finger, and tapped a beam of sword qi straight against the sword glare.
In the next breath, the precious sword in Zhuo Bufan's hand shattered into inch-long fragments. Zhuo Bufan himself was struck by the sword qi, blood bursting from his split tiger's mouth. Flipping backward in midair like a hawk, he stumbled several paces across the ground before finally neutralizing the lingering force of the finger strike.
Terror seized Zhuo Bufan's heart.
Years ago, he had fled into Changbai Mountain, where a fortuitous encounter led him to an ancient sword manual. After twenty years of arduous secluded cultivation, he perfected his swordsmanship, crowned himself the Sword God, and believed his blade reigned supreme beneath the heavens.
Yet the very art he took the greatest pride in had been shattered by Qin Zheng in a single move. How could this be possible?
His right hand trembling, Zhuo Bufan stared at Qin Zheng in existential disbelief. "Who are you? State your name!"
Qin Zheng cupped his hands. "I am Duan Yu, a humble sword-attendant page serving under Tonglao. Thanks to her favor, she taught me a few sword strokes. Pardon my clumsy display just now!"
Standing nearby, the real Duan Yu's eyes widened to saucers upon hearing this. *You're Duan Yu? Then who am I? Murong Fu?*
Upon hearing Qin Zheng's reply, Zhuo Bufan let out a desolate, self-mocking laugh. "Heh... haha... Twenty years of bitter cultivation, and I cannot even defeat Tianshan Tonglao's servant page? And yet I dreamed of taking vengeance upon her! How absurdly overconfident... truly overestimating my own strength..."
Murmuring, he staggered back into the crowd like a man who had lost his soul. Then, with a sudden burst of power under his feet, he sprinted desperately toward the valley's exit, fleeing for his life!
Boss Wu stared in stunned disbelief at his vanishing back. It took him a long while to realize the man had actually run away, and cold sweat immediately broke out across his forehead.
They were finished. The formidable reinforcement they had recruited had fled, leaving them to face Tianshan Tonglao's fury all on their own...
Just as he fell to his knees in terror, on the verge of tears, Qin Zheng spoke again. "Now that Tianshan Tongnü has rebelled, people are needed to serve. Tonglao has shown great mercy and bestows upon you the antidote to the Life and Death Talismans, ridding you of all lingering afflictions so that you may concentrate on facing the enemy. Why have you not bowed in gratitude for her benevolence?"
Upon hearing this, the assembled crowd was overwhelmed with joy.
"Your subordinates thank Tonglao for the medicine!"
"Tonglao's kindness is as boundless as the heavens! We shall never forget it in this lifetime!"
Looking at the sea of martial artists kneeling before her feet, A'Zi felt an indescribable surge of satisfaction. Puffed up with pride, she adopted an elevated posture. "Rise, all of you. Serve faithfully under my banner from now on, and I will not mistreat you."
Qin Zheng then had men distribute the elixir pills.
After swallowing the medicine, everyone immediately felt the Life and Death Talismans within their bodies beginning to dissolve. Overcome by a whirlwind of surprise and relief, some wept while others laughed hysterically, turning the entire valley into a wild, frenzied spectacle.
Even Boss Wu had taken the medicine. Overwhelmed with gratitude, tears and snot streaming down his face, he cried out, "Tonglao, this subordinate is guilty! Bewitched by a moment of madness, I harbored the treacherous thought of forcing the antidote from you—a crime truly unforgivable! From this day forth, I will never dare harbor a second thought. Whatever Tonglao commands, I, Boss Wu, will scale mountains of daggers and plunge into seas of flames without hesitation!"
Qin Zheng remarked, "That won't be necessary. After all, your family fortunes and strongholds are already gone. You won't be of much use in the future anyway."
Boss Wu froze for a moment. "Page Duan, what do you mean? I don't quite understand."
The corners of Qin Zheng's mouth curled into a brilliant smile. "I mean that while you were away, I ransacked all of your strongholds. Do you understand now?"
Boss Wu and the others finally registered the words, and a chorus of furious curses erupted toward Qin Zheng.
"Duan Yu, you bastard, I'll fuck your ancestors back eight generations!"
"You cur surnamed Duan, as long as you live, I cannot share the same sky!"
"Tonglao, this Duan Yu harbors malicious intentions! I suspect he's in league with Tianshan Tongnü!"
Listening to the torrent of curses raining down on his name, Duan Yu looked at Qin Zheng with a wry, helpless expression. "Hero Qin, I finally understand why you never like using your real name when traveling the jianghu..."
Chapter 48