That's the Heavenly Maiden!

Old Mother Ku appeared before Shu Wanjuan. She was dressed just as she always was—a scarf wrapped about her, clad in coarse homespun clothes, bundled up tightly from head to toe. Shu Wanjuan stared at Old Mother Ku, eyeing her up and down several times. "After all these years, you truly haven't changed a bit." Old Mother Ku also regarded Shu Wanjuan for a moment. "You, on the other hand, have changed quite a lot. When I first met you, you looked like a storyteller in a teahouse. Nowadays, you look more like a private schoolmaster." Shu Wanjuan smoothed his scholar's robe and brought out a folding fan. "I used to make a living telling stories, too. Take off these spectacles, grab a storyteller's gavel, and earning a tael of silver a day was child's play. Come visit Zhaoge sometime; I'll put on a private performance just for you at a teahouse." Old Mother Ku waved her hand dismissively. "Thanks for the thought, but my bones are too stiff. When I see that Sage of yours, I really can't bring myself to kneel. A place like Zhaoge is somewhere I'm afraid I could never go." Shu Wanjuan flicked his sleeves. "Don't go picking only the pretty words to say. Are you really that much better than the Sage? Are there few people who kneel to you in Bitter Herb Manor? Don't they kneel to you just to scrape together a way to survive?" Old Mother Ku shook her head. "I never forced anyone to kneel, nor did I force anyone to come to Bitter Herb Manor." Shu Wanjuan smiled. "Yet you force people to suffer. Whether studying letters or martial arts, doing business or performing on the streets, all of it is a sin under your roof, and all must suffer. And after suffering, they are expected to be profoundly grateful to you." Old Mother Ku asked, "Does following the imperial court mean you don't have to suffer?" Shu Wanjuan said, "Following the court involves suffering too, but that suffering has a limit. It isn't like Bitter Herb Manor, where so many endure bitterness until they die without ever tasting a single bite of sweetness." Old Mother Ku chuckled. "Then why didn't you stick with the court all along? Why did you follow the Peddler back then?" Shu Wanjuan replied with utter candor, "'Master the arts of pen and sword, sell them to the royal house.' I always wanted to serve a court. But the previous imperial court didn't value talented men, so I wanted to change courts. Who could have foreseen that the Peddler didn't want to be an emperor? With no emperor, where was an imperial court supposed to come from? I went through life and death with him as brothers-in-arms, and in the end all I got was silver. Did he really think I risked my neck just for pocket money?" Old Mother Ku truly wished to explore that matter. "Aren't you risking your neck for the imperial court now?" Shu Wanjuan shook his head. "That's entirely different. The court granted me a noble title, and a title is far more important than silver. On my own fiefdom, the power over life and death is mine to wield. Slaves, commoners, scholars, even grand dignitaries—every last one of them must kneel before me with proper decorum." Old Mother Ku smiled faintly. "Back when the fighting raged, you charged enemy lines, devised brilliant strategies, and accomplished so much for the Peddler. So all of it was just for this?" Shu Wanjuan made no attempt to hide it. "What's wrong with wanting this? Is there anything improper about it? A man lives a single lifetime and masters so much skill and capability—what for? Isn't it just to stand above other men? What are your reasons for what you do at Bitter Herb Manor? Mixing grit into fine rice—isn't that wicked? 'Only by enduring bitterness beyond all bitterness can one become a man above all men'—isn't that something you say all the time too?" Old Mother Ku sighed. "You possess a silver tongue, and I cannot best you in an argument. If I let you preach your crooked reasoning, you could go on for three days and three nights without running out of words." Shu Wanjuan shook his head. "This isn't crooked reasoning; it is absolute truth! Never mind three days and three nights—men across the world have preached it for thousands of years under countless names, yet it remains the very same truth! A man who stands above others must carry himself like one. What kind of thing is that Peddler anyway? What gives him the right to try and overturn thousands of years of fundamental truth? Go ask around—does anyone in this world actually believe in his notions?" Old Mother Ku said with a faint smile, "Why don't you say those words to his face?" Shu Wanjuan looked unperturbed. "I can't say them to his face because I can't beat him in a fight! I don't believe in the Peddler's principles, but I believe in his fists. Aren't you the same?" As he spoke, Shu Wanjuan turned his gaze toward He Jiaqing. "You're quite a clever young fellow. You know what the true principles are, and you even know how to disguise them, concocting a bond of brotherhood and blood to trick others into risking their lives for you. In plain terms, don't you just want to be a sage yourself?" He Jiaqing said nothing. Old Mother Ku said, "I wish to spare this man's life. For the sake of our old fellowship as comrades, grant me some face." Shu Wanjuan shook his head. "That won't do—not unless he returns the things he stole." He Jiaqing said, "What did I steal?" "The covenant deeds!" Shu Wanjuan frowned. "It has already come to this, and you're still playing dumb?" He Jiaqing refused to admit it. "To catch a thief, one must catch him with the loot. I don't have any covenant deeds on me." Shu Wanjuan chuckled. "Child, who taught you that catch-a-thief-with-the-loot nonsense? Old Pincers Xiao? He lied to you. When it comes down to catching a thief, you don't need any loot. If I say you're a thief, you're a thief." He Jiaqing frowned. "Li Seven also stole covenant deeds and handed them over to Gu Wuyan. The man and the stolen goods were caught together. Why didn't you arrest him?" Shu Wanjuan straightened his posture with solemn gravity. "Though Li Seven stole covenant deeds, he isn't a thief!" "Why not?" Shu Wanjuan said, "Because he is an Imperial Prince! An Imperial Prince stealing things does not break the law, so how could he possibly be a thief?" He Jiaqing smiled. "Senior, you are well-read in the classics of the sages. Have you never heard that 'if a prince breaks the law, he shares the same guilt as a commoner'?" Shu Wanjuan laughed and sighed repeatedly. "Young fellow, are you joking with me? Why on earth would a prince share the same guilt as a commoner? Surely you didn't take such deceitful nonsense seriously, did you?" Old Mother Ku said, "Let's dispense with the idle talk. I simply want to keep this man alive." Shu Wanjuan shook his head. "Then I'll tell you the plain truth: you cannot save him!" With a sweep of her hand, flames erupted across Old Mother Ku's body. Flames ignited across Shu Wanjuan's body at the same time. The ink marks were scorched dry, turning into black smoke that drifted into the air. The real Shu Wanjuan was still standing by the riverbank. Old Mother Ku could tell that the figure by the river was indeed his true body. Old Mother Ku slashed herself with a blade. Ink bled from Shu Wanjuan's body, and his figure collapsed and scattered across the ground. It was still just ink. In the blink of an eye, Shu Wanjuan was still standing by the riverbank. He Jiaqing could not quite understand. Old Mother Ku had clearly identified Shu Wanjuan's true body, so why did he dissolve into ink whenever the technique struck him? Old Mother Ku knew very well that this was Shu Wanjuan's Heavenly Harmony skill. As long as written characters remained on his person, they could absorb damage on his behalf. Shu Wanjuan looked at Old Mother Ku with a smile. "I brought several books with me today. Why don't we make a wager—are there more characters in my books, or is your life tougher?" Could she twist his luck to make the characters on him fail? It was useless. He might be carrying dozens of books, containing tens of millions of characters. The probability of causing tens of millions of characters to fail simultaneously was infinitesimally small; even Old Mother Ku could not achieve it. Old Mother Ku asked, "No matter what, you won't let him go today?" Shu Wanjuan shook his head. "I stand by what I said: as long as he returns the stolen covenant deeds, I can spare his life. The local spirits of the newlands were originally subjects of Great Shang. When subjects harbor treacherous intentions, they truly deserve death. But He Jiaqing is not a subject of Great Shang; at most, he's merely a thief. Whether a thief lives or dies doesn't matter much. However, the items the thief stole must be recovered. Once that is done, I will have fulfilled my duty upon returning to Zhaoge, and whether He Jiaqing lives or dies will no longer concern me." Old Mother Ku looked toward He Jiaqing. He Jiaqing said calmly, "I never took their covenant deeds. What do you expect me to give you?" Shu Wanjuan frowned slightly. "Thieves usually remember the treats and forget the beatings, but you truly won't weep until you see your own coffin. This is your only chance to live. Do you not even know to treasure it?" Old Mother Ku smiled. "I am still standing here. His chances to live ought to be plenty, shouldn't they?" Shu Wanjuan sighed. "The fellowship between old comrades still exists, but it cannot bear such squandering. Do you really believe you can beat me?" "Whether I can beat you is hard to say, but I know you cannot fight for long." Old Mother Ku waved her hand, and the small river beside Shu Wanjuan suddenly turned crimson. Flowing within it was no longer water, but molten lava. Dragging He Jiaqing with her, Old Mother Ku stepped onto the lava and shouted at Shu Wanjuan, "Come, step forward and fight! Let's see how long it takes you to kill me! You've killed so many local spirits; the Peddler will be here soon. Let's see how long you can hold out!" He Jiaqing's face was deathly pale. Standing atop molten lava was agonizing, and this was no ordinary lava. He wouldn't be able to hold out for long either. Shu Wanjuan narrowed his eyes, studying the two of them closely. Killing He Jiaqing would not be difficult, but Old Mother Ku possessed a Heavenly Harmony skill. Slaying her in a short amount of time would definitely not be easy. Moreover, Old Mother Ku was right: Shu Wanjuan had to leave Puluo Province before the Peddler arrived. After a long silence, Shu Wanjuan did not strike. Old Mother Ku led He Jiaqing away. Watching the two figures disappear into the distance, Shu Wanjuan revealed a slight smile. He had achieved his purpose. He had chased what needed to be chased, fought what needed to be fought, and spoken what needed to be said. This had been his desired outcome from the start. Rather than fighting to the death against the old woman, he had a far better way to resolve the problem. Returning to the assembly hall, Shu Wanjuan pulled two people out from the pile of corpses: Qian Xiangjun and Chu Yaoxian. These two had been intentionally spared by him. Because their minds were dazed and disoriented, neither dared to resist, nor did they try to flee. Shu Wanjuan patted Qian Xiangjun's forehead, murmured a few words to him, and then set him aside. Next, he walked over to Chu Yaoxian and comforted her first: "Young lady, were you terrified?" Chu Yaoxian trembled all over. "Senior, please spare my life... I know I was wrong." Shu Wanjuan smiled. "Don't be afraid. I'm here to save you. This is your territory. In your own territory, no one dares to kill you, or they would violate the Peddler's rules." Chu Yaoxian did not understand. What did those words mean? Did the person before her need to abide by the Peddler's rules? Shu Wanjuan explained, "I have no need to care about the Peddler's rules, but He Jiaqing cannot defy him. He must obey the rules, which is why he killed so many local spirits yet spared you alone." Chu Yaoxian grew even more bewildered! How had it become He Jiaqing who killed the local spirits? Shu Wanjuan repeated once more, "It was He Jiaqing who killed the local spirits. You must remember that without the slightest ambiguity." Chu Yaoxian did not dare agree; she still could not fathom Shu Wanjuan's intentions. Shu Wanjuan said, "You might hold genuine feelings for He Jiaqing, but he harbors no sincerity toward you. He spared your life purely out of fear of punishment from the Peddler." Chu Yaoxian's expression went blank. She felt as though she had been struck by some unfathomably profound technique. She had indeed been struck by a technique, though it was hardly unfathomable. It was the most fundamental technique of Scholar Cultivators—the Ground Level Layer One skill, Lotus from the Tongue. Shu Wanjuan patted Chu Yaoxian's forehead. "He Jiaqing used you to gather these local spirits in one place so he could butcher them and seize their territories for himself. If you don't believe me, ask him. He is He Jiaqing's subordinate." Chu Yaoxian looked toward Qian Xiangjun. Qian Xiangjun said to Chu Yaoxian, "All the local spirits here were killed by He Jiaqing. He used Penance Cultivator skills and Thief Cultivator skills to kill them." Did He Jiaqing know Penance Cultivator skills? Since Qian Xiangjun said he did, he certainly did. With dull, glazed eyes, Chu Yaoxian nodded toward Shu Wanjuan. Shu Wanjuan said, "As for exactly how He Jiaqing killed these local spirits, I have already written it all down. Read it carefully." He produced an essay from his sleeve and pressed it against Chu Yaoxian's forehead. Every single word of the essay drilled into Chu Yaoxian's mind. She nodded repeatedly. "Yes... it was He Jiaqing who killed them... He Jiaqing killed them with Penance Cultivator skills and Thief Cultivator skills... Those local spirits came for a meeting, but with their guard completely down, He Jiaqing just..." Shu Wanjuan chuckled softly. "Precisely. He Jiaqing killed so many local spirits, yet he didn't violate the Peddler's rules. Tell me, how do you think the Peddler will handle this?" Chu Yaoxian shook her head, staring at Shu Wanjuan in utter bewilderment. Shu Wanjuan sighed. "The Peddler is in for a bitter pill. He can swallow losses dealt in the open, and he can swallow losses dealt in the dark, but this kind of mute suffering where his hands are tied—that's something he truly won't be able to stomach." *** Old Mother Ku led He Jiaqing away, originally intending to flee to Bitter Herb Manor. As they passed through the territory of the Blade Cultivator Qiu Sandao and reached a patch of woods, He Jiaqing suddenly halted. His chest had been injured by Shu Wanjuan and his legs were scalded by the lava, but He Jiaqing could still move. He pulled more than a dozen feathers from his breast pocket and cast them across Qiu Sandao's territory. The feathers drifted on the breeze. The farthest one drifted to the edge of the woods and settled onto the ground. Old Mother Ku recognized this technique—it was the Thief Cultivator skill, No Treasure Falls Unclaimed. "What are you doing?" He Jiaqing said, "Senior, please wait for me a moment." He dropped onto his stomach and began digging where the feathers had landed. He unearthed quite a few spiritual treasures, but He Jiaqing disdained them and tossed them aside. Digging down at the twelfth feather, He Jiaqing finally unearthed the item he wanted: Qiu Sandao's covenant deed. Old Mother Ku said in astonishment, "How did you know Qiu Sandao's covenant deed was buried in this grove?" He Jiaqing said, "I have planned for this for nearly ten years. I scouted all these territories beforehand. While I couldn't claim total certainty, it was pretty close to the mark." Old Mother Ku frowned. "It has already come to this, and you still want to steal?" He Jiaqing said, "It has already come to this—why wouldn't I steal?" "Shu Wanjuan might still pursue you." "As long as I run fast enough, he won't necessarily catch me." He Jiaqing sprinted toward Zhuang Jiahan's territory. *** Late at night, Li Banfeng entered the stairwell from the sixteenth floor and descended the steps to the twelfth floor. The twelfth floor was a level he was relatively familiar with, as a fake archive room had once been located here. Last time he came, he hadn't found that fake archive. He wondered what would happen if he switched routes this time. Opening the stairwell door, a large iron door appeared ahead. Li Banfeng smiled. Seeing the large iron door was vastly better than previous outcomes; at the very least, he had triggered the stairwell's puzzle. The projector brought the surveillance equipment under control, and the glove unlocked the door. Li Banfeng released Banfeng Two. "Vanguard, advance!" Banfeng Two snapped irritably, "You're sending me in empty-handed?" Li Banfeng considered handing the scythe over to Banfeng Two, but worried that if the avatar failed to return, the scythe might be lost. Reaching into his breast pocket, he pulled out a dagger and handed it to Banfeng Two. "Just issued by the Dark Star Bureau. I haven't even had the heart to use it myself. It's yours." Banfeng Two wanted to spit in Li Banfeng's face, but unfortunately lacked saliva. Gripping the dagger, he entered the room. He didn't see an archive room; instead, he saw a blade hacking straight down from above his head. Banfeng Two gave a disdainful smirk. "Can a thing like this even hurt me?" He nimbly dodged the guillotine blade, only for an invisible blade to cleave him right through the waist. Banfeng Two was startled. He truly couldn't afford to be careless here. A long saber slashed straight at his face. Should he dodge or not? Naturally, there was no reason not to dodge. Banfeng Two shifted sideways with great speed, both halves of his shadow evading the long saber. Yet another invisible blade swept in, slicing the two shadow halves into four. Dodging the visible saber seemed to drop him straight into the trap of the invisible blades. Still, this trap was timed far too accurately. Could someone be controlling it? After about ten minutes, dozens of Banfeng Twos walked out of the room. "At first, I thought there were Artisan Cultivator mechanisms inside. But after careful scouting, I realized there's probably a top-tier Blade Cultivator in there. He might be a deceased spirit, though. Without the Keen Eyesight skill, I couldn't see where he was. I suggest you go in and look for yourself." Li Banfeng looked at the crowd of Banfeng Twos and nodded. "The vanguard is looking more and more like a proper unit!" Banfeng Two pointed at the large iron door. "You really aren't going in to see? I think that Blade Cultivator is quite formidable." "Since you already know he's a Blade Cultivator, why would I go in to look—" Midway through his sentence, Li Banfeng froze. He sensed something flashing. What was that? Li Banfeng asked the projector, "Have all the surveillance devices been brought under control?" The projector said, "Rest assured, Director Qi. They're all our friends now." Within the Fifth Room, Red Lotus watched with growing anxiety. "Has the message I told you to send reached its destination?" The Fifth Room answered, "It's been delivered. I've been flashing the light the whole time!" Red Lotus cursed inwardly under her breath, *She received the message, so why is she messing around with all this nonsense? She never takes anything seriously!* Hong Ying and Ninth Miss were both watching from inside the Fifth Room, though they couldn't hear the exchange between the two. They merely felt that Li Seven was taking far too great a risk. Having turned up nothing on the twelfth floor, Li Banfeng descended another three levels to the ninth floor. Red Lotus urged the Fifth Room, "Send the signal again! Quicker!" Li Banfeng glanced behind himself from time to time. The Fifth Room responded, "We can't rush it. Li Seven seems to have noticed." Red Lotus was resolute, continuously prodding the Fifth Room to keep signaling. She wasn't worried about Li Seven noticing something; even if he detected an anomaly, Li Seven wouldn't abandon his investigation lightly. What she worried about was that the person they sought was unprepared, which might trigger an unexpected incident. Li Banfeng pushed open the stairwell door and saw the large iron door once again. The glove unlocked the iron door. Li Banfeng looked inside and saw a white stone statue standing within. The stone statue was over five meters tall, dressed in a flowing scholar's robe and adorned with magnificent hair ornaments. It depicted an exquisitely beautiful woman of ancient times. Apart from this statue, there were no other furnishings in the room. Perhaps because the craftsmanship was so superb, the statue looked remarkably lifelike. Banfeng Two was thoroughly captivated. Without waiting for Li Banfeng's command, the avatars entered the room on their own accord and formed a circle around the statue. Seeing that the Banfeng Twos were safe and sound, Li Banfeng stepped into the room as well, circling the statue several times. The companion dwelling followed the key. As Li Banfeng circled around, the household inside the Fifth Room faced the wall and also saw the statue. Jiu'er gasped, "The Heavenly Maiden!" Hong Ying examined it closely for a moment. "That's right, it's her!" Both women turned their gaze toward Red Lotus. The Heavenly Maiden was Red Lotus's master. Covered in dew, Red Lotus could no longer hold back and cried out, "Don't go near it!" Hong Ying jumped in fright. "What's wrong?" Red Lotus shouted, "Someone warn Li Seven! Don't let him get close!" Hong Ying looked at Jiu'er, who remained speechless for a long while. How could they warn Li Seven right now? He was outside the house; none of them could speak to him. Red Lotus cursed in her heart, *Damn it all, why did she bring this thing out again?* She urged the Fifth Room to warn Li Seven, but the Fifth Room kept silent. If the Fifth Room gave a warning now, there were some things it would never be able to explain away. Li Banfeng stood right before the statue, looking up at it for a moment. Finding nothing peculiar, he turned to leave. Red Lotus let out a long breath, thinking the danger had passed. To everyone's shock, the statue suddenly opened its eyes and curled into a smile at Li Banfeng's retreating back. Red Lotus's heart leaped into her throat. The statue parted its lips and exhaled a breath at Li Banfeng's back. Li Banfeng shuddered and collapsed to the floor. The flock of Banfeng Twos collapsed to the floor alongside him. Hong Ying and Jiu'er were terrified. Red Lotus cried out frantically, "Quick, find a way to bring him back!"