SS CH58

Qin Lanchang’s parents died early, and she was raised by her paternal grandparents.

Madam Qin had suffered greatly in the imperial death cells, and her physical constitution was already ruined. Even though Shen Wuduan exhausted every available method to love and protect her, the son she fought with her life to bear was still unhealthy. Steeped in medicine jars from childhood, he died of illness before reaching the age of thirty.

The devastating blow of a white-haired parent sending away her black-haired child left Madam Qin’s spirit even weaker. Fortunately, before his passing, her biological son left behind this single female child. Although the birth mother was merely a maidservant who had hemorrhaged severely during childbirth, she had at least left her a little granddaughter.

When she was born, she was a tiny little bundle. Inheriting her father’s traits, her bodily foundation was not good. Fortuitously, Sun Minfeng joined the Hundred Ghosts Sect at that time, which allowed her to grow up healthy and strong. From a young age, Qin Lanchang loved to brandish swords and spears. However, because the martial arts techniques of the Hundred Ghosts Sect were unsuitable for women, Madam Qin personally taught her the Suolong Spear.

The Suolong Spear technique consisted of thirty-six stances in total, but Madam Qin had only learned thirty-three of them. The “Three-Stage Dragon Slash,” which was hailed as the absolute essence of the style, had vanished from the martial arts world along with the death of the Northern Hero, Qin Hebai.

She could not convey it through spoken words and could only teach by physical example. Fortunately, Qin Lanchang never slackened in her martial arts practice. Over the years, although she had not achieved complete integration and mastery, she had practiced them crudely into a familiar routine. It was only a pity that the Suolong Spear had a widespread reputation; once deployed, it would inevitably court trouble. Therefore, before her passing, Madam Qin had summoned her to the bedside, laboriously making hand gestures to command her never to easily deploy the Suolong Spear in front of outsiders.

After Madam Qin passed away, Qin Lanchang wept while sorting through her grandmother’s relics. From the bottom of a trunk, she discovered a yellowed, faded diary—it was a record of major and minor matters written down by Madam Qin over the years.

From the diary, she learned of her lineage and family vendetta. Overcome with an uncontrollable surge of grief and fury, she ran before her grandfather and clamored that she wanted revenge, only to receive a response that she could not comprehend: “I promised your grandmother that I would not ask, would not speak, and would not intervene in this matter.”

Qin Lanchang did not believe it. A blood-debt of vengeance so profound was something that even a half-grown girl like her, who had never witnessed it with her own eyes, could not let go of—let alone her grandmother, who had narrowly escaped with her life.

The entries in the diary regarding the extermination of the Northern Hero’s clan were but a few brief lines, yet between the words, a suppressed hatred rushed forcefully at her face.

She was bent on being willful at that time. As a result, she was thrown into the martial arts training grounds by her grandfather and grounded for over half a year. It was only after Shen Wuduan moved to the Qingxu Pavilion to live in peaceful seclusion and handed the majority of the power of the Hundred Ghosts Sect to Chu Xiwei that her restriction was lifted.

This time, she had learned to be smart. Revealing not a single breath of wind regarding her plans, she finally waited until Chu Xiwei left home to conduct business before bringing two of her trusted confidants and running away from home.

Regardless of whether she could avenge them or not, she had to see it with her own eyes.

Up to this point, she felt she had seen enough, and she also believed she had seen clearly.

Feigning a strike, Qin Lanchang twisted her body and swung her hand back, thrusting a parting shot—a Huima Spear strike—straight toward Ruan Feiyu! She held merely a long wooden staff in her hand, yet as it pierced the wind and sliced through the rain, it produced a sharp, piercing screech that was actually not inferior to a sharp spearhead!

Ruan Feiyu merely looked at her without moving his steps. Instead, Lu Mingyuan took a swift stride forward, raising his palm to strike the long staff. One side was rapid, while the other was dexterous. At any rate, he managed to strike the long staff away before it touched flesh. Before he could breathe a sigh of relief, he raised his hand to grab Qin Lanchang’s shoulder, wishing to make her calm down so they could speak properly.

However, Qin Lanchang was consumed by the rage in her heart. At this moment, she cared nothing for who was who. With a twist of her hand, the long staff inverted its direction and abruptly slammed into Lu Mingyuan’s chest. If this strike had been a silver spear, it would likely have pierced him clean through the heart. Even so, Qin Lanchang had not withheld any strength in this blow. Lu Mingyuan, after all, was merely a wounded soldier who had not long crawled back up; he instantly felt the blood and qi churning inside his chest. His face turned pale, and he fell to his knees on the ground.

This scholar was exceedingly stubborn in his principles. As he knelt, he reached out and grabbed one end of the long staff. He was, after all, a tall and heavy man; this pull caused Qin Lanchang’s footsteps to stagger. Before she could steady her stance, a hand landed upon her head.

Ruan Feiyu had arrived by her side at some unknown point. His withered, emaciated palm landed on the crown of her head as lightly as if it were nothing, loosely smoothing down her slightly disheveled hair, as if he were merely a caring elder looking after a member of the younger generation.

Yet, Qin Lanchang felt as if thorns were pricking her back. Seeing this hand covering the crown of her head, Boss He instantly did not dare to act rashly.

Ruan Feiyu’s Benlei Palm was tyrannical to the extreme. Under these circumstances, if he were to strike down upon her head with a single blow, she would likely die looking uglier than a smashed watermelon.

Lu Mingyuan’s expression changed drastically, and he hurriedly cried, “Master!”

“Miss Qin, you are still young; in doing things, you must think thrice before acting.” Ruan Feiyu’s smile remained unchanged, and his speech was still gentle. “Otherwise, not only is it easy to fall under another’s control, but you will also bring trouble to others, will you not?”

Qin Lanchang spat and said with a voice full of hatred, “Old thief!”

Boss He staggered to his feet and said, “Ruan Feiyu! Is it not enough that you caused the deaths of over a hundred lives of the Qin family? Will you not even let a young girl off?”

Ruan Feiyu expressed surprise: “Just now, it seemed it was this young lady who struck first, was it not?”

“I should have struck long ago! That Heaven allowed you to live until now is truly without—”

Her words could not be finished. Ruan Feiyu’s hand slid downward, brushing across the acupoints on her body. She instantly froze in place, unable to move. A stomach full of curses was stifled right in her mouth, leaving her able to do nothing but let her eyes blaze with fury.

“For a young lady, it is better to be a bit quieter.” Ruan Feiyu turned his eyes to look at Boss He. “Seeing the orphaned descendant of your former master, are you not very pleased?”

Boss He ground his teeth in deep hatred: “What do you want to do?”

“If this old man could spare you a path back then, I have no intention of making things difficult for you today either, so long as you do not court trouble.” Ruan Feiyu said calmly, “You expended great thought to lure us here, and your final companion is nowhere to be seen. If this old man has not guessed wrongly… you people wish to play out the remnant endgame that this old man left behind all those years ago.”

Boss He’s expression changed abruptly. Lu Mingyuan stood up and walked to Ruan Feiyu’s side, glancing at the immobile Qin Lanchang before placing his hand along one side of her shoulder.

Boss He’s eyes were densely bloodshot, filled with both shock and fury. However, his hands were tied by fear of harming the hostage. Countless thoughts swirled within his mind as his gaze swept across this earth that buried ancient skeletons, finally landing on Qin Lanchang’s face.

Ruan Feiyu waited with immense patience, entirely motionless, like a silent stone statue standing in the rain.

After a long while, Boss He’s spine went slack, as if all the strength in his entire body had been drained away in this single instant. He was actually somewhat unsteady on his feet as he said, “You… release the person, swear an oath not to pursue the innocent, and I… I will let you all leave.”

The rain fell upon Qin Lanchang. Hearing these words, she only felt the blood throughout her body turn cold. She wanted to roar out a fury, yet she could not even manage to open her mouth.

She had once believed that youthful vigor could breach heaven and earth, yet when things finally came to a head, she was completely powerless.

Ruan Feiyu smiled. Just as he was about to say something, his gaze suddenly froze, and he barked at Boss He, “Watch out!”

However, it was already too late.

With a sharp puchi sound, a sharp weapon pierced through a body. Boss He’s eyes went wide as a dagger thrust directly into his heart from behind. The flowing blood was a deep vermilion, which was quickly washed clean by the rain.

His body swayed as he tried to turn his head to take a look, only to be squarely met by a slender, delicate hand. Concealed within the gaps between the fingers were six iron nails dipped in poison, which began to rot the flesh the moment they pierced the skin. Boss He let out a tragic shriek, half of his face instantly turning into a bloody, mangled mess. He forcefully threw back a counter-palm strike, hitting the newcomer so hard that she let out a muffled groan and retreated three steps. Unfortunately, his subsequent strength failed him, and he collapsed into the rain, drawing breath no more.

Ruan Feiyu’s brow furrowed. He flicked open Qin Lanchang’s acupoints. The young girl could not spare any thought for him; she stared blankly at the person who had been perfectly fine a moment ago but had now turned into a corpse. The corners of her eyes felt as if they were splitting with rage as she glared ahead, yet she froze for a moment.

The person who had struck integration-flicked through Boss He’s still-warm corpse a few times, fishing out a wooden whistle. With a light laugh, a foot clad in a coarse cloth embroidered shoe kicked the corpse aside. It turned out that “Xiu’er,” whom he had knocked unconscious just earlier, had stood up at some unknown point, looking at them with a beaming, radiant smile.

Qin Lanchang: “Xiu—”

Ruan Feiyu interrupted her words: “It is said that ‘the mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind.’ Palace Master Xiao is deeply versed in this method. This technique of changing appearance and shrinking bones is indeed something that cannot be matched by a second person within the martial arts world.”

“Xiu’er” laughed in a delicate, charming voice. Her outward appearance was merely that of a young girl in her early teens, yet her voice transformed into that of a mature woman—exceedingly enchanting and seductive. It did not make one yearn for her; it only induced a creeping terror.

She was Xiao Yangu?!

The expressions of Qin Lanchang and Lu Mingyuan changed drastically at the same time. They heard several gezhi-gezhi scraping sounds that set one’s teeth on edge, like the friction of bones. The girl, who was originally even shorter than Qin Lanchang, abruptly stretched her limbs. The clothes that had previously hung loosely upon her body instantly became form-fitting. After she stretched her waist slightly, her delicate hand wiped across her face, tearing off a thin mask that was as delicate as a cicada’s wing, and removing the padding materials. Her entire face transformed into the countenance of Xiao Yangu.

“Many thanks for Chancellor Ruan’s praise. It was well worth the effort of flaying this face skin alive and spending so many measures of trouble.” Xiao Yangu crumpled the human skin mask into a ball, tilting the corner of her eye. “Chancellor Ruan, you have seen many old acquaintances and past events along the way. How does it feel?”

The night after Helian Yu left, Xiao Yangu had received orders to make contact with Boss He and his people. The real Miss Xiu’er had been replaced by her long before the five of them converged at the mountain cave. She had been accustomed to the art of painting skins since childhood, mastering every detail of voice, color, and outward appearance; to impersonate a mere timid young girl was truly far too easy.

It was just that she had not expected Chu Xiwei to follow them. Fortunately, she had abided by the rules along the way without revealing any flaws, otherwise it would have been quite troublesome.

Ruan Feiyu also understood the crux of the matter, saying calmly, “To meet an old acquaintance in a distant land is, of course, a fortunate matter.”

Xiao Yangu toyed with the wooden whistle in her hand: “Chancellor Ruan is open-minded. It is a pity that these remnants of the old cases are all so dense; they insist on blaming all matters, related or unrelated, upon the Chancellor’s head, vowing to take your life.”

“Many thanks for Palace Master Xiao’s concern.” Ruan Feiyu’s gaze swept across the surroundings. “But the one who leaked the information to lure them over was precisely your honorable palace, was it not?”

“The Chancellor is mistaken.” Xiao Yangu covered her mouth and laughed softly, “As the old saying goes, ‘one palm cannot make a clap.’ If these thieves did not harbor malicious intent, how could a mere piece of news cause them to charge forward one after another? Back then, the Chancellor did not drive them to utter extinction, yet these people do not know what is good for them. Having plotted for so long to repay virtue with malice, we have merely allowed the Chancellor to see through them in advance and make early preparations.”

“Despicable and shameless!”

The moment Qin Lanchang’s words fell, a strike landed squarely on her face, and a small bruise instantly formed at the corner of her mouth. She blanked out for a moment, only to see a small locust-stone drop to the ground.

Yet, she had not seen clearly how Xiao Yangu had struck.

“Little girl, you have caused me trouble and I have not yet settled the score with you, so don’t open your mouth so much. It is not likeable.” Xiao Yangu lowered her hand, looking toward Ruan Feiyu, “Chancellor Ruan, as the saying goes, ‘from a small sign, one can see the whole trend.’ After this battle, you ought to know precisely how many people want your life. In this world, the Sanmei Academy cannot protect your safety for a lifetime, and the young Emperor is merely utilizing you. The only one who can accommodate your abilities and allow you to spend your remaining years in peace is… only the Second Master.”

Seeing that Ruan Feiyu did not answer, Xiao Yangu paused slightly before continuing, “The previous offenses were committed out of absolute necessity, but the Second Master’s sincerity has never changed. It is still hoped that the Chancellor…”

“The one who sets the chessboard does not move; the one who breaks the deadlock does not retreat; the one who changes the situation does not alter their course.” Ruan Feiyu spoke in a slow, meticulous cadence, “Palace Master Xiao, do you understand?”

The one who lays out the grand situation and arranges the methods must not act rashly; the one who plays the chess pieces to break the deadlock can detour but must not shrink back; and the one who wishes to revolutionize the situation and innovate is precisely the one who must least change their original intent.

Only by not betraying one’s original intention can one constantly rectify past errors.

The smile on Xiao Yangu’s face instantly froze like painted skin on paper.

After a moment, she lowered her eyelids: “There is no room for negotiation? That is truly… a regret.”

Qin Lanchang was in no mood to listen to her continue with nonsense. Kicking up the long staff from the ground, she hurled it straight over. Xiao Yangu flew backward to retreat, clearing several bounds before vanishing into the forest. Just as Qin Lanchang and Lu Mingyuan were about to give chase, they heard a sharp whistle pierce the air, the sound traveling incredibly far and echoing within the valley for a long time.

Almost in that exact instant, a tremendous, world-shaking boom erupted from the mountain slope not far behind them!

As if a giant underground dragon had awakened, the small pebbles on the ground began to vibrate slightly. A sudden clap of thunder exploded across the edge of the sky, but following that single sound, a rumbling, muffled noise also arose from within the mountain valley, like the beating of battle drums, causing the heart to tremble.

Qin Lanchang turned her head in horror. Within the boundless curtain of rain, she saw that the mountain slope from which the tremendous boom had first erupted… had collapsed!