Chapter 31: Bone-Deep Frost

Kou Dan faked right, tearing herself away from Zhou Fei, and moved to the side along with 'Merak'. While that same faint smile remained on her face, a furious desire to kill the girl had welled up within her – even if she'd been up against someone like Zhao Qiusheng, Kou Dan was confident that armed with her Purple Rain, she would be more than capable of holding her own. But this little punk had surprisingly imbued the form of the Snow-Breaking Sabre with a touch of Mingfeng-esque slyness. While Kou Dan had attempted several times to strike her with a fatal blow, Zhou Fei had managed to evade her attacks each time, almost as if the girl could predict her movements.

And Kou Dan could clearly sense that while this impudent little rascal, who seemed to have popped out of nowhere, had been relying purely on luck and a little bit of hasty improvisation to get by at the beginning, her technique started to become increasingly confident as their fight wore on. This made Kou Dan utterly furious – this girl who was still wet behind the ears was actually making use of her to test out new moves!

If the Mingfeng Tower set out to kill a person at nightfall, that target would not live to see the next morning. Oh, how its very name had used to strike such terror into the hearts of others! But now, the leader of Mingfeng Tower herself was being used as a sparring dummy by an impertinent little girl!

As if he could sense the steam pouring out of Kou Dan's ears, Gu Tianxuan gestured to her behind his back to calm down. Kou Dan took a deep breath, an ugly scowl distorting her pretty face as she tried to suppress her emotions. She thought to herself: That's right, they won't be able to keep this up for long – just wait till I get my hands on them!

A disciple of the 48 Zhai suddenly came tearing up the mountain. He shoved his way through the crowd and ran up to Zhao Qiusheng, panting heavily. Lowering his voice, he said in a hurried whisper: "Elder Zhao, troops have suddenly attacked the villages at the foot of the mountains, tens of thousands of them, and they're everywhere. They seem to be from the false Dynasty."

Zhao Qiusheng: "…"

He couldn't believe that that little jinx Zhou Fei had been absolutely right!

Mistaking the look of complete surprise on Elder Zhao's face for shock at the sudden attack, Gu Tianxuan said: "It was my honour to have witnessed the heroes of Qianzhong and Chiyan in action. You have my deepest respect."

And then 'Merak' adjusted his cape elegantly, snapped his fan shut, and bowed towards each of them, deliberately lingering a few seconds longer in front of Zhou Fei, before saying: "I wouldn't want you to shed any blood unnecessarily, either. I'll be honest with you, while I was sparring with you here, one of my brothers had already led his troops in an ambush of these mountains…and well, once troops are involved, things become quite a bit more complicated. Visiting the Shu Mountains is no walk in the park, and if anything goes wrong, it will be difficult for us to answer to His Majesty. So we've had to be extra careful today. We didn't even dare to test the 48 Zhai's ironclad defences head-on. To guarantee our success, I had no choice but to humbly meet all of you heroes and heroines here first, drawing your attention away, so that my brother down there would have an easier time of it."

Zhao Qiusheng sneered: "And what are you planning to do?"

With a smile, Gu Tianxuan said: "The 48 Zhai is full of highly skilled pugilists, and numerous peerless masters. So in my humble opinion, it would be best not to come to blows if it can be helped. If all of us are able to get together peacefully, explain ourselves to each other, and beat our swords into ploughshares, wouldn't that be swell?"

As he was speaking, a series of signal flares shot up into the sky, each one louder and more urgent than the last.

As those flares exploded above them, be it Zhou Fei, whose intelligent guess about the Big Dipper's plans had proven correct, or Zhao Qiusheng, who had been somewhat mentally prepared, all of them couldn't help but feel anxious – exactly how many men had the Big Dipper brought with them? Would the 48 Zhai's response be enough? Could that young man Lin Hao be relied upon?

Zhou Fei instinctively glanced over at Xie Yun again. But this time, she didn't wait for his reaction before shifting her gaze away. Xie Yun had already told her everything that he needed to. Zhou Fei would have to rely on herself and on a good dose of luck to do the rest. She recalled what he'd said to her at the end, which was good enough to be written in a book: "It is said that 'People of noble character are motivated by justice and righteousness, while the wicked are motivated by selfish interests'. 'Wise men know when to press on and when to let go, whereas fools can be easily manipulated by their emotions' – however, the majority of people in this world aren't noble, nor are they wicked, and neither are they wise men or fools. So to get all of these people on your side, completely of their own free will, the first thing you must do is gain their trust. Remember, those who take orders from others are easily influenced. Only those who can influence others are capable of raising great armies."

Zhou Fei turned around, and just so happened to catch Zhao Qiusheng cast an uncertain look her way. That nasty, old-fashioned prick had a look of worry in his eyes, as if he were hoping to draw a little bit of reassurance from her. Seeing that anxiety in his eyes was like looking in a mirror. All of a sudden, Zhou Fei didn't feel panicked anymore.

She gave Zhao Qiusheng an affirming nod, and thrust her sabre into the ground. She looked for all the world like nothing would be able to shake her, not even if the mountains around them came crashing down.

Zhao Qiusheng's tense gaze instantly relaxed a little. At first, he'd thought that Zhou Fei had the worst possible timing, having chosen this particular juncture to return to the 48 Zhai, and would only create more trouble for them. But in the space of a mere few hours, he realised that he was actually starting to value her opinions. Zhao Qiusheng didn't quite know how to feel about this absurd situation. He felt as if he had been a cresting wave, surging powerfully towards the shore. But before he could reach it, another wave from behind had actually overtaken him in a most preposterous turn of events. It had come crashing down onto the shore ahead of him, spraying him right in the face. He felt a sense of relief, but was also extremely miffed.

Zhao Qiusheng placed his sword behind his back, sneering: "Are you not going to fight? Don't tell me that you've travelled thousands of miles, and went to such lengths to break into the 48 Zhai, just for a kumbaya?"

Ignoring his provocation, Gu Tianxuan said evenly: "The land that the 48 Zhai stands on belongs to the Northern Dynasty. By claiming this mountain for yourselves, you have already scorned the imperial court and broken the law. Yet as His Majesty values people of talent, his first priority in sending us here was to 'keep the peace'. As long as all of you turn from your wicked ways, the imperial court will not hold any of your past transgressions against you, nor will it mistreat you in any way. I can guarantee you this."

Zhao Qiusheng let out a long breath. With the long-suffering tolerance of someone holding his breath when another person in the room had let out a smelly fart, he forced himself to refrain from blowing up and asked: "Is that all? That woman behind you couldn't possibly have betrayed us for no good reason. What does she want?"

Kou Dan was using one of her fine needles to stitch up that tear which Zhou Fei had made in her wide sleeves. At Zhao Qiusheng's question, she lowered her head and bit off the thread, revealing a flash of dainty white teeth beneath her scarlet lips, and looking extremely precious.

"Oh, I just want to ask Mistress Li for something – nothing more, nothing less," Kou Dan smiled: "It's so laughable – everyone outside knows of the existence of this great treasure called 'Sea Blends Into Sky', yet Mingfeng, which is so closely connected to it, has been living in obscurity deep in the mountains for decades. If Lord Gu hadn't enlightened me about this, we would have remained completely in the dark. Isn't that just the most ridiculous thing you've ever heard?"

Zhao Qiusheng and Zhang Bolin exchanged looks, not having a single clue what she was talking about. They thought to themselves: What nonsense is this damn woman spouting now?

Gu Tianxuan nodded, chiming in: "Indeed, all those years back, Mingfeng Tower engaged in high treason, even daring to take on the job of assassinating His Majesty. The former leader and his shidi[1] were both personally involved in this foolish endeavour. Fortunately, Brother Alioth was by His Majesty's side at the time, foiling those two traitorous villains and poisoning them with 'Bone-Deep Frost'."

Hearing him refer to her very own shifu and shishu as 'traitorous villains', Kou Dan didn't even bat an eyelid.

Gu Tianxuan continued: "Bone-Deep Frost is one of the eight great poisons in this world. Even the Great Golden Immortal[2] would die and get reincarnated if he had a little taste of it. Yet those two traitorous villains continued to live on quite well after that. One of them was especially robust, remaining on this earth till all his hair grew white, and refusing to die unless he was killed – it was truly quite miraculous to behold. If you ask me, this 'Sea Blends Into Sky' can probably bring the dead back to life."

It was one thing to have a vague idea of what had happened to Elder Yu, but another thing entirely to hear the enemy say it to their faces. Zhou Fei tightened her grip on her sabre.

Kou Dan looked straight at her, smiling: "Not too long ago, the Mingfeng secret post told me that an extremely formidable successor to the Southern Blade has emerged from the 48 Zhai, one who'd killed the Azure Dragon Lord Zheng Luosheng. I was puzzling over which highly-skilled pugilist this was – I suppose it's safe to say that the person in question is little Fei, am I right?"

Zhao Qiusheng exclaimed: "What?"

Zhang Bolin exclaimed almost simultaneously: "You slaughtered that bastard of the Mountain of the Living Dead?"

Zhou Fei: "…"

There was really no good way for her to explain this in front of everyone here. It looked like there was no way she'd be able to quash this rumour now.

Kou Dan curled her long fingernails into her palm, smiling: "If I'm not wrong, Mistress Li herself has one of the tokens of Sea Blends Into Sky, and so does the Zhongwu General Wu Fei. The Sword of Mountains and Rivers definitely has one as well – which in all likelihood landed into the hands of Zheng Luosheng. Mistress Li hurried her men to escort the Wu widow and children back here, and then sent her daughter after Zheng Luosheng – what an excellent job she's done. So it seems like she's managed to assemble all three tokens now…or perhaps she's been able to obtain even more by now? Mistress Li really is something, and much respect to her for that. But one can't be too greedy – how can she keep everything for herself?"

With lethal intent in her eyes, Zhou Fei looked at Kou Dan coldly and said: "What a load of rubbish."

Kou Dan didn't argue with her, merely smiling sweetly and turning to Gu Tianxuan: "My Lord, I think it's about time."

Before he could respond, Gu Tianxuan heard the patter of orderly footsteps in the distance. A look of smug confidence spread across his face, and he said leisurely: "First, I would like all of you to put down your weapons, and submit to the imperial court; Second, might I ask Miss Zhou here to hand over the members of the Wu family, as well as whatever it is that you obtained from Zheng Luosheng; Third, might I trouble all of you to send Mistress Li a letter – asking her to come immediately, offer up all the tokens of Sea Blends Into Sky that are in her possession, and follow me and my brother back to the capital to plead guilty for her crimes. His Majesty is magnanimous and will surely not make things difficult for her. These simple requests are all we're asking for. Don't you think that's quite reasonable?"

Hearing this load of bullshit, Zhang Bolin's face instantly distorted with rage, and he made to start cursing at them. But then he happened to look past Kou Dan and the Big Dipper's men, towards the sound of the incoming footsteps. He looked stunned for a moment, before his expression changed completely, from fuming troll to beaming Buddha in an instant. He chuckled heartily, saying: "Oh, that's very reasonable alright. Hey, you little bastard, if you kneel down before me, call me 'father', and kowtow to me ten times, we'll be happy to give you the 'Treasures of the Sea', or whatever it is that you want."

Gu Tianxuan had a horrible feeling about this, and quickly turned around. Rather than the troops that he'd been expecting, a throng of 48 Zhai disciples stood there in their stead.

These disciples were extremely well-trained. Running towards them from different directions, they swiftly re-grouped into an orderly contingent, stopping several metres away. They barked out: "Southeast Platoon One has cut the rope bridge! The enemies cannot enter!"

"Platoon Two has released miasma into the air, felling hundreds of enemy soldiers! Unable to advance further, those dogs have retreated!"

"Platoon Three has set up an ambush in the valley!"

"Platoon Four has killed an enemy general…"

Gu Tianxuan had just gone to great lengths to set the stage for his troops' grand entrance – and now his own words came back to bite him in the arse, like a slap right across the face. That dignified visage turned green, then purple, then black, and the vein at his temple was throbbing so hard it looked like it would burst through his skin.

If someone were to prick him on the top of his head right now, scalding steam would probably go shooting up into the air.

Zhou Fei raised the Mountain of Lost Springs back off the ground, as she looked at Gu Tianxuan with a smirk: "Lord Gu, it's been a long and tiring journey for you. Why don't you come in for a cup of tea?"

Zhang Bolin was beaming from ear to ear, looking incredibly tickled: "You cheeky girl, I think I like you very much indeed!"

Ignoring her entirely, Gu Tianxuan thundered: "Retreat!"

At his command, the black-clad men instantly gathered round him again in a protective circle, and started going back the way they'd come. And at a long whistle from Kou Dan, several Mingfeng assassins leapt into the air, using their qinggong to hover in midair. Like several large spider demons, they held up an immense net of metal strings, blocking the disciples from advancing further.

Zhang Bolin raised his spear and made to thrust it against that net of metal strings: "Where do you think you're going, you bitch!"

With a flick of her freshly-sewn sleeve, Kou Dan released a cloud of white smoke that drifted towards Zhang Bolin. While he wasn't sure whether this was poisonous, Zhang Bolin immediately held his breath and retreated several steps. Just then, a long sabre appeared in front of him, and with a few deft strokes, the fine needles concealed in that cloud of white smoke were disposed of. They fell to the ground, gleaming with a poisonous blue.

Zhou Fei said: "Shibo Zhang, be careful."

Only now did Zhang Bolin realise that he'd gotten a little too carried away in his glee, and his face reddened slightly.

By now, Gu Tianxuan and Kou Dan had already retreated several metres, and were on the verge of plunging down the cliff into the Ink-Washing River below, leaving a bunch of useless black-clad men and Mingfeng disciples behind.

Zhang Bolin was a supremely obstinate person who had no qualms about biting a dog that bit him, even if that would kill him. How could he bear to let Gu Tianxuan and Kou Dan just slip through their fingers like that? Likewise, Zhou Fei was ultimately still a hot-headed youth. Their instinctive response to this was exactly the same.

Kou Dan was an ungrateful and traitorous murderess, while Gu Tianxuan was a mortal enemy of the 48 Zhai. If they let these two get away scot free, even after they had come right to their doorstep and spit in their faces, who would still hold the 48 Zhai in high regard after this?

The two of them had to be seized at all costs and made into mincemeat!

Dispersing Kou Dan's cloud of white smoke with two palm strikes, Zhang Bolin raised his spear aloft and hurled it forward with a roar.

Gu Tianxuan didn't even turn around, as two black-clad men swiftly rushed forward, using their bodies to block Zhang Bolin's spear. It skewered them right through and pinned them to the ground, its shaft quivering violently.

Zhang Bolin yelled in frustration, and started to run after them, with Zhou Fei close behind.

But just then, she heard Xie Yun call out to her gently: "Fei."

Taking three steps forward, Zhou Fei thought to herself: Why is he calling me now? Can't he see that I'm busy!

It took her five more steps before she started to realise that this wasn't right.

Zhou Fei had been forced to chase after the fleet-footed Xie Yun on the regular, which had unintentionally caused her qinggong to improve by literal leaps and bounds. In the blink of an eye, she had already travelled more than thirty metres forward.

But changing her mind at the last-minute, she suddenly hastened in front of Zhang Bolin, blocking his way with the Mountain of Lost Springs: "Shibo Zhang, this isn't the time to chase after them. We need to get our priorities right."

Zhang Bolin was glaring daggers at her, scowling furiously at this 'traitor'.

Zhou Fei looked steadily back at him, and shook her head. She said solemnly: "Shibo Zhang, Shixiong Lin took most of our men with him just now. All those torches in the trees are just a bluff, and we don't actually have that many men with us now. Moreover, if we started fighting with them at the Ink-Washing River, with Kou Dan around we can't be sure that the stringed machine won't be used against us. Also, we aren't in the clear yet – we aren't clear about the situation at the foot of the mountains, and there might very well still be Mingfeng assassins hidden in the 48 Zhai…"

When Xie Yun called her name just now, he had also summoned back the reason in her which she had been so quick to abandon. Now that it had returned, she was able to think more clearly, and instantly understand what had happened – as overall in charge of the 48 Zhai's defences, Lin Hao was of the same rank as Elders Zhao and Zhang, such that he had full authority to do as he wished. It was entirely unnecessary for him to send his men back just to give a report on the status of the battle – and to have them do it so conspicuously and with such fanfare, either.

Lin Hao might have done so only to mislead Gu Tianxuan and company, to trick them into beating a retreat. The situation out there might not actually be as rosy as the sentries had made it out to be.

And anyway, even if Gu Tianxuan and Kou Dan had really run away with their tails between their legs, it would require at least the combined forces of Elders Zhao and Zhang, as well as an auxiliary Zhou Fei, for them to be evenly matched. But Zhao Qiusheng clearly had no intention of joining them in this reckless endeavour. If the two of them forged ahead alone, they themselves would probably be made mincemeat of instead.

And who knew how many phantom-like Mingfeng assassins could still be hiding in these mountains? Quite a number of the weak and defenceless resided in the 48 Zhai. She shuddered to think of what could happen to them.

Zhao Qiusheng had just finished having the disciples capture the remaining black-clad men and Mingfeng assassins. He ran towards them now, chastising Zhang Bolin: "You really haven't grown any wiser in the past few decades! You only know how to bark and bite, like a mad dog! Shame on you! Even a little girl is more sensible!"

Zhang Bolin: "…."

With a snort, Zhao Qiusheng thrust his nose in the air imperiously as he commanded the disciples: "Bring all these odds and ends back to the torture chamber. Leave double the number of men here to guard the Ink-Washing River, and to scour these mountains for any remaining scoundrels! Ensure that you do not miss out even a single Mingfeng traitor – that Fei girl over there, follow me back to the Hall of Elders. Since your mother isn't around, you should make yourself useful."

Zhou Fei understood that after what had just happened, Zhao Qiusheng recognised that her opinions were worth listening to at least.

This time last year, Zhou Fei hadn't even formally completed her apprenticeship, nor did she have an identification badge to leave the 48 Zhai. But now, she was being given special approval by Elder Zhao to set foot in the Hall of Elders. Her rise was nothing short of meteoric. She didn't look overjoyed in the slightest, however. Glancing in the direction of the Ink-Washing River with a troubled expression on her face, she asked softly: "Shishu Zhao, why don't I stay here and help to sort things out? The stringed machine will need to be turned on again."

Zhao Qiusheng said coldly: "Mingfeng Tower is nothing more than a bunch of money-grubbing assassins! Nobody would consider them a decent bunch. Twenty years ago, I'd already said that they could not be trusted. That Feng Yuping failed to take his disciples in hand, and this came back to bite him. It serves him right that there's no one to mourn him. Why should you do it!"

It took everything in Zhou Fei to suppress the retort that was on the tip of her tongue. Swallowing with much difficulty, she subconsciously gripped the hilt of the Mountain of Lost Springs, as the tension slowly left her furrowed brows.

Zhao Qiusheng sneered: "Do as you please."

Then with a wave of his hand, he marched off with some of the disciples in tow.

Zhang Bolin looked hesitantly around him for a bit, before gently patting Zhou Fei's blade in commiseration: "Old Zhao doesn't actually mean what he said. It's just that…" Sighing, Zhang Bolin continued: "If I get my hands on Kou Dan, I'll be sure to tear her to pieces – bid him farewell on our behalf, aye? I won't be going with you."

Under normal circumstances, attaining a breakthrough in the Snow-Breaking Sabre would have kept Zhou Fei quite happy for half a year at least. But with her back facing the bleak Ink-Washing River, and her mind filled with anxious thoughts – uncertainty over the situation down there, Kou Dan's puzzling motives, and the numerous other things to worry about – she had to draw on every single bit of this half a year's worth of happiness just to tamp down the rising gloom that she felt.

This night seemed so long, so suffocatingly long, and the sky didn't seem like it was ever going to light up again.

After Zhao Qiusheng and Zhang Bolin had left one after the other, Zhou Fei sighed softly to herself, massaging her throbbing temples. She proceeded to lead the remaining disciples in setting up temporary look-out posts on the banks of the Ink-Washing River. When it was all done, she looked down at the inky black waters of the River, which swallowed the specks of brilliant starlight whole. She could hear the breeze stirring its surface, the constant lapping of the waters sounding like the river was whispering softly to her.

Now that the danger had passed for now, Li Yan came running up to her with Wu Chuchu in tow.

"Fei, what were you talking about with Uncle Zhao and the rest just now?" Looking over Zhou Fei's shoulder, Li Yan glanced tremulously down the side of the cliff. Her fear of heights acting up again, she clung desperately to Zhou Fei's sleeve, shaking as she knelt to the ground: "Oh my god, that's terrifying."

One of the disciples approached Zhou Fei: "Shimei Zhou, are you going down to the River?"

Zhou Fei nodded, and beckoned to the other disciples to follow her as she grabbed a coil of rope. She paused for a moment, as something seemed to occur to her, and then turned around to pull Li Yan over: "You're coming with me."

Li Yan looked at her piteously: "Ah? What did you…"

Her legs left the ground before she could finish that sentence. Zhou Fei fastened a length of rope around Li Yan's waist, then grabbing her by the collar and hauling her up, she leapt down the cliff.

Zhou Fei was intimately familiar with this 'treacherous path', having plummeted down and scaled up the banks of the Ink-Washing River countless times. By the time Li Yan managed to gather her wits about her, she was already freefalling in midair, hurtling towards the jagged rocks and rushing waters below. All the blood in Li Yan's body rushed to her head, and tears came flying out of her eyes. With a shrill screech, she shrieked in Zhou Fei's ear: "I'm – gonna – dieeee!"

Zhou Fei's ears were ringing with Li Yan's shrieks, and she let go of the girl's collar. They were already approaching the surface of the Ink-Washing River. Doing a flip in the air with practiced ease, she freed herself of the rope and looped it around Li Yan, then flung it securely round a nearby crag. Then delivering a palm strike towards the flat surface of the cliff to decelerate her fall, she herself landed lightly on a little rock beside the river.

The stringed machine was so quiet that it seemed to be sleeping.

Letting out a breath, Zhou Fei looked up at Li Yan, who was clinging for dear life onto the rope that was only less than one metre above the ground. She called out to her: "Come down from there."

Like a cat that had a phobia of water, Li Yan shook her head vigorously.

Zhou Fei made to physically drag her down. Li Yan started to scream: "Help! Help! Elder Yu! Help…"

But then she suddenly stopped, realising belatedly – wait a minute, where was Elder Yu? Hadn't he always been in the Ink-Washing River? Why did he stop the stringed machine, and let those intruders in?

Li Yan abruptly released her grip, causing the rope around her to spring back up. She landed flat on her bottom on the muddy riverside, the tips of her shoes splashing into the river and sending a spray of water across her face. Li Yan couldn't be bothered to wipe this away, whipping her head around to look at Zhou Fei. Her cousin was leaning against the towering cliffside, so high that the moonlight could not reach the shadow it cast. In that moment, she looked especially small, and silent.

The icy cold water of the River had started to soak Li Yan's shoes, prompting her to pull her feet out of the water and stand up.

Several of the disciples that had followed them down reached the riverside now. Zhou Fei simply glanced at them before leaping out onto the water. Like a lithe water sprite, she skipped lightly across the water, forming small ripples on its surface. She didn't even have to look down to know where to place her feet, which landed squarely on those rocks beneath the water that were controlled by the stringed machine – in a few supple leaps and bounds, she had led the slightly apprehensive disciples to the little pavilion at the centre of the river.

The lonely little pavilion was shrouded in a thick fog. Its ancient and flimsy door was slightly ajar. As if it could read their minds, the door swung open with a creak as Zhou Fei approached, revealing the old man sitting serenely there facing the Ink-Washing River.

Zhou Fei's breath caught in her throat.

Tea cups were arranged neatly in a row on the wooden table. Elder Yu looked exactly as he always did. He seemed to be closing his eyes for a short nap. Any moment now, he would open them with a look of annoyance on his face, glaring at her as he grumbled: "You're here again!"

Zhou Fei suddenly understood what Zhang Bolin had meant just now. Since Li Zheng's time, all of these seniors had been forced together by the merciless winds of the Ink-Washing River, jostling with each other, and even loathing each other. But after having witnessed the 48 Zhai rise and flourish together, and leaning on each other to survive over the years, all of them playing their part to keep this place going, each of them was like a different organ of one massive behemoth now.

If any part of your own body met such a fate, it would be very difficult for one to think about anything else other than exacting revenge.

But with the soaring mountains around them still hanging by a thread, exacting a swift revenge was a luxury that they could not afford.

Zhou Fei heard Li Yan suck in her breath sharply.

That jarring sound stirred Zhou Fei from her thoughts. Moving her slightly stiff limbs, she walked up to Elder Yu. Her hands quivered within her sleeves a few times, yet try as she might, she couldn't bring herself to lift her hand to check if he was still breathing. Finally, she gave up and weakly grasped the hand that was hanging limply by his side.

But when she touched that wrinkled hand, Zhou Fei froze – it was still warm!

She heard a ringing in her head, as she told herself that even in the more temperate climes of the Shu Mountains, the Ink-Washing River would already be quite cold this late in the year. And four or even six hours must have passed since Kou Dan had shut down the stringed machine. How could a dead man's hand still be warm?!

Zhou Fei's heart started racing, and she nearly burst into tears of joy. Casting aside propriety, she reached a probing hand towards Elder Yu's nose – but there was nothing…

But that wasn't cause for concern – perhaps her hand had been trembling too much to feel anything. Zhou Fei lightly bit on her tongue, forcing herself to calm her pounding heart. She reached for the pulse at Elder Yu's neck, then his chest, then his temple…but each and every time, she still didn't feel a single thing. Zhou Fei almost felt like cursing and swearing at the old man.

What kind of bizarre heart-stopping technique was this old bastard practicing! How could it seem so real?

"It seems like he's still alive! Get Elder Zhao to come here!" She called out to the disciples behind her without turning around: "He's still…"

Just then, she felt a hand clutch her wrist. Zhou Fei turned around, only to see that Xie Yun was standing behind her.

"'Bone-Deep Frost' is one of the most lethal poisons in this world. Anyone poisoned by it will first feel a cold that spreads from deep within their bones. Then they will start to stiffen, eventually becoming as rigid as a puppet, and finally get trapped in their own hardening bodies until they die. Upon death, their corpses are ice-cold, their faces tinged with green. This is why it is called 'Bone-Deep Frost'." Xie Yun used one hand to gently restrain Zhou Fei from her desperate prodding of Elder Yu's body, while his other hand remained behind his back. He said softly: "It is said that the 'Sun-Returning Pill' is the only antidote to this poison. Although the formula for this Pill has been lost forever with the decimation of the Great Medicine Valley, it's possible that a few were left with 'Sea Blends Into Sky'. I've heard that while the Sun-Returning Pill is capable of curing Bone-Deep Frost, those who consume it get dehydrated very easily, and need to spend the rest of their lives in an extremely damp and humid environment – "

He looked at Elder Yu with an inscrutable expression on his face.

Zhou Fei hastened to ask: "And so?"

Xie Yun lowered his head slightly to look at Zhou Fei. She was fixing him with those large eyes of hers, which were wide and unblinking. There was a smudge of something on her cheek, and her bottom lip was cracked.

Xie Yun's fingers moved a little, and he almost reached over to wipe the dirt off her cheek.

Zhou Fei was pretty. He had to admit that this was one of the reasons he'd liked her instantly when he first set eyes on her, and it was why he'd thought of compensating her for her broken sabre all this while.

And then later on, after that chance encounter in the dark prison nestled in the mountains, they'd become more and more familiar with each other along the way, squabbling merrily and really hitting it off. It had become almost routine for Xie Yun to provoke her, and to look out for her, too. Sometimes, he even thought that as long as he could see her break into a rare, silent smile on occasion, he could do and say almost anything to lift her mood. He had humour and eloquence in spades, anyway.

But now, Xie Yun was having the strangest feeling – through Zhou Fei's expectant gaze, a part of his past that had been estranged from him by time and space was suddenly brought to life again. He tongue seemed to stiffen, and he was incapable of uttering a single word of comfort. Instead, he said with brutal honesty: "…so when they die, their corpses are neither rigid nor cold, and will stay that way for several days. They feel no different from a live being to the touch, and only start to decay many days later. That's why his hand is still warm."

His words were like a bucket of ice-cold water, crashing down on the heads of the disciples that had barged in after Zhou Fei. Li Yan clapped her hands over her mouth.

Zhou Fei's eyes darkened as quickly as they had brightened.

But Xie Yun's heart seemed to be replaced with stone all of a sudden. Without even giving Zhou Fei a chance to catch her breath, he continued: "Also – you'd better settle things here as quickly as possible. Gu Tianxuan wasn't exactly at a complete disadvantage just now, and his immediate retreat after a single attempted attack isn't quite like the Big Dipper, which usually hounds its prey till the very end. This means that he's probably got something else up his sleeve."

Zhou Fei seemed not to have fully recovered yet. She looked at him blankly.

"Twenty years ago, even after fatally poisoning the former Master of the 48 Zhai, a whopping four of the Big Dipper still didn't manage to bring this place down. Twenty years later, do you think that they would expect the mutiny of Mingfeng Tower alone to bring it down?" Xie Yun shook his head, "Things are different today. At that time, Cao Zhongkun only viewed the 48 Zhai as a martial arts sect that was somewhat unruly. Busy with fighting a war against the Southern Dynasty, he was too preoccupied to divert his attention elsewhere, so he only sent some of his henchmen here. But not this time. Do you have any concept of what tens of thousands of troops are like? This is no bunch of black-clad men from the Big Dipper."

Just as he said this, they heard a commotion from outside. A slightly dishevelled-looking disciple came running over, splashing through the water. Zhou Fei turned towards him.

"Shimei Zhou!" shouted the disciple. "Shishu Zhao has ordered you to go to the Hall of Elders immediately!"

Zhou Fei stood there, a little at a loss, holding Elder Yu's still-warm hand in hers. She asked: "What for?"

She thought that she'd said those words out loud, when she'd only moved her lips soundlessly. The disciple stepped into the pavilion, and was immediately faced with Elder Yu's corpse sitting upright in his chair. His knees buckled under him, and stumbling back, he quickly grasped the doorframe for support. He didn't notice that something was off with Zhou Fei.

Wiping the tears from her face, Li Yan grabbed that disciple by the sleeve, and asked urgently: "Shixiong, what's happened?"

That disciple was still staring at Elder Yu in shock, as he woodenly opened his mouth and started speaking: "Elder Lin fought off the first wave of attack from those troops, forcing them to retreat, and also cut off most of our exchanges with the town at the foot of the mountains. We've just received a report from our secret posts down there that after the false Dynasty's troops retreated, they have surrounded and seized the town…"

Even Li Yan could understand what this meant – the Big Dipper was planning to trap them in the 48 Zhai!

Several disciples cried out in shock.

That disciple shivered a little, finally gathering his wits about him. Tearing his startled gaze from Elder Yu's corpse, he valiantly suppressed his terror and turned towards Zhou Fei: "The secret posts at the foot of the mountain said that the troops are being led by 'Alkaid' Lu Yaoguang. However, the principal person in charge is an official from the false Dynasty, who Lu Yaoguang treats with extreme respect."

Xie Yun said darkly: "The martial arts world has its own brutal code of conduct, while the imperial court has its own despicable ways – other than surrounding those towns, did that person in charge do anything else?"

The disciple turned his startled gaze towards Xie Yun, as if he were shocked at Xie Yun's perspicacity. He stammered: "He…he ordered his men to 'root out the bandits' in the town."

Zhou Fei had still been at the town at the very start of this night, only rushing here because of the unusual commotion in the 48 Zhai. She had just missed the false Dynasty's troops. The racket of the town's inn was still ringing in her ears, with the clacking of the old bard's wooden castanet mixed in, the din of it travelling all the way down the main street, where the peasants lived in an almost utopian comfort and tranquillity….

Confusion plain on her face, Li Yan asked: "The towns? It's only ordinary peasants there, what bandits could there be?"

"Those that collude with the enemy, and betray the empire," Xie Yun answered before the disciple could respond. "For those who have praised the nest of bandits that is the 48 Zhai, and its leaders, they'll be charged with 'criticising the imperial court'; those that have done business with the 48 Zhai, selling them supplies, would be deemed to have 'financed bandits'; and those who received the protection of the 48 Zhai, and therefore refused to pay taxes to the government, would of course be labelled the 'minions of mountain bandits'…there's nothing surprising about that. As long as the imperial court wishes, it can declare that all the villages and towns within a ten-mile radius of the 48 Zhai are all criminals and bandits, and that even the bugs that fly into these towns are guilty by association. They'll even be able to produce concrete and convincing proof of such so-called criminal activities."

Xie Yun chuckled softly. While he usually looked like a carefree young nobleman, his words now were as harsh as knives, and almost seemed to be imbued with the Ink-Washing River's chilling aloofness. His gaze sweeping across Zhou Fei, Li Yan, and the other disciples, he said softly: "Haven't you heard this before? 'If a case is not made as huge as possible, it will not be able to attract sufficient attention. And for the person handling the case to claim as much credit as possible, you need to involve as many people as possible. This will make the monarch feel safe, while his subordinates use this to garner his favour. People will be wronged in the process, but that is unavoidable.'[3] This official clearly has ill intentions – when the Big Dipper went all out to attack the 48 Zhai back then and failed, they must have been quite embarrassed before the false Emperor. It seems like they've learnt their lesson since. This time, they've entangled the affairs of the martial arts world and the imperial court."

Rust seemed to have formed on the cogs in Zhou Fei's head, such that she needed to think very hard, and peer very hard through the thick cloud of fog before her eyes, before she could understand what Xie Yun was saying.

He was right –

The 48 Zhai had a whole network of secret posts, it had a Hall of Elders, it had Lin Hao, it had numerous booby traps and guard posts that were unknown to outsiders….even if Mingfeng mutinied, it wouldn't fall so easily.

When Gu Tianxuan was forced to beat a hasty retreat, the false Dynasty immediately set into motion their plan B of 'besieging Wei to rescue Zhao',[4] striking at the 48 Zhai's weakness instead of launching an attack head-on.

The town at the foot of the Shu Mountains had been as close as a neighbour to the 48 Zhai, each side supporting and assisting the other. Under Li Jinrong's competent management, this region had flourished from a rural backwater into a safe, comfortable haven even amidst these tumultuous times. The peasants here were completely different from those fearful refugees at the foot of the Heng Mountains – such that if they were attacked by the imperial troops, these people who had long since grown accustomed to peace would probably be too shocked to react.

It would be all too convenient to accuse these hapless peasants of being 'bandits'. This way, even if the false Dynasty was unable to break the 48 Zhai's defences in the end, the Big Dipper and the imperial troops wouldn't go back empty-handed. They would still be able to report that they had successfully seized a sizable number of 'bandits'.

Through all of this, the 48 Zhai could certainly keep its doors firmly shut, and turn a blind eye to the plight of these peasants. However, the 48 Zhai had all along established that it was a den of 'Robin Hoods' of sorts, defending the innocent and upholding righteousness and justice. If they really left these peasants to their own devices, making them their scapegoat, not only would this weigh heavily on their consciences, they would never be able to live this down!

That disciple before them couldn't help but glance at Xie Yun, before nodding at Zhou Fei: "He's right. Shimei Zhou, Elder Zhao says that if they keep this up, there's no way we'll be able to keep our doors shut and continue being on the defence. It seems like this will have to be a tough battle. He's ordered you to go to the Hall of Elders immediately. He has urgent instructions to give you, and wants you to leave the 48 Zhai at once to report this to Mistress Li."

Zhou Fei involuntarily clung to Elder Yu's lifeless hand, which was still uncannily warm – she understood what they wanted: for her to flee while she still could.

Elder Zhao had only just asked her to "make herself useful", yet it had taken him less than an hour to change his mind. This could only mean that the situation at the foot of the mountains was extremely dire.

When Zhou Fei was all alone, she'd had no qualms about plunging headfirst into danger. She'd even shrewdly managed to take advantage of chaotic circumstances to get what she wanted. And when she had with her friends who needed protecting, she'd promised their safety, and practiced great forbearance for their sake. But now, with the entire 48 Zhai behind her, encompassing everything from those silent, towering mountains, to those carefree little tea parlours, restaurants, markets and houses at the foot of the mountains…she felt like she had been tightly bound with thousands of the stringed machine's metal cords. If she were to do so much as exhale, something on her might get sliced right off.

"I…" Zhou Fei tried in vain to straighten out her thoughts. Forgetting that there was still a dead man sitting right in front of her, she took an involuntary step forward, tugging on Elder Yu's hand. Elder Yu slumped forward, toppling headfirst towards the ground.

Zhou Fei frantically caught him before he hit the floor.

She thought to herself: I don't even know if I can turn the stringed machine back on.

In that moment, Zhou Fei felt a tingle in her nose as a wave of helplessness and despair welled up within her, getting stuck in her throat like a fishbone that was impossible to spit out or swallow.

Only Xie Yun, who was standing beside her, saw her eyes redden.

His heart softened in that very instant, as he thought to himself: Forget about all of this. She should leave.

The survival of the entire 48 Zhai shouldn't weigh on those slight shoulders. That would be far too much.

Recalling the brusque, efficient way he'd been speaking just now, as if his past self had come back to possess him once more, he couldn't help but think self-mockingly: You weak coward, did you really think that you could redeem yourself now, through this girl, when you yourself couldn't even do it back then?

He shook his head, beholding Zhou Fei's profile beneath the dim lamplight. The light made her features seem delicate and unblemished, her skin as luminous as porcelain, and her eyes clear as crystal. She could certainly be considered a beauty.

Xie Yun had the sudden urge to let her collapse into his arms and have a good long cry, as he gently stroked her hair. And then, as her elders wished, he would take her away from this place.

As for what would happen after that…in these tumultuous times, wasn't it all too common to have one's home destroyed, and one's family torn apart?

As Zhou Fei bent down to prop Elder Yu up, the roar of the Ink-Washing River's rushing waters filled her ears. Pulling his heavy body upright, she remembered how Elder Yu had first made her sit in this little pavilion, right smack in the middle of the fearsome river, to close her eyes and 'practice'. He'd forced her to do so after she had been trapped by the stringed machine time after excruciating time.

"It' no use to just blindly go through your moves again and again. All those street performers repeat the same flips and acrobatic tricks over and over every day, but do you think they've managed to pick up any qinggong at all? You must quiet yourself down. Don't be anxious, and don't be nervous either. Pluck out every single distracting thought from your head, one by one, and cast all of them aside. Only then will you be able to take a clear, close look at your own sabre. And if you don't, how do you expect to accomplish anything of worth? If you ask me, all these metal strings will make you into a jumping flea at best."

"Don't be anxious, and don't be nervous either. Pluck out every single distracting thought from your head, one by one, and cast all of them aside." Zhou Fei took a deep breath, as she silently repeated those words in her head. Her back slightly bent, she stood by Elder Yu's side for a good long while with her eyes lowered, looking like she was listening to the whispers of the dead.

Hmph! She wasn't on the verge of death yet!

Zhou Fei straightened abruptly, just missing Xie Yun's outstretched hand which he awkwardly retracted. Like a slender stalk of bamboo, even thinner than a wooden stick, any old gust of wind was capable of bending her at the waist. But whenever she got the slightest bit of time to catch her breath, she was always able to stand up again on her own.

Xie Yun's curled his fingers into his palm, looking at her with a little bit of surprise.

"Get two of the disciples over here," instructed Zhou Fei. "Let them carry Elder Yu up. Does anyone here know how to operate the stringed machine? Forget about it, none of you do. Let me try. After I've turned it on again, I'll go with you and Elder Yu to the Hall of Elders."

Someone couldn't help but ask: "Are we to carry Elder Yu to the Hall of Elders?"

Zhou Fei said: "That's right. After we've taken the head of his murderer, we'll bury them both together."

This was the first major crisis that these young disciples had encountered, leaving them all a little flustered. Hearing her utter every single word emphatically and resolutely, they followed her orders instinctively. Several of them quickly stepped forward, gingerly lifting Elder Yu's corpse and hoisting it up as they scrambled back up the cliff face.

Then Zhou Fei turned to Li Yan: "I'd wanted you to come down here so that you could pay your last respects to Elder Yu. But it seems like there's no time for that now. Go up there and wait for me first."

On the cliffs above, Li Yan had viewed Zhou Fei as someone who, while extremely powerful, was still only a friend or a sister worthy of her adulation. But now, Li Yan suddenly felt like Zhou Fei had turned into someone like Lin Hao, Elder Zhao, or even Mistress Li – a person whom one could hide behind in times of danger.

Li Yan immediately did as Zhou Fei said. No matter how afraid of heights she was, she didn't dare utter another word of complaint. Gritting her teeth and steeling herself, she took a deep breath and grabbed one end of the rope, closing her eyes as she pulled herself up.

Only after Li Yan was well above her did Zhou Fei push open the false wall that concealed the stringed machine's controls.

Xie Yun stood behind her with his arms folded, watching her as she studied those complicated controls.

Zhou Fei didn't rush to start, standing there as if she was trying hard to recall something. Only after she had gone over it a few times did she very carefully start to toggle the controls on the wall. A loud noise was heard from the Ink-Washing River. The calm lapping of the waters suddenly grew fierce, and even the floor of this little pavilion started to shake.

Zhou Fei immediately realised that she'd flicked the wrong levers – Elder Yu had once said that he only let the stringed machine make a racket like this just for kicks, and it was only when the machine sank calmly and silently beneath the waters, lying in wait to kill intruders with a single, sudden blow, was it fully switched on. She hastily put everything back where it'd been just now, and those frightening rumbles finally ceased.

Xie Yun had been watching her, and interrupted: "That didn't seem right. According to the Qimen Dunjia,[5] the 'Gen Gong' position represents rejuvenation and life. I'm guessing that what you did just now was intended to make the stringed machine 'retreat' instead."

She had seen Elder Yu operate the stringed machine multiple times, but unfortunately Zhou Fei had never paid serious attention. Now, she could only rely on the vague memories she had of Elder Yu's movements and a good deal of guessing to trial and error her way through. At Xie Yun's self-assured comment, she turned to ask: "Do you know how to work this?"

"I know just a little bit about the Qimen Dunjia," said Xie Yun. "But as for the stringed machine? I don't know how it works."

Zhou Fei looked at him in surprise. She hadn't thought that there would be something on this earth which jack of all trades Xie Yun didn't know.

Xie Yun leaned serenely against Elder Yu's table, not helping her, nor rushing her either. He simply fixed her with a meaningful gaze, until Zhou Fei started to feel a little self-conscious. She subconsciously wiped her face with her sleeve, and called out over her shoulder: "Those who don't know how to work this should just go outside and wait for me. Come back in here only if you detect any changes in the stringed machine."

Other than Xie Yun who blithely refused to listen, the other disciples all streamed out of the pavilion to monitor the stringed machine.

Thinking hard, Zhou Fei raised a hand to just below her ears. If she remembered correctly, that short old fellow was only about this height. Then before the bemused gaze of Xie Yun, who didn't know whether to laugh or to cry at this, she bent her knees till she was about half a head shorter, trying to conjure up the memory of Elder Yu standing there nagging at her on a daily basis.

Zhou Fei remembered that he would casually recite a little mantra as he worked, which went something like: "One, two, three, four, five…"

Her knees still bent, she duck-walked in front of the stringed machine, and tentatively pulled on the fifth lever that was at her lowered eye level. A heaving groan was heard from the Ink-Washing River.

"That sounds more like it," Zhou Fei mumbled.

Xie Yun asked curiously: "Don't tell me that the next line is – 'once I caught a fish alive'?"

Zhou Fei: "…shut up."

Xie Yun's guess was actually entirely correct. Perhaps all the odd men in this world shared the same peculiar train of thought – the next line really was 'once I caught a fish alive'. And each time Elder Yu finished reciting that, he would even jump on the spot.

She silently repeated this 'mantra' in her head. When she got to the end of it, she mimicked the old man and jumped. The tips of her fingers brushed against the protruding lever up there, which moved with a creak. Xie Yun looked out the window to find that the metal strings which had emerged from the waters were now humming softly as they sank downwards in an orderly fashion.

Xie Yun: "…"

He couldn't believe that her ridiculous method had actually worked!

Zhou Fei let out a long breath, and rubbed her nose awkwardly – the next movement, especially when paired with its mantra, was even more embarrassing. Elder Yu would usually recite "Six, seven, eight, nine, ten", while walking five steps over to a little stool in the corner and bringing it over. He still wasn't tall enough, even when standing on the stool, and so he would reach up with a small broom and prod at a spot on the wall – while saying in a sing-song voice: "I smacked that bastard on its fin".

Zhou Fei sullenly dragged Elder Yu's little stool over, grabbed the broom hanging on the wall, and climbed atop the stool. Just as she was about to reach up, she whipped her head around towards Xie Yun, who was watching her with great relish: "What are you looking at! I forbid you to watch!"

Pressing a hand to his chest, Xie Yun looked her deeply in the eyes, and said with utter seriousness: "You're just so beautiful, I can't take my eyes off you."

Xie Yun's heartfelt-sounding words would almost have been moving…if Zhou Fei hadn't been balancing on a stool while waving a broom in the air.

Not only was this rascal not being of any help at all, he was even using her for his own entertainment!

Zhou Fei brandished the shedding broom at Xie Yun, barking out: "Get lost!"

Xie Yun lowered his head and burst into uncontrollable laughter.

Zhou Fei rolled her eyes at him. Taking a deep breath, she waved the 'magic broom' in the air the same way Elder Yu had, and smacked it onto the wall of controls. She'd relied completely on her memory of Elder Yu's movements, and had absolutely no idea what she'd struck.

A loud noise was instantly heard from deep inside that wall of controls, and the floor of the little pavilion shook violently.

Elder Yu usually did this to return the stringed machine to its usual state after it was partly switched on, which was akin to slowly unsheathing a sword that was already half unsheathed. But because Kou Dan had completely shut the stringed machine down, what Zhou Fei had done was akin to suddenly and completely unsheathing a fully sheathed sword, causing a disturbance that was much larger than normal as the machine went from 0 to 100 in an instant.

Zhou Fei started in fright, losing her balance, and actually started to topple off the stool.

Xie Yun, who had been leaning languidly against the table, swept over like a gust of wind, catching her before she could fall. He lowered his head slightly, his lips brushing against her ear almost by accident, as he said softly: "Be careful."

Zhou Fei: "…"

Even someone as obtuse as her could sense the inappropriateness of the position they were in. She pushed Xie Yun away the very instant that she regained her balance, feeling as if the heat at her reddened ears had spread all the way to her face. She stood there tongue-tied, unsure of what to say.

Xie Yun simply looked at her with a face that was shining with pure innocence, and started to straighten his sleeves nonchalantly.

Recovering, Zhou Fei felt a little embarrassed at her reaction. She was probably reading too much into things. She coughed drily, and was about to say something to make the atmosphere less awkward, when Xie Yun sighed and said: "My dear girl, you really are too thin. I dare say your body is even harder than mine."

Zhou Fei: "…"

That soft bastard could rot in hell!

Her face instantly turned from red to black. She was pretty sure that she was angry enough to chase after him with her sabre for hundreds of miles at least. But then all that verve dissipated suddenly. She waved a hand at him, a troubled look on her face: "I can't quarrel with you now. I've got to go to the Hall of Elders."

"Fei," Xie Yun called out to her. Erasing the playful smile from his face, his gaze landed on the Mountain of Lost Springs: "As you grow up, all those hands that used to hold you up will slowly leave you. You'll have to traverse countless rocky roads by yourself. You'll feel as if your fate hangs on the tip of your blade, and that you can't let your guard down for even an instant – but know that this is already the biggest privilege you could have."

Zhou Fei arched a brow at him in confusion.

"With a sharp weapon in your hand, as long as your blade points forward, you'll be able to hack through any obstacles in your way, and there's nowhere you can't go. Life or death, glory or shame, heroism or cowardice – numerous possible paths lie before you. Whether you walk a straight path, or a crooked one, whether you choose to be virtuous, or foolish, or loyal, or traitorous, it's entirely up to you. Isn't this the greatest privilege? How much luckier could you get than that?" Xie Yun gently flicked his finger off her blade, which produced a soft clang. He smiled: "Don't you know that the vast majority of people on this earth, limited by the circumstances of their birth, or the talents they were born with, can only drift along with the current, completely against their control, and have never had the privilege of choice?"

Xie Yun's eyes had a natural upwards slant, such that even when he wasn't smiling, they seemed to carry the faintest traces of a smile, concealing thousands of words unspoken. If someone happened to detect a hint of what lay within, he would unleash the full force of his mischief and roguish charm on you, until you were so overwhelmed by his nonsense that you gave up on probing further.

Zhou Fei said tentatively: "You…"

Xie Yun raised his hand towards her face, his fingers slightly bent, as if he was about to lightly stroke her cheek. That ear of hers which had finally cooled started to redden again, and she froze, unsure if she should move away. That brain of hers which had been working on overdrive this entire night now hung at this most inopportune moment, and then…Xie Yun stretched his hand out lightning-quick, and yanked on the long braid that hung down her shoulder.

Zhou Fei winced: "Tsss…."

Xie Yun certainly wasn't going to stick around after that. He gleefully darted out of the pavilion, and was outside in the blink of an eye, cackling all the way. Like a human-sized moth, he was carried upwards on the river breeze, deftly avoiding two metal strings that had stirred to life, and latched onto one of the ropes hanging down the side of the cliff.

The disciples standing watch outside the pavilion all looked up in awe at this dazzling display of qinggong.

By the time Zhou Fei ran out of the pavilion in hot pursuit, Young Master Xie was nowhere to be found. Zhou Fei took a few deep breaths. Perhaps it was because of Xie Yun's sincere speech about how 'privileged' she was, or that she'd simply been riled up by that scoundrel, but she suddenly felt full of energy again. Casting her gaze across the Ink-Washing River, she realised that the stringed machine had mostly sunk beneath the waters, a massive net ready to seize any prey that dared to pass over. However, a few slender strings remained suspended above the waters, and the positions of the stone pillars beneath seemed slightly different than she remembered.

Yet this was already the best that she could do. It was an unfortunate fact of life that one only regretted not acquiring knowledge when the time came to apply it.

But on second thought, Zhou Fei decided that this actually served them quite well. As Kou Dan was intimately familiar with the stringed machine, if the machine was back to its normal state it would probably be useless against her. However, in its current condition, which was a product of her muddled experimentation, complemented with a bunch of disciples who had absolutely no idea how it worked, Kou Dan might actually be caught off guard.

Satisfied with this plan, Zhou Fei turned to address the disciples: "Everyone, I would be grateful if you could guard this pavilion on Elder Yu's behalf for now. If the enemy attacks, feel free to manipulate the machine as you wish."

And then without waiting for any objections, she leapt up and grabbed the last rope hanging down the side of the cliff, leaving thedisciples here to look at each other in dismay – they didn't have the kind of qinggong Xie Yun had, nor were they as familiar with the stringed machine as Zhou Fei was. They couldn't leave even if they'd wished, and were left with no choice but to stay here and dutifully guard the stringed machine.

After a long while, one of the disciples grumbled: "Shimei Zhou isn't as nice as she used to be."