Chapter 32

A slip of the tongue from Fan Xingjia nearly made Cai Zhao pass out on the spot.

Chang Ning stepped forward to support her, asking in confusion, "All ambushed and killed? Is Falling Blossoms Valley among them? But Madam Cai and Valley Master Cai split into two groups, and even Zhaozhao doesn't know which path they took. Could they have been ambushed too?"

Fan Xingjia was panting from running. Only then did he realize his slip of the tongue and hastily said, "No, no, no, Falling Blossoms Valley is not among them. Madam Cai and Great Master Juexing have already arrived at the Ning Family's home, Master just received a flying message. As for Valley Master Cai, no one knows where he went, but Master received a short note from him this morning, saying he will be back at the inn in Qingque Town in a few days."

Cai Zhao caught her breath and couldn't help but curse angrily, "Fifth Senior Brother, are you trying to kill me?!"

Seeing the girl's face turn deathly pale with fright, Fan Xingjia repeatedly apologized.

What else could Cai Zhao do? "Forget it, forget it. Senior Brother, you rushed here to deliver the news out of good intentions. What exactly happened outside? Senior Brother, please tell us properly."

Just then, Furong and Feicui brought breakfast. Cai Zhao simply had Fan Xingjia sit down, and the three of them talked as they ate.

In fact, ever since Nie Hengcheng and his die-hard loyal forces perished, the Jianghu had enjoyed a period of peace. The righteous and demonic factions each kept to their bottom lines; minor frictions were constant, but major conflicts were rare. The former was to consolidate internal will and uphold the sects' decorum, while the latter was because the casualties on both sides had been too tragic, and now no one could afford to fight or kill anymore.

Even when organizing occasional multi-sect events to train new recruits, both sides would try their best to control the scale.

Therefore, for this two-hundredth death anniversary ceremony of Grandmaster Beichen, the famous righteous sects were not particularly vigilant against the Demonic Cult. From the high-profile Vast Heaven Sect to the low-profile Xuankong Nunnery, none concealed their whereabouts, arriving at Jiuli Mountain openly and honorably.

They were like an old married couple of over a decade; where was the passion to stir up trouble? The most passionate bunch had already died during Nie Hengcheng's era.

Chang Ning sneered, "As expected, having enjoyed peace for so long, they've all lost their edge. Since such a great tragedy as the massacre of my entire family has occurred, the various sects should have become more vigilant."

"Comfort. Comfort is what erodes the will the most." Cai Zhao added, "Oh, my aunt said that too."

For this very reason, no one expected the Demonic Cult to suddenly launch an attack, lying in ambush along the return paths of the various sects, waiting for an opportunity to strike.

Although the Demonic Cult came to ambush everyone equally, upholding a fair but unpublicized attitude, the degree of harm suffered by each sect varied greatly.

"Speaking of which, Junior Sister Zhaozhao's family had the best luck." Fan Xingjia sighed with emotion. "Especially Madam Cai. The disciples sent from the sect to escort them couldn't keep up at all; they were dizzy and disoriented all day. When they were still a day or two's journey from the Ning Family Fort, Great Master Juexing told them to return on their own to report. Sigh, no wonder even the Demonic Cult couldn't track the whereabouts of Madam Cai's group."

Ning Xiaofeng was a daughter born to her parents in their old age and had been spoiled since childhood. At a young age, she had a falling out with her mother over the issue of changing her hairstyle to become a nun. Not two days after stepping into the Jianghu, she met Cai Pingshu. When marrying her didn't work out, they became sworn sisters.

Cai Pingshu was extremely fond of this beautiful, lively, soft, cute, and likable little sister, and doted on her to the extreme.

When Ning Xiaofeng coveted a pearl flower accessory made from the Tears of the Jiaoren, Cai Pingshu would search the entire South Sea pearl beds; when Ning Xiaofeng wanted Ice Mountain Snow Lotus for her cosmetics, Cai Pingshu would bring down a basket for her even when heavy snows had sealed the mountains.

Thus, Ning Xiaofeng developed an even more whimsical and willful temperament—until after the Battle of Mount Tu, when Cai Pingshu was bedridden with all her meridians severed. It was as if Ning Xiaofeng suddenly grew up overnight, becoming the thoughtful and capable Valley Master's wife.

Having stayed in Falling Blossoms Valley for over a decade, on this rare trip out, Ning Xiaofeng couldn't help but revert to her girlhood habits, going wherever her fancy took her.

If she saw a lively town one day, she would take her children to eat, drink, and have fun; if she saw a lake with beautiful scenery the next, she would hold her husband's arm and tour it on a small boat for a few days; the day after, while staying at an inn, if she heard the locals say that the braised pigeon and green plum wine in the next city were exceptionally delicious, she would take a detour of several days just to satisfy her craving...

Cai Pingchun granted his wife's every request. Cai Zhao wished they would miss the date so she wouldn't have to become an apprentice. As for Little Fatty Cai, uh, he had no say in the matter. Thus, from Falling Blossoms Valley to Jiuli Mountain, the Cai Family's journey took a full three times longer than normal.

After the ceremony, on the way to the Ning Family's home, Ning Xiaofeng unsurprisingly reverted to her old ways.

Unlike the other groups of escorting disciples, who lost contact because they were ambushed by the Demonic Cult and were too injured to report back, the disciples escorting the Cai mother and children got lost following Ning Xiaofeng's winding and turning, only finding their way back to the main road with great difficulty.

At this point, Chang Ning glanced at Cai Zhao, his gaze rich with meaning.

Baffled by his look, Cai Zhao turned to apologize to Fan Xingjia, "It was all my mother's willfulness that made all the martial brothers take so many unnecessary detours. May I trouble Senior Brother Fan to offer my apologies to Martial Uncle Li on my behalf."

"No need, no need." Fan Xingjia waved his hand. "Thanks to your honorable mother, that group of disciples was the luckiest of them all."

The other groups of disciples returned bruised and swollen, with broken arms and legs, or even dead. But the disciples who followed Ning Xiaofeng returned glowing with health, the corners of their mouths greasy from eating well, carrying large and small bags of local specialties. Aside from being a little lost for a few days, it was practically a sightseeing trip.

Chang Ning mused, "Why didn't the Demonic Cult just attack the Ning Family's home directly and catch them all in one fell swoop?"

Cai Zhao shot this jinx a glare. "Where do you think my mother learned her mechanism arrays? My maternal grandfather taught her. The Ning Family is well hidden, even more so than your Chang Family."

The Chang Family was at least known to be in a certain mountain, but the Ning Family was located in a vast expanse of hills and forests that stretched across several lands and cities. Everywhere looked the same at a glance, and the entrance was different each time.

As for Cai Pingchun's group, they were secretly investigating the Chang Family massacre, so their whereabouts were naturally secret. Not even Qi Yunke knew where they would be on any given day.

Fan Xingjia finally concluded, "Junior Sister, rest assured, the Cai Family is completely fine."

"Just lucky, just lucky." Cai Zhao was a bit embarrassed and showed timely concern for the brother sects. "I think the Demonic Cult was just displeased with the grand occasion of the Grandmaster's death anniversary. The ambush was probably just a token gesture, a half-hearted effort."

Fan Xingjia shook his head. "Not so. They were serious."

The first to be ambushed was the Vast Heaven Sect.

Ever since being ridiculed by Qiu Yuanfeng on the day of the ceremony, Song Shijun had been determined to restore the reputation of the Vast Heaven Sect.

Along the way, he visited all the local powers, fortified camps, and bullies. Every time he befriended someone, they would address each other as brothers, drink together, and incidentally help the local pleasure industry prosper.

The difference in status between these local tyrants and the Six Sects of Beichen was like that of a candle flame to the bright moon. When had they ever been treated with such importance and generosity? After three cups of old wine and some bawdy entertainment, they felt that the great Sect Master Song was the world's foremost hero, one who treated the worthy with courtesy and promoted people based solely on talent. With such a big brother protecting them for life, what regrets could they possibly have?!

Thus, those with outstanding nephews or apprentices had them join the Vast Heaven Sect, and those without joined themselves.

Song Shijun had already brought many people to Jiuli Mountain. After calling on friends and recruiting heroes all along the way, when his party stepped into the Demonic Cult's ambush point, both sides were quite awkward when they came face to face.

The Demonic Cult looked at the vast, dense sea of people before them and felt their encirclement was about to burst.

Song Shijun, on the other hand, felt that leading a large contingent rashly into an ambush had damaged his wise and martial image.

He was a little angry.

After a chaotic fight between the two sides, the party that had fallen into the trap actually managed to drive off the party that had set it.

Although there were casualties, the number was not outrageous. Song Shijun put on another show of caring and consoling, and the effect was doubled.

Except for Young Master Song, Maozhi, who had two toes broken by a meteor hammer, it could be considered a happy ending for all.

Cai Zhao said with a smile, "That sounds like good news."

"Does Song Yuzhi know about this?" Chang Ning asked.

Fan Xingjia replied, "Fourth Senior Brother has already gone to inform Third Senior Brother. Since the Vast Heaven Sect is largely unharmed, once Sect Leader Song receives the carrier pigeon message, he should arrive soon."

The next to be attacked were the Grand Beginning Abbey and the Xuankong Nunnery.

Originally, the Grand Beginning Abbey, having just suffered a misfortune with its morale in disarray, was an excellent target for an ambush. Who knew that the news of Wu Yuanying's tragic death spread as if it had wings; before the sects had even descended the mountain, the people of the Jianghu had already found out most of the story.

That the generous and heroic young hero of the past had been tortured alive for over a decade in a Demonic Cult dungeon where he never saw the light of day—anyone with even half a conscience would be moved, not to mention there were many who fondly remembered Wu Yuanying's elegant demeanor and chivalrous reputation.

Although these people were individually weak and powerless, when gathered together, they could cause quite a bit of trouble.

This group thought that although Cangqiong Zi, Qiu Yuanfeng, was dead, his beloved disciples and trusted confidants were all still alive and well. At the very least, they had to vent their anger for Wu Yuanying on them.

Thus, the group from the Grand Beginning Abbey was constantly harassed almost from the moment they left Qingque Town. It started with curses and vulgarities, then splashing dirty water and throwing rotten fruit and stinky eggs. Even worse, there was arson, poisoning, and attacks with real weapons.

As the saying goes, sons pay their fathers' debts, so naturally, disciples must pay their master's debts.

Moreover, no one would complain of injustice on behalf of the Grand Beginning Abbey for this sort of overt and covert revenge.

After suffering in silence several times, no matter how gentle Wang Yuanjing was, he had no choice but to display his authority and doubly restrain the disciples of the abbey.

They could no longer stay in inns, or else they would face an unbearable barrage of sarcasm and ridicule. So Wang Yuanjing ordered his disciples to travel by night and camp in the wild, remaining cautious at all times.

Who knew that by doing this, they would avoid the Demonic Cult's ambush. By the time the Demonic Cult's pursuers turned back to catch them, the Grand Beginning Abbey was well-rested and waiting, and they escaped successfully. It was a blessing in disguise.

The Xuankong Nunnery was the same.

Abbess Jingyuan was famous for being cautious in her words and actions, as if walking on thin ice. Ever since the matter with Wu Yuanying, she had felt deeply uneasy.

On the return journey, she would rather spend more money to take a water route. The Demonic Cult members lying in ambush on the original path came up empty. They had to go through great trouble to pursue them all the way to the Xuankong Nunnery. However, by this time, Abbess Jingyuan, having heard the news, had her disciples form a formation and wait. They too waited at ease for an exhausted enemy and escaped successfully.

Afterward, the Siqi Sect and the Evergreen Monastery were attacked.

They were not like Ning Xiaofeng and Song Shijun, who wandered everywhere causing frequent unexpected events, nor were they like the Grand Beginning Abbey and Xuankong Nunnery, who were overly cautious for fear of being ambushed. Instead, they traveled home methodically, which should have made them the easiest to ambush.

However, these two sects were located at the eastern and western ends of a vast plain. The hundreds of li along their route were completely open and stretched as far as the eye could see. Forget mountains, even a small hillock was rare. How was the Demonic Cult supposed to set up an ambush?

In the end, the ambushes were set up near the headquarters of the two sects, as those areas were on the edge of the plain.

The people of the Siqi Sect and the monks of the Evergreen Monastery suddenly encountered the ambush. They fought as they retreated, eventually falling back into their own sect headquarters.

The Demonic Cult followers, in a killing frenzy, refused to give up and pursued them. They actually charged into the two sects' headquarters and were all surrounded and trapped.

The final result was that the Demonic Cult followers were annihilated, but the buildings and courtyards of the two sects suffered considerable damage.

The ancestral temple of the Siqi Sect, where they worshipped their ancestors, was destroyed. Yang Heying clutched a pile of ancestral tablets and cried more sorrowfully than a newborn being thrashed by a midwife.

More than half of the Evergreen Monastery's scripture repository, treasure pavilion, and monks' quarters were burned down. Venerable Fakong burned his shoulders and back while rescuing scriptures and classics, and also inhaled some thick smoke into his lungs.

"Buildings can be rebuilt. As long as the people are okay, they can recuperate slowly." Cai Zhao breathed a sigh of relief. She didn't care about Yang Heying, but Venerable Fakong was so kind and benevolent. At his advanced age, she hoped nothing serious would happen to him.

Chang Ning frowned slightly and looked at Fan Xingjia. "Did you miss a sect?"

Fan Xingjia looked troubled and turned his face away.

Cai Zhao was taken aback and pressed, "What about Peiqiong Mountain Manor? How are Uncle Zhou and Aunt Zhixian?" She had just heard a long list of close calls and had already set her heart at ease.

Fan Xingjia scratched his neck, seemingly at a loss for how to explain.

"I thought of it just now. The Zhou Family's journey must have been the most perilous," Chang Ning said slowly. "Manor Master Zhou is neither needlessly suspicious nor one to wander about willfully. Peiqiong Mountain Manor also lacks any geographical advantage. On the contrary, the return journey is filled with outstandingly beautiful lake and mountain scenery, perfect for setting up multiple ambushes."

Hearing this, Cai Zhao became even more anxious. She grabbed Fan Xingjia and shook him forcefully. "Just say it!"

Dizzy, Fan Xingjia quickly said, "The casualties... the casualties were extremely heavy... Heroine Zhou and the two young Zhou masters are all seriously injured, very seriously. Even Manor Master Zhou suffered internal injuries. In the end, only those few escaped with their lives. Almost all the accompanying disciples were killed. It's said that even the lake was dyed red."

This was the most successful of the Demonic Cult's operations, where they dispatched all their minions to ambush and kill the Six Sects.

Cai Zhao was speechless for a long time, her heart filled with worry. "I... I want to go to Peiqiong Mountain Manor to see Uncle Zhou and Aunt Zhixian."

Fan Xingjia quickly said, "Don't worry, Master also said he's going to visit Manor Master Zhou. We can go together then."

After seeing Fan Xingjia off, Cai Zhao turned her head and saw Chang Ning sitting gracefully in his original spot, looking at her quietly.

She sighed and said, "What do you want to say?"

Chang Ning: "Can I say that your visiting Manor Master Zhou won't necessarily make his injuries heal any faster?"

Cai Zhao's face stiffened. "No. I'll pretend you didn't say that."

Chang Ning: "Then can I say you're just looking for an excuse to see Zhou Yuqi?"

Cai Zhao suppressed her anger. "No to that either. I'll pretend I didn't hear that."

Chang Ning: "Then let me try another one. Don't you think the way the Demonic Cult ambushed the various sects this time is very similar to how they ambushed the Qingque Sect yesterday?"

"I don't think so!" Cai Zhao said irritably. "I haven't even settled accounts with you yet! What did you tell me before? Oh, that 'the Demonic Cult is riddled with factions and rife with internal strife, it's no longer the powerful force it was when Nie Hengcheng was alive,' and 'the Demonic Cult's factions all govern themselves, what ability does Nie Chu have'—didn't you say all that? Huh!"

"A Demonic Cult that is 'not powerful, has no ability, is riddled with factions, and rife with internal strife' can throw the Six Sects of Beichen plus a temple and a nunnery into utter disarray. If the Demonic Cult becomes powerful, capable, and united in the future, will we have any chance of survival?!"

"So you were actually overtly belittling but covertly praising the Demonic Cult, weren't you?" Cai Zhao was fuming. "Can your words even be trusted anymore!"

Chang Ning didn't mind the girl's sarcasm at all and smiled as before. "The Demonic Cult today is indeed riddled with factions and rife with internal strife, no longer in its prime. This force is likely all that Nie Chu has."

"But why would he use all his assets to do something that harms others without benefiting himself?" he mused, tilting his head.

"It's not necessarily entirely without benefit to himself." Cai Zhao actually found the reasoning sound. "Haven't you always said that Nie Chu isn't accepted by the masses? Now that he's pulled off such a big feat, perhaps everyone will be pleased and he can remove the 'acting' from his title of acting cult master."

Chang Ning nodded slowly. "...That's also possible."

"Right, you just said that the way the Demonic Cult ambushed the sects is very similar to how they ambushed the Qingque Sect yesterday. How is it similar?" Cai Zhao asked.

"An exquisite plan, but clumsily executed," Chang Ning said.

Cai Zhao was taken aback.

Chang Ning said slowly, "To suddenly launch an attack, ambushing the various sects after the ceremony, was an excellent plan. However, the executors seemed completely unable to adapt to circumstances, only rigidly following the previously determined route. In the end, the only truly successful ambush was against Peiqiong Mountain Manor, who were returning home obediently."

"It was the same yesterday. The plan was exquisite, with even the timing calculated perfectly. However, when it came to implementation, there were many flaws."

"Why didn't Sect Master Qi and Song Yuzhi die? Because you reminded them in time." He looked at the girl, his gaze deep. "What are the flaws? You, me, we are the flaws."

"In the original plan, there was no good disciple like you, whose cultivation is not weak and who worries for the Sect Master; in the original plan, there was certainly no recently recovered patient like me."

"But it's not like you and I suddenly became like this. You revealed your skills at the ceremony, and I showed a bit of my ability in the Outer Sect several days ago." The young man's expression was indifferent. "However, the executors didn't know how to be flexible at all. They failed to factor us in, and ultimately failed when success was within their grasp."

"It's the same thing again: an exquisite plan, clumsily executed. It's like a brilliant strategist serving an unbearably stupid lord."

Cai Zhao looked at Chang Ning quietly for a while, then suddenly said, "When my father arrives, come with me to meet him."

Chang Ning blinked. "Don't you have anything to ask me?"

Cai Zhao looked out the window. "My aunt said, ask less, listen more."

Because sometimes, the answers you get from asking aren't necessarily the truth—especially when you meet someone you can't see through.

When Cai Pingshu said this, her usually calm eyes seemed to ripple with light.