“I truly didn't expect us to meet again so soon.”
Nan Menghua’s laughter echoed through the cavernous space. It was chilling enough under normal circumstances, but in this hollow silence, it was absolutely hair-raising. She looked at the group before her with a triumphant smirk. “What? Did you think you could use the secret techniques hidden in this treasure to deal with me? How naive!”
Chu Ruo had just drawn Bingsha when Nan Muxue grabbed her arm. “The others and I will hold her off,” Nan Muxue commanded. “Go inside first and find the Moro martial arts manual.”
“Xue’er, you—”
Before she could finish, she was shoved through the entrance. Immediately, the others engaged Nan Menghua in a fierce struggle. Chu Ruo stomped her foot in frustration. Gold and jewels were secondary; the sole purpose of this journey was to find the legendary manual that could make one invincible. Seeing no obvious traps and knowing the manual must not fall into the wrong hands, she steeled her heart and dove deeper into the vault to begin her search.
While Chu Ruo was preoccupied, the battle outside grew desperate. Nan Menghua hadn't come alone; she had brought disciples from the Hundred Flowers Palace and experts from the sects she held under her thumb. Though Nan Muxue’s group held their own at first, the sheer number of reinforcements made the fight increasingly grueling. Nan Menghua spotted an opening. Instead of picking them off one by one, she fixed her sinister gaze in a single direction and strode forward.
This movement did not escape Nan Muxue, whose eyes were always fixed on one person. Fighting off three opponents at once, she unleashed her full internal energy in a powerful burst, shaking them off before sprinting toward the stone doors. “Ruo’er!” she screamed.
Chu Ruo was focused on her search when her eyes suddenly lit up. she snatched a box—judging by its size, it likely contained books or scrolls. Just as she gripped it, a heavy *thud* echoed through the chamber.
It was the sound of the two massive stone doors beginning to grind shut.
“Ruo’er!”
Nan Muxue’s voice finally reached her. Chu Ruo looked up to see the doors slowly closing. Nan Muxue was desperately trying to fight her way in, but the cursed Nan Menghua was faster.
The villainess reached the threshold first, cutting Chu Ruo off just as she reached the exit. “Hand it over,” Nan Menghua demanded.
Despite the closing doors, Nan Menghua remained eerily calm—a trait mother and daughter shared. Chu Ruo let out a cold laugh. “You won't let us go whether I give it to you or not. Why should I listen to you?”
“Do you really think something from a mere legend can defeat me?”
“I don’t know if it can, but I know you want it. And that’s exactly why I won’t give it to you.”
“When I first met you, I thought you were clever,” Nan Menghua sneered. “In reality, you are the greatest fool of all.”
“And you? No matter where or when, you’re just a pathetic, hateful old hag that nobody wants!”
Nan Menghua’s rage flared, but Chu Ruo took the opportunity to launch a sneak attack. She struck with the Extreme Yin Ice Palm. Though Nan Menghua dodged enough to avoid a fatal blow, the palm landed squarely on her right shoulder. To Chu Ruo’s horror, the woman actually laughed. “Not many can land a hit on me. Pity your cultivation is still lacking!”
The two clashed before the closing doors while the others outside were too occupied to intervene. Chu Ruo’s goal was clear: get out before the doors shut. She couldn't win a head-on fight, so she used her agility to dodge and weave. However, Nan Menghua anticipated her every move, positioning herself to block any escape.
*Dammit!* The struggle continued as the gap narrowed. Chu Ruo gritted her teeth and transformed Bingsha into its ring form, hurling it to wedge between the stone doors. True to its reputation as a divine weapon, the doors actually groaned to a halt, jammed by the metal. However, the pressure was immense; stone began to crumble where Bingsha was wedged. She had to move now.
“Ruo’er!” The gap was shrinking. Nan Muxue finally cleared the enemies around her, taking a sword wound to the side in her haste, and rushed to Chu Ruo’s side. Together, they faced Nan Menghua.
“Truly my good daughter,” Nan Menghua mocked, parrying their attacks with ease. “Siding with outsiders to kill the mother who raised you!”
Nan Muxue didn't offer a word in response, focusing entirely on the fight. Outside, the battle was a chaotic blur. Everyone realized that once those doors shut, they might never open again, so no one dared to approach. Bai Zhi’er tried to rush forward, but Bai Shan held her back with all her might; their martial arts weren't strong enough to intervene, and Tu Ao’zhi was busy protecting them. Only Duan Ning and the others stood by, shouting for the two to hurry out.
Nangong Yan watched the doors with mounting anxiety. She moved to help, but Nan Yunshuang blocked her path, screaming toward the interior, “Xue’er! Don't stay and fight! Get out now!”
*Who wants to stay and fight?* Chu Ruo groaned inwardly. She realized Nan Menghua was trying to wear them down, hoping to snatch the box at the last second and leave them trapped behind the stone doors. She glanced back; the gap was now barely wide enough for a person to squeeze through sideways. She made a split-second decision.
As Nan Muxue engaged their foe, Chu Ruo did exactly what had been done to her earlier. She spun around, shoved the box into Nan Muxue’s hands, and used a burst of energy to push her through the gap. With a flick of her internal power, she dislodged Bingsha from the door frame and threw it after her. Then, she lunged forward, wrapping her arms around Nan Menghua in a death grip. “Go! Don't worry about me!”
“Chu Ruo!”
Nan Muxue screamed her full name in fury. She started to lung back in, but—*Boom!*
A powerful wave of energy erupted. Nan Menghua flew backward out of the closing gap, her hand clamped around Chu Ruo’s throat. She landed atop a high stone pillar, looking down at the crowd as she tightened her grip. “You wanted to trap me inside? Since you’re so eager to die, I’ll fulfill your wish!”
“Ruo’er!” “Ruo’er!”
Bai Zhi’er and Nan Muxue cried out simultaneously. Nan Menghua’s expression grew more twisted. “Everyone stop, or I’ll kill her right now!”
For Chu Ruo’s sake—and Tu Ao’zhi for the sake of his foster daughter—the fighting ceased. Nan Menghua’s forces had also suffered heavy casualties. Her face contorted with malice. “Give me the box!”
“Don't give it to her!” Chu Ruo’s face was turning a bruised purple, but she forced the words out. “I’d rather die! Don't worry about me!”
“How noble. But I suspect my dear daughter can't bear to lose her 'paramour.' Or should I say... her fellow woman?”
The revelation sent a shockwave through those who didn't know. Tu Ao’zhi stared at Bai Zhi’er in disbelief. “Zhi’er, you... Chu Ruo is a...”
Bai Zhi’er turned her head away. “It doesn't matter if Ruo’er is a man or a woman. My love for her is real. Foster Father, I beg you, save her!”
“This... how can this be? Third Sister’s daughter, also...” Tu Ao’zhi muttered to himself before snapping back to reality. “Third Sister, why must you do this? She is your daughter. Back then, you and Xue’er...”
“Shut up! Do not speak of her! You are not worthy!” Nan Menghua’s eyes turned bloodshot with rage. “Fine! If I cannot have what I want, why should any of you?”
She raised her hand to deliver a fatal blow. Nan Muxue cried out and, in desperation, threw the box Chu Ruo had given her toward the pillar.
As Nan Menghua reached out to catch the flying box, Chu Ruo acted. She triggered the hidden mechanism in her ring, driving a poisoned needle into Nan Menghua’s abdomen. It was a tiny blade, but the toxin spread with lightning speed.
Seizing the moment of distraction, Chu Ruo broke free, landed a palm strike, and used her lightness skills to fly back to Nan Muxue’s side.
“Ruo’er, are you hurt?”
Both women looked at her with intense concern. She shook her head. “I’m fine. Let’s go!”
With Nan Menghua poisoned and her internal injuries from the Ice Palm flared up, she was momentarily incapacitated. Though it wouldn't kill her, she certainly lacked the strength to pursue them.
They reached the tunnel leading to the mountain face. Chu Ruo and Shen Ruoxuan quickly planted the Thunder-fire Bombs they had brought. “Hurry! If we blow this entrance, she’ll never get out.”
Shen Ruoxuan still found the breath to joke. “Hard to say. She survived jumping off a cliff before. Just like you—you’ve survived how many falls now?”
“I’ve had a lot of practice, okay?” Chu Ruo set the fuse. The others were already descending the mountain. Only Nan Muxue remained. Chu Ruo took her hand. “Be good. You go first, I’ll be right behind you.”
“Where you are, I am,” Nan Muxue replied firmly.
“You...”
“If we don't hurry, Mother will be out soon.”
“Fine, I can't win with you.” Chu Ruo and Nan Muxue reached the outer ledge, gripped their climbing claws, and ignited the fuse before descending.
*Boom!*
The massive explosion shook the very foundations of the mountain. The entrance collapsed into rubble. No one emerged—not Nan Menghua, nor the remnants of the other sects.
Chu Ruo and Nan Muxue landed safely and reunited with the group. Lin Jianghong hurried over. “Are you two alright?”
“We’re fine, we’re fine. Thanks for the concern. Though, were you worried about me or my Master... ow!”
Lin Jianghong ignored the teasing. “You really have the luck of the heavens, being able to wound Nan Menghua while she had you by the throat.”
“It wasn't just luck. Xue’er and I planned it. We knew her primary targets would be us. We just needed her to drop her guard for a split second.”
“It’s a shame about the manual, though,” Lin Jianghong sighed.
Chu Ruo hummed noncommittally.
“All that effort,” Lin Jianghong continued, “and we walked away with nothing.”
“Not exactly.” Chu Ruo pulled a handful of items from her robes—gold ornaments and gemstones. Though small, the craftsmanship was exquisite, clearly rare treasures. She grinned. “A little light-fingered work on the way out. Here, everyone gets a share. Don't be shy; we couldn't come all this way for nothing.”
Duan Ning laughed. “Goodness, you really are a little money-grubber. Even at a time like that, you didn't forget to loot the place.”
Chu Ruo distributed the trinkets. She gave Bai Zhi’er a golden hairpin and then approached Nan Muxue, reaching into her robes for one last item. “Xue’er, I...”
Just then, the group prepared to depart. Everyone mounted their horses, including Nan Muxue. Chu Ruo pouted slightly and climbed onto her own horse.
After they had ridden a short distance, Tu Ao’zhi turned back. “Take one last look. When the moon sets and the sun rises, this mountain will vanish along with it.”
As the red sun crested the horizon, the mountain indeed began to fade, disappearing into the mist as if it had never existed.
Far behind them, a venomous figure stood amidst the rubble. On the ground lay an open, empty box.
***
Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation
--- | --- | ---
莫罗 | Moro | Likely the name of the creator of the secret martial arts or the sect associated with the treasure.
夜明珠 | Night-luminescent pearls | Large pearls that glow in the dark, common in wuxia treasures.
鲛珠 | Shark Pearls | Rare, brilliant pearls, sometimes referred to as "Mermaid Tears" in folklore.
雷火弹 | Thunder-fire Bombs | Explosive devices used by martial artists.
冰煞 | Bingsha | "Ice Fiend," Chu Ruo's signature weapon.
至阴寒冰掌 | Extreme Yin Ice Palm | A powerful, cold-natured martial arts technique.
