Li Qiao opened his eyes and found himself standing by the water once again.
A thick mist had rolled in, obscuring even his immediate surroundings. The cloying fragrance of lotuses mingled with the stench of rotting silt, a heavy miasma that clung to his skin and seemed to seep into his very flesh, as if intent on marinating every intruder in its foulness.
This was a nightmare he had endured countless times, but this time, the breath of terror felt closer—so close it seemed to be crawling out from within his own body.
"A-13, do you acknowledge your fault?"
A man’s raspy voice pierced through the mist, its source impossible to discern.
The shallow bank beneath his feet instantly transformed into a bottomless lotus pond. He plunged into the water, struggling desperately amidst the giant, blooming lotuses. Beneath the deceptively calm surface, something was surging—small, dense, and inescapable, dogging his every move no matter how exhausted he became.
He saw the man’s feet slowly approaching the shore. Thorny lotus stems drooped down, half-submerged in the water, half-shimmering in the mist.
"Do you acknowledge your fault?"
The man questioned him again. A nimble frog hopped into the man’s palm, its dull eyes staring silently at Li Qiao.
Looking at the frog, Li Qiao’s body began to tremble uncontrollably.
In the next instant, the frog puffed out its cheeks and let out a crisp croak that echoed through the mist. The thorny lotus stem cut through the fog, lashing down like a bolt of lightning.
A croak, then a lash.
The hooked thorns bit deep into his flesh, tearing it away as the stem was pulled back. Venom flowed joyfully through his warm blood, burrowing along his meridians and into the marrow of his bones.
Finally unable to restrain himself, he let out a pained groan and began to convulse. Blood pooled in his wounds and spilled out with every movement, further exciting the dark shadows hidden beneath the water. They swarmed toward him, drawn by the scent.
Countless long, slender leeches, striped in black and yellow, crawled out from the rotting silt. They feasted upon his mangled body, reveling in his shattered soul. The cruel punishment broke his knees and bent his spine, forcing him to sob for mercy, his strength to struggle failing him. Water poured into his lungs through his nose and mouth; suffocation and pain drowned him simultaneously. His survival instinct drove him to get away from the water. Every shred of his human reason and dignity had been ground away. He scrambled toward the shore with scarred hands, grabbing at the man’s boots, looking up to beg for an end.
He knew his fault. He knew...
So could it stop? He didn't care if the man killed him, as long as... as long as this would stop.
The executioner’s cold fingers lightly brushed against his throat, then slowly tightened.
"Since you know your fault, why did you dare to return?"
Return? Return where? Had he not sworn that he would never return in this lifetime?
The agony of being unable to breathe made his mind grow increasingly hazy. The chaos of the void and the darkness of reality gradually merged. Li Qiao slowly lowered his head. His eyes met ankle-deep green water. His feet were submerged, feeling damp and heavy. The air was thick with a familiar, fishy smell of water. He could no longer tell if he was in a reality or a dream.
Jiang Xin’er’s voice suddenly rang out from behind, declaring that all of this was a cold, cruel reality.
"What are you dazing off for? Pull yourself together! It’s coming!"
The blade in his hand felt incredibly heavy. The moment he raised it, it was struck by a heavy blow, nearly flying from his grip.
"The Qingwu Blade..." Li Kuquan identified the weapon by its sound, his killing move arriving in an instant. "Then stay here, both man and blade!"
Li Qiao stumbled, narrowly dodging Li Kuquan’s surprise attack. He flipped upward, using the strength of his arms and torso to hang upside down from the corridor ceiling, looking down from his high vantage point.
After the secret door painted with red lotuses had opened, the mechanisms buried deep within the walls had been triggered. Dozens of stone bricks sank simultaneously, and water surged out from the openings, accumulating to ankle-depth in the corridor. Such shallow water could not drown anyone, yet for a disciple of the Villa who had been dragged into the lotus pond and personally punished by the Master, this stream-like ditch was an eternal chasm that could never be crossed. Even a distant glance was enough to break them into a cold sweat and trigger endless nightmares.
Water—endless water, water hiding murderous intent, water that gave him infinite painful memories... He was surrounded by it. Before the battle had even truly begun, he had already lost half the fight.
On the other side, Jiang Xin’er was locked in a bitter struggle with Li Kuquan. Her Secret Scale Blade, which should have been majestic and formidable, had become incredibly clumsy. She was unable to exert its full power, and the Grandmaster she was fighting made no attempt to hide his mockery.
"That old thief Huo was nothing but a street thug. His blade-work is unfit for a proper stage, and the same goes for you who learned it!"
As they fought, no one noticed a figure in the corner who had remained still until now.
Teng Hu stood up slowly, his hands tucked into his sleeves. Within his wind-blown robes, countless poisonous thoughts were brewing. Do not blame him for being cold-blooded; against a figure like Li Kuquan, he would suffer if he fought head-on. For now, he could only use others to create an opportunity for himself. He only hoped that Jiang Xin’er was durable enough not to die too quickly.
Before three rounds had passed, Jiang Xin’er’s left leg was caught by Li Kuquan. He swung her aside like a corpse, sending water splashing everywhere. Teng Hu seized the moment, flicking his wrist to release over a dozen poisonous flies from his sleeve.
the poisonous flies he raised were nearly mature and perfect. Not only were they swift, but they could also confuse the senses. Even a top-tier Grandmaster would surely be caught off guard. And this poison had no antidote; once struck, it would inevitably cause blood exhaustion. When that happened...
Before the corners of his mouth could fully curl into a smirk, a strange sound whistled past. It was the sound of sleeves whipping through the air, made heavy by the water they had absorbed. It echoed through the corridor like the wailing of ghosts. In an instant, the poisonous flies were reduced to mere dust, leaving not even a trace behind.
Teng Hu, the White Ghost Umbrella, was indeed a master at using hidden weapons and poisonous insects. However, what he did not know was that not long ago, someone had already used a similar tactic with a beehive.
"To think you’d dare play such despicable and shameless tricks before me a second time."
Before Li Kuquan’s voice had even faded, he appeared in front of Teng Hu. The terrifying killing intent of the world’s top martial artist instantly enveloped him. Teng Hu didn't even have the chance to move a finger. He felt a sharp crack in his ribs, and he was sent flying like a tattered sack.
A seemingly ordinary palm strike, yet it could shatter a person’s internal organs from a distance. Teng Hu spat out a mouthful of blood, crawling miserably through the water. Three of his bones were broken, and his lungs were ruptured. This body, tempered in poisons since childhood, was uniquely vulnerable to such direct physical strikes. He was rendered a cripple on the spot.
Jiang Xin’er cursed him as a useless waste in her heart. She gritted her teeth and raised her blade again. However, perhaps because she had seen Teng Hu’s fate, or perhaps because of the deep-seated fear she could not overcome as someone from the Villa, her blade was caught by the opponent’s fingers before it could even get close.
"Too slow."
Li Kuquan exerted pressure with his fingertips, and the incredibly sturdy Secret Scale Blade actually snapped into two pieces with a loud crack. Shocked, Jiang Xin’er failed to dodge in time. Just as her abdomen was about to receive a fatal blow, the youth hanging in mid-air finally dropped. He was as light as a withered leaf, his silent descent hiding a lethal intent. The tip of the Qingwu Blade cut through the air, nearly condensing a layer of frost as it lunged straight for the Grandmaster’s exposed back.
No one understood the essence of assassination better than he did. Over the past decade, he had slain masters whose martial arts were not inferior to his own. When facing a fierce and powerful enemy, a prolonged fight was the worst strategy. Only by finding the right moment and striking once could one have a chance to survive. Li Qingdao’s blade-work was as swift as lightning, and Li Qiao’s footwork was the most outstanding in the Villa. Now, with man and blade as one, his speed was his absolute advantage. In an instant, he reached Li Kuquan’s back, using this most simple and unadorned move to probe for the man’s heart.
One zhang, one foot, one inch...
Victory seemed within his grasp, success only a moment away. However, a sudden wind rushed from behind him, a sharp killing intent so cold it could freeze sweat into ice.
Li Qiao’s heart jolted. He forcefully aborted his attack and turned his blade to defend. From the corner of his eye, he saw a cold, gleaming iron chain closing in on his back.
*Clang!*
Sparks from the collision of metal flickered and died in the air. Li Kuquan dropped his shoulder and sank his wrist. The cold light rose again, pressing toward the opening at Li Qiao’s waist. Struggling to cope, Li Qiao finally saw that the iron chain attacking him had come from the other end of the circular corridor. The spiked chain was like a giant serpent biting its own tail, threading through the entire corridor. Its power and precision were comparable to a frontal blade strike; any hesitation would result in a vital organ being pierced and his belly being ripped open.
On the other side, Jiang Xin’er finally suppressed her surging blood. Seizing the moment, she kicked the broken blade tip to clear a path, re-entering the fray to replace the flagging Li Qiao.
Suddenly, it grew dark outside the lattice windows. The row of lamp-servants was extinguished, and the last bit of light vanished completely from this enclosed circular space. Yet, some small creatures were stirring in the darkness. Amidst the sound of churning water, other noises emerged—sounds that, when discerned, would make one’s hair stand on end. Then, something soft brushed against his feet and trouser legs. Li Qiao looked down stiffly, seeing only countless small, shivering silhouettes in the darkness.
He finally understood why the water had such a familiar fishy smell. It had been diverted from the lotus pond. And now, along with the pond water, the frogs from his nightmares had entered the corridor.
Li Kuquan’s voice rang out deeply, carrying an unabashed sense of contempt and excitement.
"The rats of the martial world, things that cannot face the light, should naturally scurry in the dark. Don't you agree?"
Unlike the duel on Mingde Avenue that day, the enclosed East祝 Pavilion was quieter and trapped sound more effectively; any tiny noise would be amplified. The water made all nimble and hidden footwork meaningless. The sound of water churning during movement quickly revealed one's position, and even the sound of breathing fell clearly into the opponent's ears.
The fear of the unknown and the darkness spread silently.
*Croak.*
The sound of a frog rang out, like the breath of the God of Death against his ear. Simultaneously, the iron chain in Li Kuquan’s hand lashed down like lightning.
The youth stood frozen in place, his body feeling as heavy as lead, unable to move. The strike hit him square in the chest. A spray of blood erupted, blooming like a red lotus in the darkness. The physical pain connected with his memories, causing the past to overlap with the present. He could not tell if he was in a nightmare or if he had never truly escaped this place. The executioner’s footsteps approached, and the punishment he was to receive was far from over.
Or perhaps, it had never ended.
He had clearly escaped this place seven years ago, yet it felt as if he had never left that lotus pond. Invisible lotus stems were constantly wrapped around his body, and suffocating silt filled his mouth and nose day and night. The voice demanding he acknowledge his fault and submit echoed in his mind for all eternity.
Li Qiao’s unfocused eyes stared at the massive Fudi Lotus on the wall, and the hand holding his blade slowly lowered. The chain tightened around his neck, like fate strangling his throat, and he was about to submit to this destiny that supposedly belonged to him...
*Boom!*
A massive explosion erupted as the previously closed lattice window was brutally smashed open from the outside. The person who broke through held twin blades, their aura as grand as a rainbow. They cleared the obstacles before them like chopping melons and vegetables, charging into the fray with a roar. Relying on their robust physique, they actually managed to briefly force Li Kuquan back.
The newcomer was tall with a magnificent beard and sideburns. He was still wearing the light military armor he hadn't had time to change out of. The splashing water mist made his armor gleam, giving him an indescribable air of majesty and authority.
Jiang Xin’er blinked, hardly daring to believe her eyes. On the other side, Li Kuquan had already asked the question for her.
"Who goes there? State your name."
Lu Zican stood tall, his twin blades raised high.
"I am Lu Zican of Lu Family Village, Hongcaoliang, Quzhou! I have come to test your skills!"
"Never heard of you." Li Kuquan lowered his head, the chains behind him clanging. "But it doesn't matter. You’re all going to die anyway."
While he spoke, Jiang Xin’er quickly regrouped with Lu Zican.
"You came at the right time. Those two useless wastes are only dragging me down."
Li Qingdao’s disciple had been beaten half to death, and the White Ghost Umbrella Teng Hu only had half a life left. Was it that the teammates were useless, or was the opponent truly terrifying?
Lu Zican was not a man of the martial world and did not yet have a fully clear understanding of the situation. Seeing that Li Kuquan was elderly and blind, his confusion was joined by a twinge of his cheap moral conscience.
"Are we being a bit too despicable, ganging up on a blind old man like this?"
"Which eye of yours sees him as an old man? He’s an old demon..."
Before Jiang Xin’er could finish, Li Kuquan erupted with a roar. Li Qiao and Jiang Xin’er, having already suffered, quickly retreated, leaving Lu Zican to block the attack. Both of his blades were jarred aside. He spat out a mouthful of blood, and before he could catch his breath, Li Kuquan’s offensive continued. The iron chain followed immediately. Failing to dodge in time, Lu Zican felt a chill at his chin, and several tufts of hair went flying, drifting down miserably like snowflakes.
"My beard! My beard!"
Lu Zican let out a scream, tremblingly touching his jaw as if it were his neck that had been severed rather than a few hairs.
His conscience no longer hurt; instead, he was fuming with rage.
"You old geezer! This is personal now!"
"One with twin blades, one with a two-handed blade, and one with a left-handed blade—all of you are third-rate. Do you think that by huddling together, you can make a difference?"
Li Kuquan laughed deeply, his voice infused with powerful internal energy echoing through the pavilion, making their brains throb with pain.
Cold light flashed as a new round of slaughter began. The elderly Grandmaster had been shackled and guarding the valley for many years. Having finally gained his freedom and encountered these arrogant, untamable opponents, his killing intent grew even stronger. He vowed to use his lethal weapon to grind every enemy in this space into mincemeat. For someone who lived in darkness every day, there was no difference between day and night. This was his kingdom, his domain, his hunting ground. He could slowly savor this fight.
Li Kuquan let out a satisfied sigh, his voice seeming to come from all directions.
"Are you tired already? If you're tired, then rest."
If there was one thing that could stimulate a martial artist’s potential as much as Qingfeng Powder, it was the word "desperation."
And right now, they were in the depths of desperation.
The immense pressure forced the three people, who originally disliked each other, to unite. They stood back-to-back in pairs, covering each other and fending off Li Kuquan’s attacks from all sides to give the third person a chance to strike. The three rotated in sequence, changing their weapons and styles, and gradually, they began to turn the tide.
Li Qiao struggled to twist his blade in resistance. The edge of the Qingwu Blade slid along the iron chain, creating a string of sparks. He used this momentary light to see the situation at his feet. The icy sensation he had managed to dispel earlier returned, and he felt the blood throughout his body freeze.
The sea of frogs had, at some point, turned into a toad hell. Countless giant toads were churning in the water, their moist, bumpy skin reflecting the light like a sea of boiling meat porridge. The wood frogs, which were originally only the size of a fingernail, had been blown up like balloons. Their distended bellies were as large as human heads, and their originally smooth skin had become lumpy. A yellowish-white mucus constantly secreted from behind their ears. He could almost hear the sound of that mucus-covered skin pressing against itself.
He had clearly been cured of the Qingfeng Powder’s poison. Why, when he was in this situation again, did he still see those nightmare-like scenes?
The sparks faded, and the surroundings plunged into darkness once more. But the sound of churning mucus fermented in the dark, and the nauseating smell grew stronger. Like a parasite that had found its host, it fought desperately to burrow into his body.
Li Qiao clutched his head in agony. Even with his eyes closed, there was sound; even with his ears covered, there was the smell.
Blade light flashed frequently in the darkness, stirring the water into wave after wave. The surface, floating with toad venom, shimmered with an eerie, iridescent light. The vivid, striking lotuses on the surrounding walls seemed to float and sway along with it. The world began to spin. He was like a small boat about to sink in a storm, unable to withstand any more wind or waves.
"A-13, pull yourself together!" A killing blow coming his way was blocked by a broken blade, and Jiang Xin’er’s roar rang in his ear. "If you want to die, don't drag others with you! I don't want to be reincarnated with the likes of you!"
She had diverted herself to save the youth, leaving Lu Zican to fight alone on the other side. He was instantly overwhelmed and couldn't help but curse loudly.
"Where did this pretty boy’s fighting spirit go? Has he been possessed?!"
Jiang Xin’er gripped her weapon tighter and tighter, not daring to relax for a moment.
"Why are you asking me? I’m not close with him!"
Even if they came from the same place, they were by no means confidants. Their time in the Chuanliu Courtyard was merely a case of shared suffering. Now, they should each look after their own lives, shouldn't they?
In a moment of distraction, Li Kuquan struck Lu Zican away. Without stopping, his killing move came straight for her. She raised her blade to block but failed to notice what was behind her. An iron chain pierced through her calf, and she fell into the water.
Li Kuquan laughed wildly in the darkness, making no attempt to hide his mockery. He mocked them for being a temporary alliance, as flimsy as straw. He didn't even need to exert much effort; a single breath could scatter them.
Unwillingness and the desire to survive overcame her past prejudices. Jiang Xin’er struggled to prop herself up with her broken blade. After spitting out a mouthful of blood, she yelled fiercely at the youth.
"Miss Qin’s fate is unknown! If you don't want to live, then hurry up and vacate your spot for the Lord of Broken Jade!"
That single sentence was like a bucket of cold water over his head, shattering his trance. The youth suddenly snapped back to his senses.
He could not die here. He had promised her that he would live his life to the fullest. If he couldn't even pass this hurdle, what right did he have to stay by her side?
He raised his hand to wipe the cold sweat from his brow. The Qingwu Blade was finally raised again, blocking the Grandmaster’s lethal strike. His tenacity piqued the other’s killing intent; the games were over.
"Ignorant child, overestimating yourself! Even if your master came back to life, she couldn't kill me. How long can you last?!"
Before Li Kuquan’s voice had faded, iron chains attacked from different directions behind him, their angles tricky and impossible to defend against.
To kill Li Kuquan, one had to get close. But the opponent’s weapon was unique and his strikes were cunning. In the rotation between offense and defense, there were almost no flaws. This style of using lines to form a net-like coverage originated from an ancient execution formation. Originally, it required several people to operate the fine lines simultaneously, but Li Kuquan, relying on his immense internal power and his mastery of various martial arts, could control the entire situation alone. His strength was truly chilling.
"Do you think that by killing him, you’ve defeated Li Qingdao?"
A woman’s voice suddenly rang out from behind, seeming to come from a crack in the wall. Only her voice was heard; she was nowhere to be seen.
Li Kuquan’s hand, its veins bulging, paused for a fraction of a second. The tip of the Qingwu Blade moved imperceptibly closer by a hair’s breadth, grazing his right shoulder.
He recognized the woman’s voice and remembered the "gift" of the giant hornet she had given him. But his pause was not because of her, but because of the name she mentioned.
"Li Qingdao is already dead. No matter how she once called herself a swimming dragon in this martial world, she is now nothing more than a piece of rotting fish or shrimp in the Yellow Springs." Li Kuquan’s voice grew heavier, a trace of hatred and resentment surfacing on his face that even he didn't notice. "This martial world never lacks masters. The color of its waters is dyed by the blood of top-tier experts! And you people aren't even worthy of having names..."
"You’ve degraded yourself to be someone else’s tool, so you think everyone else is like you! The world will forever remember Li Qingdao and her blade-work. But you—you are nothing more than the valley guardian of the First Villa under Heaven, a dog by Di Mo’s side."
Qin Jiuye’s voice sounded breathless. The thick smoke made her cough incessantly. She had pushed open the heavy, mechanized secret door by a palm’s width, but she still struggled to squeeze half her head through, contributing in her own way.
"Li Qiao, don't be afraid of him! Think about how your master led you to repel him back then. You can do the same now!"
Master... right, how could he have forgotten his master?
*I’m here. What is there to fear?*
Li Qingdao’s voice rang in his ear. Li Qiao listened intently.
*Focus. You don't need to defeat him entirely. Just one move is enough.*
The guidance from seven years ago stepped across time. The youth holding the blade held his breath. Blood flowed into his eyes, blurring his vision, so he simply closed them, using his heart to sense his surroundings.
"Li Kuquan, it’s time you paid the debt you owe my master."
As soon as the declaration was made, he exerted force with his feet and shot forward. A crisp sound, like green bamboo snapping, echoed in the darkness. The iron chains were parried one after another. The Qingwu Blade’s momentum did not diminish; in an instant, he turned the tables, pinning the end of the iron chain against the wall. The chain, forged from profound iron, groaned between the blade and the wall. With a surge of energy, the entire chain, along with the red lotus painted on the wall, was severed into three sections. The youth used the momentum to leap into the air, flipping over the blind Grandmaster’s head and landing behind him.
"In the name of a Grandmaster, you lured her out, joining forces with the Master of the Outer View, Yuan Shuqing, and seventeen others to ambush and besiege her. My master already had suspicions about Di Mo. If Di Mo hadn't invited you and used your mouth to issue the invitation, she would never have appeared. You deceived her, you betrayed her. You envied her blade-work, her fame, her character, and her achievements. Knowing that doing so would destroy her, you still chose to collude with Di Mo..."
"No! That’s not right! It wasn't like that! This old man never did such a despicable thing! It was Di Mo... Di Mo deceived me!"
The Grandmaster’s roar echoed through the corridor. Qin Jiuye covered her aching ears and retorted.
"Since you knew Di Mo deceived you and used you, why didn't you leave him all these years? Why did you willingly become his running dog?!"
Qin Jiuye had no way of knowing if her voice reached the other man’s ears, but Jiang Xin’er, who was closest, knew.
Because Li Kuquan’s movements had slowed down.
Though it was only a pause of a thousandth of a second, for a top-tier expert, it was a rare and precious opening.
Jiang Xin’er lunged with her half-blade, stabbing down with all her might, using the blade’s body to trap his other iron chain.
"Now!"
The bearded commander crouched down, acting as a stepping stone. The youth’s toes tapped on his back, and he used the momentum to leap, flying through the air toward his target.
Just a little more, the final bit.
*Swish.*
An extremely faint sound broke through the air, the final strike in this chaotic scene.
Teng Hu, curled against the wall, clenched his fingers in a spasm. Though the poison dart was tiny, this flick concentrated almost all of his remaining power. Its momentum was fierce and left no room for retreat, a far cry from his usual insidious and roundabout style.
The poison dart stirred a weak current in the air, intersecting perfectly with the youth’s final landing point.
As the last drop of water fell, he seemed to hear his master’s laughter again.
Back then, under his master’s guidance, he had used this move to take the Sheyi Grandmaster’s eye.
And this time, what he was going to take was far more than that.
The Qingwu Blade was like the light of dawn, piercing through the Grandmaster’s impenetrable dignity and sinking entirely into his body. The one holding the blade gave him no time to breathe. After the strike hit home, he swiftly withdrew the blade and swung it left and right, cutting beneath the man’s shoulders.
All the sounds of slaughter ceased at this moment. Even the echoes vanished completely. Aside from the dense blade marks and bloodstains on the walls, there was no longer any atmosphere of a life-and-death struggle.
In the gloom, everyone’s eyes were fixed on the massive figure that had been pierced by the blade but remained standing.
Teng Hu, clutching his ribs, stood up shakily and asked breathlessly.
"Is it done?"
*Drip, drip.*
It was the sound of blood falling into the water.
The withered-haired old man, half his body drenched in blood, finally threw his head back and laughed. Deep within those shriveled eyes, a light suddenly shone that made people look away. Blood mist flew out with his laughter, blooming in the water.
"A cripple from the First Villa, a brute from the military, a maidservant from behind high walls, a third-rate poison insect... nothing but a rabble, yet you think you’re worthy of fighting me!"
The dying Grandmaster’s roar vibrated through the corridor. Everyone instinctively covered their ears, and Qin Jiuye could barely remain standing.
But in the next moment, the sound stopped abruptly.
The Qingwu Blade passed through his throat, leaving a bloody hole.
That was the method used by the disciples of the First Villa to execute people—base and cruel. Thousands of heroes of the martial world had died by this move. Now that it was the Grandmaster’s turn, it looked no different.
Li Kuquan stared at his reflection in the water as blood gushed out. He slowly sank into a kneeling position.
He wanted to ask: *Is this Li Qingdao’s blade-work?* But his pierced throat could only make a hissing sound.
But the youth’s light brown eyes could see through everything, including his soul.
"This isn't Li Qingdao’s blade-work. It’s just the blade-work of the rabble. Master only taught me for seven days. Though I am not even a ten-thousandth as good as her, it’s enough to deal with you."
As his words fell, the woman also stumbled out from behind the secret door, leaving only a crack that emitted black smoke and ash.
Having guarded the valley for many years, this was the first time Li Kuquan had stepped into the East祝 Pavilion, and it would be his last.
That palm-wide gap was the only path to the interior of the East祝 Pavilion, and also the gate of life leading to the hope of the world’s martial arts. Thousands of martial arts manuals were within it, more than most people in the martial world could finish reading or comprehend in a lifetime.
"You will be the person who has seen the most ancient manuals and secret records, and studied the most martial arts styles in this world. The world’s martial arts are scattered like fallen blossoms; only I can gather them in one place, making them bloom in splendor. The ideals you hold in your heart can only be realized by me. As long as you stay in Toad Laurel Valley for one day, everything in the valley is yours to read and study."
The man’s dry, flat voice rang in his ear. Such a broken and sickly body could only produce such a voice.
"What the Villa Master says is of no benefit to this old man." His gaze scrutinized the other from above, his voice unable to hide his contempt. "The world is full of mediocre people; the martial world is a rabble. Even if you brought everything a group of mediocre people had learned in their lives before me, how would it be different from the chatter of children?"
"Then what about Li Qingdao?" Di Mo approached him. He could see the cold light emanating from the depths of the other’s narrow pupils. "If you are willing to join me, I can bring Li Qingdao before you."
Li Qingdao—a simple yet profound name, a name he had not yet been able to defeat.
They had clearly never fought, yet those in the martial world always compared them. They judged Li Qingdao as elegant and transcendent, generous and boundless, but said he was arrogant and lacked reverence.
He thought it didn't matter. He would tell the world who held the fastest blade. So, he arrogantly accepted the proposal, thinking he held the upper hand. He didn't realize that his pride and dignity had been seen through at a glance. The obsession in his heart became a chain around his neck. The other only had to tug the chain, and he would be driven like a dog.
Li Qingdao, Li Qingdao, Li Qingdao...
Would she hate him? Hate him for joining forces with Di Mo to set a trap, luring her into the Villa, where she lost her freedom to roam the world and enjoy the mountains and rivers, becoming a prisoner just like him?
But it wasn't his fault. He just wanted to see a sharper blade.
Whenever he felt disappointed and bored with this world that had no rivals, he would inevitably think of the woman locked in the West Sacrificial Tower.
They had looked at each other from afar for over a decade, yet they had never met even once.
Until that day seven years ago, when she appeared at the end of the valley, leaning on that youth’s back.
No one in this world should be able to lock up Li Qingdao forever. Even if you could lock her up for a time, you couldn't lock her up for a lifetime. Even if you cut off her arm, you couldn't stop her from leaving. Even if you took away her weapon, you couldn't grind away the sharp spirit in her heart.
He recognized her at a glance, his entire body trembling with excitement. He even forgot the reason he was in the valley, forgot the duty the iron chains gave him. He only wanted to fulfill the wish that should have been fulfilled over a decade ago.
But she brushed past him, never once looking at him from beginning to end, just like at the very start.
No, it shouldn't be like this.
"I have a question. I hope the Grandmaster can enlighten me. Those two were injured and crippled, and they were poisoned by Qingfeng Powder. How exactly did they escape from you?"
Di Mo’s voice rang out coldly. Li Kuquan covered his left eye, which was gushing blood, and whispered.
"The kid with her was cunning and difficult to deal with. I was momentarily careless..."
"It was because of Li Qingdao, wasn't it?" Di Mo’s voice suddenly sounded close, hissing like a snake’s tongue. "You joined the Villa back then for Li Qingdao. You didn't want her to die, so you let her leave, right?"
The lie he hadn't even realized himself was exposed just like that. He felt his body grow stiff at that moment, and even the speed of his blood flow seemed to slow down. The sticky blood congealed between his fingers.
His silence seemed to become a source of amusement for the man before him. Di Mo laughed.
"I didn't want her to die either, but I wanted her to leave even less." The other’s laughter faded, and a cold, sharp weapon pressed against his other eye. "Why should the Sheyi Grandmaster go to the trouble of acting with one eye open and one eye closed? I’ll just help you. If you don't need your eyes, then let’s take them both away."
Those Villa disciples swarmed forward, ravaging his body like wild dogs attacking a tiger or leopard. He thought he had never changed, that he was even purer than before, yet he had long since unknowingly lost the dignity he was most proud of.
He was never some supreme, noble valley guardian who held thousands of secret manuals. He was just a dog that barked a bit louder.
She lost her left hand, and he lost both eyes. They could be considered even. He told himself that the answers and secrets regarding the highest realm of martial arts could still be found even amidst iron chains and darkness.
As long as he saw Li Qingdao again in his lifetime.
"Li Kuquan, we will never meet again."
That was the last sentence she left him before she walked out of the valley. It was also the only sentence she had ever spoken to him in her life.
How could they not meet? This martial world was so small—small enough that one could meet an old acquaintance just by turning around.
But she seemed to be right again. The martial world was very large—large enough that the line between life and death was but a hair’s breadth.
The moment she left the Villa, she knew that she had less than a month left to live.
But she still had to go.
She held the clear wind and the bright moon in her heart, but she had never taken her competition with him to heart, and she had never even truly seen him as a person.
His meridians snapped instantly under the impact of his internal energy, and blood seeped from his shriveled eyes. Li Kuquan’s fingers splayed out, and he struck out like lightning, letting out a low shout as he gave his final blow.
The youth was caught off guard. By the time he reacted, he found that the other had only firmly grasped the tip of the Qingwu Blade with his fingers.
He felt it. After seven years, her blade had appeared before him again.
"I never lost to you... never..."
His lips moved, but aside from more blood flowing out, he made no further sound.
His eyes, already dyed red with blood, stared straight at the sky. His soul gradually drifted away from his shell, heading toward a world that should have been high and vast.
"...Had I known it would be like this, why did I ever..."
Why did he ever what? He never managed to finish his last sentence.
The First Villa under Heaven had been established for twenty years. In those twenty years, countless ghostly puppets had emerged, but only this one man could be called a Grandmaster. And the final secret in the Grandmaster’s heart would never be known by anyone again.
***
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Secret Recipe | Chapter 233 | The Last Grandmaster's Fall | Novela.app | Novela.app
