Leng Feiyan and Zang Ge fought their way out of Fachang Temple. Surrounded by layers of Imperial Guards, Zang Ge’s hands were drenched in blood. When he turned his head, he saw Leng Feiyan soaked in crimson, looking like an Asura walking the earth, her aura so chillingly sharp that one dared not look her in the eye.
Zang Ge asked with concern, "Your injuries..."
Leng Feiyan slit the throat of a charging guard with a single stroke. Suddenly, a brilliant light erupted behind them. The two turned around to see a mountain fire devouring the forest; the entirety of Fachang Temple was being swallowed by a sea of flames. Zang Ge stood frozen, unable to react for a long time, while Leng Feiyan’s expression turned solemn.
A moment later, she looked at Zang Ge and suddenly offered a faint smile. She gently wiped a bead of blood from his cheek and said, "Duanmu Shang isn't here. He must be guarding Murong Yan to prevent Master Xuezhan from making a move. But Master Xuezhan might not necessarily strike at Murong Yan. Now that Fachang Temple is being burned, it means the Master is no longer with us. Duanmu Shang will be here soon."
"What do you mean?" Zang Ge asked.
Leng Feiyan said, "Put on the uniform of an Imperial Guard and return to the secret tunnel. Once the corpses in Fachang Temple are charred, Murong Yan won't be able to tell who is who. You might actually have a chance to survive."
"And what about you?!" Zang Ge asked urgently.
Leng Feiyan replied, "Zang Ge, do you want me to protect you for a lifetime?"
Zang Ge’s face flushed instantly, yet he remained stubborn. "You don't need to provoke me. No matter what, I cannot leave you behind to escape alone!"
"There are no women in the temple," Leng Feiyan said. "If no female corpse is found, Murong Yan will never give up the search. Listen to me, there is no time. Once he finds us, neither of us will get away!"
Tears finally welled up in Zang Ge’s eyes. "Let’s go together! Just how much do you want me to owe you? You give me hope, then plunge me into despair. I cannot love, yet I cannot hate! Must I end up escaping like a coward even at the very last moment?!"
Leng Feiyan said, "You still don't understand, Zang Ge. If I die, love and passion end with me; why would I care about your love or hate?" Her fingers slid down his cheek, leaving a trail of tragic, vivid blood. "Go."
Zang Ge shook his head. "Even if I am nothing but a useless waste in your eyes, I will never run away!"
Leng Feiyan said, "Then stay and die with me. Do you still believe, even now, that I was the one who killed Zang Tianqi?" Zang Ge froze. Leng Feiyan continued, "To be honest, I don't regret cutting off his hand; that was already the best outcome I could manage. I don't find his death a pity, either. The number of people who died by his hand over the years makes his life a fair price to pay. But you—if you die by Duanmu Shang’s sword, then Zangjian Mountain Villa truly will have been exterminated by him. From then on, the spirits in heaven will only watch as he remains at large, and the Duanmu family prospers. The blood feud will sink into the sea, never to be mentioned again."
Zang Ge slowly clenched his fists. Leng Feiyan said, "When people speak of revenge, they think of the satisfaction of settling scores. But a burst of impulsive courage cannot achieve vengeance. To endure humiliation and nurse a grievance—that is the most painful path. You have been naive for over twenty years, Zang Ge. Can this mountain fire finally wake you up?"
Zang Ge slowly gritted his teeth until his lips bled. Leng Feiyan said, "Live on. If my soul departs, it shall turn into a clear breeze. Wherever my body lies, it is but flesh and dust; do not trouble yourself with offerings."
Zang Ge tried to inhale, but his heart and lungs were filled with a swelling bitterness that made breathing impossible. Leng Feiyan said, "Go. I will see you off."
She moved to block the charging Imperial Guards. Zang Ge turned and ran toward the mountain forest engulfed in flames. There was a waterfall in the mountains; as long as he followed the stream upward, he could find the entrance to the secret tunnel. He ran through the mountain creek as flames reached for the sky and the heat waves turned into wind, whipping his black hair and his snow-white monk’s robes.
Halfway there, he suddenly looked back. Leng Feiyan’s figure was blurred among the Imperial Guards; she killed a man every ten steps, treading upon a path of blood.
*Why didn't I meet you on the streets of Jinyang all those years ago? If I had known our meeting would be such a tragedy, I, Zang Ge, would have traded a thousand lifetimes to ensure you were never part of this story.* Tears dripped into the creek, boiling away in the boundless mountain fire.
The fire at Fachang Temple illuminated the entire night sky. Before Zuo Canglang even entered the city, she saw the staggering blaze! She suppressed her racing heart. If anyone were to escape Fachang Temple now, they would surely head for the South Gate. She urged her horse forward at a gallop; even outside Jinyang, she could smell the smoke and fire.
The surroundings were exceptionally quiet. Suddenly, the sound of wind whistled past her ear. Zuo Canglang leaned to the side, and an arrow grazed her ear. She turned her head to see Duanmu Rou leading a dozen men in black, galloping toward her and surrounding her.
Zuo Canglang asked, "What have you done to Leng Feiyan?"
Duanmu Rou lightly wiped the tip of an arrow and said, "Death is at your doorstep, yet you still care about others."
"You killed her?!" Zuo Canglang demanded.
Duanmu Rou replied, "On the road to the Yellow Springs, you can keep each other company!" With a wave of his hand, the men in black closed in from both sides.
Just as they were about to strike, a large number of commoners suddenly surged out from both sides. Duanmu Rou was stunned. These commoners held torches high, surrounding Zuo Canglang. Some knelt to kowtow, while others pulled at her hem, crying out, "General Zuo! You’ve finally returned!"
Duanmu Rou’s expression shifted. He scanned the crowd; there were no fewer than several thousand people here, all commoners from the vicinity of Jinyang. Even if Duanmu Rou wanted to kill her and silence all witnesses, he couldn't possibly kill this many people at once!
He glared at Zuo Canglang and asked, "You called them here?"
Zuo Canglang said, "Though I have resigned from office, I fortunately still possess a bit of a reputation. If I were to die at the hands of the Duanmu family, I fear your clan could not bear such eternal infamy."
Duanmu Rou’s right hand pressed against his sword hilt, tightening and then loosening. The martial world was different from the imperial court. Even if the Duanmu family held the position of Wulin Alliance Leader, they could never become a complete autocracy. Once the news of them assassinating Zuo Canglang spread, those hot-blooded, righteous heroes would not let the matter slide.
Not to mention the risk to the Duanmu family’s position as Alliance Leader—if they were branded as an evil sect, how could they face their ancestors? He took orders from Jiang Sanyi, but not to bring shame upon his clan!
Zuo Canglang thanked the surrounding commoners one by one. Long before her return, she had already bribed several local thugs to spread word and create a stir near Jinyang. A wave of commoners who held her in high esteem had naturally gathered here early. Fearing the numbers might be insufficient, she had also spent silver to hire many others to come.
For five hundred coins to stand watch for a night, only a fool wouldn't come!
Duanmu Rou gnashed his teeth but could do nothing to her. By now, the sky was beginning to brighten, just as the city gates were opening. Zuo Canglang rode into the city. Duanmu Rou intended to follow, but it would be even harder to strike inside the city—how could they kill her in Jinyang without Murong Yan hearing a whisper of it?
While he hesitated, Zuo Canglang reached an alley, abandoned her horse, and took to the rooftops, heading straight for Fachang Temple. By this time, the mountain fire had already blocked the paths to the temple; birds, beasts, and the forest itself were in their death throes amidst the inferno. Zuo Canglang stood at the foot of the mountain, the raging fire reflected on her face, her pupils seemingly alight.
Setting aside the fact that the Abbot, Master Xuezhan, was Murong Yan’s mentor, Fachang Temple housed thousands of monks. What of them?
And Feiyan? Where was she now?
Knowing that Fachang Temple had waterfalls and streams, Zuo Canglang covered her nose and mouth and waded upward through the water. But there was no path in the water, and with the current flowing down, climbing the mountain was an arduous task. As she moved through the creek, the heat waves scorched her heart and lungs, and blisters erupted on her skin from the heat.
With her current physical condition, how could she possibly scale this temple and this mountain?
As the bodies burned, a scent of roasting flesh drifted through the air. Zuo Canglang gradually felt she could no longer breathe. Suddenly, her foot slipped, and she tumbled down along the stream. She reached out, frantically trying to grab onto something, but the jagged rocks sliced into her body.
She could catch nothing.
After tumbling an unknown distance, she slammed hard against a massive boulder in the water. A sharp pain shot through her right shoulder. She reached out, leaning against the stone to try and stand, but she couldn't.
"Feiyan..." Her lips moved one last time, whispering the name. Her head slumped to the side as she fainted in the stream. Blood unfurled like silk in the mountain spring, vanishing into nothingness in an instant.
***
| Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| 修罗 | Asura | A demigod/demon in Buddhist mythology, often associated with violence and war. |
| 忍辱负重 | Enduring humiliation and nursing a grievance | A Chinese idiom (chengyu) about bearing heavy burdens and enduring shame for a greater purpose. |
| 卧薪尝胆 | Sleeping on brushwood and tasting gall | A famous idiom referring to King Goujian of Yue, meaning to undergo self-imposed hardships to strengthen one's resolve for vengeance. |
| 武林盟主 | Wulin Alliance Leader | The elected or recognized leader of the martial arts world. |
| 黄泉 | Yellow Springs | The underworld/realm of the dead in Chinese mythology. |
| 姜散宜 | Jiang Sanyi | A character name (likely a high-ranking official or conspirator). |
