With dusk settling and tired birds returning to their nests, Li Muzhan settled Fan Peiyao and then, taking advantage of the fading light, slipped back into Tianlong City toward the Ming Estate.
He intended to observe the estate secretly; it was his home, after all, and he couldn't rest easy.
Unconcerned by the threat of Thunder Sword Peak, he strolled casually to the mansion gate, only to be halted by a sudden, frantic burst of zither music reaching his ears.
"Zheng! Zheng! Zheng! Zheng!" The music was sharp and hurried, like charging steeds or a torrential downpour.
Li Muzhan focused, closing his eyes, his expression subtly shifting. He drifted into the Ming Estate, passed directly over the eastern wall of the main courtyard, and landed in the residence of the Thirteenth Lady.
The layout of the Thirteenth Lady's dwelling was peculiar: upon entering the main gate, one was met by steps leading up to a broad, flat expanse. Red-tiled houses lined the east and west sides, while to the north, a pavilion soared upward, exuding an imposing, chilling aura that unsettled the heart.
A dozen or so figures lay sprawled on the ground, dressed in various attire, frozen in different poses, their pressure points sealed.
The Thirteenth Lady, clad in a purple gown, sat upon the steps. Her beautiful face was stern and shadowed with menace, her eyes shining with sharp light. Her hands moved rapidly across the zither, creating a blur of jade-colored finger shadows. The zither’s notes rang like metal striking stone, projecting an aura of lethal intent that saturated the entire courtyard.
Beneath the steps, a young man in a Daoist robe wielded a long sword with fluid grace, his movements elegant and transcendent.
His swordsmanship appeared slow, as if each movement carried the weight of ten thousand jun. Every stance was labored; he would suddenly advance, then retreat, perpetually trying to close the distance to the Thirteenth Lady.
Li Muzhan landed softly. In an instant, his vision flickered, and the world seemed to invert. He quickly formed a hand seal, and clarity returned to his sight.
He marveled silently. This sharp zither sound was a potent form of sonic attack, capable of bewildering the mind. He was fortunate his own Zen contemplation skill was exceptional.
This sonic assault targeted the spirit directly, independent of martial arts. His practice of Buddhist Zen meditation made him uniquely suited to counter such an esoteric technique.
He observed the young Daoist again, praising him inwardly. Though the swordsmanship looked slow and weak, the accompanying heart-method must be profoundly mystical to achieve such control of the spirit through qi.
He looked closer at the Thirteenth Lady. Her face was as calm as still water, her bright eyes radiating fierce light, yet a fine sheen of sweat covered her forehead. Her complexion was pale, but her cheeks were flushed a drunken crimson.
Li Muzhan frowned. She was extremely weak now, perhaps injured, and employing such a supreme technique was draining her vital energy; she was close to breaking point.
He turned his attention back to the Daoist. His swordplay was too unique to belong to an obscure practitioner; he was clearly the descendant of a renowned lineage, and so young.
If he intervened rashly, it would invite serious trouble.
“Alas…” He sighed softly, flashed forward, and appeared instantly behind the youth, sending out a gentle palm strike.
“Eh?” He exclaimed in surprise as his body was violently flung outward, accompanied by a muffled thud.
Li Muzhan flew back nearly ten zhang, reaching the edge of the platform and nearly tumbling down the steps.
…………………………………… He had not anticipated that the young Daoist was enveloped in a powerful internal energy field. The moment his palm approached, it was as if a floodgate had burst, and surging neili struck him, throwing him back.
This surge of internal energy was incredibly profound and intensely concentrated—an unstoppable force that swept him away with utterly no power for resistance, leaving him utterly disheveled.
He smiled wryly. This Thirteenth Lady was indeed trouble he shouldn't have become entangled with. Back then, seeing her profound and inscrutable cultivation, he still got involved. His original conjectures had indeed been correct.
“Zheng…………” The zither music abruptly ceased. The Thirteenth Lady swayed, her face turning alarmingly white, though her eyes remained bright as they focused on Li Muzhan.
Li Muzhan stood up, dusted off his robe, cupped his hands, and asked with a bitter smile, “Thirteenth Lady, what is happening here?”
The Thirteenth Lady gasped for breath, lifted her sleeve to wipe the sweat from her brow, and sighed, “Master, this has nothing to do with you. You should return.” The young Daoist stopped, leaned on his sword, and turned to look at Li Muzhan.
His face was perfectly formed, his eyes like bright stars; his qi was pure and his spirit upright. His gaze was gentle and warm, exuding a refined, scholarly demeanor, the very essence of Daoist non-action, captivating to behold.
“May I ask which school this Daoist belongs to…?” Li Muzhan inquired with a smile.
The Thirteenth Lady’s beautiful face instantly hardened, cold as frost: “Master, please leave. This is my private matter, and I do not wish others to know.”
Li Muzhan seemed not to notice her sudden shift in demeanor. He cupped his hands and smiled: “This humble monk is Mingkong, the Thirteenth Lady’s neighbor. I have yet to ask the Daoist’s Dao name?”
“This humble Daoist is Qingxuan.” The young Daoist sheathed his sword and bowed in a formal gesture, his expression mild and friendly.
Li Muzhan laughed: “So, Daoist Qingxuan. What grudge requires such a life-or-death struggle?”
Daoist Qingxuan sighed: “My sect has given an order, which I must obey… Master Mingkong, this matter concerns my sect’s long-standing grievances. It is best for the Master to remain uninvolved.”
Li Muzhan pressed: “Are you here to kill the Thirteenth Lady?”
Daoist Qingxuan nodded: “Yes.”
Li Muzhan sighed: “Then I cannot agree. There is only one path left: a fight.”
Daoist Qingxuan studied him and shook his head: “You are no match for me.”
“Master, it is useless. You should go back,” the Thirteenth Lady sighed, pushing the Feng zither from her lap. She rose slowly, her skirts billowing as she descended the steps to stand near Li Muzhan.
The Thirteenth Lady lamented: “Master, though your martial arts are strong, you are not his match… I accept my fate. I have fought for so many years; I am tired. It is time for release.”
A faint, sweet fragrance drifted into Li Muzhan’s nose, but he ignored it, frowning: “Thirteenth Lady, what exactly is going on?”
“My sect has conflicts; fighting back and forth is dreadfully boring. It’s better not to listen,” the Thirteenth Lady waved a hand. A gentle breeze swept by, carrying the faint, sweet scent, her robes floating as if she were an immortal being.
……………………………………
Li Muzhan paused, having never seen her so exquisitely beautiful. She seemed to have seen through the mortal world, radiating an ethereal, detached radiance like snow.
He smiled and waved his hand: “Thirteenth Lady, no need to say more. I will handle this matter. Even if I am outmatched, I can hold him off for a while. You should leave first!”
Saying this, he drew his Broken Mountain Saber and placed it between Daoist Qingxuan and the Thirteenth Lady.
Daoist Qingxuan looked at him with difficulty, hesitating: “Master Mingkong, I must kill Miss Zhang this time. Please step aside.” Though his demeanor was gentle and his nature honest, Li Muzhan held a strong favorable impression of him. It was regrettable that they must become adversaries.
Li Muzhan smiled faintly: “May I ask which school or sect the Daoist belongs to?”
“Shangqing Temple,” Daoist Qingxuan replied.
Li Muzhan raised an eyebrow, pondered for a moment, and shook his head: “I am unlearned and have never heard of it.”
Daoist Qingxuan said: “Disciples of our temple leave the seclusion for worldly practice and are not known to the common people.”
Li Muzhan, his back to the Thirteenth Lady, said with a smile: “Thirteenth Lady, how about we fight Daoist Qingxuan together?”
The Thirteenth Lady sighed faintly, her voice bitter: “Even if the two of us fight him together, we have no chance of winning. Why must you wade into this muddy water?”
“How will we know if we don’t try?” Li Muzhan smiled. (To be continued)