The screams of a group of people did not draw Huang Rongrong's attention; she merely stared blankly at the person sobbing uncontrollably before her.

She recognized this man; he was an elder from Huang Family Stockade, who had followed her father for decades. No longer capable of charging into battle with his sworn brothers, his extensive experience often saw him sent down the mountain to conduct reconnaissance and gather necessary intelligence.

“When I returned to the mountain that day, I saw brothers dead all over—those curs didn’t even allow us to bury them properly… Especially the Old Stockade Master… the horror…” He wept harder as he spoke, perhaps recalling the tragic scene.

For an old man, surely over fifty years of age, to kneel there clutching his head in anguish should have been heart-wrenching, but the news he brought was so shocking that no one paid heed to his suffering.

“I was busy on the mountain for three full days arranging a final resting place for the brothers, but… the body of the Old Stockade Master… we could never fully recover it…”

Hearing this, Huang Rongrong felt her vision darken, her legs giving out entirely. Fortunately, Hua Yi stood close by and reached out to steady her, simultaneously channeling a stream of True Qi to revive her. As Huang Rongrong opened her eyes, she immediately seized the old man’s arm: “Uncle He, you’re saying my father’s body couldn’t even be preserved? Who exactly did this?”

The elder, called Uncle He, turned and pointed toward the distance, indicating the members of the Lei Jian Sect lying on the ground, crying out endlessly while clutching their broken legs: “Afterward, I made inquiries down the mountain and learned that the Young Sect Master of the Lei Jian Sect had brought men to our stockade. Later, I heard these people were heading north, so I chased after them…”

He then finished, weeping to Huang Rongrong, “I knew that Lei Ying had long harbored evil intentions towards the Young Stockade Mistress. This journey north was almost certainly for her sake, so I rushed here, but alas, I was too slow and these scoundrels encountered the Young Stockade Mistress first. Thank heaven the Young Stockade Mistress is blessed with good fortune and is unharmed…”

The rest of his words dissolved into rambling expressions of relief and gratitude to Heaven. It was clear that his nerves, long held taut, had finally relaxed upon seeing Huang Rongrong safe, causing him to become somewhat incoherent.

Huang Rongrong paid no mind to his rambling. She helped Uncle He to his feet, then turned to Zhou Ding beside her: “Brother Zhou, could I trouble you to look after my uncle?” Her usual mischievous, willful demeanor was entirely gone.

Turning back, her eyes blazed crimson. Though tears still streamed down her face, a fierce glint shone through them: “I shall first slay these villains to avenge my father and all my brothers!” Saying this, she drew the two short swords from her waist and rushed straight toward Lei Ying.

Her movement was too fast, too sudden, and without warning. Before anyone else could react, Huang Rongrong leaped into the air, drawing upon her internal energy.

Simultaneously, Lei Ying, realizing his plot was exposed, intended to flee before anyone could respond. However, Ye Wen had been watching them constantly. Seeing their attempt to escape, he flung copper coins from his hand one after another. His Qiankun Yizhi technique was displayed with flawless skill; coins flew out in rapid succession, and in an instant, a large number of them fell.

Every single one of these men had fractured leg bones; running was now a futile effort. Lei Ying intended to turn back and roar a curse, but upon seeing Ye Wen raise his sword-finger, he swallowed the words back down his throat.

He then desperately hoped Huang Rongrong, deeply shocked by the news, would collapse so that he might at least cling to a chance of survival. To his dismay, Huang Rongrong was immediately brought back to consciousness by a touch from the stunningly beautiful woman standing beside her. She immediately drew her sword and charged him. Lei Ying instantly understood: unless he died today, there would be no reprieve.

Yet, when cornered, even a rabbit will bite. How much more a living man? Although Lei Ying’s legs were broken and he could not stand, it did not prevent him from bracing himself up to wield his sword. Even if he couldn’t exert his full power this way, holding off Huang Rongrong should not have been difficult—while Huang Rongrong held some renown in the Jianghu underworld, her actual cultivation was merely average, certainly incomparable to the esteemed Young Sect Master of the Lei Jian Sect.

Under normal circumstances, Huang Rongrong would have no chance of killing Lei Ying; one mistake and she might even be killed by his counterattack. Lei Ying even entertained a hopeful thought: “If I can capture this girl, I can retreat with ease.”

With hope came fighting spirit. His long sword swept out, aiming directly for the tendons and meridians in Huang Rongrong’s wrist. One hit, and the twin short swords would be knocked from her grasp, leaving her completely at his mercy. Even if she dodged, it would break the momentum of her reckless charge, after which he could assess the situation.

Unexpectedly, Huang Rongrong did not evade or guard, determined to drag Lei Ying down with her. Just as Lei Ying’s sword was about to strike the vital points in Huang Rongrong’s hand, a streak of violet light flashed past. Lei Ying felt a violent tremor run up his entire arm; he could no longer grip his sword, which flew out of his hand.

The flying sword instantly snapped in two mid-air. Although the sword energy of the Zixiao Longqi had dissipated, its residual force remained. The two broken pieces spun away, only landing on the ground after traveling an unknown distance.

Lei Ying no longer cared about his weapon. Having lost his sword, the arm that held it was now numb and aching from the shockwave of the sword energy. He couldn't muster any strength, his arm hanging uselessly at his side. His guard was completely open; he could only watch helplessly as the two short swords in Huang Rongrong’s hands crossed and twisted at his throat. A coolness spread across his throat, followed by a gush of hot, bright red blood spraying from the wound, drenching Huang Rongrong’s entire body and face.

Even then, Huang Rongrong did not stop her action. Lei Ying saw her eyes blazing red, her body stained crimson by his own blood, and her ferocious expression—utterly devoid of the usual charming playfulness. She looked like a ferocious, terrifying Asura emerging from the seas of blood.

“Aargh~”

Huang Rongrong roared, putting tremendous force into her hands. The twin swords, twisted around Lei Ying’s neck, sliced together, cleanly severing his head. The head soared into the air, its eyes wide with terror, a look that did not change even as it dropped to the ground with a wet thud.

Seeing this, the Lei Jian Sect members turned ashen with fear. A few cowards immediately soiled themselves, while others ceaselessly kowtowed, begging for mercy, hoping that since Huang Rongrong had killed Lei Ying, she might spare them.

Alas, Huang Rongrong’s fury was far from spent; killing just Lei Ying could not soothe the hatred in her heart. Ignoring their pleas, she took her sword and executed them one by one. Terrified out of their wits, none of these men offered any resistance, simply watching as Huang Rongrong cut them down, one sword stroke per person.

By the time she had killed all the Lei Jian Sect members, Huang Rongrong had become a living personification of blood, as if she had walked out of a sea of gore. Even those from the Shu Shan Sect felt a chill of fear, though upon realizing this was a young girl who had suffered such a calamity, they also felt immense pity for her.

Ye Wen worried that Huang Rongrong might descend into madness and never recover, but thankfully, after slaying the last man, the ferocity left her face. Instead, she began to weep loudly, her sorrowful and resentful cries stirring sadness in everyone present.

Knowing she needed to vent these negative emotions, Ye Wen did not stop her, intending to wait until she finished crying before bringing her back to the mountain for careful recuperation—this ordeal had severely wounded her spirit, and without proper care, she might suffer lasting harm.

However, before he could step forward, Huang Rongrong ceased crying and walked toward him. When she reached him, she dropped to her knees with a thud and knocked her head against the ground repeatedly—kwaang, kwaang, kwaang—so hard that blood flowed from her forehead. “Thank you, Sect Master Ye, for setting aside past grievances and helping me avenge my father’s death!”

Although Huang Rongrong was lively, fond of mischief, and somewhat willful, she was not truly ungrateful. If Ye Wen had not used the sword energy of the Zixiao Longqi to knock away Lei Ying’s sword and stagger his arm, leaving him open, taking revenge would have been exceedingly difficult.

While she and Ye Wen often clashed, those were minor issues. Even if Ye Wen was displeased with her, she always treated it as childish squabbling and never took it to heart; otherwise, how could she have been allowed to run about the Shu Shan Sect? Now, having received such a great favor from him—one that avenged her blood feud—acting willful again would surely brand her as utterly ungrateful.

After she finished her bows, Uncle He also rushed over and knocked his head several times before Ye Wen. “Though I do not know your esteemed name, sir, thank you for helping the Young Stockade Mistress avenge the Old Stockade Master and all the brothers!” He then bowed several more times.

These gestures happened in a heartbeat; Ye Wen couldn't even stop them in time. By the time he recovered, they had finished bowing and were still kneeling there.

Ye Wen sighed, helping them both up, and consoled them, “The departed are gone. Since the great revenge has been achieved, it offers solace to their spirits in heaven.”

He intended to say something about how the living must strive onward, but seeing the vacant look in Huang Rongrong’s eyes, he simply said, “If you two have nowhere else to go, please accompany me back to the mountain for now.”

Then he turned to Zhou Ding and the others: “Clean up the corpses of these wretches. Do not sully the great name of our Shu Shan Sect.” He glanced at Huang Rongrong and sighed again.

Although this immediate incident was over, it was not truly concluded. Back at the sect, he summoned Aunt Zhao to settle Huang Rongrong in properly, then called Uncle He to converse with the others, discussing how Lei Ying of the Lei Jian Sect had massacred the entire Huang Family Stockade, and what grudges and disputes lay between the two parties. Since the Shu Shan Sect was now entangled in the conflict between the Huang Family Stockade and the Lei Jian Sect, they needed serious discussion on how to proceed.

Ning Ruxue, having heard the account, was furious. She exclaimed, “They massacred an entire family merely because their marriage proposal was rejected? The Lei Jian Sect is truly overbearing! And they still dare call themselves a Righteous Sect?”

Uncle He also wore a look of indignation. Having served in the Huang Family Stockade for decades, trusted by the Old Stockade Master, he knew the general outline of events. Though he was absent when Lei Ying attacked, he had deduced the whole story from the bits of information he gathered later.

Furthermore, Lei Ying was arrogant, confident that no one in the Eastern Continent dared touch him. He was naturally presumptuous, and there were things he never bothered to conceal. By cloaking his actions in the guise of upholding righteousness, he believed he could rest easy, unaware that justice resides in the hearts of the people. Because of his overbearing conduct, he had long since offended countless people. When Uncle He investigated, these people, though afraid to oppose the Lei Jian Sect directly, had no issue helping him and relaying information.

“If I can’t kill him, I can still disgust him.”

This was the sentiment of the majority. That was why Lei Ying’s movements and actions that day were so easily and thoroughly investigated by Uncle He.

Xu Xian sat nearby, his expression even darker. Among the Shu Shan disciples, he alone held some genuine connection with the Huang Family Stockade. After all, the stockade was not a fixed town or county; it was a bandit den, and letters often required trustworthy intermediaries for delivery. Most times, the people of the Huang Family Stockade managed this task. Xu Xian thus had some friendly ties with them. He never imagined that in the span of his absence, they would be wiped out by the Lei Jian Sect. Out of over a hundred people in the stockade, only Huang Rongrong and Uncle He survived—if they hadn't been far enough away at the time, they too might have perished.

“Let’s set aside other matters. Our Shu Shan Sect is now involved, and Lei Ying died right at the foot of Mount Shu. We cannot escape responsibility for this. Let’s first discuss how to deal with the Lei Jian Sect…”

“He killed my entire stockade, I will exterminate his entire clan!”

This declaration, brimming with killing intent, did not come from anyone in the hall, but from outside. Just as the words landed, Huang Rongrong, having washed and changed her clothes, walked in. She was now clad in pure white mourning attire, without a single ornament, not even a speck of makeup.

Her beautiful face was set in a fierce glare, completely unlike her usual cheerful self. For a moment, the assembled company failed to recognize her as Huang Rongrong, only realizing it upon closer inspection.

Before Ye Wen could question her, Huang Rongrong suddenly knelt before him, saying, “I know my martial arts are meager and common. To achieve my blood vengeance, I must seek Sect Master Ye’s aid.”

“Oh?” Ye Wen was curious. How could he aid her? Did she expect him to fight?

Before he could ask, Huang Rongrong continued, “I request Sect Master Ye to accept me as a disciple, so that I may learn profound martial arts to avenge my blood debt.”

There were many people present, including Liu Muyan, his fourth disciple who had already entered the inner sect. Upon hearing this, she quietly remarked, “When will cycles of vengeance ever end? Since Lei Ying is already dead, why must you involve the innocent?”

Her words seemed reasonable, but Huang Rongrong was deaf to them. She shot Liu Muyan a glare, then quickly averted her gaze, remembering that securing discipleship was the priority, and fixed her hopeful eyes on Ye Wen.

Seeing Ye Wen remain silent, everyone assumed he found the request difficult. Xu Xian even prepared to plead, asking his senior brother to accept Huang Rongrong and teach her. He even thought of saying, “If my senior brother refuses, I will teach her myself,” but he managed to restrain himself, remembering that this concerned the lineage of the sect and should not be treated lightly.

In truth, Ye Wen was not troubled by those concerns; he was pondering what martial arts to teach her. As for the vow to destroy the entire Lei Jian Sect, he found himself in strong agreement. Why could Lei Ying act so unscrupulously? Wasn’t it because the Lei Jian Sect backed him? Such a sect, even if not actively evil, was far worse than those who committed open evil deeds; in terms of culpability, they surpassed Lei Ying tenfold. Moreover, Huang Rongrong had killed the only son of Lei Zhenshan; how could Lei Zhenshan simply let this go? The two parties were already locked in a life-or-death conflict; considering ‘vengeance answered by vengeance’ now was nothing but a cruel joke.

He glanced at Liu Muyan and said, “Although martial arts are not solely for conflict, in this Jianghu, martial arts are used for fighting. Setting aside whether Rongrong intends to destroy the entire Lei Jian Sect, merely by killing so many of their members today, if she lacks self-defense skills in the future, she is certain to die.”

He turned to Huang Rongrong: “I can agree to teach you martial arts. As for destroying the Lei Jian Sect, I can even send them a challenge directly, without waiting for you to master your skills. The Lei Jian Sect insulted the Shu Shan Sect first; if they do not provide an explanation, it is perfectly justified for our Shu Shan Sect to eliminate them.”

“As for joining our Shu Shan Sect… you must understand, taking a master is no small matter, especially…” Ye Wen glanced at Xu Xian, implying that Huang Rongrong originally intended to marry his junior brother. If she became a disciple, proper seniority would apply, and things couldn’t remain chaotic.

Huang Rongrong, consumed by hatred, disregarded all that. Ye Wen did not want Huang Rongrong to seek revenge, then cause turmoil in the Shu Shan Sect later because of seniority issues preventing her from marrying the man she intended to be with.

“I can agree to teach you martial arts,” Ye Wen mused. If necessary, I’ll have Xu Xian teach her. If the two end up together later, I’ll have effectively played matchmaker.

“I can also agree to wage war against the Lei Jian Sect immediately”—the Shu Shan Sect could use this opportunity to reclaim their honor and gain renown across the Central Plains. Ye Wen had no reason to refuse. Moreover, most of the Lei Jian Sect’s techniques were lost. If the Shu Shan Sect couldn't even defeat such a sect, they had no right to aspire to dominance in the Central Plains; they should train for another twenty years first.

“Only the matter of formal discipleship—you should go back and think this over carefully before deciding. If you are still determined to become a disciple then, I will naturally agree.” Ye Wen trusted that once Huang Rongrong reflected soberly, she would abandon this notion. After all, gaining revenge without being tied down was an offer no one with a functioning intellect would refuse.

Having received such a great kindness from the Shu Shan Sect, even if she didn't become a disciple, Huang Rongrong would likely treat the sect as her home and defend it. If things truly developed between her and Xu Xian, they would indeed be family.

Seeing Ye Wen finish speaking, Ning Ruxue went to help Huang Rongrong up, comforting her softly, “Sister, do not grieve. Senior Brother has already agreed to teach you martial arts and is willing to help you destroy the Lei Jian Sect. Your revenge will certainly be accomplished.”

Huang Rongrong merely took this as Ye Wen being unwilling to teach her high-level skills and gave a noncommittal reply. After a moment’s thought, she declared resolutely, “I only wish to learn the martial arts and personally destroy the Lei Jian Sect before anything else. If Sect Master Ye is willing to teach me, Huang Rongrong is deeply grateful.” Then, she bit down hard: “Sect Master Ye, please rest assured, I, Huang Rongrong, swear here that once my great vengeance is achieved, I will immediately abolish my cultivation and sever my finger and cut out my tongue before you, so that the unique techniques of the Shu Shan Sect shall never leak out.”