Li Muzhan led the way, with Wen Yinyue following close behind, as the pair floated down from Funiu Mountain and ascended the ridge of Huangyun Mountain, climbing non-stop to a distant peak before proceeding north along the mountain spine.
Beneath the setting sun, the mountain wind whipped around them, tugging fiercely at their robes with a loud, rustling sound.
Protected by their internal energy, they felt nothing of the biting cold. They walked along the ridge for over ten li when Li Muzhan abruptly halted.
Wen Yinyue, though curious, remained silent, stopping with him. She took the opportunity to survey their surroundings: white snow blanketed the dense, somber pines.
They stood atop a precipice. To the east lay the thick evergreen forest; to the west, a chasm so deep it looked bottomless. The harsh, raw wind howled up from below, sounding like a monstrous beast encircling them.
She turned back to Li Muzhan, finding him with his eyes closed, brow furrowed, clearly deep in concentration. Wen Yinyue grew even more curious, wondering what her junior brother was contemplating now.
She had always been renowned for her superior intellect, yet before him, she often felt her own mind insufficient.
“Junior Brother?”
She called out softly.
Li Muzhan opened his eyes, their light sharp and substantial, seeming to pierce directly into the heart.
Wen Yinyue raised an elegant eyebrow and inquired, “Did you find it?”
Li Muzhan nodded. “Yes, right there!”
He pointed westward toward a massive stretch of pines, luxuriant and dense, which seemed to reach the very base of the mountain, far beyond their current vantage point.
Wen Yinyue’s gaze sharpened, and she frowned. “It’s in that valley?”
The pine forest was immense, stretching from the summit all the way down to the foothills, coloring the mountain in a deep swath of green. Vaguely visible at the foot of the mountain was a valley.
From their distance, it was just a vast expanse of pines, making the valley incredibly difficult to spot. Wen Yinyue’s sharp eyes immediately discerned the subtlety of the concealment.
That valley was so hard to find; it was the perfect place to hide. It must be concealed there... way, way...
“Precisely.”
Li Muzhan affirmed.
Wen Yinyue knitted her brows. “Isn’t he afraid of being trapped inside with no escape?”
Li Muzhan nodded. “He is not afraid!”
“Fearless, unafraid of consequences...”
Wen Yinyue mused, then suddenly looked up at Li Muzhan in surprise. “An ambush?”
Li Muzhan laughed, giving her a thumbs-up. “As expected of the Eldest Senior Sister. Correct, they have an ambush set. My estimate is four masters waiting.”
“We can’t force our way in?” Wen Yinyue asked.
Li Muzhan shook his head. “No good.”
“Then what do we do?” Wen Yinyue frowned.
Li Muzhan paced silently, hands clasped behind his back.
Wen Yinyue considered. “If we can’t charge in, we must lure him out, or draw the others away. But they won’t fall for simple tricks.”
Suddenly, Wen Yinyue said in a deep voice, “Junior Brother, I’ll test the waters!”
Li Muzhan shook his head. “These five are peak masters. We can’t handle even one of them, let alone five. We need another plan!”
Wen Yinyue’s bright eyes flickered, emitting faint, crystalline glints. “Junior Brother, no more discussion. It’s decided. I will probe their strength and position!”
Li Muzhan frowned. “Senior Sister, I know you feel guilty and are desperate to capture Zhou Shou immediately and avenge Senior Brother Lu and the others!”
Wen Yinyue shot him a cold look, her eyes like lightning.
Li Muzhan continued, “The more urgent the situation, the more cautious we must be. Do not act rashly!”
Wen Yinyue snorted. “Then what is your suggestion, Junior Brother?”
Li Muzhan touched his nose, pondering for a moment, then looked up at the sky, then down at the earth, his gaze darting ceaselessly, like sunlight reflecting on a lake’s surface.
“Junior Brother, say something...” Wen Yinyue grew impatient.
Li Muzhan said, “Senior Sister, let’s wait until nightfall. How about that?”
“...Very well.” Wen Yinyue gazed deeply at Li Muzhan and slowly nodded.
She forcefully suppressed the boiling rage within her; reason prevailed. Otherwise, she would have charged in immediately, dragging him down with her even if she couldn’t match his martial skill.
Li Muzhan appeared calm, confident, and certain, which helped quell her murderous intent. She held immense faith in him; every situation demonstrated that he had the scheme grasped firmly, leaving nothing to chance.
Even the most difficult tasks seemed incredibly simple once they reached his hands, solved instantly. The two of them each sat upon a pine tree, cross-legged on the branches, quietly meditating to adjust their breath and conserve energy, knowing a bloody battle was likely inevitable once night fell.
Time trickled by as the sun slowly descended. In winter, the sun set exceptionally fast, and dusk, like spilled ink, slowly flooded the world.
Wen Yinyue suddenly opened her eyes, realizing her junior brother hadn't actually seen the person in question. How could he have located him and confidently identified him? Perhaps he was mistaken!
She floated over to Li Muzhan’s tree and whispered, “Junior Brother, you recognize that person?”
Li Muzhan smelled the faint fragrance drifting toward him, slowly opened his eyes, and smiled. “I do not.”
“Then how do you know he is the culprit?” Wen Yinyue frowned.
Li Muzhan chuckled and extended his left hand. It was fiery red now, like a piece of magnificent crimson jade, but seeing a human hand transformed this way looked strangely unsettling and dissonant.
“This is...”
Wen Yinyue was puzzled.
Li Muzhan explained, “I treated Senior Sister Mei’s injuries once. This is that person’s internal energy—strange and peculiar—which I drew into my hand. Using this energy, I can sense where that person is.”
“Is that so?” Wen Yinyue suddenly understood, looking at Li Muzhan twice.
Only her junior brother could devise such a method: thinking ahead during the healing process to capture the culprit’s internal energy and store it. Such foresight was beyond ordinary men.
Moreover, only Junior Brother possessed the ability to use this technique to track someone. Neither she nor Master possessed such skill. No wonder he found the target so easily, without wasting any effort.
“What if it’s not him, but someone cultivating a similar technique?” Wen Yinyue suggested.
Li Muzhan replied, “Senior Sister, let’s confirm his identity first. If it is the killer, then killing him is not too late. Even if he isn't the killer, he won’t be innocent of complicity!”
He picked up a twig and drew a human facial outline on the ground.
Wen Yinyue looked at it and shook her head. “It’s somewhat similar... but I can’t be absolutely certain!”
“Then we will have to go see him personally.” Li Muzhan nodded.
She glanced around. In the time they had spoken, the night had fully descended, blacking out everything before the moon had risen—it was pitch dark, impossible to see one's hand before one's face.
“Junior Brother, is it time? What is the plan now?” Wen Yinyue asked.
Li Muzhan said, “Let’s sneak over for a look.”
“Alright.” Wen Yinyue nodded.
Li Muzhan added, “Senior Sister, wait a moment.”
“Are you going to use the Great Bright King Scripture?” Wen Yinyue hesitated, then shook her head. “Master explicitly forbade us from using it; the danger is too great, the cost outweighs the benefit!”
Li Muzhan laughed. “If not now, when? It’s fine; I know how to protect myself.”
“If Master finds out, he will surely scold us.” Wen Yinyue frowned.
Li Muzhan smiled and said, “Senior Sister must keep this a secret from Master.”
“I will tell Master!” Wen Yinyue insisted.
Li Muzhan smiled and shook his head, closing his eyes and forming hand seals.
Wen Yinyue hurriedly said, “Junior Brother, forget it. Don’t use the Great Bright King Scripture!”
Li Muzhan opened his eyes. “There is no other way except the Great Bright King Scripture. Senior Sister, it’s alright; I have my own means of preserving myself.”
“Is it truly safe?” Wen Yinyue stared intently at him.
Li Muzhan smiled and nodded. “It is safe!”
Wen Yinyue gazed at him deeply, as if trying to see into his heart. Seeing that Li Muzhan did not look like he was lying, she slowly nodded. “Yes, yes, alright then, only this once!”
Li Muzhan closed his eyes and completed the seals. In an instant, the surrounding air grew dense, as if an invisible force was compressing it, making breathing difficult and inducing drowsiness.
Wen Yinyue channeled her gong to resist the pressure, knowing it was the effect of the Great Bright King Scripture. She looked up at the sky, but could see nothing—only a few stars faintly visible in the inky blackness.
“Senior Sister, let’s go,” Li Muzhan suddenly said.
Wen Yinyue turned to look at him and met a pair of ice-cold eyes. These eyes were utterly devoid of emotion, as if looking down upon all mortals, who appeared as mere ants.
“Junior Brother, you...”
Wen Yinyue felt a flicker of worry, and the face beneath her white veil flushed slightly.
She recalled the time Li Muzhan caused a ruckus at Canghai Mountain and his inappropriate advances toward her, causing her cheeks to burn and her heart to flutter nervously.
His power then had been overwhelmingly dominant, leaving her utterly defenseless. Recalling that feeling always weakened her limbs, making her powerless, like a mouse confronted by a cat.
Li Muzhan spoke coolly, “Senior Sister, when the Great Bright King Scripture is activated, emotions are muted, but reason remains intact. There is no need to worry... Let’s go, let’s look over there.”
His voice was chillingly detached, as if he were a different person, completely unlike his usual warm and gentle demeanor.
Wen Yinyue let out a breath, her face still flushed. “Who’s worried?... Let’s go.”
Eager to conceal her lapse in composure, she quickly floated down from the tree and drifted forward. Li Muzhan’s cold voice reached her ear. “Senior Sister, slow down; conceal your aura as much as possible... There is one person to the southeast, one to the northwest, one to the north, and one to the south. The valley in the center is where the target is hidden. We enter the valley and check if it is him.”
“Good.” Wen Yinyue nodded.
She slowed her movements, her robes clinging tightly to her body, utterly still, revealing her graceful contours. Starlight began to appear. Though the surroundings remained dark, it did not impede their vision.
The two drifted swiftly across the treetops, reaching the base of the mountain and locating the valley surprisingly quickly despite their measured pace.
Li Muzhan darted ahead to clear the path, stopping and starting, his hands never idle—sometimes pressed against a stone, sometimes resting on a tree trunk.
Wen Yinyue’s eyes shone brightly, reflecting the stars above.
She realized Li Muzhan was disarming traps. Her heart chilled inwardly; had it been her, she would never have noticed those mechanisms and would have certainly triggered them, alerting the masters hiding inside the valley and around it.
After about fifteen minutes, the pair moved deep into the valley when Li Muzhan suddenly stopped. Wen Yinyue immediately froze, the only sound being the faint breeze rustling the pine needles overhead.
They were currently within a grove of pines, a subtle scent of resin drifting in the air.
Li Muzhan slowly pulled aside a branch and pointed forward. Wen Yinyue knowingly crept closer, peering through the foliage. On the mountainside, nestled halfway up, was a small thatched hut.
There was lamplight inside the hut, and a shadow of a figure was visible against the window in the bright illumination.
Wen Yinyue started to move forward, but Li Muzhan waved her back and flicked a finger lightly.
With a crisp snap, like a pebble striking wood, the sound echoed sharply in the still night.
More will come in the cold weather, hehe. (To be continued. To find out what happens next, please visit Qidian for more chapters, support the author, and read the official release!)