Jade Bamboo Peak had always been a place of serene tranquility.
Tall bamboo grew in dense groves, and when the wind passed through, it rustled with a soft, whispering sound.
Like music from the heavens.
On ordinary days, not even crows — those ill-omened birds — nor common sparrows would dare disturb the peace here. It was as though even the birds understood the sanctity of this place and dared not clamor.
Yet today, several jet-black crows had appeared from somewhere, circling in the air just outside the Jade Bamboo Lodge.
Caw, caw — their harsh, grating cries rang out, jarring and ominous against the stillness.
Li Yan, slumped against the ground outside the restriction barrier at the lodge's entrance, looked up with bleary, irritated eyes and glared at the birds.
He couldn't shake the feeling that those caws were mocking him — mocking the wretched sight of a man who had tumbled from the clouds into the mud.
One day!
Just one single day!
He had gone from being an inner disciple elite of the Pill Hall on Crimson Glow Peak — feared and fawned over by all, able to command the wind and rain — to a complete and utter wreck: his qi sea shattered, his cultivation utterly lost, not even worth comparing to someone at the first level of the Qi Refinement Realm.
The searing pain in his body tormented his every nerve without pause.
But worse than the physical agony was the humiliation and despair born from that catastrophic fall from grace.
Yesterday, after being dragged back to Crimson Glow Peak by that Foundation Establishment Elder like a dead dog, he had still clung to a sliver of hope — that his uncle Li Wantian might, out of old affection, at least give him some healing Pills to ease his suffering.
But reality had delivered an even heavier blow.
His uncle refused to see him.
The outer disciples and Pill Hall stewards who had once bowed and scraped before him with endless flattery now looked at him the way one looks at a pile of reeking garbage — with undisguised contempt and barely concealed schadenfreude.
He couldn't even get a single Menial Disciple to bring him a cup of tea.
What chilled him even more was his cousin, Li Baode.
He had ended up in this state precisely because he had stood up for Li Baode!
And what had come of it?
Li Baode hadn't even shown his face. He had merely sent word that he was "still recovering from injuries and unable to receive visitors."
The warmth and cold of human hearts, the ways of the world — he had tasted it all in the span of a single day.
The pain in his body and the venom in his heart intertwined, nearly driving him to madness.
After much deliberation, he found that the only place where he could still harbor even the faintest thread of hope was here — Jade Bamboo Peak, and Zhao Yanran.
In the past, he had come here often, spending tender moments with Zhao Yanran, gifting her Pills. This place had been something of a haven of warmth for him.
Yet he had never imagined that the Jade Bamboo Lodge he had once entered and exited at will would today be blocked by a thin but merciless restriction barrier!
Because he had lost his cultivation, he couldn't even project the most basic spell techniques to send a message inside.
He could only pound against the barrier like a stray dog, calling out in a hoarse, desperate voice over and over again.
He could even faintly hear the gentle sound of a zither drifting from within the lodge — yet that door remained stubbornly shut.
With every cry, the pain and resentment in his heart deepened.
Finally, just as he was on the verge of complete despair, the restriction barrier before him rippled like the surface of water and parted to reveal an opening.
Li Yan lunged forward like a drowning man grasping at the last straw, half-crawling, half-tumbling inside, and crashed to the floor of the lodge.
A warm, fragrant scent washed over him, a stark contrast to the blood and filth clinging to his body.
He struggled to lift his head and saw Zhao Yanran and Yang Tianming playing a board game on the chaise longue, and Lin Yang by the window, still serenely playing the zither.
Zhao Yanran was as breathtakingly beautiful as ever, seemingly unmoved in the slightest by his arrival.
Yang Tianming merely cast him a brief, cold glance — a look as frigid and indifferent as the edge of a blade, filled with undisguised disdain, as though regarding a piece of filth that had been accidentally tracked inside.
Lin Yang's zither melody didn't pause for even a moment. The faint, ambiguous smile at the corner of his lips remained, as though Li Yan's intrusion was nothing more than a trivial interruption.
"Yan… Yanran, Junior Sister… save… save me…"
Li Yan struggled, his voice ragged and broken.
He stretched a trembling hand toward Zhao Yanran:
"Do… do you have any healing Pills… give me one… please…"
A look of timely concern surfaced on Zhao Yanran's face. She set down her game piece and rose quickly to approach him:
"Senior Brother Li? How did you end up so badly injured? Come, get up and speak."
Her tone was gentle, laced with care.
Li Yan seemed to have seized a lifeline. His emotions surged as he pointed toward the door, his voice dripping with venom:
"It… it was that laborer! That damned Chen Yang! He did this to me! He shattered my qi sea! Senior Brother Yang!"
He whipped around to face Yang Tianming, his eyes blazing with frantic desperation:
"Senior Brother Yang! Go kill him! Avenge me! Kill that bastard!"
Yang Tianming lifted his cup of spirit tea and took a quiet sip, not even raising his eyelids, his voice utterly flat and devoid of any ripple:
"Avenge you? On what grounds?"
Li Yan was taken aback:
"On… on the grounds that we are Senior Brothers! Senior Brother Yang!"
"Senior Brothers?"
Yang Tianming finally raised his eyes. His gaze swept across Li Yan's face like a cold blade.
"A worthless wretch whose cultivation has been completely destroyed — not even worth as much as a laborer — dares to call himself my brother? Li Yan, you think far too highly of yourself."
"You—!"
Li Yan trembled with rage. A surge of blood rushed up his throat, nearly spilling from his lips.
He forced it back down, and a trickle of blood seeped from the corner of his mouth.
Yang Tianming set down his teacup and continued coldly:
"I have already learned the full account of what happened. You chose to stand up for your worthless cousin of your own accord, proved yourself inferior in skill, and were crippled by a disciple of laborer origins. That is reaping what you sow — no one else is to blame. Furthermore…"
His tone grew slightly heavier, carrying an air of unquestionable finality:
"We had already promised Junior Sister Yanran that we would not go out of our way to trouble that Chen Yang. It was you who broke that agreement first."
Li Yan opened his mouth to retort, but found that every word his opponent had spoken struck at the heart of the matter — there was nothing he could say in his defense.
The violent surge of emotion aggravated his internal injuries.
He broke into a violent coughing fit, hacking up more blood.
His whole body curled on the floor, convulsing in agony.
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Chen Yang's final roar, imbued with the might of a tiger's killing aura, had not only shattered his Demonization but had nearly cracked his very heart meridians.
At that moment, Zhao Yanran let out a soft sigh, her voice melodious yet carrying a faint note of detachment:
"Sigh… Senior Brother Yang, say no more. Senior Brother Li and I do share some past affection, after all — I haven't forgotten that."
She bent down, as though straining to help Li Yan to his feet:
"Senior Brother Li, your injuries are too severe. Come upstairs with me. I still have some healing Pills I've kept stored in my room — perhaps they'll be of use to you."
Upon hearing this, Li Yan felt as though he had heard celestial music. The light of hope rekindled in his eyes, and he nodded eagerly, struggling to rise with Zhao Yanran's support.
"Up… upstairs, good… let's go up…" he wheezed.
Zhao Yanran appeared to strain as she supported him, moving one slow step at a time toward the staircase.
Li Yan nearly exhausted every last scrap of strength remaining in his body just to follow her up. Each step pulled at every wound on his body, the pain so intense that cold sweat poured down him and his vision went dark.
At last they entered the boudoir on the second floor, where a delicate, refined fragrance greeted him.
Li Yan slumped against the doorframe, drinking in the scent greedily, pleading in broken gasps:
"The… the Pill… Junior Sister Yanran… quickly…"
Zhao Yanran released her hold on him and walked to the dressing table, where she opened an ornate little box and withdrew a pale green Pill.
The Pill gave off a faint medicinal fragrance and did indeed appear to be a healing remedy.
She carried the Pill over to Li Yan.
Li Yan's eyes blazed with fierce longing as he reached out a trembling hand to receive it.
But just as his fingers were about to touch the Pill, Zhao Yanran's hand holding it seemed to casually drift forward — and her fingertip made what appeared to be an accidental brush against his wrist!
Li Yan was already at the very edge of his strength, held together by sheer willpower alone. That seemingly feeble touch was enough to throw him completely off balance.
Thud — he crashed face-first onto the floor, the impact making stars burst before his eyes and nearly knocking him unconscious.
And the pale green Pill slipped from Zhao Yanran's hand.
Clatter — it fell to the floor right beside Li Yan's face.
Li Yan endured the searing pain and struggled to lift his head, reaching for the Pill that lay so close.
But then he saw an embroidered slipper — decorated with exquisite orchids — come down lightly and precisely upon the Pill. Then the sole pressed down with a gentle, deliberate grinding motion.
A faint crunch sounded.
The Pill was reduced to a small smear of green powder beneath the sole.
Only then did Zhao Yanran seem to notice, letting out a soft "Oh dear" as she lifted her foot. She looked at the powder on the floor, then at Li Yan's face — etched with disbelief — and wore an expression of perfectly calibrated apologetic helplessness:
"Senior Brother Li, I'm so sorry — my hand slipped for a moment. This Pill… it seems it can't be taken whole anymore. Why don't you… make do?"
Li Yan stared wide-eyed at the crushed powder on the floor, then looked up at Zhao Yanran's expression of innocent concern. A chill shot from the soles of his feet straight to the crown of his head!
He dimly understood something.
But the physical agony and his desperate craving for the Pill overwhelmed everything else.
He dared not think too deeply about it…
He dared not believe it!
In the end, the survival instinct won out.
In humiliation and desperation, he lowered his head.
Like a true stray dog, he extended his tongue and licked the green powder from the floor — dust and all.
The powder did bring a faint coolness as it settled in his stomach, temporarily suppressing some of the pain and even restoring the tiniest sliver of Vital Energy to his weakened body.
But the effect was fleeting.
A deeper, more crushing pain surged back almost immediately.
"Is… is there more? Junior Sister Yanran… give me another one… please…" Li Yan raised his head, eyes full of supplication. "Before… before I gave you so many Pills… you must still have some…"
The look of gentle helplessness on Zhao Yanran's face slowly faded. She shook her head lightly, her tone still soft, yet the words she spoke were the cruelest of all:
"Senior Brother Li, those Pills — since you already gave them to me, they became my possessions. What logic is there in asking back for something you've already given away?"
She suddenly let out a soft laugh.
The laughter rang like a silver bell, yet it sent a bone-deep chill of unfamiliarity through Li Yan.
"Senior Brother Li, so this day has come for you after all."
She leaned down slightly, lowering her voice, her tone carrying a teasing, malicious edge:
"I forgot to mention — that Pill just now was not primarily for healing. Its greatest effect is to temporarily restore just a tiny bit of Vital Energy, making you look… just a little more lively."
"You… what do you mean?"
Alarm bells rang furiously in Li Yan's mind as a profound unease enveloped him.
Zhao Yanran's smile grew sweeter still.
She suddenly leaned close to Li Yan, her red lips nearly brushing his ear — her posture exactly as intimate as it had been on countless past occasions when she had coyly coaxed him for Pills.
But the next instant—
What greeted Li Yan was not the expected soft words or a Pill, but—
"Ahhhh—!! Help!! He's assaulting me!! Help!!!"
A shriek sharp enough to pierce eardrums erupted from Zhao Yanran's lips!
The cry was filled with terror, helplessness, and violation, and in an instant it rang throughout the entire lodge!
Li Yan's eardrums buzzed from the scream at such close range. His mind went completely blank. He had no idea what was happening — the world seemed to spin around him!
Bang!
The door was kicked open with a violent crash!
Yang Tianming's figure was the first to storm in like a gale, his face thunderous with rage!
Lin Yang sauntered in behind him, still fanning himself with his folding fan, though the gaze he directed into the room carried the amused look of someone watching a spectacle.
Zhao Yanran had collapsed to the floor, her clothes in slight disarray.
Tears streamed down her face, her eyes red and glistening like a pear blossom in the rain.
She pointed at Li Yan — still sprawled on the floor in a daze — and wept in broken, heaving sobs:
"He… he… I was kind enough to give him a Pill… after he took it and recovered a little… he… he said he wanted to dual cultivate with me… said it might help restore his qi sea… I was frightened by all the blood on him… I refused… and then he… he tried to force himself on me…"
Her shoulders shook as she wept, her performance utterly convincing.
"Li Yan! You filthy dog!"
Yang Tianming erupted in instant fury, his eyes blazing. He stepped forward without giving Li Yan any chance to defend himself, seized him by the hair, and dragged him bodily down the stairs like a dead dog!
Bang! Bang! Thud!
Li Yan's body slammed and tumbled violently against the staircase.
The tiny sliver of Vital Energy he had just recovered vanished in an instant. Injury upon injury — the pain was so overwhelming he couldn't even form coherent screams.
"No… no, that's not it… Yang Tianming… listen to me… she's lying…" Li Yan was slammed onto the floor of the first level, struggling to explain.
"Worthless trash! You've been reduced to this pathetic state, and you still dare to think you can punch above your weight?! You dared to force yourself on Yanran?! I'll kill you!"
Yang Tianming was beyond hearing anything. He raised his foot and drove a savage kick into Li Yan's chest!
Pfft—!
Li Yan spat out a great mouthful of blood.
It seemed to contain fragments of his internal organs.
He felt several more ribs crack in his chest. The agony nearly sent him into unconsciousness.
With great effort he raised his eyes to look at the figures descending the staircase — Zhao Yanran, supported by Lin Yang, coming down slowly.
He saw the look on Zhao Yanran's face — the picture of a wronged, shaken, fragile woman.
He looked at Yang Tianming, raging like thunder, being used as a weapon without even knowing it.
And then at Lin Yang beside him, that perpetual sinister smile on his face as he watched the show…
Suddenly, he understood everything.
A surge of extreme hatred and bitter absurdity welled up in his heart.
In broken gasps, with the last of his strength, he screamed:
"Yang… Yang Tianming… you fool… you idiot… you've been deceived by her… and Lin Yang… you scheming bastard… if it weren't for you… your idea… making me go after Chen Yang during the trial… I wouldn't have… wouldn't have…"
He poured out every last drop of his hatred and resentment — yet selectively ignored the fact that his own brutality and arrogance were the true root of it all.
Hearing his name mentioned, Yang Tianming's movements faltered slightly, and he glanced at Lin Yang with a hint of puzzlement.
But Lin Yang merely waved his folding fan and smiled coldly:
"Junior Brother Li, it seems your injuries have addled your mind. You're raving and making wild accusations."
Just then, Zhao Yanran suddenly let out a louder sob and went limp, her body swaying backward as though she could no longer bear the shock.
Yang Tianming immediately forgot about Li Yan and turned to catch Zhao Yanran.
And in the moment he turned away — perhaps because he found Li Yan too irritating, or perhaps simply because he wanted to be rid of this nuisance once and for all — a flash of viciousness crossed his eyes. What appeared to be a casual kick, yet one charged with tremendous force, slammed into the most vulnerable spot of Li Yan's lower abdomen.
"Aaaargh—!!!"
A shriek that barely sounded human tore from Li Yan's throat!
He felt as though that part of him had been utterly crushed. A wave of indescribable, annihilating agony swept through every nerve in his body in an instant!
His vision went black. All consciousness plunged into boundless darkness and pain, and he passed out completely.
"Hmph. Worthless filth — dirtying Junior Sister's floor."
Yang Tianming looked down at Li Yan, lying on the ground like a heap of mud, with undisguised disgust. He waved a hand at the several Menial Disciples who had come running at the commotion and were waiting outside.
"Drag him away. Throw him back to Crimson Glow Peak. Don't let him die here."
The Menial Disciples responded with trembling deference and hurried forward, swiftly and efficiently hauling the unconscious, barely-breathing Li Yan out of the lodge.
A glaring trail of blood was left behind on the floor.
Only then did Yang Tianming turn around and gently take hold of Zhao Yanran, offering soft words of comfort:
"Yanran, it's over. That beast has been dealt with. Did he frighten you?"
Zhao Yanran nestled against him, shaking her head lightly, the picture of a shaken, fragile woman.
Yang Tianming thought for a moment, then retrieved a jade vial from his Storage Bag and pressed it into Zhao Yanran's hands:
"This vial contains three Spirit Origin Pills. Take them, cultivate diligently, and don't let these petty matters disturb your state of mind. I have some important family business to attend to over the next few days and must return home. Wait for me."
Zhao Yanran took the jade vial — it was heavier than expected.
At the words "Spirit Origin Pills," a barely perceptible flash of excitement crossed the depths of her eyes!
She knew these Pills well — their potency was extraordinary, far beyond that of ordinary Pills. The last time she had obtained one, it had been a lucky gift from Elder Shen Hongmei, and she had treasured it dearly.
She hadn't expected Yang Tianming to hand over three of them without a second thought!
Her face immediately bloomed with a flush of touched gratitude and shy delight as she nodded obediently:
"Thank you, Senior Brother Yang. Yanran understands."
Yang Tianming nodded with satisfaction, then pressed a light kiss to her smooth forehead. He turned to Lin Yang and said:
"Junior Brother Lin, while I'm away these next few days, I'll leave Yanran's safety in your capable hands."
Lin Yang snapped his folding fan shut and smiled slightly:
"Senior Brother Yang, rest assured. I will take good care of Junior Sister Yanran."
Satisfied, Yang Tianming offered a few more words of comfort to Zhao Yanran, then turned and streaked away as a flash of light, departing the Jade Bamboo Lodge.
Inside the lodge, only Zhao Yanran and Lin Yang remained, along with the faint, lingering scent of blood in the air.
Lin Yang walked to the zither and sat down again, idly plucking the strings and playing two more pieces.
The melody was quiet and subdued, betraying neither joy nor anger.
After a long while, he stopped playing and rose to his feet:
"It's getting late. I should be heading back as well."
But Zhao Yanran suddenly spoke, her voice carrying a barely perceptible note of probing and allure:
"Senior Brother Lin… tonight… why not stay here?"
Lin Yang paused mid-step and turned around. Those narrow, elongated eyes of his studied Zhao Yanran, and the corner of his mouth curved into an amused arc:
"Junior Sister's Passion Gu… hasn't acted up yet, has it?"
His tone was light, yet it carried a strange, penetrating quality — as though he could see straight through to the heart of things.
Zhao Yanran's heart skipped a beat for no reason she could name. She forced herself to maintain her smile, even adding a hint of coquetry:
"Does it mean… that without the Passion Gu, I cannot be close to Senior Brother Lin?"