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Fan Qinghui's tone was resolute: "Right now in the Central Plains, only Senior Brother Ning might be able to contend with this person and probe his strengths and weaknesses. At the same time, we must closely monitor his every move and absolutely not allow him to leave the area of ​​Emperor's Peak! Activate all defensive formations in the retreat!"

"Yes! This disciple will take care of it immediately!"

Shi Feixuan solemnly accepted the order and turned to leave.

"and many more!"

Fan Qinghui called out to her, her gaze complex as she looked at the tightly closed side hall door: "This person... though her words are sharp and to the point,... is not entirely without reason. Her depth of mind and keen insight are rarely seen in the world. Feixuan..."

Shi Feixuan stopped and turned to look at her master.

Fan Qinghui lowered her voice slightly, carrying an indescribable meaning: "He seems to be a little more 'tolerant' of you than he is of others. You... change back into women's clothing and show him your true face. There's no need to deliberately flatter him, nor to test him as Qin Chuan anymore. Go... 'ask for advice' from him as Shi Feixuan, the successor of Jingzhai. Probe indirectly and try to find out as much as possible about his background and his purpose. Remember, your safety is paramount. If there is any danger, retreat immediately!"

Shi Feixuan's heart skipped a beat. Her master was actually ordering her to approach that dangerous and mysterious man with her true appearance... This was undoubtedly asking her to exploit the advantage of her gender identity. She had always been pure and abstinent, regarding physical appearance as nothing more than a beautiful skeleton, but at this moment she felt a subtle resistance and...shame. But she could not disobey her master's orders, and the survival of Jingzhai was at stake.

"Disciple... obeys."

Shi Feixuan lowered her eyes and responded softly.

Half an hour later.

The door to the side hall was gently knocked on.

Yi Huawei sat cross-legged on a futon in the hall, closing his eyes to regulate his breathing. He didn't deliberately probe the outside world, but the flow of energy throughout Emperor's Peak, including the secret conversation between Fan Qinghui and Shi Feixuan in the distance, were faintly reflected in his deep, unfathomable senses. A knock sounded on the door, and he slowly opened his eyes.

"Please come in."

The door opened slightly, and a figure stepped in, bringing with it a cool mountain breeze and an indescribable sense of purity.

Shi Feixuan changed out of the faded blue men's shirt. Now, she wore a soft, moon-white long dress, over which was a light gray gauze robe of the same color. The dress was perfectly tailored, neither ostentatious nor overly conservative, beautifully outlining her slender and graceful figure. Her waist was slender, yet not weak, possessing the suppleness and strength of a martial artist. Her steps were light, the hem of her dress swaying gently as she walked, like treading on clear water.

She wore no makeup, her face bare. Her long, black hair was no longer tied in a man's bun, but loosely held up with a simple jade hairpin, a few strands falling beside her neck, further emphasizing its long, jade-like shape. Her features were already exquisitely beautiful, and now, stripped of the scholar's deliberate concealment, her pure and untainted aura, like the first snow on a mountaintop, naturally emanated from her. Her eyebrows were like distant mountains, her eyes like autumn water, clear yet carrying a serene understanding of the world; her nose was straight, and her lips were a natural pale pink, slightly pursed, revealing a hint of barely perceptible tension.

Her temperament possessed both an ethereal, otherworldly quality and a quiet strength born from the weight of her responsibilities. Like the purest ice and snow atop Emperor's Peak, seemingly fragile and easily melted, yet containing a chilling power capable of freezing to the bone. At this moment, standing there, she seemed to embody the coldness and aloofness of the entire Cihang Jingzhai.

Yi Huawei's gaze swept calmly over her, as if examining an object. His eyes swept over her delicate face and slender figure without any surprise, without any emotion, without even the slightest pause, before finally settling on her empty hands.

"What's the matter?"

His voice remained hoarse and flat, unchanged from before, as if the stunning beauty before him, capable of captivating heroes across the land, was no different from a stubborn rock by the roadside.

Shi Feixuan clearly felt the indifference in that gaze. She had never been so…ignored by a man before. Even her Uncle-Master Ning Daoqi looked at her with the loving and appreciative gaze of an elder. But this man's gaze made her feel that all her careful preparations had become a joke. The subtle shyness that had arisen from changing clothes instantly froze, replaced by a deeper sense of powerlessness and the embarrassment of being seen through.

She forced herself to suppress her emotions, clasped her hands in front of her, and performed a standard Jingzhai disciple's salute. Her voice was clear and melodious, yet it carried a touch more of a woman's gentleness than before.

"Shi Feixuan greets you, sir. I have come on the orders of my master to attend to your daily needs. Please feel free to ask if you require anything."

"No need," Yi Huawei said calmly. "I just need some peace and quiet."

"Yes."

Shi Feixuan responded, but did not retreat. Instead, she stepped forward, her posture respectful yet carrying an undeniable curiosity: "Sir's previous profound remarks were truly enlightening, leaving Feixuan and my master both deeply moved. Sir's insight into the world is profound, pointing directly to the source. Feixuan has many questions, and I dare to ask Sir for some guidance."

She raised her clear eyes, her gaze earnest and inquisitive, and looked at Yi Huawei: "Sir, you have said that the very existence of my Jingzhai is one of the sources of chaos. However, in your opinion, in this chaotic world, who, and in what way, should end the strife and uphold the righteous path? If there is no transcendent power to maintain order, will the world be forever mired in strife, and will the people never have a day of peace?"

A cold wind swept in through the crack in the door, ruffling the hem of Shi Feixuan's moon-white skirt and a few strands of hair by her cheek. She stood gracefully, exquisitely beautiful, awaiting the answer, and also awaiting this enigmatic man to once again shake the foundations of her understanding.

The faint glow of burning pine resin danced in Yi Huawei's eyes, his gaze calm and unwavering, settling on Shi Feixuan's beautiful yet determined face. Outside the window, the cold wind howled, sweeping across the sheer cliffs of Dita Peak with a mournful sound.

"End the conflict? Uphold righteousness?"

Yi Huawei's lips curled up slightly: "These eight words are the greatest delusion of your Cihang Jingzhai, and one of the root causes of the enduring chaos."

Shi Feixuan's heart trembled slightly, but she maintained a respectful expression as if she were seeking guidance: "Please enlighten me, sir."

"The so-called 'transcendental power',"

Yi Huawei's gaze was sharp as a knife, piercing through Shi Feixuan's clear eyes: "It's nothing more than using greater power to forcibly suppress all other powers and establish an order. You, Jingzhai, along with your chosen 'True Son of Heaven,' are essentially the possessors of the greatest 'power' in this world. Your selection of a master on behalf of Heaven is nothing less than another form of 'establishing order by force'?"

He leaned forward slightly, the invisible pressure making the air in the hall seem to freeze: "What's the difference? What's the essential difference between you and the order established by the iron cavalry of the frontier who trampled mountains and rivers with powerful bows and crossbows? You put on the fine clothes of 'righteous path' and 'heavenly way,' and think yourself superior, believing that what you hold in your hands is not weapons, but the mandate of heaven?" Shi Feixuan's breath caught in her throat, and she subconsciously retorted: "The Jingzhai chooses its master based on his virtue and reputation, and to observe his benevolent governance, for the purpose of..."

"Virtue and reputation? Benevolent governance?"

Yi Huawei's lips curled into a slight smile as he interrupted her:

"That's the yardstick you use to measure whether your 'pawns' are suitable. What you need is a 'wise ruler' who can carry your ideals, follow your guidance, and ultimately elevate you to a divine position. If he lacks virtue and prestige, you help him gain fame; if his benevolent rule is not evident, you create momentum for him; if he deviates from the right path... will the sword in your hands, that so-called 'sword of acting on behalf of Heaven,' be reluctant to be drawn? What do you think Fan Qinghui's murderous intent was outside the hall just now?"

Shi Feixuan's face paled slightly, her lips pressed tightly together. Her master had indeed been genuinely angry just now; that killing intent was absolutely real.

"It all comes down to it."

Yi Huawei's voice returned to its calm tone: "Your Jingzhai, the Demonic Sect, the Turkic Royal Court, and any other force in this world that attempts to unify the world by force are no different in essence. What you are fighting for is the power to ultimately 'define order.' The 'Heavenly Way' you speak of is nothing more than a projection of your own will. You place your own will above all people, using the name of the Heavenly Way to carry out dictatorship—this is the greatest 'evil'!"

"Sir, your statement is too extreme!"

Shi Feixuan's voice carried a hint of stinging excitement, and for the first time, a clear ripple appeared in her usually cold eyes: "What Jingzhai seeks is peace and stability for the world and the well-being of all people! How can it be compared to the profit-driven Demonic Sect?"

"The welfare of all people?"

Yi Huawei let out a very soft but sarcastic laugh: "Do you know how many so-called 'people's' bones have been crushed under the towering waves you stir up every time you 'choose a master on behalf of Heaven,' every time you interfere in the change of dynasties, every time you use that extraordinary power to intervene in the mortal world? You are high above, only seeing the exquisite moves on the chessboard, but have you ever looked down to count the dust that has been crushed to powder beneath the chessboard?"

He looked directly into Shi Feixuan's wavering eyes: "The Li clan you support is rooted in Guanzhong, with numerous powerful clans under its command, their interests deeply intertwined. Do you think that once he gains power, he can implement your 'benevolent governance'? The selfishness of these powerful clans far outweighs the suffering of the common people. The 'enlightened ruler' you've chosen will ultimately be nothing more than another worldly monarch who needs to balance all sides and compromise. Your 'Heavenly Way' of Jingzhai is nothing more than a tool in his hands to embellish his reputation and intimidate dissidents. And you…"

Yi Huawei paused, his tone carrying a chilling cruelty: "It will eventually become a 'sacred symbol' beside his throne, something that needs to be worshipped yet also guarded against, no different from the Imperial Seal of the State and the Jade Disc of He Shi Bi."

"As for the Demonic Sect..."

A deeper indifference flashed in Yi Huawei's eyes: "Their actions may be ruthless and direct, but what they seek is nothing more than the ultimate satisfaction of worldly desires. They admit to being 'demons' and 'evil,' never concealing their greed for power. And you, Jingzhai, in the name of 'righteousness,' actually monopolize the right to interpret the Heavenly Dao, imposing your own will on the entire era, using the people as pawns, and regarding the common people as straw dogs. The calamities you cause are often cloaked in a sacred guise, and their ferocity and harm far surpass the naked plunder of the demonic sects by a hundred times! Because of you, the people of this world have been deprived of even the courage to question the 'righteous path' itself."

Yi Huawei leaned back against the cold wall and closed his eyes to rest.

"The end of the chaotic world is not due to the 'choice' of one person or one's studio, nor is it due to the 'order' imposed by external forces. The waters of the world have their own natural flow. Your Jingzhai, along with the He Shi Bi jade and the sword manual that you cherish as treasures, are nothing more than an obstructive rock on this path of flow."

The hall was dead silent.

The crackling sound of burning pine resin was particularly jarring. The cold wind still howled outside the window, but it could no longer penetrate Shi Feixuan's heart, which felt as if it had fallen into an icy abyss. The temple of her carefully constructed beliefs was groaning under the weight of this cold, cruel, yet penetrating analysis, as if it might collapse at any moment.

She stood there, her pale face accentuated by her moon-white dress. The previous composure was gone from her beautiful features, replaced by immense bewilderment and a chilling shock as if her disguise had been completely stripped away. Her master Fan Qinghui's anger, the thousand-year glory of Jingzhai, the mission she bore... all seemed to have become a fragile and ironic joke in front of this man.

A deathly silence continued to spread within the hall.

The crackling sound of burning pine resin seemed to strike Shi Feixuan's heart. The howling mountain wind outside the window sounded like the wailing of ten thousand ghosts, swirling up the fragments of her crumbling faith.

Yi Huawei's chilling and penetrating analysis, like the sharpest icicle, pierced through the sacred cloak of "acting on behalf of Heaven" and "upholding the righteous path" that she had been instilled with since childhood, exposing the naked power struggle and the cruel truth of the common people being used as pawns to the glaring cold light.

Fan Qinghui's anger, the glory of Jingzhai over a thousand years, the "destiny" mission she shouldered... all the solid things crumbled under these words, revealing a fragile and ironic core.

A profound sense of bewilderment and a chilling realization that her disguise had been completely stripped away seized her. Her eyes, usually clear as autumn water, were now unfocused, reflecting the flickering flames of the resin fire, yet they were empty. Her pale face was accentuated by her moon-white dress, and her slender fingers unconsciously gripped the fabric of her sleeves, her knuckles turning white from the force.

Shi Feixuan stood there, as if all her strength and direction had been drained away, leaving only an empty shell shattered into pieces.

"That……"

Shi Feixuan's voice was terribly dry, carrying an unprecedented vulnerability and confusion, breaking the deathly silence. She raised her head, looking at Yi Huawei, who was still sitting cross-legged with his eyes closed. Her eyes no longer held the sincerity of seeking advice, but rather the desperate inquiry of a drowning person grasping at the last piece of driftwood: "...In your opinion, sir, Feixuan... what should we... do?"

The doctrines of Jingzhai, the teachings of their master, and their own mission all became blurred at this moment. Yi Huawei tore apart the "meaning" upon which they depended for existence, but offered no new "path." This was more suffocating than mere denial. She needed an answer, even a hollow one, rather than utter nothingness.

Yi Huawei slowly opened his eyes. His deep, abyss-like eyes reflected Shi Feixuan's distraught appearance, still devoid of any pity or warmth. He looked at her as if she were a bird whose magnificent feathers had just been stripped away, revealing its true, fragile flesh beneath.

"How to do?"

Yi Huawei's voice was calm, as if stating a fact unrelated to himself: "It's very simple."

Shi Feixuan held her breath, leaned forward slightly, and focused all her attention on those indifferent lips.

(End of this chapter)