The world of film and television starts from the flow of money

After saying "Please follow me," Shang Xiuxun seemed to have exhausted all her strength. She didn't even glance at Tao Shusheng and the others, nor did she pay attention to the guards who were still in shock and at a loss. She simply silently took the reins of her white horse, mounted it, and her movements were still elegant, but they were filled with a heavy sense of desolation.

Liu Zongdao followed closely behind, his single eye filled with vigilance, like the most loyal guard. Tao Shusheng opened his mouth, as if he wanted to say something, but looking at Yi Huawei's unfathomable figure, he ultimately dared not utter a sound and dejectedly lowered his head.

Shan Wanjing patted the neck of the chestnut horse reassuringly, signaling it to follow. She could sense the intense resistance and sorrow emanating from the owner, Shang Xiuxun. Although she had some doubts, she didn't ask any further questions.

The group walked silently across the vast grasslands, past several mirror-like lakes, and finally arrived at the clear stream in the northwest corner of the castle. The water murmured, shimmering like scattered gold in the sunlight.

Instead of heading towards the main gate of the castle, Shang Xiuxun walked along a narrow path along the river, hidden by grass and trees and almost invisible, towards the steep, sheer cliff behind the castle.

The path wound its way uphill, becoming increasingly steep and rugged. The surrounding woods grew ever more lush and secluded, with gnarled vines blocking out the sun. The air was filled with the damp scent of earth and the fresh fragrance of grass and trees, and the only sounds were footsteps, horses' hooves, and flowing water.

After walking for about half an incense stick's time, the view ahead suddenly opened up.

In the middle of the cliff, a secluded courtyard has been cleverly carved out and utilized using natural rocks to build a secluded courtyard that clings to the mountainside!
Several simple and elegant wooden and stone houses, blending seamlessly into the mountainside, are nestled among green trees and red flowers. In front of the courtyard is a small, flat plot of land with several medicinal herb gardens, planted with many exotic flowers and herbs, emitting a faint medicinal fragrance. Next to it is a delicate bamboo pavilion, with a stone table and benches beneath it, offering a panoramic view of the winding river below and the distant pastures. A clear spring flows from a crevice in the higher cliff, forming a small waterfall that cascades into a small stone-built pool below. The pool's water is crystal clear, and several colorful fish swim among the rocks.

This place is backed by a sheer cliff and faces a deep abyss, accessible only by a treacherous path. It is truly an ideal place to live in seclusion and avoid the world. No wonder Lu Miaozi was able to hide here for thirty years without being known to anyone.

Shang Xiuxun reined in her horse outside the courtyard gate. Gazing at the familiar wooden houses, her eyes were filled with complex emotions—resentment, estrangement, and perhaps even a deeply buried attachment she herself was unwilling to acknowledge. She took a deep breath, her voice regaining its usual coolness, yet carrying a barely perceptible fluctuation:

"He... is inside."

After saying that, she stepped aside, as if she didn't want to step into the courtyard again.

Yi Huawei nodded slightly, said nothing more, and led Shan Wanjing into the courtyard.

The courtyard was exceptionally clean, the stone steps spotless. Besides the scents of herbs and plants, a faint aroma of ink and… wine wafted through the air.
Yi Huawei's gaze fell directly on the main house facing the courtyard gate. The door was ajar.

"Distinguished guests, our abode is humble and simple, please come in."

A clear voice, tinged with a sense of vicissitude and seemingly imbued with boundless wisdom, drifted leisurely from inside the house.

Yi Huawei pushed open the door and entered, followed closely by Shan Wanjing.

The interior furnishings were simple yet elegant. Three walls were almost entirely filled with enormous, floor-to-ceiling bookshelves, densely packed with scrolls, bamboo slips, and silk books of various materials—a vast collection exuding an ancient and erudite atmosphere. Near the window was a large desk, piled high with various drawings, tools, and some oddly shaped, unfinished objects. On the other side were models of instruments used for astronomical observation.

Behind the desk, a person slowly put down the carving knife and an unfinished, exquisite wooden piece in his hand, and stood up.

This man was tall and slender, dressed in a faded, bluish-gray scholar's robe, with an ancient-style goose-shaped crown on his head, his wide ribbons flowing. His face was strikingly handsome, with a broad, full forehead, a high, straight nose, and three meticulously groomed strands of beard. Though well past seventy, his hair and beard were all white, but his complexion was ruddy, and his eyes were bright and deep, as if containing the stars and the sea. Standing there, his posture was as upright as an ancient pine tree atop a cliff, his demeanor transcendent, possessing both the refined depth of a scholar and the profound erudition of a master craftsman.

It was none other than Lu Miaozi, the world's greatest craftsman who had lived in seclusion here for thirty years!

His gaze first fell on Yi Huawei, but when he saw the seemingly all-seeing eyes beneath Yi Huawei's ordinary face, a trace of seriousness finally flickered in the depths of his usually calm eyes. This man's "aura" was unlike anything he had ever seen in his life!

Immediately, his gaze naturally turned to Shan Wanjing behind Yi Huawei.

At this moment!

Lu Miaozi's tall, pine-like body jolted violently! As if struck by an invisible thunderbolt! His deep, worldly eyes, weathered by time and experience, suddenly flashed with disbelief and near-horrification! They stared intently at Shan Wanjing's honey-colored, somewhat spirited face!

"Yu...Yuyan?!"

A trembling cry, filled with unforgettable longing and immense pain, escaped his throat almost uncontrollably! His face turned deathly pale instantly, his eyes filled with extreme dazedness, ecstasy, and the ensuing overwhelming loss and profound anguish! It was as if he had traveled through thirty years of time and seen the figure he loved to the core, yet hated to the core, who had ultimately cast him into this inescapable hell!
The girl before him, with her striking features and a blend of aloofness and heroic spirit, bore a striking resemblance—seven or eight parts—to the peerless, demonic empress of his memory! Especially her eyes; though different in color, the spirit within them was unmistakable…

Shan Wanjing was startled by Lu Miaozi's sudden and violent reaction, and subconsciously took half a step back, her delicate brows furrowing slightly. She naturally knew that she looked similar to her grandmother, Zhu Yuyan, but the other woman's outburst still made her somewhat uncomfortable.

"Senior, you've mistaken me for someone else."

Yi Huawei’s calm voice rang out, instantly soothing the turbulent emotions in the room like a clear spring: “Her name is Shan Wanjing, the daughter of Shan Meixian of the Dongming Sect, and also the granddaughter of Zhu Yuyan.”

"Grand...granddaughter?"

Lu Miaozi seemed to awaken from a dream, the ecstasy and pain in her eyes instantly replaced by immense loss and complex bitterness. She took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing her turbulent emotions, her eyes regaining clarity, but the deep sorrow could not be completely concealed. She shook her head with a wry smile, cupping her hands to Shan Wanjing, saying, "This old man has lost his composure, disturbing you, young lady. I hope you will forgive me. Young lady… indeed, you bear a striking resemblance to my old friend."

Shan Wanjing nodded slightly without saying a word, but a complex look appeared in her eyes as she looked at Lu Miaozi. She already knew from her master about the grudges and entanglements between the person in front of her and her grandmother.

Lu Miaozi turned his gaze back to Yi Huawei, his expression becoming extremely solemn, with a hint of inquiry: "Your ability to find this place, and your knowledge of my past, suggests you are no ordinary person. Judging from your demeanor, you are as profound as the sea, far beyond the mortal realm. May I ask your honorable title? And what brings you to this old man nearing the end of his life?"

“I am ‘Nameless’,” Yi Huawei said calmly.

"'nameless'?!"

Lu Miaozi's eyes flashed with a sharp light! The one who suppressed Buddhism in Luoyang, the one who shattered the Heavenly Blade in Lingnan, the leader of the Heavenly Dao Alliance! The weight this name carried was legendary, even in his seclusion! No wonder he possessed such an aura!

"Mr. Lu is too modest."

Yi Huawei's gaze swept over the vast collection of books and exquisite models of tools in the room: "Sir, you are a scholar of profound learning, proficient in martial arts, medicine, gardening, architecture, military strategy, disguise, astronomy, calendrical calculation, and mechanisms... You are a rare genius of our time. Wouldn't it be a pity to bury your talents in the mountains?"

Lu Miaozi remained calm and said, "I have long seen through the illusions of the world. I only wish to spend the rest of my life here, studying some minor skills, and not concern myself with worldly affairs. The storms of the martial world are no longer my concern."

"pity?"

Yi Huawei shook his head slightly, his gaze fixed on Lu Miaozi, as if he could pierce through his disguise and reach the deepest part of his heart: "Sir, have you truly seen through the world? Or... are you still trapped in the cage created by the word 'love,' unable to extricate yourself? Thirty years have passed, and in this time, you have only built the most magnificent prison for yourself." Lu Miaozi's body trembled again! Yi Huawei's words were like the sharpest dagger, precisely piercing the deepest, most unseen scar in his heart! A crack finally appeared on his calm face, and a hint of humiliation and pain flashed in his eyes.

"What exactly do you want, sir?"

Lu Miaozi's voice lowered, carrying a hint of barely perceptible anger and resistance.

Yi Huawei stood with his hands behind his back, his voice calm, yet carrying an undeniable determination:

"I value talent. I'll give you a chance."

His gaze was piercing, sweeping over the area that Lu Miaozi was most proud of throughout his life:

"Martial arts, medicine, gardening, architecture, military strategy, disguise, astronomy, calendrical calculation, mechanisms... Choose one of these nine, or even multiple of them. As long as you can defeat me in one area, I will turn around and leave without any entanglement, and ensure the peace of Pegasus Ranch for a hundred years."

A startling gleam instantly flashed in Lu Miaozi's eyes! It was the pride and confidence of a top-tier master! His thirty years of seclusion were not wasted; rather, he had reached the pinnacle of mastery in these fields! He refused to believe that anyone in the world could surpass him in such a vast range of areas! Even if the other party was the unfathomable "Nameless"!
"What if I... fail to win at all?"

Lu Miaozi asked in a deep voice, his eyes sharp as knives.

Yi Huawei's gaze fell upon him, carrying an air of detached control:

"If you fail in all nine aspects, hand over the incomplete 'Heavenly Demon Strategy' scroll in your possession, and follow me out of the mountains to join the Heavenly Dao Alliance. Use all your knowledge to help me create the 'Heavenly Dao' world!"

Lu Miaozi's pupils suddenly contracted!
The Heavenly Demon Strategy!
He even knew that?!

That was one of his deepest secrets! It was also a testament to his ill-fated relationship with Zhu Yuyan!
A tremendous pressure, accompanied by a chilling sense of being completely seen through, surged into his heart. But at the same time, the pride and indomitable spirit of the world's greatest craftsman, dormant for thirty years, were also fully ignited!

"it is good!"

Lu Miaozi suddenly flicked his sleeve, his eyes burning with fierce fighting spirit, and his aura suddenly soared, as if a peerless divine weapon that had been sealed for many years had suddenly been unsheathed, revealing its sharpness!
"I am Lu Miaozi, and today I will experience your extraordinary abilities! Let's see how you break through all my life's learning!"

The quiet courtyard suddenly became both stagnant and intense. Sunlight streamed through the window lattices, illuminating the mountain of books and ingenious mechanical models, yet it could not dispel the invisible tension.

Lu Miaozi's eyes burned with the pride and fighting spirit of the world's greatest craftsman, rekindled after thirty years of silence. He took a deep breath, and his ancient face was no longer tinged with dejection, but instead with a solemnity and confidence befitting a master.

"In that case, I will presume to take the liberty."

Lu Miaozi's eyes blazed as he launched the first attack: "Let's start with... martial arts!"

Before he finished speaking, without any visible movement, the unfinished wooden handle of the carving knife in his hand had vanished, replaced by a three-foot-long, jet-black, seemingly simple ebony cane! As soon as the cane appeared, a strange force field spread out, and countless tiny runes seemed to flash across its surface.

"This is the 'Heavenly Secret Staff,' please take a look!"

Lu Miaozi let out a low shout, his figure moving with ghostly speed. The ebony staff didn't go straight, but instead traced mysterious and unpredictable trajectories, seemingly slow, yet instantly enveloping Yi Huawei's vital points! Even more bizarrely, as the staff passed, the air emitted a subtle "hissing" sound, and tiny, cold, silvery flashes silently shot out from the staff's mechanism, their angles cunning and ruthless, sealing off all escape routes! This was not a simple martial art, but a deadly technique incorporating hidden weapons and mechanisms!

Shan Wanjing's heart tightened as she watched. Lu Miaozi's martial arts were unfathomable and extremely unpredictable!

However, Yi Huawei simply watched the sky filled with the shadows of clubs and the streaks of silver light. Just as the attacks were about to strike, he casually raised his right hand, his index and middle fingers joined like a sword, and lightly tapped a spot in the air!
This seemingly simple and unassuming action, though not particularly fast, struck the very core and most vulnerable point of the entire stance and trajectory of the hidden weapon in an instant! It was as if the string of fate had been plucked.

Om-!
A strange, soft chirping sound!

The countless sharp, piercing shadows of the staff and the streaks of cold, silver light seemed to be frozen in place, instantly coming to a standstill! Then, all the attack trajectories twisted and deflected in an unbelievable way, colliding and canceling each other out! Lu Miaozhi felt an irresistible, gentle force pass through the "Heavenly Secret Staff," not a domineering impact, but a precise disruption of his inner energy flow and the operation of the staff's mechanisms! His body trembled violently, and he staggered back several steps. The "Heavenly Secret Staff" in his hand emitted a faint "click," as if its intricate internal mechanisms had momentarily malfunctioned!

One move! Just one move! The ultimate skill of the world's greatest craftsman, which combined his life's martial arts and mechanical wisdom, was easily broken!

Lu Miaozi's expression changed slightly, his eyes filled with undisguised shock, but even more so with the excitement of meeting a worthy opponent!

"Excellent! What a profound meaning of 'breaking'! I am convinced! Let's try again!" Undeterred, he put down the "Heavenly Secret Staff" and walked to the medicine cabinet on the side: "Please take a look at this item!"

He took out a small jade box and opened the lid. Inside the box was not medicine, but a small amount of strangely colored purple powder that emitted a faint sweet and fishy smell.

"This is the 'Nine Netherworld Heart-Eating Powder' that I made in my spare time."

Lu Miaozi's eyes sharpened: "Those poisoned by this will initially experience alternating chills and fever, followed by reversed blood flow, and excruciating heart pain. If no antidote is available within twelve hours, the heart will rupture and the person will die a gruesome death, turning completely purplish-black! This poison combines the toxins of seven highly poisonous herbs and three exotic insects, and also incorporates a trace of mental energy that disturbs the mind. The antidote is complex, requiring seven acupuncture treatments based on the time of poisoning and individual constitution, supplemented by thirteen rare medicinal herbs. The order, heat, and timing are crucial; even the slightest mistake will render the entire treatment ineffective, and the poisoned person will die instantly! Do you possess the ability to cure this poison?"

He pushed the jade box toward Yi Huawei, his tone carrying a strong sense of testing. This was no longer just a simple poison, but a masterpiece that combined medical principles, pharmacology, and supernatural mental techniques!

Yi Huawei didn't even glance at the poison powder, his gaze calmly falling on Lu Miaozi's face: "There is a way to cure this poison. However, the greatest truths are the simplest."

He suddenly raised his hand and grabbed an empty teacup on the desk beside him! The water in the cup flew up on its own, condensing into a crystal-clear droplet that floated above his palm!
Immediately afterward, to the astonishment of Lu Miaozi and Shan Wanjing, countless tiny streams of light seemed to be rapidly flowing and recombining within the water droplet in Yi Huawei's palm! An indescribable aura, brimming with vitality and purifying power, spread out!
"The source of all poisons lies in Yin and Yang and the Five Elements, their cycles of generation and restraint." Yi Huawei's voice was like an explanation of the Way of Heaven: "To understand the root cause, why bother with complicated methods?"

He flicked his finger!
The water droplet, imbued with the true energy of longevity and given a strange power, flew precisely towards the jade box in Lu Miaozi's hand as if it had a life of its own, and with a soft "snap," it merged into the purple poison powder!
In an instant, a strange change occurred!

The eerie purple poison powder, the moment it dissolved into the water droplets, seemed to have met its nemesis, emitting a soft "sizzling" sound, its color rapidly fading from purple to gray, and finally turning into a tiny, inconspicuous ash! The sweet, fishy smell also vanished instantly!

Lu Miaozi was struck dumb! He stared intently at the ashes in the box, then suddenly looked up at Yi Huawei, his eyes filled with utter shock and...bewilderment! This was no longer medical skill! This was a miraculous power that could turn lead into gold and transform decay into something magical! The extraordinary poison he was so proud of, the culmination of countless efforts, had been instantly neutralized by the other party with such an inconceivable, almost creative, method!
"This...this is impossible..."

Lu Miaozi murmured, feeling a deep sense of powerlessness for the first time.

(End of this chapter)