Wandering Swordsman |

A night of drizzling rain fell outside Nanjing city, where an abandoned ancient temple loomed in the lightning. Amidst the crumbling walls, withered vines entwined, and an overturned incense burner, only a somber green lantern within the temple swayed in the wind, casting three dark shadows.

One of them, clad in black Japanese armor, with a demon mask on his face and a short sword at his waist, was none other than Shadow Raven, a secret envoy of the "Divine Wind Camp." He stood before the broken statue, his voice like the grinding of sand: "Patriarch Huangfu, if the Huangfu family is willing to be an inside agent for my 'Divine Wind Camp,' on the day we break down the Martial Alliance, the entire Murong family's estate will belong to you."

He slowly unfurled a scroll of secret maps from the East, on which were clearly marked the mansions of the major families in the Central Plains. The Murong family was circled in red, with the note "The richest family in the Central Plains."

Huangfu Haotian sat upright on the broken stele, his black robe trailing to the ground, his face as solemn as iron. His fingertips lightly tapped the hilt of the sword on his lap, his gaze deep, as if weighing life and death.

"My Huangfu family has served the court for generations. How could we collude with foreign enemies?" he whispered, but his voice carried a hint of barely perceptible wavering.

"Father!" Huangfu Hui stepped forward abruptly, his eyes burning with fervor. "The situation has changed! Can't you see it? The Martial Alliance is nothing more than a shell cobbled together by nine sects and eight great families! It has never been a united front."

He lowered his voice, each word like a knife: "Moreover, the martial arts of overseas warriors are formidable. The other day, the three hundred garrison soldiers of Huating County were all turned into walking corpses overnight, their very bones drained of their life essence! How could the Central Plains martial arts world possibly withstand such strength?"

Huangfu Haotian closed his eyes, and the memory of the attack on the Red Lotus Demon not long ago, in which they attempted to kill her to silence her, surfaced in his mind.

"I... have some grudge against the Crimson Lotus Demon." He finally spoke, his voice low, "If she holds a grudge..."

Yingya sneered and confidently declared, "Patriarch Huangfu, there's no need to worry. Our leader is of a much higher status than Wei Honglian. As long as you're willing to cooperate with the 'Divine Wind Camp,' we guarantee Wei Honglian won't dare to do anything to you."

After much deliberation, he spoke slowly and in a voice as firm as iron: "Very well. My Huangfu family is willing to serve as an inside agent for the Divine Wind Camp. But this must be kept secret, and the name of the family head must not be implicated."

"It's a deal." Shadow Raven put away the map, and his figure vanished like smoke into the rain.

......

On the same night, in Luoyang, the Murong family...

The patriarch, Murong Liang, stood in the main hall, his silver hair as white as snow and his eyes as sharp as an eagle's. A black-clad envoy stood below him; he was another "shadow envoy" sent by Toyotomi.

"Patriarch Murong, if you are willing to submit to the Divine Wind Camp, then the entire Jiangnan region will be under the control of the Murong family..."

Before he could finish speaking, Murong Liang had already flicked his sleeve!

"Clang!"

A flash of cold light, and one of the bronze candlesticks snapped in two, the break as smooth as a mirror.

Murong Liang's voice boomed like thunder, "Seize this man and behead him as a warning to others!"

"Patriarch Murong!" The envoy knelt in terror. "Cooperating with us would be entirely beneficial; you might as well reconsider..."

"Consider?" Murong Liang sneered, his gaze sharp as a knife. "My Murong family rose to prominence as merchants, but we have never forgotten the code of chivalry! With foreign enemies invading and our country on the verge of collapse, how dare you presume to think that I would betray my ancestors and collude with you evil cultivators from overseas?"

He stepped forward slowly, looking down at the envoy: "Even if the Martial Alliance is defeated, I, Murong Liang, would rather burn down the building and commit suicide than betray the Central Plains!"

......

The following morning, a swift horse galloped out of the Murong residence, heading straight for the Martial Alliance. On its back was a bloodied head, along with a letter—

"The envoy from the overseas heretical cultivators has come to persuade us to surrender. The Murong family has already executed the envoy to demonstrate their resolve regarding the matter of collusion with foreign enemies. We hereby report this to the Alliance Leader, hoping that you will take precautions as soon as possible."

......

Several days later, in Fengcheng on the East China Sea.

Toyotomi Nobuya stood on the castle tower at night, holding a folding fan, the blood-red moon on its surface appearing as if weeping. He unrolled a scroll of secret reports, and a slow smile appeared on his lips.

"The Huangfu family has agreed to act as an inside agent... The Murong family has beheaded their envoy and refused to surrender... All other factions have refused to cooperate."

He chuckled softly, his voice like a viper's hiss: "Very well. The Martial Alliance is indeed nothing but a disorganized mess. It may appear to be an impregnable fortress, but it is actually riddled with cracks. The Huangfu family only needs to give it a gentle push from within, and it will collapse."

He looked up towards the distant city of Nanjing, his eyes gleaming with golden light: "Guiguzi, no matter how strong you are, what use is it? The martial arts world you protect has long since rotted from within."

......

As the night rain subsided, dark clouds hung low over Nanjing, like a giant, ink-soaked curtain pressing down on the eaves of the Martial Arts Alliance.

The wind blew through the corridor and past the pillars, making the copper bells jingle and ring, each sound like an alarm.

The Wulin Alliance council hall was brightly lit.

Around the huge round table, elders from the nine factions, eight great families, and four academies gathered together.

The flickering candlelight illuminated faces that were either aged or stern.

The air was as heavy as if it had been cast in molten iron, making even breathing feel difficult.

Situ Dengfeng stood in the main seat, his face ashen. In his hand he held a letter—a secret letter sent by Murong Liang on horseback.

The curator sat upright to the side, dressed in a simple blue robe, his face as calm as an ancient well, only his fingertips trembled slightly as he lightly touched the edge of the teacup.

"Gentlemen," Situ Dengfeng began, his voice low yet thunderous, "this morning, news came from the Murong family that evil cultivators from overseas have sent envoys, offering great rewards, in an attempt to turn the Murong family against them and plot against the martial arts alliance."

He slammed the letter down on the center of the round table, instantly creating a tense atmosphere.

"However, that envoy has already been beheaded by the Murong family."

The hall fell into a deathly silence.

The Emei nun in plain clothes frowned, while Tang Lie of the Tang Clan sneered, "Hmph, how dare these foreign enemies be so arrogant! They truly don't know their own mortality!"

Situ Dengfeng's gaze swept slowly over the crowd, sharp as lightning: "I have gathered you all here today for no other reason than to ask one question: Has anyone from any of the major sects or families present here had contact with the envoys of the evil cultivators from overseas?"

His voice was steady, yet carried an undeniable air of authority.

Everyone looked at each other.

Zhang Zixuan of Wudang spoke first: "Although this old Taoist is dull-witted, loyalty and righteousness are etched in my bones. If any evil envoy comes to our door, I believe my senior brother, the sect leader, will surely do the same as the head of the Murong family and slay him with a single sword strike!"

The Shaolin elder clasped his hands together and said, "Amitabha! External demons have invaded; how can Buddhist disciples aid and abet evil?"

The nun in plain clothes from Emei said coldly, "Our Emei sect would rather die than live in dishonor."

One by one, the elders stood up to express their stance, all of them resolutely refusing the offer, their voices firm and their expressions stern.

It's the turn of the eight great families.

The elder of the Dongfang clan stroked his beard and said, "Our Dongfang clan will not associate with demons!"

The elder of the Zhuge family declared righteously, "Since the overseas martial artists landed in the East China Sea, many of our Zhuge family's elites have perished. The Zhuge family is naturally sworn to be irreconcilable enemies with these overseas evil cultivators!"

......

Finally, it was the Huangfu family's turn.

The elder of the Huangfu family sat in the corner, his fingertips trembling slightly, his knuckles turning white from the force. He lowered his head, his gaze fixed on the teacup on the table, the tea surface rippling slightly, reflecting his distorted image.

When Situ Dengfeng's gaze swept over him, his throat tightened, and he hurriedly looked up, forcing himself to remain calm: "Reporting to the Alliance Leader... my Huangfu family has served the imperial court for generations; how could we possibly collude with foreign enemies!"

He spoke with absolute certainty, yet a bead of cold sweat trickled down his forehead, slid down his temple, and dripped silently into the teacup.

Situ Dengfeng stared at him for a moment, his brows furrowing slightly, but he did not ask any more questions.

Just then, the Qingcheng Sect elder slowly rose to his feet, his voice low and deep: "Alliance Leader, the evil cultivators overseas are currently very powerful. The Divine Wind Camp has occupied Fengcheng, and the Hundred Ghosts Parade is controlling Huating. It has the momentum of the Demonic Sect's invasion back then..."

He paused, looked around at everyone, and said, word by word, "In such a critical moment, shouldn't we... ask Guiguzi for help?"