Seeing the yellow-clad woman's impulsive act, Yang Jueding instinctively moved to stop her, but a hand clamped down on his shoulder.
*Thud!*
The yellow-clad woman slammed into the wooden pillar, blood spraying everywhere. Her body went limp, and she slumped to the ground.
Yang Jueding whirled around angrily, only to find that the hand on his shoulder belonged to Li Qingqiu. His anger instantly dissipated, replaced by confusion. "This woman was also acting under duress. She brought Jiang Zhaoxia back—that proves her nature isn't evil. She doesn't deserve death!"
The others also looked at Li Qingqiu, puzzled as to why he had intervened.
Li Sifeng turned to look at the yellow-clad woman's corpse. To his own surprise, he felt relieved.
Meeting Yang Jueding's gaze, Li Qingqiu asked calmly, "Did I kill her?"
Yang Jueding was momentarily speechless, unable to find a refutation. After a moment's hesitation, he couldn't help but say, "That still doesn't mean we should stand by and do nothing while someone dies."
"And after saving her? Then what?"
Li Qingqiu pressed further. Yang Jueding hadn't considered this question. Following the line of thought, he realized that saving her would indeed bring endless trouble. He had experienced similar situations in the past, which was precisely why he was now willing to stay at Azure Firmament Sect.
Li Qingqiu turned, sweeping his gaze across all the disciples. "After saving her, she might be a spy for the Heavenly Knife Sect, continuing to harm Azure Firmament Sect. Alternatively, what she said might be true, but her hatred for the Heavenly Knife Sect would be irreconcilable. She might even push us into direct conflict with them sooner. And the fact remains—she did poison Jiang Zhaoxia. Does having no choice mean she can do whatever she wants?"
"Moreover, she wanted to die. She couldn't save her own brother. Can we not at least respect her wish to die?"
"In this martial world, grievances are unavoidable. How many martial artists are forced into conflicts because of their circumstances? Just because they were coerced, does that make the people they killed deserve to die? Yet everyone who does wrong will find unavoidable reasons for themselves!"
"I only believe in one thing: debts of blood must be paid in blood, and kindness repaid with kindness. For every wrong, there must be retribution. Azure Firmament Sect is not a righteous sect in the conventional sense. We can act chivalrously, but when facing anyone who has harmed us, we must never be soft-hearted. Our only principle is not to provoke others."
"Many years from now, I want anyone our enemies threaten into opposing us—even if they're coerced—to think twice about the cost of offending Azure Firmament Sect."
Having finished speaking, Li Qingqiu walked over to Li Dongyue, lifted Jiang Zhaoxia into his arms, and headed toward his own room.
The disciples exchanged glances. The Sect Master's words, combined with the yellow-clad woman's corpse before them, delivered a powerful shock.
Yang Jueding's face flushed, then paled. He wasn't angry—rather, Li Qingqiu's words had struck a chord within him.
What was chivalry? What was righteousness?
He considered himself chivalrous, but had he killed few people?
Perhaps saving only those suffering souls who truly wanted to live was purer chivalry—and brought far fewer troubles.
"The Sect Master is right," Cheng Canghai suddenly spoke up. "We don't have the energy or reason to verify whether this woman was telling the truth. All we need to know is that she did poison Jiang Zhaoxia. Just because he narrowly escaped death doesn't mean she was blameless. Think about it, everyone—if she had been an ugly man, would any of you have listened to all her nonsense?"
His latter remark drew eye rolls from many disciples.
A plain-looking male disciple asked resentfully, "Senior Cheng, what's wrong with being an ugly man?"
Instantly, the crowd's emotions shifted. They began pursuing Cheng Canghai, those less homely disciples feeling slighted by his words.
Elsewhere.
Back in his room, Li Qingqiu once again used the Resurrection Ghost Immortal Needle to treat Jiang Zhaoxia.
Truth be told, he could have used the needles to keep the yellow-clad woman alive for a while longer. But after thinking it over, he decided against it.
Zhang Yuchun, Li Dongyue, and Li Sifeng followed him in, standing by the bed and watching Jiang Zhaoxia anxiously.
"Senior Brother, well done! I wanted to drive her away too, but I just didn't have the strength to carry Third Senior Brother back by myself. If I hadn't been too busy gnawing on a pig's trotter and hadn't drunk any alcohol, I would have been poisoned too. Fortunately, Third Senior Brother warned me in time. And honestly, anyone else wouldn't have needed the Heavenly Knife Sect to make a move—that poison was lethal! That woman was ruthless. Who would have thought an innkeeper could be so vicious, setting traps in advance?" Li Sifeng said, clapping his hands in satisfaction.
Zhang Yuchun nodded. "If we'd saved her, there would have been endless trouble later. What if she blamed Third Junior Brother in her heart, thinking his conflict with the Heavenly Knife Sect caused her brother's death? The consequences would have been limitless."
He had always felt something was missing in Azure Firmament Sect. Today, he finally understood.
It was the ethos and guiding principles.
What kind of sect was Azure Firmament Sect? What were the constraints for disciples practicing martial arts? These things hadn't yet been established.
Li Qingqiu looked down at Jiang Zhaoxia on the bed and said softly, "Actually, I was more afraid of her developing feelings for Third Junior Brother. She was alone and helpless, and the Heavenly Knife Sect was a common enemy for both of them. If she had followed him through life and death, it would have been hard for Third Junior Brother to refuse such beauty. I didn't want him to be stabbed in the back by someone he loved in the future."
Li Dongyue and Zhang Yuchun both looked at him in surprise. They were now at that age where such matters were just beginning to dawn on them.
Li Sifeng scratched his head, bewildered. "Senior Brother, she only exchanged one sentence with him—and that was before he passed out. How could he possibly fall in love with her?"
Li Qingqiu glanced at him. "You're young. You don't understand matters of the heart."
"Then Senior Brother understands well?"
"Of course!"
"Who has Senior Brother loved?"
"I've had a few relationships in my dreams. They were unforgettable, heartbreaking. When I woke up, I swore I'd never love again."
Li Qingqiu casually made this up, and Li Sifeng actually believed him. He immediately leaned in, pressing for details on how to have such dreams.
Zhang Yuchun and Li Dongyue exchanged glances, both helplessly smiling. The Senior Brother always did this—in the middle of a serious discussion, he'd crack jokes or say something nonsensical.
After a while.
Li Qingqiu withdrew the needles. Zhang Yuchun seized the moment to ask, "Senior Brother, what should we do about the Heavenly Knife Sect?"
Upon hearing this, Li Qingqiu's eyes turned cold. "What should we do? They wanted to kill. Naturally, we must spill blood in return."
"Exactly! Blood must be spilled. If we don't avenge this, all our martial training is for nothing!" Li Sifeng exclaimed, gnashing his teeth at the mere thought of the Heavenly Knife Sect.
Zhang Yuchun voiced his concern. "The Heavenly Knife Sect has an extensive network and stops at nothing, as we can see from how they schemed against Third Junior Brother. It's easy to dodge a spear thrust in the open, but hard to defend against an arrow shot in the dark."
Just as Li Qingqiu was about to respond, a hand suddenly grasped his arm. He turned his head to see Jiang Zhaoxia's eyes open.
Pale-faced, Jiang Zhaoxia stared intently at Li Qingqiu and said weakly, "Senior Brother... put this matter aside for now. I want revenge myself... I must take revenge myself..."
Zhang Yuchun, Li Dongyue, and Li Sifeng looked at Jiang Zhaoxia with joy, especially Li Sifeng, who nearly burst into tears. This journey through the martial world, simply described, held hardships only they truly understood. During the time Jiang Zhaoxia was unconscious, he had been terrified, unable to sleep well each night.
Li Qingqiu met Jiang Zhaoxia's gaze. He sighed softly and gently patted the back of Jiang Zhaoxia's hand. "Third Junior Brother, whatever you wish."
Only then did Jiang Zhaoxia release his grip and close his eyes again.
Li Qingqiu stood up. "Let's go. Let him rest well."
Zhang Yuchun and the others nodded and followed him out of the room.
Li Qingqiu headed toward the back mountain to continue cultivating. Li Dongyue caught up and asked quietly, "Senior Brother, don't be anxious. Third Junior Brother is still alive and well."
Hearing this, Li Qingqiu turned to look at her and smiled. "I'm not anxious. Don't overthink it."
Li Dongyue hesitated, then gathered her courage. "Senior Brother, your killing intent has grown so strong. Is it because the pressure has been too great since Master left?"
Li Qingqiu stopped walking. "Are you afraid of me like this?"
"How could I possibly be afraid of Senior Brother? I'm just worried about you. You really don't need to bear so much pressure. We can face any difficulty together—even if it means dying together. You don't have to carry all the burden on your shoulders alone."
Li Dongyue spoke earnestly, her gaze firm and fearless.
Li Qingqiu couldn't help but laugh. He reached out and tousled her hair. "What's all this talk about dying? I have no intention of dying. Alright, go attend to your tasks. Don't disturb my cultivation."
He continued walking forward. Li Dongyue stood there, watching until he disappeared into the forest.
...
In an antique-styled main hall, Heavenly Knife Sect Master Lu Fuhu sat shirtless on a chair. A charming woman in a purple dress was beside him, changing his bandages.
Lu Fuhu had a robust build, with disheveled hair and a tangled beard. His leopard-like eyes gleamed with ferocity. The crisscrossing scars on his chest made him appear even more fearsome.
"That Jiang Zhaoxia brat's sword energy is truly vicious. It's been over a month, and the wound still won't heal."
Lu Fuhu said in a deep voice. Just mentioning Jiang Zhaoxia made him gnash his teeth.
The woman in purple asked curiously, "Is Jiang Zhaoxia of Azure Firmament Sect really only sixteen years old?"
News of the Guzhou Martial Arts Tournament had spread. Jiang Zhaoxia had made a name for himself in a single battle, shaking the entire martial world. Previously, Lu Fuhu refused to tell her how he was injured. It was only when she heard rumors that she finally understood.
Lu Fuhu snorted. "That's right. Prodigies emerge from Azure Firmament Sect one after another. In the past, the Azure Firmament True Lord swept through three prefectures undefeated. His disciple Lin Xunfeng roamed the martial world in his youth, even younger than Jiang Zhaoxia by a year or two. I just never expected each generation of Azure Firmament to be more monstrous than the last. Jiang Zhaoxia surpasses even Lin Xunfeng."
The woman in purple worried, "Husband, if Azure Firmament Sect is so formidable, how dare you send people to scheme against them? Aren't you afraid of inviting disaster?"
"Rest assured. Lin Xunfeng has already retired from the martial world. Azure Firmament Sect is now just a bunch of kids. The strongest among them is Jiang Zhaoxia. That kid's martial arts are extraordinarily high, but his experience in the world is shallow. With Xi Niang accompanying them all the way, those kids will surely believe her. She alone might be enough to bring down Azure Firmament Sect."
Lu Fuhu said contemptuously. Delighted by his own cleverness, he smiled—only for the movement to aggravate his wound, making him wince in pain.
The woman in purple said helplessly, "You are the dignified Sect Master of the Heavenly Knife Sect. Aren't you afraid of this getting out?"
A flicker of disgust passed through her eyes, but it vanished in an instant.
"Hmph. Only when he's dead will the rumors of my defeat by him blow away with the wind. The Heavenly Knife Sect is one of Guzhou's seven great sects. No one can look down on us. If I led a force to attack Azure Firmament Sect openly, the martial world would surely mock my Heavenly Knife Sect. I had no choice but to do it this way!" Lu Fuhu declared in a low tone, leaving no room for doubt.
"Besides, I also want to know what makes Jiang Zhaoxia so powerful. Did the Azure Firmament True Lord leave behind some peerless divine technique?"
Just as the woman in purple was about to speak, a man rushed swiftly into the hall. He quickly approached them and knelt on one knee.
"Reporting, Sect Master! Two people have arrived outside the manor. One of them claims to be the Martial Arts Champion, Li Yang. He wishes to challenge our sect to a martial arts exchange!"