Dawn broke, dispelling the damp night mist of the Misty Forest. The plan had been set; there was no time for hesitation. The group rapidly made their preparations.
The transformation occurred at a dizzying pace. Lam Vy, the young miss of the Duke Dingguo Estate, had shed her neat, refined attire. She changed into the simple, ash-grey robes of a lowly maidservant, her hair tied up in a rustic bun. Her beautiful face had been smeared with a layer of pale yellow medicinal powder, giving her complexion a sickly, sallow appearance. She stood behind Trinh Cong, who had now donned the guise of an elderly, withered steward—his back slightly hunched, his eyes projecting a constant look of trepidation and fear.
But the one who underwent the most drastic change was Ly Tin, the silver-armored general. He no longer bore the majestic, iron-blooded aura of a military commander. Instead, clad in an extravagant brocade robe and wielding a folding paper fan, he adopted the posture of a wealthy, debauched young master. And walking beside him was a "young lady" with delicate, ethereal features, though her gaze remained somewhat cold and distant. This was none other than Tran Kien, perfectly disguised.
"Will this do?" Tran Kien spoke, his voice meticulously adjusted to carry the clear, slightly arrogant cadence of a sheltered noble lady.
"Like! It's too alike!" Lam Vy couldn't hold back a fit of giggles, dispelling the tense atmosphere. "If I didn't know beforehand, I never would have recognized you, Big Brother Tran."
"Don't call me Big Brother," Tran Kien said with a stern face. "From now on, I am your 'Young Lady'."
Uncle Sword observed the theatrical display before him and gave a slight nod. "Excellent. Ly Tin, you will lead the 'Young Lady', the old steward, and the maidservant ahead. Remember, your mission is not to fight, but to act. Play your parts perfectly and draw all the attention of those running dogs. Take the official highway; travel slowly and with great ostentation."
"Understood!" Ly Tin cupped his fist. He looked at Tran Kien, then at the real Lam Vy standing beside Uncle Sword. "Take care, both of you!"
With that, he did not hesitate. Leading his three "servants," he emerged from the cave and headed toward the main road. This bizarre procession—a dandy young master, a sickly young miss, an old steward, and a maidservant—embarked on a deadly pleasure excursion.
After Ly Tin's group had gone far into the distance, Uncle Sword finally turned to look at the real Lam Vy.
"Let's go, Young Lady. It is time we set off as well."
They did not travel by land. Uncle Sword led Lam Vy deeper into the forest, arriving at an exceedingly remote location. Here lay a small lake, its surface as calm and still as an ancient mirror, without a single ripple.
"The underground river Tran Kien mentioned... is it beneath this?" Lam Vy asked curiously.
Uncle Sword did not reply. He merely stood by the edge of the lake and closed his eyes. A moment later, he raised a bamboo flute to his lips, playing a short, deep, and resonant melody. It was not a sword art, but something akin to a signal.
Bloop... bloop...
The previously tranquil surface of the lake suddenly churned with massive bubbles. Then, from the depths of the water, a colossal dark shadow slowly surfaced. It was a giant Demon Turtle, as large as a house. Its back was covered by an incredibly thick shell of stone, weathered and overgrown with ancient moss. The Demon Turtle surfaced and opened its large, gentle eyes to look at the two, giving a slight nod.
"This is Old Xuan, an old friend of mine," Uncle Sword explained. "He has lived in this region for hundreds of years and knows every subterranean river path beneath the earth. We will rely on him to ferry us."
They stepped onto the back of the Demon Turtle. Old Xuan made no sound as he slowly submerged, carrying the two into a dark, silent world beneath the lake, beginning a secret journey.
Two paths. Two destinies. Heading toward the exact same destination.
On the official highway, Ly Tin's group traveled with extreme ostentation. "Young Master" Ly Tin would occasionally stop by the roadside to admire the scenery and recite poetry. "Young Miss" Tran Kien sat within a hastily hired horse carriage, occasionally parting the curtains to feign weakness and profound fatigue. Their grand act was indeed yielding results.
Within a single day, news of the "Young Lady of the Duke Dingguo Estate" appearing openly on the road to the Azure Capital had been transmitted by the countless eyes and ears of Marquis Vinh An and the Black Dragon Stronghold.
In a secret chamber within a nearby city, a gaunt man in black robes sat listening to his subordinate's report. This was Huyet Luyen, the remaining Vice Cave Master of the Myriad Snake Cave—the one who had luckily been absent during the bloody battle in the Misty Forest.
"A debauched young master, an old geezer, a maidservant, and a sickly young lady?" Huyet Luyen sneered, his voice shrill and ear-piercing. "Where is the sword cultivator? Where is that little brat who killed Xa Lan and Xa Vuong?"
"R-reporting to the Vice Cave Master, there is no trace of those two."
"Hmph, they must have suffered heavy injuries from the battle and gone into hiding," Huyet Luyen said arrogantly. "Nothing but small fry left, yet they still dare to swagger their way toward the Azure Capital? They truly do not know how the word 'death' is written!"
"Pass down my orders!" he commanded. "Have our people tail them closely, but do not strike yet. I want to see what other demonic tricks the Duke Dingguo Estate is trying to pull. Wait until they enter Ghost Gate Canyon up ahead—a place where neither Heaven nor Earth will answer their cries—then we strike! I want to capture that little wench alive and see if her Lac Viet bloodline can help me cultivate my 'Great Blood Demon Art'!"
The hunting net was, once again, cast wide. But this time, the prey they were aiming for was a starving tiger masquerading as a sickly lamb.
Meanwhile, deep underground, Old Xuan's turtle shell glided through the dark subterranean river. (Translator's Note: The author switches the character locations here in the raw text, which has been preserved for accuracy.) Tran Kien... no, at this moment, the one who should be called the fake Lam Vy, was no more. He had returned to his true appearance. He and Uncle Sword sat cross-legged on the turtle's back, their eyes shut tight, not wasting a single sliver of time to cultivate.
They were racing against the heavens. Tran Kien knew that Ly Tin's theatrical play could not last long. Sooner or later, the enemy would realize they had been fooled. He had to reach the Azure Capital before the trap meant for Ly Tin snapped shut.
He had to become even stronger.
The Primordial Qi surged relentlessly within his body, continuously nourishing his Dao Foundation seed. He could feel it; he was but a thin, delicate membrane away from breaking through to the Foundation Establishment Realm.
The path ahead, whether on the surface or deep underground, brimmed with killing intent. A life-and-death game of chess was reaching its most decisive moves.