Bai Xue said unhappily, “Indeed, the young master’s measure of value differs greatly from that of ordinary people.” The young master was silent for a moment, his gaze inadvertently sweeping over Chu Xia before he told Bai Xue, “You go out first. When Qinglong arrives, come see me together.” After Bai Xue left, Chu Xia said with regret, “So that ointment is so precious? Why didn’t you tell me, young master?” Now that he thought about it, he hadn’t even used the ointment on his own wounds… It must be extremely rare. The young master’s thin lips moved slightly as if he wanted to say something, but in the end, he just smiled, “It’s just a box of ointment.” Before he finished speaking, someone swiftly flipped in through the window, interrupting, “What ointment?” When he stood firm, the young man was tall, with sword-like eyebrows and starry eyes—it was Qinglong, whom they hadn’t seen for a long time. He first paid his respects to the young master, then eagerly ran to Chu Xia, looking her up and down, somewhat incoherently saying, “Chu Xia, are you okay?” Chu Xia glanced away awkwardly, softly saying, “I’m fine.” Qinglong still seemed skeptical, examining her several times before letting out a sigh of relief, “Luckily the young master found you.” He then turned to the young master, “Young master, how did you find her in such a vast river like Qingchuan?” The young master smiled slightly, “With the bracelet you brought back.” Qinglong scratched his head, somewhat puzzled, “What does the bracelet mean? I couldn’t figure it out.” Seeing him so confused, Chu Xia felt a bit guilty and said, “Qinglong, you didn’t know about this, and no one else could guess it.” She paused, then continued, “When we were at Shuyuan, one day the young master and I played a guessing game.” “Guessing game?” “A guessing game is like a riddle.” Chu Xia explained, “We were in the study, and the young master hid the word ‘silver.’ I saw the silver bracelet I was wearing, and noticing the bright moonlight that night, I guessed the young master was referring to Mr. Dongpo’s line ‘The Milky Way silently turns the jade plate,’ so I guessed ‘Shuo’.” Qinglong, not skilled in poetry, was somewhat dazed. Chu Xia patiently explained, “There’s a poem that says ‘The north wind blows the watchman’s drum, the cold light reflects on the iron armor.’ This line, like ‘The Milky Way silently turns the jade plate,’ doesn’t mention the moon but describes a moonlit night. The young master hid ‘moon,’ and I guessed correctly, that’s all.” “Later, when I was kidnapped by Tian Gang, in a desperate situation, I thought the young master would remember the game we played, so I straightened the bracelet to indicate the first day of the fourth lunar month.” Qinglong was annoyed, “So much detail, no wonder I couldn’t figure it out—otherwise, I would have definitely rushed to save you.” This was said sincerely, and Chu Xia felt a slight warmth in her heart. However, a woman’s voice from outside the window scoffed, “Qinglong, don’t boast here. Even if you had figured it out and arrived, do you think you could escape unscathed from Tian Gang’s battle formation? Even the young master got injured when he went there personally.” Qinglong was shocked, “Young master, you broke through the battle formation?” The young master gave a soft “hmm,” tapping his fingers on the table, seemingly lost in thought. “The battle formation? The one that killed Master Huifeng twenty years ago?” Qinglong asked with a serious expression, “Young master, how did you break it? Xuanwu and I have studied those clues for a long time and thought this formation was unbeatable.” The young master sighed lightly, “Over the years, haven’t many people in the martial world died mysteriously in this formation?” Chu Xia, not interested in martial affairs, quietly got up to leave. As she reached the door, she suddenly heard Qinglong calling out, “Chu Xia!” She turned around, “Huh?” “How did you become so pretty?” The young man’s cheeks turned slightly red as he loudly said. Chu Xia was taken aback, not knowing what to say. From the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of the young master, his lips slightly pursed, his expression inscrutable. Bai Xue, on the side, glared fiercely at Qinglong, “What are you still babbling about? The young master has important matters to attend to.” The young master, seeing the tension between the two, slightly sipped his tea before pulling out a thin piece of paper and placing it on the desk, “This is why I’m determined to eradicate Tian Gang.” The two, who were glaring at each other, now spoke in unison, “What?” “Aren’t you always curious?” the young master said lightly, “This is the information Xuanwu gathered.” The paper had just a few brief sentences, making it hard to understand. “Spring of the 4th year of Tianzhi, Taiyuan, Wutaishan Sword Sect, seven people.” “October of the 4th year of Tianzhi, Taizhou, Tiantai Sect, nine people.” … “Summer of the 24th year of Tianzhi, Shu, Nan Tang Sect, four people.” “What is this?” Qinglong frowned, “It’s all over the place.” Bai Xue scoffed, “Can’t you see? These are the unsolved murder cases in the martial world from the 4th to the 24th year of Tianzhi, collected by Xuanwu. Look, although the culprits couldn’t be identified, there are several commonalities in these dozens of cases.” The young master’s eyes showed approval, signaling Bai Xue to continue. “First, these cases caused quite a stir in the martial world, not just because of the mysterious deaths, but because the most closely guarded martial arts manuals were also stolen; second, the causes of death in each case were different, masking the fact that it might be the work of one person or organization.” “And the last point is even simpler.” Bai Xue smiled slightly, “Since it’s listed by the young master, it means he’s almost certain these cases were committed by Tian Gang.” Qinglong frowned, silent. The young master nodded, “You’re right, but not entirely.” “These nearly hundred cases are what I’ve selected from over two thousand cases Xuanwu gave me over the last twenty years. Listing them together is because I’m convinced they are the work of Tian Gang. It’s like an instinct when hunting.” The young master said lightly, “But I don’t have concrete evidence. Eradicating Tian Gang is to fulfill my father’s last wish.” Bai Xue furrowed her brows, “The old master?” The young master nodded, “He instructed me so on his deathbed.” “Young master…” Qinglong’s gaze was still fixed on the paper, “I’m thinking, Wutaishan, Tiantai, Tang Sect… these are either renowned sword sects or martial families. For Tian Gang to wipe them out, their strength must be formidable.” The young master nodded, “Indeed.” “In the battle at Qingchuan River, I broke through the formation, killed He Buzhuo, and cleared out the remnants. But I’m wondering… why would the leader of Tian Gang personally come to the mansion to be a spy?” His eyes sparkled, “Moreover, they placed He Buzhuo in the mansion for years, what were they after?”
With a light sigh, Bai Xue said, “Your guess is not without merit, but the Heavenly Dipper is very mysterious. All I know is that the one pulling the strings behind all actions is this grand leader. Apart from that, no other masterminds can be found.”
“Could it be that with He Butuo’s death, these secrets are now known by no one else?” Qing Long frowned.
