The wind was a cold, relentless howl, a raw, mournful sound that whipped through the high mountain passes and tore at the men's robes. Beneath a sky the color of bruised pewter, Cao Fengge stood at the sheer edge of the cliff, his posture rigid and commanding. He was silhouetted against the dizzying drop, the gale attempting to peel him from the rock face. A faint, contemptuous sneer twisted his lips as he looked down at the swirling mist that had swallowed his enemies.
Beside him, closer to the safer, rockier ground, stood the man in black. He was a silent, enigmatic pillar against the chaos of the elements, his features obscured by shadows and the high collar of his dark garment. Unlike Cao Fengge, who was exposed to the fury of the wind, the masked man appeared unmoved and utterly cold, a lethal shadow waiting for the final confirmation of their victory. The whole scene was dominated by the savage freedom of the mountain air and the grim, ruthless satisfaction of the two figures who had just dealt a devastating blow.
Cao Fengge looked at the man in black and delivered his cold lesson. "Yuan'er, I hope this incident has taught you something. People who have cares and attachments will ultimately fail."
The man in black, revealed to be Fu Yuanjun, asked for clarification on the trap. "How did father know that Yongzheng will protect Xue congzi?"
Cao Fengge offered only a vague answer. "I have many eyes and ears."
Fu Yuanjun knew that although Cao Fengge was his father, Cao Fengge would not tell Fu Yuanjun everything. He only told Fu Yuanjun what he wanted him to know, but Fu Yuanjun was not Cao Wenyan, who had everything handed down to him. Fu Yuanjun is a fox in the wolf territory. The lonely fox would have to fight his battle to earn his own territory. Every time he kills a wolf, he is one inch closer to becoming who he is destined to be.
Fu Yuanjun, his business concluded, made his move to depart. "Father, if you have nothing else, I will go back to Tianshan."
Cao Fengge turned, his eyes piercing the gloom. "Yuan'er… Be careful on your way back."
Far below, Yongzheng hit the water at high speed and was immediately plunged into the depths of what felt like a bottomless pond. He swam quickly to the surface, where he heard a loud splash next to him. He waited, but the person did not surface. He swooped down, and soon saw the unconscious form floating in the water. He put his arm around the person's waist, only to realize that the one who had fallen was Rao Zhengsheng.
He pulled the severely injured Rao Zhengsheng to the shore and immediately began to transfer his internal energy to him. After a long time, he heard another loud splash nearby. A few minutes later, he heard Xue Horan's voice cutting through the thick mist, but because of the dense fog all around him, he couldn't see exactly where Xue Horan was.
When Xue Horan surfaced from the bottomless pond, he realized that if he hadn't died, then Yongzheng and Rao Zhengsheng likely hadn't died either. He shouted, "Yongzheng…" His voice echoed in the small area. He quickly swam out of the water, stood up, and shouted again, "Yongzheng... Da shixiong..."
Xue Horan took a few steps forward, and a hand touched his left shoulder. He instinctively swung his arm, but the person grabbed his arm. He then heard Yongzheng's familiar voice. "Horan…"
Overwhelmed with joy and relief, Xue Horan instantly spun around and hugged Yongzheng tightly. He burst into tears. "Yongzheng..."
Yongzheng gently stroked Xue Horan's hair. "Why are you here? I've tried my best to save you," he asked, referencing the forced jump he'd given Xue Horan to save him from the fall. "So, how did you end up falling down?"
Xue Horan pulled away slightly. "If you and da shixiong are dead, I have no reason to live," he admitted. He quickly turned his attention to the missing person. "So... I jumped." He looked at Yongzheng and seeing that Yongzheng's expression had darken, he quickly turned around trying to change the subject. "Where is da shixiong?"
"He is over there, out of danger," Yongzheng replied.
Yongzheng and Xue Horan walked back to the damp patch of ground where Rao Zhengsheng was resting.
Xue Horan knelt beside him. "What's wrong with him?"
"When I pulled him out of the water, he was already unconscious," Yongzheng explained.
Xue Horan assessed the severity of the situation. "It must be Cao Fengge's blow," he concluded, realizing the full, deadly force of the attack had been passed to Rao Zhengsheng after Yongzheng's sacrificial hug.
Near midnight, Rao Zhengsheng finally woke up, drawn by the savory smell of grilled fish. He kept his eyes closed, listening to the conversation between Yongzheng and Xue Horan. He couldn't pinpoint when they had grown so close—Xue Horan spoke freely and happily with Yongzheng, enjoying their conversation. The topic made Rao Zhengsheng a little upset, as he admitted the deep love he held for Xue Horan in his heart. He noticed he and Xue Horan had become estranged lately; Xue Horan was distancing himself, and Rao Zhengsheng knew why. He peeked beyond his eyelashes and saw Xue Horan and Yongzheng sitting by a small bonfire, grilling fish.
At that moment, they suddenly heard a loud, painful scream not far from their location. Rao Zhengsheng dropped the pretense of sleep and woke up fully.
"We're not alone," Yongzheng stated quietly.
"Sounds very human," Rao Zhengsheng replied grimly.
The three men walked over to the other side and saw an opening to a cave.
Rao Zhengsheng's instinct was caution. "If it's an animal, we must kill it first before it kills us."
The three slowly approached the entrance of the cave. Suddenly, a thick vine rushed out and wrapped around Yongzheng's waist. Rao Zhengsheng unsheathed his butterfly swords and quickly cut the vine loose.
But before they could react, three more vines rushed out and wrapped around the waists of all three men. Rao Zhengsheng immediately began cutting the vine around his own waist, but it was too late. Xue Horan and Yongzheng were violently dragged into the cave.
Yongzheng reacted instantly, grabbing the vine with his left hand and refusing to be dragged further into the cave. The person controlling the vines—an old man—waved the vine holding Xue Horan, sending him flying toward the cave wall. Yongzheng quickly dashed behind Xue Horan and wrapped his arms around him, cushioning the impact as the two men crashed into the cave wall.
Rao Zhengsheng sprinted forward and severed the vines wrapped around Yongzheng and Xue Horan. He immediately began attacking the old man.
The old man shouted angrily, his voice echoing in the small space, "Cao Fengge...no matter how many people you send to kill me...I will kill them all! I will kill them!"
Rao Zhengsheng frantically waved his sword at the old man, simultaneously taking Xue Horan's hand and running toward the cave entrance. The old man sent out another vine, and Yongzheng grabbed it. Rao Zhengsheng quickly helped Yongzheng pull the vine, using the momentum to swing the two men backward toward the pond. However, the old man, moving with surprising speed, hastily crawled on the ground, jumped forward, and delivered a powerful blow to the chests of both Yongzheng and Rao Zhengsheng.
Rao Zhengsheng landed near the small bonfire. Yongzheng's robe caught fire on his left shoulder. Xue Horan rushed over and frantically tapped the flames, trying to extinguish the small fire.
The old man's gaze fell upon the tattoo of two swords revealed on the left shoulder blade of Yongzheng where the robe had burned. He immediately wrapped a vine around Xue Horan's waist, pulling him back. He then placed a wooden spike at Xue Horan's left abdomen, threatening his life.
Yongzheng and Rao Zhengsheng both pleaded at the same time, "Please let him go!"
The old man looked directly at Yongzheng and issued his command: "Take off your robe...or he will die."
Yongzheng swiftly pulled off his robe. "Turn around to face me," the old man ordered.
Yongzheng turned. The old man froze, then dropped the wooden spike, his face dumbfounded. His laughter soon echoed through the space. "Cao Fengge, you want to kill us, but heaven has eyes! My da ge has a descendant!" He continued to laugh maniacally until his hysteria subsided. He then stared intensely at Yongzheng. "Diwei, come over, let me take a closer look at you."
Yongzheng, confused, hesitated. "Qianbei, I don't know you. My name is Yongzheng."
The old man's face twisted in fury. "Qianbei… ptui! How dare you call me qianbei?" He spat on the ground. "I am your shushu! You are Rao Diwei!"
Yongzheng stood firm, shaking his head. "I am an orphan and have no family."
The old man, driven by his conviction, declared, "We are a family." He took off his dirty, torn robes and turned to face Yongzheng, Rao Zhengsheng, and Xue Horan. "Look at my left shoulder."
Xue Horan, his eyes wet, looked at Rao Zhengsheng and whispered, "Da Shixiong has the same tattoo on his left shoulder."
The confirmation hit Rao Zhengsheng like a physical blow. He thought that everyone had died that night except him and Dong Lanying. He walked to the old man and knelt, his voice filled with emotion. "Dong shushu… Dong shushu…"
Dong Shun's face etched with decades of hardship, asked gently, "You are?"
"Rao Zhengsheng," came the answer.
Dong Shun burst into tears of overwhelming relief. "Zheng'er! You are still alive! I thought you died with your mother."
"My shifu and shimu saved me," Rao Zhengsheng explained.
"Who is your shifu?" Dong Shun asked.
"Xue Longwei," Rao Zhengsheng replied.
Dong Shun spat dismissively. "Ptui... Since that bastard saved you, I will forgive him for stealing Luxia away from me." His brief joy was replaced by renewed sorrow.
Rao Zhengsheng delivered the crushing news. "My shifu and shimu, including my three juniors, were killed by Cao Fengge."
"Luxia…" Dong Shun murmured, frowning sadly. He looked between Rao Zhengsheng and Yongzheng. "After so many years, our family is finally reunited." He looked directly at Yongzheng. "Diwei, Zhengsheng is your da ge."
Yongzheng murmured, "Da ge…"
Rao Zhengsheng looked at his uncle, his mind reeling. "You mean we are brothers?"
Dong Shun confirmed. "Yes. When I fell, I decided to throw Diwei back to the cliff. I hoped that even if I died, someone would save him."
Yongzheng's voice was heavy with bitterness. "Someone has indeed saved me. I wish no one had saved me."
Dong Shun, now driven by a desire for vengeance, dismissed the negativity. "You can't think like that. If it wasn't for that person who saved you, we would not meet now. Thanks to that person, we are together again. Let us find a way to get out of here and kill Cao Fengge together to avenge your parents."
Rao Zhengsheng tried to offer reassurance. "Dong shushu, don't worry, Lanying and Xiurong will find a way to save us."
The mention of her name caused the corners of Dong Shun's lips to tremble. He choked up. "Lanying, is still alive?"
"Yes, shifu and shimu saved her," Rao Zhengsheng confirmed.
Dong Shun wept once more, struck by the depth of his rival's compassion. "Xue Longwei, it's no wonder that Luxia chose you instead of me. If it were me, I would never save my lover rival's child."
As he looked at Xue Horan, Dong Shun's grief-filled recognition ended. He realized Xue Horan was not marked as part of the Rao family. He picked up the wooden spike and aggressively aimed it in Xue Horan's direction.
Rao Zhengsheng quickly grabbed Dong Shun's arm, stopping him. Dong Shun was furious. "Zheng'er, what are you doing? He is not from the Rao family; he must be the spy that Cao Fengge sent to spy on us!"
Rao Zhengsheng pleaded, "Dong shushu, Horan is the son of shifu and shimu."
"I don't believe it. He must be a spy!" Dong Shun raged.
Yongzheng stood immediately in front of Xue Horan, defending him with cold finality. "You want to hurt him. I will fight you to the last breath. I don't care who you are."
Dong Shun roared, "Rao Diwei!"
Yongzheng's eyes were cold. "I have already told you; my name is Yongzheng."
"You…" Dong Shun began, before breaking into a violent cough.
Yongzheng, refusing to back down, grabbed Xue Horan's hand and pulled him far away from the old man.
Rao Zhengsheng tried to mediate. "Dong shushu, Horan is not a spy. He is really the son of my shifu and shimu, so don't be angry with Yongzheng."
Dong Shun glared at Yongzheng. "I will try not to be angry at him, because blood is thicker than water." He frowned heavily, his heart clearly wounded by the denial. "How can he deny his true identity?"
Rao Zhengsheng looked at his newfound brother with sympathy. "Dong shushu, maybe he has his reasons."