The dawn over Tianshan Sect broke with an intense, organized chaos. Far from the usual mountain tranquility, the morning air was thick with sound and motion as the sect was utterly overrun.
From the lowest servants to the highest-ranking elders, everyone was frantically engaged in activity. Disciples rushed across the courtyards carrying supplies, maids carried food to serve the guests, and servants sprinted up the paths with trays of food and wine. There was no idleness, only a strained, communal energy focused on serving their most honorable guests.
The furious activity gripping the Tianshan Sect was entirely due to the sheer, unprecedented number of guests arriving for the wedding ceremony. The Tianshan Sect had completely lost its identity as a secluded, tranquil mountain retreat; it was now the epicenter of the entire martial world.
Its dirt-dusted grounds, baked hard and dry by the relentless summer sun, were packed to capacity with martial artists who had traveled from every corner of the realm. The gathering for the marriage of the two powerful sects was far more than a simple celebration; it was a vast, strategic display of consolidated power.
Powerful rival sects mingled warily with representatives of entrenched clans, their shared smiles thin and their postures stiff with political calculation. Dozens of fierce, independent wandering martial artists—drawn by the promise of a glorious day filled with celebration and the chance to witness the forging of this massive new alliance of the righteous—occupied every spare patch of ground. The entire mountain compound pulsed not just with anticipation, but with the nervous, volatile energy of a gathered host of warriors, each faction silently acknowledging that this wedding was merely the first step toward a looming, unavoidable confrontation with their common enemy.
Inside the grand, exquisitely decorated room where the maids were putting the final touches on Gu Jingjing's bridal attire, three light, distinct knocks sounded at the door. A woman's voice, smooth and falsely pleasant, came from the other side. "I have brought the ritual tea and some wedding desserts for the Lady of the Hour."
One of the maids hurried across the polished floor and opened the door. Si Meifeng stepped into the room, her expression calm and unremarkable as she placed the silver tray of refreshments on a nearby table. She then gracefully approached the bride, offering a single, perfectly brewed cup of tea to Gu Jingjing.
Gu Jingjing, distracted by the hustle of her maids, accepted the teacup. She raised it to her lips, ready to drink, but paused. An abnormally strong, almost overwhelming tea fragrance hit her senses. She lifted her head sharply to look at the woman standing over her. It was in that moment that Si Meifeng acted: she suddenly spouted a plume of fine, white smoke directly into Gu Jingjing's face. The smoke was acrid and instantly disabling, clearly a potent poison delivered under the guise of the ritual tea.
Meanwhile, in the massive, bustling hall where the wedding ceremony was set to take place, Fu Yuanjun and the highest-ranking elders were diligently occupied—welcoming the steady stream of guests and accepting mountains of elaborate gifts. The atmosphere was a tense blend of forced celebration and political anxiety.
The festivities were abruptly shattered when Yuan Chaomei appeared at the main entrance. She was not alone; six men, clad in the stark black of the Sunset Sect, marched in bearing a heavy wooden object. They moved with chilling solemnity, placing a full-sized, unvarnished wooden coffin right in the middle of the decorated hall, directly obstructing the ceremonial aisle.
Yuan Chaomei stepped forward, her voice ringing clearly through the suddenly stunned silence. "Chief Fu, our Chief Xin has decreed that he has no need of your wedding gift. Therefore, he wishes to return this one to you. The Sunset Sector may not be rich, but a proper coffin for Wen qianbei… we certainly can afford."
Whispers immediately broke out across the hall, sharp and venomous:
"What a vicious woman to pull such a stunt!"
"No wonder Gu gongzi divorced her years ago."
Yuan Chaomei absorbed the wave of hostile curses and judgment with complete indifference. The venom of these righteous martial artists was nothing compared to the humiliating commands of Yuan Zixin in the past; she was well past caring. Their vicious eyes and spiteful words simply had no effect on her hardened resolve.
She fixed Fu Yuanjun with a bright, almost chillingly sincere smile. "Chief Fu, congratulations on your great success. I truly hope your future is full of happiness." She then motioned to her men. "Let's go." As she walked toward the front door, she passed Yuan Xiurong, who was seated next to Yuan Zixin and Rao Zhengsheng. Yuan Chaomei paused, offered Yuan Xiurong a genuine, fleeting smile of camaraderie, and then, with her six men, vanished out the door.
As Yuan Chaomei and her escort descended the wide, stone stairs of the Tianshan Sect, she saw a figure standing silently near the bottom, waiting: Fu Yuanjun. He had abandoned his duties to meet them.
Yuan Chaomei walked right up to him. "Does Chief Fu have anything further to pass on to our chief?" she asked, her voice calm and professional.
Fu Yuanjun looked deeply distressed. "Chaomei, I am truly sorry. I keep thinking that if I were truly at the top of the ladder, I would be able to come for you, but in reality, that is simply not the case."
Yuan Chaomei dismissed his apology with a wave of her hand. "Everyone has their own goals in this life. Your goals are clearly different from mine, so there is no need to apologize."
Fu Yuanjun reached out, his hand desperate, and grabbed her right hand. "Chaomei, please, you must forgive me. I sincerely wish we could be as we were before."
Yuan Chaomei slowly, deliberately pulled her hand free from Fu Yuanjun's grasp. Her gaze was steady, though her voice carried an undeniable finality. "Chief Fu, there is only the past that exists between you and me. The red string of destiny has been cut clean long ago. Today, no matter how desperately we try to reconnect that string, it will not hold without rough, painful knots. Since the thread has broken, our relationship must end+. I hold nothing against you, and you should not carry any obligation toward me. We must let the past remain firmly in the past." She walked past him, beginning her descent down the steps.
Fu Yuanjun stood frozen, his face a mask of regret. "I am sorry," he murmured sadly.
Yuan Chaomei did not stop or turn back. Tears, hot and slow, began to track down her cheeks, a display of sorrow only the wind could witness. "Goodbye, Li gege," she whispered softly.
Fu Yuanjun watched Yuan Chaomei slowly disappear from his sight with the six black-clad men. Just as he turned to walk back into the hall of his wedding, a cold voice, sharp as a winter blade, stopped him completely.
Ma Jingguo stood above him, having emerged from the shadows of the upper terraces, his expression utterly devoid of warmth. "A wedding without a bride," he stated coldly, his voice ringing with mocking judgment. "Does that still qualify as a wedding?"
Fu Yuanjun looked up, his jaw tight. "What are you doing here?"
"Fu Yuanjun, you should cease pretending to be a good man," Ma Jingguo retorted, descending a step. "If you had not struck your needle into xiao shushu's chest, I might still be fooled by your acts, but whatever damage you have caused, you have already committed it." He looked squarely at Fu Yuanjun. "You still have not answered my initial question."
"Then what do you actually want?" Fu Yuanjun countered, bracing himself.
"You truly wanted others to believe that I killed Dandan, did you not? To be frank, you killed the wrong person. If you were truly shrewd, you should have killed Yong Caixia."
"Ma ge, please enlighten me," Fu Yuanjun asked, masking his surprise with forced politeness. "Why should I have killed Yong guniang?"
Ma Jingguo sneered. "If you had killed Yong Caixia, I would not be standing in front of you today, demanding retribution. But because you chose to kill Dandan, you deal with me now."
"I have nothing to worry about," Fu Yuanjun insisted, recovering his composure. "Because I did not kill anyone. Everyone in the martial world knows that it was you, not me, who killed Chen guniang."
Ma Jingguo merely smiled, a bitter, terrifying curve of his lips. "Fu Yuanjun, commit these words firmly to your mind: I will teach you a lesson that you will remember for the remainder of your life. I will not kill you, but when you finally achieve something great, I will come and take it away from you, just as you tried to take xiao shushu away from me. The higher you climb, I promise you, the faster you will fall." He gave a chilling salute and turned away. "Remember to check your wedding gift." He then threw his head back and laughed—a loud, victorious, utterly mad sound—as he walked down the stairs and disappeared.
When Fu Yuanjun rushed back into the wedding hall, it was consumed by panic. Elder Yan ran immediately toward him, frantic. "Where have you been, Chief Fu?"
"What is wrong?" Fu Yuanjun demanded.
Elder Han stepped forward, his voice shaking. "Gu guniang's two maids are claiming a woman kidnapped Gu guniang."
"What?" Then, Ma Jingguo's parting words slammed into his mind. "Where is the coffin?"
Elder Yan pointed toward the rear of the compound. "We moved the coffin to the back storage area."
Fu Yuanjun sprinted toward the back of Tianshan Sect, followed closely by a throng of martial artists and the nine Tianshan elders. Reaching the unvarnished wooden box, Fu Yuanjun fiercely unsheathed his sword, slicing the thick rope securing the lid. He slid the coffin lid over.
Instantly, a dense, white smoke billowed out of the opening. Before anyone could react, ten gleaming daggers shot out, aimed directly at Fu Yuanjun. He skillfully redirected three of the daggers back into the column of smoke with a flick of his wrist. A soft, muffled snort of pain could be heard from within the dissipating fog.
When the smoke finally cleared, everyone saw the horrifying truth: Gu Jingjing was inside the coffin, pierced by three daggers. Fu Yuanjun's hand shook uncontrollably. He quickly rushed to her side, lifted her limp body out of the coffin, and pulled her to the dusty floor, hugging her tightly. He saw blood pouring from her mouth.
"Lu yisheng!" Fu Yuanjun shouted, desperation clawing at his throat. "Lu yisheng!"
Doctor Lu quickly pushed through the crowd. He briefly examined Gu Jingjing where she lay in Fu Yuanjun's arms and shook his head, his voice heavy with finality. "I am sorry, Chief Fu. I cannot save her."
"Why?" Fu Yuanjun roared.
"She was afflicted with the Seven Steps Poison," Doctor Lu explained. "I believe that when you helped her out of the coffin and pulled her to the floor, she took her seventh and final step."
Fu Yuanjun's eyes were consumed by a terrifying rage. Ma Jingguo's chilling promise echoed in his mind: 'The highest you climb; I will make sure the faster you fall.' He gritted his teeth, the name a silent vow: "Ma Jingguo…"
Doctor Lu bowed. "Chief Fu, I express my condolences for your loss."
Fu Yuanjun held his lost bride, his voice metallic with command. "Send a message to Chief Gu and Gu furen. This wedding will be changed to a funeral."
A disciple instantly responded, "Yes, Chief Fu."
The martial artists in the back area broke into an uproar of panicked, angry muttering: "Chief Gu is on his way!" "The Sunset Sector has gone too far!" "Capturing martial artists was not bad enough; he really wants to announce himself as the enemy of the Gu household and the Tianshan Sect!"
"That evil man!"
Outside on the skirt of Tong Village, two martial artists sat drinking tea, exchanging fresh rumors from the martial arts world.
Martial Artist One leaned in conspiratorially. "The Demon Xin not only conquered the Mangsha Sect, but he also seized the Sword Village. The Jinfeng Sect launched a brave rescue attempt to free the captives held in Mangsha, but they all ended up being captured themselves."
Martial Artist Two asked, wide-eyed, "What happened next?"
Martial Artist One took a slow, significant sip of wine. "Demon Xin announced to the entire martial world that if anyone dared to sneak into Mangsha to rescue the captured martial artists, he would simply kill every disciple in the offending sect."
"What did the six major sects do about that?"
Martial Artist One scoffed. "The six sects dare do nothing. They are terrified that their disciples will be slaughtered." He paused. "I almost forgot the best part. A while ago, Demon Xin rushed into Tianshan and delivered a coffin to Chief Fu as a wedding gift."
The second martial artist curled his lip in distaste. "What… do not tell me that he killed the future Madam Fu?"
Martial Artist One shook his head. "No, he did not kill her directly. She was poisoned by the Seven Steps Poison. It turned out that Chief Fu unknowingly rescued her from the coffin, and she took her last, fatal step right there in his arms, dying while he held her."
"What about the Four Households and the Sword Village? Are they going to take action against this atrocity?"
Martial Artist One sigh, deflated. "The Sword Village dared not move, because their own master, Yong Taihua, was captured and locked in a cage. Moreover, an elder from Tianshan was also seized."
Martial Artist Two looked grim. "There are very few martial artists who can actually defeat Demon Xin. This time, even the Shaolin Temple will have to intervene."
Sitting nearby, dressed simply and silently sipping tea, Mu Dishi rolled his eyes at the two martial artists' sensational gossip. He gently placed his money on the table, rose, and started walking toward Tong Village, leaving the noise of the rumors behind.