The Devil Matriarch stopped her laughter, her eerie grin fading into silence as she slowly turned toward Qianlin. Her eyes gleamed with an unsettling sharpness, her voice echoing against the stone chamber walls.
"Now… tell me, who is evil and who is good?" she asked as she began to circle around Qianlin, her steps deliberate, her presence suffocating. "Tell me, who is right and who is wrong? Tell me… who really destroyed the Sima Clan? Who killed your mother, your father, and your clan members? Was it Tie Roumei? Was it Namgong Chunying? Was it Sima Jinhai? Tell me, Sima Qianlin!"
The weight of her words pressed down like chains. Qianlin slowly raised her head. Her cold eyes glimmered under the dim, flickering light, her lips firm and unshaking.
"The Sima Clan got destroyed… because the Sima Clan was weak."
For a heartbeat, silence lingered. Then the Devil Matriarch threw her head back and laughed—a laughter so thunderous that the entire chamber shivered, dust falling from the cracks above.
"Yes!" she roared through her laughter. "That is the answer! The Sima Clan got destroyed because the Sima Clan was weak! They were weak, and so they were played by the strong in this cursed world!"
Her laughter echoed endlessly, until it tapered into a smirk.
"Now then… what will you do?"
Qianlin's voice was steady, her eyes burning with resolve.
"I want to become strong… and change this world."
The Devil Matriarch's lips curved into a sly smile. "Well, that's a nice attitude. Then choose. Which martial arts will you pick? You have my martial arts. You have the Sima Clan's martial arts. And you have the martial arts of the Queen of War."
Qianlin inhaled deeply, her chest rising as her voice grew firmer. "The Sima Clan martial arts are great… but they require guidance to master. It would take time and effort to reach the peak… time I don't have."
The Devil Matriarch's eyes narrowed knowingly. "That is true. The Sima Clan martial arts are ancient, difficult to learn without proper guidance or a strong foundation. But my martial arts… and the Queen of War's martial arts… they are not like that. But remember one thing."
Her face grew grave, the weight of her words filling the chamber. "If you choose the Queen of War's martial arts, you must also inherit her will. You will become righteous like her, bound to fix this broken world. But if you choose this path, I will place my strongest curse on you. Break that vow… and it will kill you."
Qianlin's lips tightened. "What if I choose your martial arts?"
The Devil Matriarch smirked, shadows dancing across her face. "Then… you can destroy the world."
Her voice did not waver. "The world is beyond repair. I will destroy it and create a world where there is no evil and no good. I will create a world of harmony… where there is no power and no schemes, only freedom and happiness. I choose your martial arts, Devil Matriarch."
The chamber rumbled violently. The Devil Matriarch's eyes flashed with dark delight.
"Very well. You will be my first disciple… and perhaps my last."
The entire chamber quaked as streams of dark Qi poured from every crack in the walls, swirling like a storm. Qianlin's eyes widened in panic, but the Matriarch's voice cut through the chaos, calm yet commanding.
"You need not worry. This Sima Clan secret chamber is a treasure itself. The formation beneath us generates more Qi than the outside world. I will train you here until I teach you everything. But first—"
She raised her hand, and with a low rumble, the martial arts manual of the Queen of War sank deep beneath the chamber floor once more, buried under stone.
"—let me hide the Queen of War's martial arts. May it one day find a worthy successor."
Her lips curved again. "Now… let us begin."
Thus, Sima Qianlin's training under the Devil Matriarch began.
Far away, atop the Murim Alliance's great tower, on the highest balcony, a woman sat beneath the moonlight. She looked around fifty, her figure perfectly graceful, clad in Wudang robes. A delicate glass of wine glistened in her hand as the silver moonlight bathed her form.
From the door, a mocking voice echoed.
"A Taoist drinking wine? I think the world is slowly falling."
Another woman stepped inside, her shape equally refined, also in Wudang robes.
The first woman's eyes narrowed. "This is all because of you, Chunying."
Namgong Chunying chuckled, her lips curling into a sly grin. "Ha. Today is the day you became Alliance Leader, isn't it? The day when the Queen of War's death was confirmed. Am I right, Qingsui?"
Qingsui's voice was calm, but laced with steel. "Alliance Leader position? It is more like a throne built upon the skulls and souls of thousands."
Chunying laughed coldly. "Well, what can we do? This is how the world works, ha!"
Qingsui rose from her seat, her expression grim. "Do not blame the world. It is all because of you, Chunying."
Her Qi burst forth—a surge of black and white energy that rattled the balcony railings and cracked the tiles beneath her feet. The pressure swept through the air like a storm.
But Chunying only smirked, releasing her own aura—a vibrant, deep blue Qi that matched Qingsui's intensity. The air grew heavier, pressing down as the two powers clashed.
"Do you want to destroy the Murim Alliance?" Chunying's eyes gleamed with confidence, her voice sharp. "You know there are thousands of people in this building, Murim Alliance Leader."
Qingsui's gaze locked onto hers, her heart burning, but in Chunying's eyes she saw unwavering confidence—an unshakable arrogance that declared she would win. Slowly, Qingsui withdrew her Qi.
"One day… I will remove that confidence from your eyes."
Chunying also withdrew her aura, her smile never faltering. "I will wait for that day."
Then, with a casual tone, she continued, "Let me inform you—unorthodox leaders are gathering because of the Chongqing incident. I think we should use this situation. What do you say?"
Qingsui replied leave them. Chunying tilted her head, surprised.
"Well… to think you would let unorthodox methods slide."
Qingsui's voice was steady, but heavy. "If you already have this information… it means you've already planned something." She grabbed the wine bottle from the table and drank straight from it, her words slurred by bitterness. "But remember this—I will never let your schemes succeed, Chunying. And I will never allow another war to begin. I will not let the Murim be destroyed again."
Chunying's smile curved, almost gentle yet deeply sinister. "I also don't like war… Leader."
Qingsui's eyes narrowed. "We'll see. But remember—as long as I sit in this seat as Murim Alliance Leader, I will maintain peace. That… is how a leader should be."
Chunying bowed lightly, her grin lingering. "And I… will support you as an advisor." Her sinister smile glimmered under the moonlight before she turned and left.
Alone again, Qingsui sat and lifted her gaze toward the silver moon. Her eyes softened, a sigh escaping her lips.
"I hope dark clouds never return to block the light…"
She raised the glass and drank deeply, the night's silence wrapping around her.
Meanwhile, in Sichuan—
A caravan arrived at the gates of Chengdu, only to find the path blocked by the Tang Clan members.