At this moment, whispers arose from all around—

"They all say Falling Blossoms Valley has been in decline since Cai Pingshu was crippled. They have no real skill and rely entirely on Sect Master Qi of the Qingque Sect to keep up appearances. But look at that young lady, could you pull off those two moves just now..."

"What decline? Falling Blossoms Valley has never liked to meddle in Jianghu affairs. They're just detached, that's all. How can you say they have no skill?"

"Exactly, exactly! I heard Cai Pingchun has improved immensely over the years. Otherwise, how come all those Jianghu wanderers who went to Falling Blossoms Valley to challenge him went silent afterward? If the challengers had gotten the upper hand, wouldn't they have proclaimed it loudly?"

"Cai Pingchun? He's never seen roaming the Jianghu. Maybe it was Cai Pingshu who acted."

"Didn't you just say Cai Pingshu was crippled!"

"Enough with the nonsense. The technique that little lady used just now, was that the 'Dragon Capturing Hand' Cai Pingshu created herself? The first move should be 'Shu Gong Jing Jie', but what was the second one? Was it 'Xu Feng Shu Ran'? Back then, Cai Pingshu used this set of palm techniques to wipe out thirteen bandit strongholds in Hanbei within half a month, leaving no one alive!"

"But I heard that when Cai Pingshu took on the Hanbei strongholds alone, she used a great saber!"

"What difference does it make whether she used a saber or her palm!"

"It does, it really does! The Cai Family is incredible!"

Yin Sulian's face turned from ashen to pale white. She forced a smile, "I heard you've been doted on since you were a child. Martial arts practice is so arduous, how could your aunt bear to force you to train?"

Cai Zhao slowly sheathed her dagger, the smile not reaching her eyes. "Aunt said that in this world, if you rely on a mountain, it will collapse; if you rely on the sea, it will dry up. It's most reliable to rely on yourself."

In her carefree childhood, her aunt, who could never bear to see her suffer the slightest grievance, had only ever forced her to do one thing in over ten years: practice martial arts—without pause for summer or winter, without change from dawn till dusk.

She remembered crying from exhaustion once. Cai Pingshu had massaged the back of her neck and whispered, 'Whether you roam the Jianghu or not, you must have the ability to protect yourself. If I were to let you live a lazy and happy life, I would be harming you.'

Yin Sulian struggled to maintain her smile. "That does sound like something your aunt would say. But as a woman, there isn't necessarily only one path. It's not necessarily a bad thing to have someone to rely on. Alright, this is our first time meeting. Take this jade bracelet as a gift." As she spoke, she removed the jade bracelet from her own wrist.

Cai Zhao quietly accepted the bracelet. Under the light of the glass lamp, she examined its quality and expertly estimated its pawnshop value.

Seeing the situation ease, Zeng Dalou quickly said, "Master, Junior Sister is young and can't endure hunger. We should have her go to the back for some refreshments first."

Qi Yunke nodded. Before Cai Zhao left, he led Chang Ning over to her and said in a low voice, "Your Senior Brother Chang is now heavily injured, and the poison has not been fully cleared. I'm afraid I'll be too busy to spare a hand during the Grandmaster's death anniversary. Please look after him."

Qi Lingbo was clearly not an obedient daughter, and with a biased mother, if she were to secretly bully Chang Ning again, the other disciples, out of respect for their master's wife, would either be unwilling or unable to intervene. Only Cai Zhao was fearless.

Cai Zhao understood his meaning, a half-smile on her face.

Qi Yunke coughed lightly in slight embarrassment. "Once Chang Ning has recovered, I don't think anyone will be able to bully him. Alas, it's all my fault for failing to teach my daughter and manage my subordinates. If your aunt knew, she would surely scold me for being useless first..."

Cai Zhao said coolly, "In all these years, when has Aunt ever said a single bad word about you? The one who's always been nagging you is my mother."

Qi Yunke waved his hand. "Your mother speaks without thinking; I never take it to heart. If your aunt says just one word, that's when I'd truly have nowhere to hide my face in shame. Zhaozhao, Great Hero Chang Haosheng's entire family was tragically killed, and their blood feud has yet to be avenged. It's a pity; he was righteous his whole life, dedicated to helping the weak and punishing the strong. Even if just for his sake, please look after Chang Ning..."

Cai Zhao felt it was time to express her awe-inspiring righteousness before her future master. "Uncle, you don't have to say any more, Zhaozhao understands. Aunt often told me that the thing she was most proud of in her life was not slaying Nie Hengcheng, but that while roaming the Jianghu, no matter how much she needed to bend the rules for an emergency, she never sacrificed an innocent person. And no matter how unwilling she was to get into trouble, she never stood by and watched an innocent person suffer. Uncle, rest assured, I will look after Senior Brother Chang. We who practice martial arts may not seek to shake the Wulin or become famous throughout the land, but at the very least, we must help the weak, aid the common people, and uphold justice." Her words were passionate and righteous, perfectly matching the tone Cai Pingshu would have ideally wanted.

"Good! Well said!" Qi Yunke was very pleased. He pulled Chang Ning over as well and had him give Cai Zhao a bow.

A faint smile played on Chang Ning's lips as he bowed with a tall, straight posture.

A sudden, inexplicable discomfort welled up in Cai Zhao's heart. She thought of the truly heroic Chang Haosheng, and felt she had been somewhat hypocritical just now. She mumbled a farewell to Qi Yunke, then tugged on Chang Ning's sleeve and left with him.

Chang Ning's figure froze for a moment, looking at the small hand on his sleeve in a bit of a daze.

Seeing that Qi Yunke was about to go entertain the guests, Yin Sulian quickly pulled Dai Fengchi to her husband's side, having him accompany her husband to meet the Wulin elders. She then gave her daughter a push, nudging her chin towards Cai Zhao and Chang Ning on the other side. Qi Lingbo understood, gritted her teeth, and followed them.

The rear hall had many side rooms. Zeng Dalou found a quiet and elegant one for Cai Zhao and the other two, instructed the servants to be ready to serve tea at any time, and then hurried out to deal with other matters.

As the saying goes, family traditions run deep. Whatever Cai Zhao learned from Cai Pingshu, Qi Lingbo learned from Yin Sulian. In less than the time it takes to drink half a cup of tea, Qi Lingbo's face was already wreathed in smiles as she went from 'Junior Sister Cai' to 'Sister Zhaozhao', and from 'little bitch meddling in other people's business' to 'it was all a misunderstanding due to youthful impulsiveness', and so on.

Unfortunately, the transition was too abrupt, and the logic of her words wasn't sorted out. Just moments ago, she had been calling her a 'little bitch' and even intended to teach her a lesson. Now, she wanted to brush it all off with a simple 'misunderstanding', which was far too insincere. It was clear that this Young Miss Qi's skill at winning over other young ladies was only one- or two-tenths of her skill at stringing along admirers.

Had it been any other hot-tempered young girl who practiced martial arts, she would have long since spat in Qi Lingbo's face. But Cai Zhao certainly wouldn't. Since childhood, she had aimed to become the general manager of the seventy-two shops in Falling Blossoms Town. For those in business, harmony begets wealth, and one should see through things without exposing them.

And so, Cai Zhao put on a smile that made it seem like she was completely at home, playing along perfectly with Young Miss Qi's narrative.

Qi Lingbo: "Speaking of which, my mother and Heroine Cai have been friends for decades. Alas, three years ago, upon suddenly hearing of her passing, my mother was so heartbroken she couldn't eat or drink her medicine, and almost fell ill from grief. That's why she couldn't come to pay her respects to your late aunt."

Cai Zhao: "Listen to you, Senior Sister. With the friendship between our two elders being as high as mountains and as deep as seas, if your mother hadn't been too sick to get out of bed, how could she not have come to Falling Blossoms Valley? How could I not know this."

Qi Lingbo (was she being too sensitive, or did she feel an underlying jab?): "My mother has been frail since birth. When she was twelve, she went to Peiqiong Mountain Manor to seek medical treatment, and that's when she formed a deep friendship with Heroine Cai. My mother often says that Heroine Cai was benevolent and righteous, chivalrous and heroic since she was a child. Everyone praised her. My mother's martial arts are weak, and she was saved by Heroine Cai many times. That's the only reason she can stand here today."

Cai Zhao: "My aunt became a disciple of Old Manor Master Zhou at Peiqiong Mountain at the age of ten. Although there were other young sisters at the manor, none of them were as clever, obedient, and understanding as your mother. She was especially, especially favored by my aunt. My mother once said that one year, when the young sisters ran into danger, your mother almost fell into the hands of the top disciple of some 'Tian' something Elder of the Demonic Cult. It forced my aunt to create a few moves of the Dragon Capturing Hand within a few days to resolve the crisis—that's a life-and-death friendship right there!"

Qi Lingbo (again feeling the jab): "...Sister Zhaozhao is absolutely right. Actually, my mother and your aunt also bickered when they were young, but didn't they later form a life-and-death friendship? It just shows that childhood squabbles and temper tantrums don't count for anything, hehe, hehe."

Cai Zhao: "Senior Sister Qi is absolutely right! Not only do childhood bickering and arguments not count for anything, but even throwing little things at each other is just playing around. No one should take it to heart."

Qi Lingbo's smile was so stiff her face hurt. "...Exactly, exactly." 'Mother, making polite conversation to win over little sisters is so tiring!'

The two girls went back and forth, their words flowing like milk and water, their sentiments in perfect harmony. It seemed they were just a moment away from exchanging hairpins and becoming sworn sisters. However, they forgot there was a third person present. Suddenly, two out-of-place 'heh heh' sounds echoed in the room, short and cold.

The two girls, Cai and Qi, turned their heads in unison toward the source of the sound.

"Junior Sister Cai can bend and stretch. A true hero," Chang Ning said with faint sarcasm, then pointed at Qi Lingbo. "Just now she called you a little bitch. You're not taking that to heart either?"

Cai Zhao smiled faintly. "It was just a trivial squabble. Why dwell on it?"

Qi Lingbo breathed a sigh of relief.

"Just now she wanted to use her numbers to bully you, to beat you up first. You're letting that go too?" Chang Ning added.

Cai Zhao said helplessly, "It's not like it happened. And even if they had, they couldn't have beaten me."

"Right, right, Junior Sister is right!" Qi Lingbo tittered nervously.

"What if they could have? What if they had given you a sound beating?" Chang Ning refused to let it go.

"Even if they could have, and even if they had given me a sound beating, it would just be a case of family fighting family. It's an internal matter of the Six Sects; we'd just let it pass." Cai Zhao said this, but in her heart, she thought, 'As if! Afterward, I'd definitely have to beat the dog heads off of everyone who bullied me, one by one.'

Qi Lingbo chimed in with high praise, "Junior Sister has such magnanimity, the true air of a hero!"

"You're too kind. Harmony brings wealth, harmony brings wealth," Cai Zhao replied in kind, the atmosphere becoming harmonious.

"What if someone insulted your aunt, Heroine Cai?" Chang Ning said suddenly.

Cai Zhao's expression turned cold.

"What if someone called Heroine Cai 'that bitch who dragged things out for a dozen years before finally dying'?" Chang Ning's tone was calm, his long eyelashes lowered. "Does Junior Sister Zhaozhao also think that's a trivial squabble, not worth dwelling on?"

Qi Lingbo shot up, pointing at Chang Ning's nose and roaring, "Don't you talk nonsense! ...Junior Sister Cai, don't listen to him! He holds a grudge against me. This is just to sow discord!"

Cai Zhao ignored her, her face devoid of any smile. "Senior Brother Chang Ning, make yourself clear."

Chang Ning said, "Three years ago, when Heroine Cai passed away, my father went to pay his respects. On the return journey, he was so overcome with grief that he fell gravely ill. We were already near Jiuli Mountain, so the accompanying Sect Master Qi brought my father to the sect to recuperate. One day, Sect Master Qi and his wife got into a fierce argument. Zeng Dalou couldn't persuade them, so he came to ask my father for help. When my father went over, he heard Madam Sulian shout, 'Everyone says Cai Pingshu fought Nie Hengcheng to a mutual ruin for the sake of the world, but that bitch dragged on for a dozen years before finally dying! And you're always telling me to be grateful. It's so annoying!'"

Qi Lingbo panicked. "Sister Zhaozhao, don't listen to this madman. How could my mother say such a thing? That's all, that's all..."

"My father wasn't the only one there. Zeng Dalou and Martial Uncle Li from the outer sect were also present," Chang Ning stated crisply.

Cai Zhao's small, fair hand on the table slowly clenched into a fist, her nails digging deep into her palm.

"My father didn't say another word. He immediately left the mountain, dragging his sick body with him." Chang Ning's eyes were like ice water, clear and cold. "Junior Sister Zhaozhao, in this world, not everyone and not everything can be settled with 'harmony brings wealth'."

The dark brown tablecloth was woven with auspicious clouds in golden thread, which glittered under the bright lights, casting a piercing white glare, like when a young Cai Zhao had discovered strands and strands of white hair at her aunt's temples. At that time, Cai Pingshu was only twenty-five.

Cai Zhao thought of Yin Qinglian, whom she had just seen. Her skin was lustrous, her hair was jet-black, she lived a life of honor and wealth, and was the wife of the master of the world's most admired sect. 'Is there really such a thing as justice in this world?'

"There are many guests today, and everyone in the sect is extremely busy. Senior Sister should go out and entertain them," Cai Zhao said with a detached expression.

"No, no, no, Sister Zhaozhao, let me explain! My mother was arguing with my father at the time. She wasn't thinking straight; it was just something that slipped out in a moment of confusion..." Qi Lingbo explained frantically.

Cai Zhao said faintly, "In this wide world, it's not that no one is allowed to speak ill of my aunt. But those who have received her kindness cannot. Speaking without thinking is not an excuse. Slipping out is not an excuse either. Senior Sister, please leave."

Qi Lingbo was furious. "You, surnamed Chang, what do you think you are! Your family met with disaster, and you came to the Qingque Sect to recover and take refuge. You should be eternally grateful and behave yourself! Now you dare to speak ill and sow discord between us, the Six Sects of Beichen. You homeless dog, do you have any shame at all! Since you look down on me so much, why do you insist on staying in our sect? If you have any guts, get out of here right now! Don't be a disgrace!"

Chang Ning sat ramrod straight, not moving an inch. "I am indeed not as concerned with face as my father, who only felt he was troubling others and never remembered the kindnesses he did for them. Since Young Miss Qi has a poor memory, I will offer a reminder or two."

"Twenty years ago, your mother, Madam Sulian, ran away in a fit of pique and was nearly assaulted by villains from the Demonic Cult. It was my father who came to her aid. Nineteen years ago, two of the three elders of Qingque were killed by the Demonic Cult. Nie Hengcheng hung up their corpses on Myriad Waters Thousand Mountains Cliff to be whipped and humiliated. No one from the Six Sects of Beichen dared to go down and challenge him. It was my father who went undercover, risking his life to bring back the elders' bodies. Sixteen years ago, when Sect Master Qi set up an inescapable net to avenge Old Sect Master Yin, my father's contributions were immense..."

With each incident Chang Ning recounted, Qi Lingbo's face grew uglier.

"And these are just the well-known ones. There were many other instances where my father contributed greatly without any fame attached." Chang Ning looked at Qi Lingbo with derision. "My father never mentioned these things, but that doesn't mean your Qingque Sect can forget them. For all these reasons, I am perfectly justified in taking refuge and recuperating within your sect."

It wasn't that Qi Lingbo didn't know these things; Qi Yunke had drilled them into his daughter's ears countless times. However, under the subtle influence of her mother, Yin Sulian, she had come to believe that the Qingque Sect was the greatest sect in the world, and it was only right for people in the Wulin to do things for the sect. Unless the Qingque Sect brought it up to show they remembered old kindness, the other party shouldn't mention it.

Chang Ning glanced at Cai Zhao and chuckled softly. "But justified or not, all that past kindness didn't stop Young Miss Qi from constantly plotting to dig out my heart's blood, did it? Junior Sister Zhaozhao, wouldn't you agree? Junior Sister, Junior Sister Zhaozhao..."

Cai Zhao turned her head to look at the lampstand, staring blankly as if lost in thought. Only after being called several times did she come to her senses. "Oh, I was just thinking about a play I heard in Falling Blossoms Town. There was a line in it: 'You shed your blood for the world, yet how many remember you now? It seems the world is full of heartless people.'"

Chang Ning smiled. "What play is that? I don't believe I've heard of it."

Cai Zhao shook her head gently. "My mother wrote that play."

Chang Ning was taken aback.

"Now I understand what Mother meant," Cai Zhao sighed softly.

Their exchange, with every sentence implicitly pointing to Yin Sulian's ingratitude, was more than Qi Lingbo could bear. She shot to her feet, her beautiful eyes blazing with fury. "...You, you two just wait!" She kicked over the round stool and stormed out of the room.