Chapter 450: Lust Clouds the Mind, Ignorant of Heaven

The four men at the same table soon noticed Cai Shiqing’s gaze; following the direction of his eyes, they too spotted the woman seated by the window ahead.

But upon noticing her, they immediately frowned.

One of them lowered his voice and warned Cai Shiqing: “My lord, that woman seems… unusual.”

The other three said nothing but nodded in agreement.

All four of them were just above 40 Zong in strength; yet this woman had silently taken a seat on the top floor without them sensing a thing, and now they could detect no trace of her qi or vitality—clearly, her power was formidable.

If even they were this stunned, how much more so Cai Shiqing, the strongest among them?

In his usual temperament, he would have stormed over by now; the fact that he had merely stared at her so long without moving proved he recognized her exceptional nature.

The lust in his eyes grew heavier, eventually overwhelming his reason; he gave a subtle glance to the other four.

The four servants knew their master’s nature best; upon receiving his signal, they instantly understood and stood up at once.

They left their table and walked straight toward the white-robed woman.

“Madam, may we ask—”

Cai Wan, the strongest among them, stepped forward first to speak.

Tap-tap-tap…

But as soon as he opened his mouth, a rapid clatter of footsteps ascending the stairs interrupted him.

Five burly officers, clad in black-and-gold battle armor, carrying powerful bows and wielding various blades, rushed up from below; seeing Cai Wan and the others standing before the woman, they sharply frowned but said nothing, instead swiftly approaching her.

“We pay our respects, Lady!”

The five bowed deeply before her; then the young leader, wielding a massive double-bladed axe, stepped forward and clasped his fists: “Your servant Yuan Cheng reports, Lady. All fifteen hundred soldiers scattered across the city have been assembled and have surrounded the entire inner district—awaiting only your command!”

“Good. Wait here for now. Let the camp fight a while longer—I’ve sent Xiang Fuhai to scout the Lord’s Hall. We’ll decide after he returns. Strange… Duan Hong still hasn’t shown himself…”

The white-robed woman fell silent for a moment, then slightly lifted her head. First, she glanced coldly at Cai Wan and the others, then turned her gaze to Cai Shiqing behind them; above her veil, her beautiful eyes flickered with a chill.

Cai Wan and the other three, along with Cai Shiqing seated behind them, were now frozen in shock.

Precisely speaking, from the moment those five burly officers stepped onto the floor, their expressions had instantly changed.

Cai Wan and the others were stunned because among the newcomers, only the middle-aged officer at the rear, holding a long staff, was discernible in strength.

Even that middle-aged officer, discernible to them, had a strength of 40 Zong—nearly equal to theirs.

That meant the other four were stronger still.

And crucially, all five had bowed respectfully to the white-robed woman.

What did that mean?

Cai Shiqing’s face grew even more grim—he, at 48 Zong, saw far more than Cai Wan and the others.

Aside from the 40 Zong middle-aged staff-wielder, the strongest among the remaining four was Yuan Cheng, appearing barely thirty, yet his power surpassed Cai Shiqing’s—estimated at least 50 Zong; the next two, both wielding long swords and of similar age to Yuan Cheng, had strengths of 48 Zong and 45 Zong respectively; the fourth, carrying a long saber, looked even younger than the first three, yet still possessed 43 Zong.

Of course, strength was secondary; the true reason Cai Shiqing’s face darkened was the posture of reverence these five showed toward the white-robed woman, and Yuan Cheng’s words just now.

All fifteen hundred soldiers scattered across the city have been assembled;

and have surrounded the entire inner district;

awaiting only your command…

What did that mean?

Cai Shiqing had too little information; from these fragments alone, he could deduce nothing useful—he only sensed, faintly, that the coup arranged by the Young Master had taken a new turn.

Yes—a new turn!

Cai Shiqing had been fully involved in the coup arranged by Young Master Cai Shiqi; he knew the original plan inside out.

The six thousand Garrison Troops just now? That was outside the plan—Mu Qinghe hadn’t warned them. Then Mu Longhe’s appearance? Same. Now this new army had appeared…

Cai Shiqing frowned, mentally replaying every detail; just as he was about to reach a conclusion, another figure quietly appeared on the top floor.

It was an elderly man in black, his hair as white as snow, holding a long silver staff adorned with a panchi pattern.

Though his hair was white, his eyes burned bright, his spirit vigorous; without any visible motion, the next instant he stood before the white-robed woman, bowing low: “Old man pays his respects, Lady. As you predicted, Duan Hong was indeed trapped by Young Master Cai Qiu—but judging by the golden barrier, it won’t last long; Duan Hong will break free within fifteen minutes!”

“Who are you, to dare interfere in Cai Qiu’s affairs?”

Hearing this, Cai Shiqing could no longer sit still.

Even though he recognized the black-robed elder’s Xianyang-level cultivation, he held no respect for such a cultivator from this backwater of the Nine Towns; he rose instantly and roared a challenge.

This outburst immediately drew the attention of the white-robed woman, the black-robed elder, and the five armored officers—all turned to him with hostile expressions.

“He’s the Cai Qiu man who goes around selecting concubines, isn’t he?”

Li Xuanling hadn’t come to this tavern by accident; she glanced at Cai Shiqing once, then immediately looked away, asking Yuan Cheng and the others in a flat tone.

Though Yuan Cheng, Qiu Peng, Xu Ning, Liu Yuan, and Hou Quan had lain in wait in Chuishan Town for over two months, intelligence gathering had always been Qiu Peng’s duty; all four immediately turned their gazes to him.

Qiu Peng glanced at Cai Shiqing, instantly realizing this fool had offended Li Xuanling; he quickly bowed and said: “My Lady, this man is Cai Shiqing. He is lustful by nature; he has forcibly taken women from villages in Jinshan, Wuchuan, and other towns, using violence to satisfy his desires—over three hundred victims in total.

He is believed to be a member of the Cai clan, though a collateral branch; since Cai Shiqi arrived last August, he has somewhat restrained himself. His status within Cai Qiu is far below Cai Shiqi’s…”

“You lowly dog, how dare you—”

Exposed and humiliated, Cai Shiqing’s face flushed and paled in turns; hearing Qiu Peng say his status was far beneath Cai Shiqi’s, he could no longer contain his rage—he drew his sword and cut him off.

Shhh…

But before he could finish speaking, a chopstick flew from Li Xuanling’s hand and pierced his throat.

Cai Shiqing froze. His Yuhán-level vitality kept him from collapsing immediately; he stared at Li Xuanling, who had thrown the chopstick, his face filled with disbelief. He even raised a trembling finger toward her:

“You… how… dare… you… you…”

Kill me?

In this backwater of the Nine Towns, someone dared kill him?

How could this be…

Until the very moment his vitality vanished, Cai Shiqing’s pupils remained wide with confusion and disbelief—he was a Cai clan scion, with a bright future ahead—how could he die in a place like the Nine Towns?

Cai Wan and the other three standing beside Li Xuanling were utterly stunned.

They had never imagined Li Xuanling would kill Cai Shiqing without even asking a question.

“Killing a Cai clan scion? Killing a Cai clan scion? How dare you? How dare you…”

Cai Wan seemed shattered by the scene; he lunged to Cai Shiqing’s side, saw the lifeless body, then whirled on Li Xuanling, shouting accusations.

“Killing a Cai clan scion is a capital crime in Cai Qiu! No matter where you come from, you’ve brought disaster upon yourselves—you’ve brought disaster—”

“Enough. These four aided evil—they’re no better. Xiang Lao, kill them all. Prepare their heads; let that Cai Qiu Young Master see them.”

Li Xuanling didn’t bother listening to Cai Wan; she gave Xiang Fuhai a direct order.

Xiang Fuhai moved at once. Four 40 Zong Yuhán-level cultivators—he didn’t even bother with his staff; his form flashed four times, and before Cai Wan and the others could even break through the window, he crushed them with his palms.

Merely from the look in Cai Shiqing’s eyes when he first appeared on the top floor, Li Xuanling had already sentenced all five to death.

This Cai Shiqing dared lust after a woman whose strength towered over his own—this confirmed the intelligence returned by Han Feng, Li Hu, and Yang Zhong from Jinshan Town.

This man was utterly consumed by lust; using his strength, he selected concubines from village outposts, and even in Jinshan and Wuchuan, he didn’t hesitate to bully women and seize them by force. Last July, when he came to Muyin Town, he even tried to forcibly take Murong the Sinking’s granddaughter, Murong Yan, as his second wife; Murong the Sinking had spent over a month evading him—only when Cai Shiqi arrived did Cai Shiqing finally relent.

Though he relented, he still left a threat: he vowed to marry Murong Yan. Left with no choice, Murong the Sinking sent his granddaughter and all young women of his clan to Xia Cheng for safety.

Such a man—how could he possibly survive when he met her?

Seeing Yuan Cheng already decapitate Cai Shiqing and the others, Li Xuanling’s veil lifted slightly into a cold smile; then she sensed something and suddenly turned toward the camp outside the window.

“Stop! All of you, cease at once!”

Duan Hong’s voice came from the direction of the Lord’s Hall; Li Xuanling’s eyes flashed with cold light.

“He’s here. Xiang Lao, come with me. Liu Yuan, Hou Quan—you take the Cloud Dragon and Long Wu Armies and move directly into the camp to finish it. Yuan Cheng, Xu Ning, Qiu Peng—you take the rest of the army and surround the entire inner city—no one escapes.”

“Your servants obey!”

Yuan Cheng and the five stiffened, bowed quickly, then looked up—only to find Li Xuanling and Xiang Fuhai had vanished.

Without hesitation, they leapt from the windowsill and scattered across the inner city, beginning to command their troops.

………………

When Duan Hong finally broke free from the side hall and flew into the air, seeing the state of the camp, he froze in shock.

His original plan: Mu Qinghe could mobilize at most three thousand men; the Yellow Armor First and Second Armies, plus his own clan’s youths, totaled another three thousand—equal in numbers and cultivation, defeat was impossible. Then, once the three thousand Beishuo soldiers from the Duan clan’s ancestral lands moved out, Mu’s coup would collapse instantly.

But now, standing and lying in the camp—even just a rough estimate—there were nearly twenty thousand.

Twenty thousand!

Where had so many Yuhán-level cultivators come from in Chuishan Town?

Seeing the Garrison Troops, he instantly realized they’d used some special method—but he had no time to ponder the details.

Because the ground was littered with too many dead.

A quick glance showed at least six or seven thousand fallen.

Of the ten thousand still fighting, Duan and Beishuo forces together numbered barely five thousand; Mu’s side, by contrast, had at least seven or eight thousand.

“Mu Longhe’s wound healed long ago—so Mu Qinghe’s true strength isn’t Cai Shiqi, but Mu Longhe; Mu Qinghe recalled part of the Garrison Troops from outside the town and used a special method to let them move during daylight; the Beishuo soldiers didn’t intervene at first because they waited until the battle began before revealing themselves…”

Duan Hong’s face shifted rapidly; in an instant, he pieced together the entire sequence. Finally, he looked at Mu Longhe—and his expression froze, horror rising on his face.

Great Xia had joined this coup.

As Lord of Chuishan, Duan Hong’s voice carried weight; his roar had halted the battle. Everyone paused, looking up at him.

Only the fight between Yang Fa and Mu Longhe in midair continued.

“To seize power, you’ve turned brother against brother, causing countless deaths. Mu Longhe, do you truly wish to destroy Chuishan’s hundred-year legacy?”

Seeing the troops below cease fighting, Duan Hong turned his fury on Mu Longhe in midair: “You betrayed your lord, gone mad with ambition—what did Great Xia offer you?”

“Pah!”

Mu Longhe had been dominating his duel with Yang Fa; hearing Duan Hong’s accusation, he broke off the fight, hovering in midair to glare at Duan Hong: “You brat, when I teamed up with your father to build Chuishan’s legacy, you weren’t even born. How dare you speak of ‘hundred-year legacy’?

I left this town less than two years ago, and you’ve purged loyalists, suppressed the Mu clan, altered military structure, appointed only your favorites, turned Chuishan into a den of resentment—and worse, you allowed Beishuo soldiers to sneak into the city and hide in your Duan ancestral grounds. If your elder brother Duan Zhao were alive, he’d strike you down with lightning for this filial disgrace!

I thought your alliance with the Yang clan was merely to leverage Beishuo’s strength for Chuishan’s growth. Now I see—you’re too blind to grasp any grand vision. All you care about is groveling before your master!”

I truly misjudged you—I should never have agreed to the former lord’s request and helped you ascend to this throne. You are utterly unworthy to be Lord of Chuishan!

…………

After Mu Longhe’s accusations, Duan Hong’s entire face turned a deep purplish-red, especially when Mu directly declared him unworthy to be Lord of Chuishan—essentially trampling his face into the mud.

He had intended to smear Mu Longhe by questioning what the Great Xia had offered him, but he forgot: the moment the Beishuo Army revealed itself, he and the entire Duan clan had already become utterly disgraced.

Coupled with the past two years of Duan Hong and the Duan clan’s countless tyrannical acts, Mu Longhe’s words now ignited the long-suppressed fury of every person in Chuishan below.

They were already the dominant side; from the moment Mu Longhe appeared, they no longer saw their actions as a treasonous coup, but as a righteous defense of Chuishan.

Mu Longhe’s denunciation of Lord Duan Hong now further confirmed the legitimacy and righteousness of their defense of Chuishan.

Mu Qinghe and the other Mu clan direct descendants instantly surged with renewed fervor.

“The Military Chief is right—Duan Hong is utterly unworthy to be our Lord of Chuishan!”

“Three thousand Beishuo troops were hidden within the Duan clan’s ancestral grounds! Duan Hong and the Duan clan meant to sell Chuishan to Beishuo—they can’t deny it! Brothers, only the Military Chief and we can defend Chuishan! Kill!”

“Drive every Beishuo soldier out of Chuishan—Chuishan belongs to us!”

“Only the Military Chief is worthy to be Lord of Chuishan!”

“Brothers, keep killing!”

………………

The manifestation of this heightened emotion was the battlefield’s shifting tide.

Duan Hong’s face flickered between pale and dark as he struggled to formulate a rebuttal to Mu Longhe, when below, Mu Qinghe had already led the army to resume battle. The already demoralized Duan clan loyalists and Beishuo troops were steadily being driven northward out of the camp, retreating toward the Lord’s Hall.

“If this continues, defeat is certain!”

Duan Hong and Yang Fa exchanged a glance, instantly reaching an unspoken understanding; their eyes both turned toward Mu Longhe.

“Hahahaha! I never expected the Mu clan still had such a trick up their sleeve!”

Just as Duan Hong and Yang Fa prepared to act, a loud, gleeful laugh suddenly rang out from the rooftop of a building below.

All three looked down and saw over forty figures standing densely atop a structure at the camp’s perimeter—their leader, clad in green robes, was Cai Shiqi, who had just trapped Duan Hong in the side hall.

Cai Shiqi, who had just led his men from the side hall, watched the Mu clan gaining overwhelming advantage, about to drive the Beishuo forces and Duan clan out of the camp entirely, his laughter brimming with triumph.

Sensing the three above watching him, he showed no fear. First, he bowed slightly upward to Mu Longhe, his eyes filled with approval and praise, then turned to face Duan Hong and Yang Fa.

Seeing Cai Shiqi’s gaze, Mu Longhe looked puzzled—but quickly understood, his expression turning strange.

He said nothing, merely slightly retracted his twin swords, watching Cai Shiqi with keen interest, eager to hear what he would say to Duan Hong.

True to form, Cai Shiqi spoke at once.

“Lord Duan, the situation is beyond repair. You might as well accept the terms I proposed earlier: if Chuishan severs ties with Beishuo, I guarantee this coup will cease immediately!”

Upon hearing this, Duan Hong’s brow twitched violently. Looking down at Cai Shiqi’s confident grin, he felt a wave of bewildered absurdity.

Yang Fa, who had just been battling Mu Longhe, looked utterly defeated—he never imagined that even now, this Caiqiu prince still believed this coup was his own doing.

“Very well! I accept all the terms you proposed earlier, Prince Cai. Please step forward and halt this bloodshed!”

“Hahahaha! Excellent! Lord Duan, you truly understand the times!”

Seeing Duan Hong finally yield, Cai Shiqi’s pride swelled. He laughed twice, then turned and shouted toward Mu Qinghe, who was nearly driving the enemy out of the northern camp: “Mu Qinghe, cease hostilities!”

Unfortunately, the frontmost Mu Qinghe didn’t even turn his head—he didn’t obey.

“Brothers, Beishuo is on the verge of collapse! Charge forward with me—”

In fact, Mu Qinghe fought even more fiercely.

“Mu Qinghe, what are you doing? Stop now!”

“Mu Qinghe, Zhu Ziying, Helian Shan—have you all turned traitor?”

………………

After shouting three or four times, even Cai Shiqi realized something was wrong.

His expression froze. He turned to Mu Longhe in midair, convinced he’d found the root of the problem, and barked: “Mu Longhe, order them to stop!”

“Ignorant brat, unaware of heaven’s height and earth’s depth! Do you truly believe your title as Prince of Caiqiu, plus fifty-odd Yuhan-level cultivators, can make these people die for you? Foolish!”

Mu Longhe, over a hundred and thirty years old, had endured being addressed by name by this brat—but now being ordered around like a servant? This Chuishan coup had already soured his mood; now, his temper erupted, and he roared back without restraint.

Cai Shiqi’s expression instantly stiffened.

After the stiffness, his face twisted into shock, then disbelief.

“How dare you speak to me—”

“Someone!”

Before Cai Shiqi could finish, the sky erupted in sudden chaos.

The chaos began with Duan Hong’s cry of alarm.

A silver blade, dozens of meters long, erupted from the ground—its surge perfectly synchronized with Duan Hong’s scream—its blinding light instantly lashed toward his face.

Yang Fa’s brow twitched violently; he instantly understood. He snatched up his long spear, trying to block the blade for Duan Hong.

But before he could raise it, two blades struck from directly ahead—Mu Longhe, who had just been speaking to Cai Shiqi.

“Great Xia intends to kill Duan Hong!”