By the time Nanxi and Zhang Yiwei returned to the Zhang mansion, the bright moon had long hung high in the sky.
The entire estate was dark, without a single light or sound of voices.
Only scattered fireflies drifted through the bamboo grove around Listening Bamboo Pavilion, casting faint yellow glows.
Nanxi’s tolerance for alcohol was poor.
He had merely taken a small cup in the excitement of the meal, yet his face was flushed red, and he had succumbed to drunkenness.
Zhang Yiwei had carried him back to Listening Bamboo Pavilion herself.
She had intended to take advantage of his intoxication to hold him properly through the night, but before she could even loosen her clothes—
A chill wind suddenly pierced through the doors and windows, making Zhang Yiwei shiver.
This was already mid-spring, with mild weather—such a cold gust should not exist.
There was only one possibility.
“Master Shuang, why resort to this? If you are dissatisfied with my actions, just say it plainly.”
The newcomer was none other than Shuang Feixue. Over these two years, she had lived like a rat in the sewers, handling dirty tasks in the shadows.
Only in the dead of night did she dare emerge to see her disciple.
“Hmph. If you dare touch him again, I’ll cut off those filthy paws of yours.”
Shuang Feixue’s face was like frost, her tone calm, yet her words carried pure, refined killing intent.
“Fine, fine, fine. Then I won’t disturb Master Shuang’s reunion with Brother Xi.”
With that, Zhang Yiwei turned to leave, but before she reached the door, Shuang Feixue stopped her.
“Stop. Did I say you could go?”
“Ah, this… I truly don’t know what you mean, Master.”
Zhang Yiwei froze in place. Though her expression remained unchanged, fear stirred in her heart.
She sensed that this older woman might actually strike—and without martial skills herself, any fight would bring only harm.
“Do you know? Today, you stirred up major trouble.”
At these words, a trace of anger appeared on the elegant woman’s face.
Seeing Shuang Feixue—who always remained unflappable—show such an expression, Zhang Yiwei was slightly startled.
Connecting it to the day’s events, she immediately thought of the overly enthusiastic proprietress of Eight Treasures Pavilion.
“Could it be that wanton woman from today?”
“Yes.”
Shuang Feixue nodded faintly, then spoke with a hint of headache.
“If I hadn’t followed you today, I might not have known she had already found her way here.”
“To make even you wary—what exactly is she?”
Zhang Yiwei’s brows furrowed tightly at this.
Anyone who could trouble the strongest under heaven was no one to underestimate.
In response to her doubt, Shuang Feixue continued.
“This woman has appeared in the Central Plains jianghu for hundreds of years. Her background and true name are completely unknown. Aside from herself, no one in the current jianghu likely knows. Those aware of her existence generally call her Madam Xuanji or Red Snake Sword.”
Pausing briefly, Shuang Feixue went on.
“The origin of ‘Xuanji’ is unclear now. She’s called Red Snake Sword because she wields a chain sword, entirely vermilion and highly poisonous. Combined with her ruthless and vicious nature, she’s like a venomous serpent—hence the infamous title.”
Hearing this, Zhang Yiwei broke into a cold sweat.
A person who had lived for centuries—did the legendary arts of immortality truly exist?
“If this is true, then she’s far beyond just troublesome. Do you know more, Master? For example, has she really lived for centuries?”
Shuang Feixue shook her head.
That was all she knew about Red Snake Sword.
Seeing the shake of her head, Zhang Yiwei’s heart sank halfway.
This was a completely unknown opponent of profound strength.
“Though her origins are unclear, I do understand her martial prowess and purpose.”
“Compared to you?”
“Far superior. I couldn’t last a hundred moves against her.”
Decisively, Shuang Feixue gave a clear answer.
“Then what is her purpose?”
“…”
Shuang Feixue lowered her head and fell silent, her gaze shifting from Zhang Yiwei to the boy sleeping soundly on the bed.
“Is there any way out?”
“I’ll hold her off with my life. You take the child and run—as far as possible.”
“No other options?”
“None.”
The woman once hailed as a prodigy from childhood lost all strength.
Her face filled with despair as she collapsed to the floor.
“But why? Why exactly is she pursuing Nanxi?”
“Because this child is an immortal from the heavens, not a mortal like us on earth.”
“What did you say, Master? I couldn’t have heard that right.”
Even in such circumstances, no ripple crossed Shuang Feixue’s face. She simply replied to Zhang Yiwei.
“You heard correctly. This child is no ordinary human. He was entrusted to me by an immortal.”
The elegant woman used inner force to shift two nearby chairs closer.
She pulled Zhang Yiwei up from the floor and seated her in one, then took the other herself.
“This story goes back far—thirteen years ago, the year before I left my sect. I had just turned nineteen and claimed the title of strongest under heaven. Arrogant and proud, I looked down on everyone.”
“Around then, a rumor spread in jianghu about a treasure. It was said that during the Great Xia dynasty, when the Xiongnu withdrew from the Qilian Mountains, they couldn’t take all their plundered wealth, so they hid the remainder in a place where heaven and earth converged”
It was just one of many jianghu legends—few paid it heed—until one day, a gravely wounded woman returned from the Qilian Mountains.
Covered in gold, silver, and jewels, she kept muttering about the mountains and treasure before dying from her injuries.
“This sparked a frenzy in jianghu.Countless wanderers rushed to the Qilian Mountains.All the renowned heroes went, including me—who had just won the title of strongest under heaven.”
At this point, the light in Shuang Feixue’s eyes dimmed unconsciously.
“I wasn’t after the treasure. Back then, I just wanted greater fame and vanity. So I went. Five junior sisters accompanied me—they relied on me. We had grown up together, closer than blood, all direct disciples of the sect leader. I was second eldest; above me was one senior sister, now the Daoist sect leader.”
In the end, all five of my junior sisters died there—in the Qilian Mountains.
The treasure existed, but no one mentioned the ferocious beast guarding it.
A creature with a tiger’s body, human face, and wings on its back—called Qiongqi.
Neither inner force nor weapons could harm it.
It casually slaughtered those famous jianghu heroes, toying with their corpses.
“I should have died there too, but they saved their overbearing senior sister. They themselves left not even a fragment of bone.”