Upon receiving the scout’s report, Lin Yan hurriedly led a group of troops to surround the Heavenly Realm’s Taizhen Daoist Temple in the Capital City.
The Taizhen Daoist Temple was one of the three temples and seven shrines of the Capital City, though it had long remained obscure, attracting only a handful of worshippers. Layers of green bamboo surrounded its mountain gate, rendering the entire temple exceptionally concealed.
"Unless something unexpected happens, Wu Qingsheng and that group of astrologer Taoists should be inside."
"Did you see the people inside?"
"I saw a few Taoists walk out, and also saw Wu Qingsheng enter inside."
"Good, send two scouts to scout the path."
Having received the scout’s confirmation, Lin Yan felt assured, turning to Chen Yi:
"For this matter... Chen Qianhu’s contributions have truly been indispensable."
"Since that’s the case, let’s proceed."
As he spoke, Chen Yi dismounted first, while Lin Yan waved his hand, signaling a group of Lin Family experts to follow closely behind him.
Step by step, the group ascended the mountain gate’s stairs. Chen Yi was acutely aware that the Lin Family experts were closing the distance between themselves and him, while Lin Yan moved farther and farther away from him.
When they reached the main door of the temple, Lin Yan stopped in his tracks.
Chen Yi stopped as well, speaking slowly:
"I once believed that Brother Lin was a man of loyalty and righteousness. Yet, it seems I was mistaken; even you would commit the act of self-destruction, like a treacherous empress dismantling her own walls."
Lin Yan first showed surprise, but then his expression darkened as he sneered:
"If it weren’t for Brother Chen’s insatiable greed, I would have considered keeping you around a while longer."
Chen Yi placed his hand on the hilt of his sword, causing the surrounding Lin Family experts to momentarily pause.
"Not only do you aim to coerce the Empress Dowager, but also seek to usurp the Praying Place’s merit offerings. And now, you wish to eliminate all uncertainties by silencing the loyal dogs after their usefulness ends. Three tasks in one day—truly, the insatiably greedy one is you."
Lin Yan burst into laughter,
"Chen Qianhu, I used to think you were just a climber reaching for my Lin Family’s high branch. But now, I must admit I have some admiration for you. Nevertheless, admiration is one thing—I cannot let you live. The Prince Mansion wants you dead, and so do I. Only then can the grand scheme fall into place."
Hearing Lin Yan’s words, Chen Yi narrowed his eyes.
It seemed Lin Yan had bypassed him and his father, secretly aligning with the Prince Mansion.
The Prince Mansion, being the backers of the Ding’an faction, were supposed to be mortal enemies with the Lin Family. Yet, the prime minister’s case had once again brought them to cooperation, casting the Empress Dowager as their common adversary.
Now, in pursuit of a decisive outcome, Lin Yan planned to eliminate the opportunistic Chen Yi and erase the last trace of uncertainty.
"Is this... really how you wish to extinguish your own flame?" Chen Yi asked blandly.
"The scout has confirmed repeatedly that everyone is inside. At this critical juncture, why bother pretending?"
Lin Yan chuckled as he gestured for the Lin Family’s experts to step forward.
Suddenly, a scream pierced through from inside the temple.
"It’s a trap! They’re all West Factory spies!"
Lin Yan froze in shock.
From within the temple, a group clad in gray-black official uniforms—the secret enforcers of the West Factory—emerged. Each wielded a crossbow in one hand and a Crossbow Blade in the other, releasing a torrential rain of arrows under Wu Qingsheng’s command that blotted out the sky over the bamboo forest.
The Lin Family’s experts scrambled to shield Lin Yan.
At this moment, Chen Yi dashed into the depths of the bamboo grove.
As he sprinted through the bamboo forest, thoughts raced through Chen Yi’s mind.
The appearance of West Factory operatives in the Taizhen Temple was not a coincidence. Chen Yi knew full well that it was because of Min Ning.
Initially, Chen Yi hadn’t been aware that Wu Qingsheng had been captured. His original plan was to persuade Wu Qingsheng to dominate the West Factory using Min Ning’s authority token.
When he later learned Wu Qingsheng was imprisoned in the dungeon, his heart sank. Still, he convinced Lin Yan to deliberately release Wu Qingsheng, setting the plan back on its course.
Having cleared the Heavenly Realm, Chen Yi was undoubtedly aware of the existence of the two Spring-Autumn Records—Upper and Lower volumes. He merely feigned ignorance before Lin Yan, creating an illusion for Lin Yan that everything was under control.
The crux of the plan lay with Min Ning.
If Min Ning had failed to reach the West Factory or encountered any obstacles along the way, everything would have been for naught.
Fortunately... it seemed Min Ning had successfully arrived at the West Factory, untouched by challenges on her journey.
Chen Yi was unaware that, earlier, Min Ning had encountered the White-clothed Swordsman Xue Chengdong in an alleyway and slain him by sheer chance.
After capturing Yin Weiyin, she rushed urgently toward the West Factory.
Initially, Wu Qingsheng intended to lead the West Factory operatives to protect the astrologer Taoists guarding the Lower Volume of the Spring-Autumn Records. But Min Ning’s sudden arrival altered everything.
Now, with the Lower Volume still in play, and Lin Family’s fifth-grade experts hesitant to act recklessly, Chen Yi needed only to return to the Eastern Factory promptly to bring reinforcements and execute a pincer attack on Lin Yan.
Peeling back the bamboo leaves, Chen Yi had already reached halfway up the mountain slope when he abruptly sensed something amiss and froze.
A cold glint sliced through the air.
The yellowing green bamboo snapped with a crisp sound and toppled.
The blade’s force had just missed Chen Yi’s neck by barely a foot!
"The oil-seller’s wife combs her hair with water; the meat-seller’s son gnaws his bone..."
Yu Xu, carrying his blade, emerged from the shadows of the bamboo forest, singing.
Chen Yi spoke without emotion:
"The life-seller hero shall lose his head?"
Yu Xu erupted into hearty laughter.
After laughing, he said, "We are both heroes selling our lives. Today, I take your head; tomorrow, you take mine. Who knows which strike will be our end?"
Chen Yi pondered for a moment before responding: "I thought we had some camaraderie."
"You killed my disciple." Yu Xu stroked his beard and sighed. "When the White Willow Sect was exterminated by the Qin Family’s spears, I failed to avenge them and didn’t dare to die either. I lived on, trembling with fear of my enemies returning, only to muster the courage twenty years later to take in one disciple."
After finishing, he gripped his Ring Head Knife tightly—the blade newly forged, with an ink-black surface inscribed with the words "Lu Wang drums his blade, meeting Zhou Wen at his rise." Its lettering was bold, its cold gleam sharp, and its murderous aura fierce.
"You should seek out the Prince Mansion, not me," Chen Yi said.
"The Prince Mansion promised to find me another disciple later."
"I agreed verbally, but after I kill you, I’ll move on to kill them."
Yu Xu shook his head with a smile,
"Once Huang Liuqing died, I stopped taking disciples. I’m nearly sixty now, too old to teach bladecraft, without the ambition anymore."
Chen Yi gripped the hilt of his sword, drawing out the Brocade Spring Blade inch by inch, its cold gleam glinting as it emerged from the sheath.
He noticed that the Yu Xu before him had reached a higher state than in their last encounter.
Once a renowned figure, Yu Xu observed the drawn Brocade Spring Blade.
"I’ve defeated the Brocade Spring Blade before,"
Yu Xu patted his own scabbard,
"Its owner could never wield another sword again."
Chen Yi replied simply:
"You won’t defeat mine."
The chill wind wailed; bamboo leaves danced like ghostly cries, seeming to sing Jianghu’s ballad,
The oil-seller’s wife combs her hair with water; the meat-seller’s son gnaws his bone...
The life-seller hero shall lose his head!