Chapter 061
Chapter 61: Nine Yin Profound Fiend Art
“Granny Rong, why did you follow me?”
Cang Yu Ning was clearly surprised to see who had arrived. The old crone simply shook her head and replied, “This is not the time for questions. This girl’s identity is complicated, and now that she knows about Young Master’s deeds, we must inform Young Miss immediately. Only then can this matter be handled properly.”
With that, she grabbed Guan Shan Xue and swiftly leaped down from the treetop. She added, “We’ve already made quite a disturbance. Young Master, please quickly leave here with this old servant.”
Hearing this, Cang Yu Ning frowned slightly but nodded. He glanced at the woman lying on the bed behind him, swiftly stepped forward, rolled her up securely in the quilt with one hand, hoisted her onto his shoulder, and leaped from the room.
The old crone gave him a silent glance but did not speak further, bounding ahead gracefully to scout the way while Cang Yu Ning followed close behind.
They encountered no trouble on their return and entered Marquis Cang Yuan’s mansion without alerting any servants. They went directly to a courtyard filled with strange and wondrous flowers.
“Young Miss,” the old crone softly called.
Immediately, the darkened room in the courtyard brightened, and a woman’s voice came from within, “Enter first, then speak.”
At that, Cang Yu Ning and the old crone hurried inside and firmly shut the door behind them.
…
At that very moment, Cang Yin Yue, using only a hairpin, finally opened all the heavy locks on the iron gate, escaping from the hidden chamber at last.
She quickly glanced around, orienting herself within the manor, and immediately activated her Ling Cang Shadow Art, her figure transforming into a dark shadow as she sped silently toward a certain part of the Marquis’ mansion.
Before long, she arrived at Marquis Cang Yuan’s study.
The study before her was pristine, books and paintings neatly arranged. Cang Yin Yue knew very well that her father was a man driven by ambition, eager for reputation and luxury, pretending to be cultured. His study was filled with all kinds of treasures: fine stationery, expensive calligraphy, and paintings from renowned masters. Yet, Marquis Cang Yuan disliked reading, writing, or painting, rarely stepping foot in the study at all.
But Cang Yin Yue knew this study hid secrets.
When she was young, she once secretly saw her father mysteriously vanish inside this very room.
Now, she moved toward a wooden cabinet filled with ancient porcelain and treasures. Her fingers ran gently along its edges, seeking the hidden entrance.
Since Marquis Cang Yuan had married that wicked woman, he had become a registered disciple of the Tai Yin Primordial Sect. Although his martial talent was limited, he still learned every martial skill available. That included the sinister Bone Eroding Yin Wind Finger. It was likely he had studied it and possibly hidden the manual in this secret room.
After searching for some time, Cang Yin Yue’s eyes suddenly lit up. Her finger brushed against a hidden mechanism, and she sent a wave of Qi into it.
Instantly, the wall behind the cabinet slowly slid open, revealing a narrow tunnel just wide enough for one person.
A joyful expression crossed Cang Yin Yue’s face. Immediately, she transformed into a shadow and slipped silently inside.
After Cang Yin Yue left, the study fell into silence. Moments later, a middle-aged figure slowly emerged from a shadowy corner.
The man wore a luxurious purple brocade robe and a jade crown upon his neatly arranged, half-white hair. He stared thoughtfully at the secret passage where Cang Yin Yue had disappeared, an eerie smile appearing on his somewhat aged face.
…
Within a candlelit chamber, Cang Yu Ning and the old crone stood side by side. The woman wrapped tightly in the quilt and Guan Shan Xue lay on the fine carpet before them.
Marquis Cang Yuan’s First Madam, Zhu Feng Lan, sat cross-legged upon her bed. Two maids in purple stood respectfully by her side. The luxurious carpet beneath was exquisite, and at the center stood a golden incense burner. From it rose pale white smoke, carrying neither heat nor fragrance. Instead, it released a chilling coldness, making the room notably colder than outside.
Zhu Feng Lan had a rounded, fair face, and though middle-aged, she bore only faint wrinkles at the corners of her eyes. She gazed coldly at Cang Yu Ning and spoke sternly:
“I warned you repeatedly not to cultivate that Evil Technique, yet you refused to listen. If I hadn’t ordered Granny Rong to follow you tonight, how would you have resolved this?”
Cang Yu Ning lowered his head, yet showed no regret. He replied calmly, “It was indeed my mistake. But Mother should understand clearly—the Earth Scroll of the Tai Yin True Classic can no longer satisfy my ambitions. Since the Tai Yin Primordial Sect refuses to teach me the Heaven Scroll, I had no choice but to seek other methods.”
Because of his mother’s connections, Cang Yu Ning had been accepted as a disciple of the Tai Yin Primordial Sect from a young age. The sect was one of the Martial World’s Four Great Sects, highly revered, and countless martial artists sought desperately to join. Naturally, Cang Yu Ning was proud of his membership.
His martial talent was quite good; at a young age, he had already reached the Grandmaster Stage, making him exceptional among the younger generation in the sect. Yet, compared to the most outstanding disciples of the Tai Yin Primordial Sect, he still fell short. This prevented him from becoming a core disciple.
The Tai Yin True Classic was the sect’s greatest treasure, divided into Heaven, Earth, and Human Scrolls. The Heaven Scroll was the most profound, the true essence of the Tai Yin Classic, and only the very best disciples could cultivate it. The Earth and Human Scrolls had been simplified by past martial masters, adapted to disciples of varying talents. This ensured the Tai Yin True Classic would never spread beyond the sect’s control.
Unable to attain the Heaven Scroll, Cang Yu Ning had instead chosen the dark Nine Yin Profound Fiend Art from the sect’s hidden library. According to the elders, this art was as powerful as the Tai Yin True Classic, but it could easily lead practitioners astray unless their hearts and wills were exceedingly strong.
Initially confident, Cang Yu Ning soon encountered trouble. The flames of lust began to overwhelm him, forcing him to absorb Yin essence from women to suppress it. Thus, he became a notorious flower thief.
Surprisingly, this sinister method greatly accelerated his martial growth. His cultivation advanced far quicker than before. In a short time, he nearly reached the half-step Great Grandmaster Stage, surpassing even the progress of martial prodigies from the sect. Thus, he sank deeper into this practice.
Tonight’s incident in Shang Yang City was not his first crime. He had committed similar offenses many times in other places, never caught. He simply had never expected Guan Shan Xue to catch him tonight.