Chapter 223
Chapter 223: Hundred Refinement Peak
On the rooftop of the Hundred Fragrance Pavilion, Li Mu Sheng glanced down briefly and saw the riders dispatched by the silver-haired elder swiftly departing. He nodded lightly to himself, murmuring softly: “After losing two sons one after another, it would be rather unreasonable if the peak lord of Hundred Refinement Peak did not personally come to avenge them.”
Li Mu Sheng had initially ignored the martial dao experts from the City Lord’s Mansion below, but as soon as he spoke, the silver-haired elder’s ears suddenly twitched, and he sharply raised his head toward the pavilion roof. Seeing Li Mu Sheng sitting atop the ridge, the elder’s expression froze momentarily before his aura suddenly surged. With a deep voice, he demanded: “Who are you?”
Hearing this, Li Mu Sheng sighed softly.
…
Not long afterward, the silver-haired elder and over ten martial dao experts from the City Lord’s Mansion lay dead…
…
At Hundred Refinement Peak.
A jagged mountain of dark stone rose sharply into the night sky, its strange rocks twisted into shapes that seemed fierce and monstrous beneath the moonlight. One side featured a sheer cliff stretching a thousand feet upward, wrapped by enormous chains. Upon its smooth, blue-gray face, four gilded ancient characters shimmered gently in the darkness: “Forged Through Hundred Refinements.”
On the opposite side, halfway up the mountain slope, stood a magnificent complex of halls and exquisite pavilions, splendid and bustling with prosperity. This evening, the peak was illuminated brilliantly, countless lanterns hanging everywhere, casting bright lights as if turning night into day.
Just then, a woman drenched in sweat urgently galloped up to the mountain gate on horseback. She abruptly pulled her horse to a halt beneath the towering gateway, several yards tall. Without bothering to greet the guards properly, she scrambled off her mount and cried out urgently: “Young City Lord Zheng is in trouble!”
The Hundred Refinement Peak disciples guarding the gate were about to lash her for her rudeness but stopped immediately upon hearing the name of “Young City Lord Zheng.” With frowning faces, they quickly asked: “What happened?”
“Young…Young City Lord Zheng…has been killed!” gasped the courtesan from Hundred Fragrance Pavilion, breathless and anxious. Upon hearing this, the guards’ faces changed drastically. After harshly demanding a clear explanation from her, one disciple swiftly departed to deliver the news upward.
The report rapidly moved through layers of communication until it reached the ears of the Hundred Refinement Peak lord’s First Madam. Hearing that her own beloved son had been killed, the First Madam was overcome with grief and rage. She immediately sent word to Peak Lord Zheng Yun Feng and summoned several elders from the peak to accompany her to Hundred Refinement City without delay.
“This is the peak lord’s birthday celebration; he must not personally descend the mountain. But whoever dared to murder my son—I will crush their bones to dust with my own hands!” declared the First Madam. Despite her elegant, noble bearing, her snowy hair was disheveled, her eyes swollen and red, and tears stained her wrinkled cheeks. Zheng Zi had been her cherished son, born in her middle age and doted upon since childhood. Now losing her child so cruelly, how could she not be driven to madness?
Soon, the First Madam, along with two elders from the Enforcement Hall and many other skilled disciples, left the peak in a carriage, heading swiftly toward Hundred Refinement City beneath the cold cover of night.
At the same time, atop the thousand-foot cliff of Hundred Refinement Peak stood a small courtyard made entirely of iron and stone, shrouded in clouds and mist. Its iron gate remained tightly shut, with neither lights nor plants nearby—utterly deserted and still.
Before long, a shadow silently appeared, revealing an elderly figure dressed in black robes, his body bent with age. He stood respectfully on the stone steps before the courtyard gate, unmoving and silent.
After a moment, a robust voice came clearly from within the small courtyard: “Elder Wu, what brings you to visit me so late at night?”
The black-robed elder immediately bowed deeply toward the courtyard, succinctly answering: “Young Master Zheng Zi was slain at the Hundred Fragrance Pavilion. The murderer specifically named Peak Lord to avenge him personally, but the First Madam has already departed for Hundred Refinement City.”
At these words, the courtyard fell silent. Visible to the naked eye, the mist swirling around the cliff began moving more swiftly, and the entire Hundred Refinement Peak seemed to tremble gently with the gathering wind.
Then, Peak Lord Zheng Yun Feng’s voice spoke again, emotionless and steady: “These days, Fallen God Peak is troubled greatly. I wonder from where the Great Li Court gained such boldness to hurriedly attack our sect within just one month. Now that Zi’er has fallen victim, this surely involves the Great Li Court.”
Hearing this, the black-robed elder looked up slightly, gazing respectfully at the courtyard gate, and replied: “Peak Lord is correct. The Young City Lord’s innocent death should certainly be laid at the feet of the Great Li Court.”
The courtyard fell quiet again, save for a deep sigh. Clouds above the peak pressed lower, faintly rumbling with thunder.
“My birthday was near and should have been joyous. But now, burdened by the pain of losing a son, I have lost all interest,” Zheng Yun Feng’s voice was indifferent and cold.
Immediately, the elder in black hurriedly bowed even deeper, suggesting: “Allow this old servant to personally capture the culprit and bring them before you for judgment.”
Zheng Yun Feng calmly replied: “No need. Let Madam handle that matter. But Elder Wu, you shall go personally to Hundred Refinement City. Find everyone connected with the Great Li Court. Spare none, and kill them all.”
The elder’s body trembled slightly; raising his eyes, he immediately answered: “As Peak Lord commands, this old servant shall comfort the Young City Lord’s spirit by taking the lives of those court lackeys.”
After speaking, he stepped back three paces, swiftly vanishing from the cliff top.
Once the black-robed elder departed, a woman’s voice quietly emerged from within the previously silent courtyard: “Senior Brother Zheng, my condolences.” However, her voice alone appeared, her figure nowhere to be seen.
Zheng Yun Feng sat cross-legged upon a stone dais, eyes closed, encircled by strands of shimmering golden Qi that concealed his true appearance. He calmly asked: “Junior Sister, instead of guarding Jade Ripple Peak, what brings you here?”
Their voices remained confined within the iron gates, leaving everything outside utterly silent.
“The Great Li Heavenly Brocade Guard has split into four forces, each attacking one of the four peaks of Fallen God Peak, including my Jade Ripple Peak,” the woman’s airy voice floated softly. “From what I know, Fu Qi Wen, commander of the Heavenly Brocade Guard, has invited the former commander of Great Li. It is this person who leads the assault on Jade Ripple Peak.”
Hearing this, Zheng Yun Feng, wrapped in golden Qi, seemingly opened his eyes to stare into the emptiness in the courtyard, asking clearly: “Junior Sister, are you concerned you may not be a match for him, thus seeking my help?”
The invisible space remained empty, yet faint threads of heavenly Qi gathered continuously there, and the woman’s voice gently replied: “Not afraid. But this person has little time left to live. By joining Fu Qi Wen, he likely seeks to end his life in battle. He intends mutual destruction, and I see no reason to waste my life in needless combat.”