The seventh day after the fire, the Qingzhou county yamen.
Chen Hui had read that charred slip of paper over a dozen times; its words were already committed to memory. What unsettled him even more was the note Lin Wanying had left him a few days earlier—just four short words:
"Returning to my sect for now."
He held the note, silent for a long while. He did not know what she had gone back to do, but he had a faint premonition—that this parting would not go smoothly.
—Twenty-three days later, Shushan's Hall of Sin-Inquiry.
Mist wreathed the green stone steps that wound their way up to Shushan's penal hall—the Hall of Sin-Inquiry.
Inside the hall, the atmosphere was solemn and oppressive. The elders seated on the high platform cast cold gazes down at the single figure kneeling in the center—a woman in white.
"Lin Wanying!"
The penal hall elder, Feng Daoshan, spoke with a voice like thunder, carrying an unquestionable pressure.
"Before you left Shushan, the sect ordered you to enforce heaven's law and execute the wokou-colluding Qingzhou magistrate, Chen Hui!"
"Now a month has passed. Not only have you failed to assassinate him, you even helped him escape! Do you confess your sins?"
Lin Wanying knelt on one knee, her white clothes fluttering slightly, her back straight.
Her expression showed no fear, and her eyes were as clear as cold stars, devoid of any guilt.
"This disciple failed to execute the master's order and is willing to accept punishment," she said evenly, showing no remorse.
Feng Daoshan sneered: "Since you know you should be punished, do you know why this man had to be executed?"
Lin Wanying slowly raised her head, her gaze like a torch: "This disciple does not know why he had to be executed, but I saw with my own eyes that the intelligence provided by State Preceptor Chang Jin was false!"
As soon as these words were spoken, the entire hall fell silent.
The elders exchanged glances. One sneered, "You dare doubt the words of the State Preceptor?"
The coldness in Feng Daoshan's eyes deepened: "The State Preceptor controls the military secrets of the realm. How could he speak without basis?"
"For thousands of years, Shushan has vanquished demons, defended the Dao, and assisted the imperial court in suppressing rebellions. How can we waver in our judgment just because of your singular opinion?"
Lin Wanying did not retreat, her tone firm:
"If the State Preceptor's words are without error, why do all the people of Qingzhou say Chen Hui is honest and loves the people?"
"He worked tirelessly on disaster relief to save the villagers, and during the fire, he personally entered the inferno to save the people from disaster. How could this be the behavior of a man who would betray his country?"
"If Shushan is unwilling to even verify the facts and simply executes a loyal official, this disciple cannot agree!"
"Insolence!"
"Bang—!"
Penal hall elder Yue Lingtian slammed his palm onto the desk. The candles in the entire hall flickered.
"Recreant! You dare question the State Preceptor's words and recklessly criticize the sect's decisions?"
"Shushan defends the Dao with heaven's law. How can we tolerate your arrogant words?"
"Men, slap her fifty times and strip her of her inner disciple status!"
Two penal hall disciples immediately stepped forward, preparing to execute the punishment—
"Stop!"
A deep and majestic shout rang out.
Everyone froze and looked up—
An old man in a gray robe slowly stepped into the hall.
His temples were slightly white, and a scholarly air lingered between his brows, yet his gaze was as deep as the sea, exuding a powerful aura.
The Thirteenth Elder of Shushan—the "Soaring Sword" Zhou Tianhuan.
Lin Wanying's master!
Feng Daoshan's gaze darkened as he said slowly, "Junior Brother Zhou, what are you doing here?"
Zhou Tianhuan swept his gaze across the crowd, his tone unhurried: "Lin Wanying is my disciple. Her words are not without basis."
"As far as I know, the imperial court's order to execute Chen Hui lacks any official legal documents. It was entirely orchestrated by State Preceptor Chang Jin."
"Unless it is an established fact, Shushan should act with caution. How can we kill so easily?"
Yue Lingtian sneered: "Junior Brother Zhou, are you saying State Preceptor Chang Jin framed a loyal official with the intention of misleading Shushan?"
Zhou Tianhuan said lightly, "I am merely saying, if the imperial court's words are beyond doubt, why fear an investigation?"
Feng Daoshan snorted: "Although Junior Brother's words make sense, Shushan has always enforced heaven's law. How can we waver in our decision because of the words of a single disciple?"
"Lin Wanying's defiance of orders is disloyal and unrighteous. She must be severely punished!"
Zhou Tianhuan's gaze darkened as he slowly tightened his grip on the sword in his sleeve: "Senior Brother Feng, are you being too harsh?"
"She merely wished not to wrongfully kill a loyal man. How is that great treason?"
"Or could it be—you have other plans?"
At these words, a flash of darkness crossed Feng Daoshan's eyes, but it was quickly concealed.
He took a deep breath, his tone returning to normal: "Since Junior Brother Zhou is so protective, we shall give Lin Wanying one chance."
"But this matter has already alerted the State Preceptor. If we do not punish her, I fear Shushan will lose its face in the martial world."
"Three days from now, Lin Wanying will face the penal hall disciples' sword array. If she wins, she may investigate on her own. If she loses, she will be expelled from the sect!"
Hearing this, the corners of Lin Wanying's mouth curled up slightly.
"Fine!"
"I accept this battle!"
Shushan, Penal Hall Arena
White mist swirled. On the cliffside arena, the Shushan penal hall disciples formed a neat array, their expressions solemn.
This battle would decide whether Lin Wanying stayed or left.
"Lin Wanying, you defied the master's orders. Today, you will witness the true Shushan sword path!"
The head disciple of the penal hall, Han Jing, spoke coldly. Pointing his long sword, he and several disciples activated the sword array simultaneously!
"Tiangang Sword Array—Rise!"
The Shushan penal hall's swordsmanship was centered around the Tiangang Sword Array. The intersecting sword auras struck like a fierce storm.
Lin Wanying's gaze was steady. Turning her blade, she engaged them!
"Clang!"
Her figure was agile. Sword aura tore through the air, clashing with the penal hall disciples, forcefully enduring several rounds of attacks!
However, the penal hall sword array overlapped layer upon layer, sealing all her retreat paths like an inescapable net!
"She won't last long!"
"For years, no one has ever broken the penal hall's Tiangang Sword Array alone!"
The crowd whispered, certain that Lin Wanying would eventually be defeated.
However—
When the penal hall disciples' sword light came down like a rainstorm, in Lin Wanying's eyes every stroke of sword aura followed a discernible pattern—
"The Tiangang Sword Array—seven hands joined as one, the sword auras spaced three feet seven inches apart, the breath-interval roughly two beats..."
Her figure dipped low, slipping through the gap between two sword auras, and with a backhand thrust struck straight at the array's heart. Han Jing's expression shifted; he hastily changed his stance to block—but Lin Wanying's sword tip had already adjusted its angle in a thousandth of an instant, precisely striking the weakest point in his sword momentum.
"Swish—!"
"What?!"
The penal hall disciples froze slightly, their offensive instantly pausing.
"Clang!"
Han Jing staggered back three steps, his face full of disbelief.
The onlooking disciples broke into an uproar—the Tiangang Sword Array, forced back by a single person!
Lin Wanying's sword seemed to know the next attack point, concentrating her energy a step ahead and thrusting out at the optimal angle, shattering the nearly perfect coordination of the penal hall disciples.
Her figure flickered, cutting out of the sword array from a direction Han Jing had not anticipated at all.
The corners of Lin Wanying's mouth curled up slightly.
"Calculated..."
The Exquisite Calculation Box in her sleeve operated secretly. The calculation chips slid softly, and her footwork shifted accordingly—
She didn't clash forcefully, but instead calculated the changes in the airflow within the sword array, dodging precisely and weakening the force of their attacks!
"In one-third of a second, the third sword aura on the left will weaken slightly..."
"Two more moves, and the Tiangang Sword Array's internal energy will loop back, slightly tilting the aura field..."
Calculations of sword aura and wind momentum raced through her mind!
"She... is calculating the flow of the sword aura?!"
The Shushan elders watching the battle were astonished.
Is this... still Shushan swordsmanship?
"This is not the pure path of the sword... This is clearly stepping into the demonic path!"
Feng Daoshan said coldly: "The way of the sword demands that heart unite with intent, and intent with breath—yet you reckon with calculation chips and dissect with mathematics, turning swordplay into the arithmetic of mechanisms. This is not the way of the sword; this is an artisan's craft."
He paused, his gaze grim:
"What is more—back then, the Lin family of Qingzhou reckoned just like this. They calculated the heavens, calculated the earth, calculated men—and in the end calculated their own family into ruin. Does Lin Wanying wish to follow in the Lin family's footsteps?"
"With such methods, can she still be considered a Shushan disciple?"
The disciples below the stage discussed fervently, some even showing expressions of disdain.
Lin Wanying sneered inwardly: "Is Shushan swordsmanship the only way? Must mathematical deduction be the demonic path?"
Her sword aura shook as she clashed with the penal hall sword array once more!
Just as the throng of elders and disciples were debating whether to condemn Lin Wanying for her demonic sword technique, a vigorous voice broke through the uproar.
Zhou Tianhuan, the Thirteenth Elder of Shushan and Lin Wanying's master, slowly stepped onto the arena!
"The technique Lin Wanying uses is not a demonic path, but the result of my research over the past ten years!"
Upon hearing this, the crowd erupted in uproar!
"Junior Brother Zhou... is this true?"
Zhou Tianhuan's expression was open: "The martial path seeks change, and mathematics reflects the heavens. If mathematics can be used to strengthen sword aura, how is this not another path of the sword?"
Feng Daoshan's gaze darkened: "Junior Brother Zhou, are you defending your disciple?"
Zhou Tianhuan replied neither haughtily nor humbly: "I am merely saying that Lin Wanying has not violated the path of the sword. The path she walks simply hasn't been accepted by Shushan yet."
The elders were temporarily speechless, many showing hesitation.
Suddenly Feng Daoshan pointed toward the arena, a faint smile at the corner of his mouth, his tone cold: "What a pity—she lost."
The penal hall sword array was, after all, never merely a few blades. A second wave and a third came one after another. However exquisite Lin Wanying's mathematics, she could not calculate every single change of fourteen sword auras from seven directions at once. Her footwork began to falter.
"Bang!"
Her figure was blasted back by head disciple Han Jing's sword aura. Half-kneeling on the ground, the broken blade of her sword stabbed into the green stone nearby!
Feng Daoshan rose to his feet and faced the arena, his tone like ice: "Starting today, Lin Wanying's martial arts are abolished. She is expelled from Shushan and shall never return!"
The penal hall disciples answered in unison: "Yes!"
Lin Wanying gritted her teeth, looking down at the sword hilt she gripped tightly, her knuckles white.
"Hold on! Expulsion from Shushan, so be it—but my disciple's martial arts were taught by me, and if I say they are not to be abolished, then they will not be. What is more, it was never once said that losing would mean having one's martial arts stripped away."
His gaze swept across the assembled elders, his tone calm yet brooking no objection:
"If any of you take issue, you may deal with me along with her." Zhou Tianhuan slowly stepped forward to Lin Wanying's side, speaking as he faced the other Shushan elders.
With that, he turned, his gaze tender, and said softly to Lin Wanying: "Wanying, I am powerless to change the outcome... but your martial arts, those I have kept."
"The world is vast. Outside of Shushan, there is still a path for you."
Feng Daoshan narrowed his eyes and fell silent for a moment. He glanced at Zhou Tianhuan, then at the expressions of the other elders in the hall—he knew that to forcibly cripple Lin Wanying now would only give Zhou Tianhuan grounds to make trouble.
Lin Wanying raised her head, looking at her master's slightly whitening temples. Taking a deep breath, she slowly stood up.
"...This disciple takes her leave."
She put away the broken sword, turned, and walked away.
Feng Daoshan watched Lin Wanying's retreating back, a sinister smile flashing in his eyes.
"Never mind. This too accomplishes what he wanted..."
Shushan, Luoxia Peak
Luoxia Peak, a cliff in the back mountains of Shushan, was not a main thoroughfare but a tranquil place overlooking the mountain ranges.
The setting sun on the horizon was like blood. The evening glow reflected on the churning sea of clouds, unfurling into a brilliant fiery sky.
Lin Wanying stood quietly by the cliff edge. Her white clothes fluttered slightly in the wind. Behind her, the towering Shushan stood majestic, but it was no longer her home.
She no longer belonged here.
Behind her, light footsteps sounded.
"Master..."
She turned and saw that familiar figure.
Zhou Tianhuan stood in the remaining sunlight, his gray robe swaying gently in the wind, his temples touched with the frost of time. His eyes were steady as ever, yet hiding an indescribable helplessness and reluctance to part.
"Wanying." His voice remained deep and gentle, but carried a hint of exhaustion.
The two looked at each other for a moment before Lin Wanying finally looked away.
"Master, ultimately... I still lost," she said in a low, unwilling tone.
Zhou Tianhuan sighed softly, slowly walking up to her, his tone calm: "Victory or defeat has never been the sole measure of right and wrong."
"I know you are unwilling, but have you ever thought about what the outcome would be if you stayed in Shushan?"
Lin Wanying fell silent for a moment, ultimately saying nothing.
Of course she knew. The Shushan elders no longer tolerated her, and Feng Daoshan suppressed her at every turn. Even if she had won the duel, would Shushan really have given her the chance to investigate the State Preceptor's intelligence?
She knew they wouldn't.
But... she still couldn't bear to leave.
This was the place where she had practiced the sword since childhood, where she had spent years of her youth, the place she once viewed as her faith.
Now, none of it concerned her anymore.
"Wanying, what... are your plans next?"
Zhou Tianhuan's words interrupted her thoughts.
Lin Wanying looked up, her gaze firm: "I'm going back to Qingzhou."
"All of this is too suspicious. The intelligence from State Preceptor Chang Jin completely contradicts what I saw with my own eyes. I must go back and uncover the truth."
She tightened her grip on the Exquisite Calculation Box. It was the last relic of the Lin family, and the vessel of wisdom she relied on to this day.
Zhou Tianhuan was silent for a moment before giving a slight nod.
"I knew you would do this."
He turned and took out a letter from his robe, handing it to her: "There is an old acquaintance in Qingzhou named Liu Wenzhou. He is extremely learned, once taught at the Holy Scholar Academy, and is also skilled in mystical formations and mathematics. He might be able to help you."
Lin Wanying took the letter, carefully tucking it into her sleeve, and nodded slightly: "This disciple will remember."
Zhou Tianhuan looked at her, pondering for a moment before finally speaking: "Wanying, in this world, the line between good and evil is often very thin. As you travel the martial world, you must be careful."
"If one day you find yourself walking down the wrong path, do not be stubbornly blind."
Lin Wanying paused, then smiled, a hint of bitterness at the corners of her mouth: "Is Master worried I will become the 'demonic path' they speak of?"
Zhou Tianhuan's eyes shifted slightly, but he didn't answer directly. Instead, he gently reached out and brushed aside a stray lock of hair on her forehead, as gently as in the past.
"I'm just worried that... you will become too lonely."
Lin Wanying froze, her heart instantly filled with warmth, which she quickly suppressed.
She had never been a weak person.
Taking a deep breath, she revealed a firm smile: "Rest assured, Master. This disciple is not so easily lost."
"Since I chose this path, I will walk it to the end."
Zhou Tianhuan looked at her, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes, before he finally nodded gently.
"Go, Wanying."
"From now on, our title as master and disciple ends here."
Lin Wanying's body trembled.
Her hands unconsciously clenched, but quickly relaxed.
"...This disciple will remember Master's grace."
She bowed deeply, then turned and strode forward, walking toward the stone steps of the cliff, heading down the mountain.
Zhou Tianhuan watched her retreating back quietly.
(After Lin Wanying's figure had vanished, Zhou Tianhuan stood alone at the cliff's edge and murmured to himself:)
"That Magistrate Chen of Qingzhou... I hope he is worth this journey of yours."
A mountain wind swept across Luoxia Peak, lifting the hem of his gray robe and letting it fall. The sea of clouds churned, the dying sun was like blood, and the figure of that woman in white had already sunk completely into the mist at the foot of Shushan.