Emei boasts the most breathtaking scenery in the world, while Qingcheng is famed for its mystical tranquility.
Head northwest from Chengdu for about a hundred miles and you’ll reach Dujiangyan. Qingcheng Mountain sits just a stone’s throw from Dujiangyan. Nowadays, if you’re a tourist, you can hop on a two-yuan bus from Dujiangyan straight to Qingcheng Mountain—shows you just how close they are.
But in this martial arts world, getting from Chengdu to Qingcheng Mountain isn’t so easy.
When the Motley Crew finally decided to head out, it was already three-quarters past noon. By the time they finished prepping, organized everyone, and actually reached Dujiangyan, night had fallen. Nights in Chengdu are pitch black—no stars, no moon, just gloom all around. Clouds blanket the city nearly every day, and tonight was no exception. As the old saying goes, ‘Rain fills the autumn pool in Bashan at night’—in Chengdu, there’s always a drizzle once the sun goes down.
These little drizzles are like someone dusting flour in the air—umbrella or no umbrella, you’re either soaked or just plain uncomfortable. That’s the kind of weather we’re dealing with.
It’s dark. In ancient times, there weren’t many lamps, so it was pitch black—couldn’t even see the road.
In the darkness, Stayfree called out in a hushed voice, “Brother Jia, over here!”
Jill Young darted over and found more than thirty people huddled together with Stayfree. She couldn’t help but ask, “Why so few? Where’s Barry Sherman and the others?”
“No clue where they’re hiding.” Stayfree sidled up and pointed at a shadow not far ahead. “Brother Jia, look—that’s Qingcheng Mountain. The True Enlightenment Sect is up there. They’re the southern branch of Daoism, while the True Reality Sect is the northern flower. Their founder, Master Zane Purple, doesn’t show up in the martial world much, so his name isn’t as loud as Master Charles Young’s. But don’t underestimate them—they’ve been entrenched here for ages, and their defenses are tighter than a steel drum. So we had to split up. Ugh, where did Barry Sherman go? And why is it so dark tonight?”
Yep, in these mountains and under this pitch-black sky, regular folks can’t see a thing. No stars, no moon, no light—if you got up at midnight to use the outhouse, you’d probably trip on a rock and take a nosedive straight into the latrine. Only seasoned martial artists with top-notch internal energy can focus their power into their eyes and barely make out some fuzzy shapes.
Jill Young glanced back toward the riverbank, pointed, and asked, "Isn’t that Dujiangyan over there? Why is it completely dark—no lights at all?"
Even in ancient times, a town should have some lights, right? But Jill could only recognize the location by the terrain—she’d been here before with the night shift—yet her eyes couldn’t spot any of the usual glow a town should have.
Another rogue sidled up and said, "Boss Eagle, you might not know this, but the locals here have been so traumatized by the Mongols, they’re downright scared. Over the decades, the Mongols have slaughtered more than a million in these parts. Even though they’ve calmed down now, the people still don’t dare make noise at night, let alone light a fire. This place is run by the True Enlightenment Sect, so the Mongols behave a bit. Anywhere else, you wouldn’t hear a peep from a baby for miles!"
"Hmm..." Jill frowned slightly in the direction of Dujiangyan, lost in thought.
"Let’s go, let’s go—weather’s good, so let’s hurry up the mountain!" Stayfree (Kotex) called out. "Barry Sherman probably already went up. If he snags first prize, won’t we lose out? Quick, sneak up quietly!"
Rogues are basically just another flavor of outlaw, with similar principles—like always having an escape plan. Instead of focusing on fists and kicks, they master slick footwork and lightness skills. Sneak in, sneak out, steal the girls’ hearts and their actual girls—that’s the Charm Faction. Climb the wall, dash away, toss the girl in a sack and haul her off—that’s the Force Faction. No matter the style, they’re all experts at covert ops, which is why they dare mess with the True Enlightenment Sect even knowing how dangerous it is.
"Stealing’s easy! If we could swipe whole people back in the day, nicking a book is nothing."
They headed uphill and, sure enough, ran into Barry Sherman’s crew halfway up. Counting heads, there were over ninety people now.
"Where’s everyone else?"
"Probably got separated in the dark. Don’t worry about them—let’s leave some marks along the way. They’ll see them and catch up."
"Alright, let's just carve it on the trees then."
So Jill Young started making marks on the trees, showing the group's path for anyone lagging behind.
"Hey Boss Eagle, where are your two lovely ladies?" someone asked, nosy as ever. "Left them back in Chengdu? Aren’t you worried they’ll run off?"
"No worries—they’re super well-behaved. Besides, those two aren’t my only sweethearts. If a bunch of them stick together, I don’t care where they wander, I know they’ll be fine."
"Whoa, you’ve got more than just those two? Boss Eagle, you’re a real legend!"
"Alright, alright, keep up! If you get snatched by a ghost in the dark, don’t expect us to come looking for you." With that, Jill snuck a glance back down the path, her meaningful eyes hidden by the pitch-black night—nobody could see her expression.
They climbed, they marched, they kept carving marks as they went.
Qingcheng Mountain isn’t huge or tall, but it’s got this deep, peaceful vibe. On a sunny day, even regular tourists can feel like they’ve stumbled into a hidden paradise. No wonder the Daoists set up shop here.
"Hey, where the heck are we? We’ve been winding around forever—how’d we end up in the boonies?" The gang of rogues trekked through the night and finally landed in a remote mountain hollow.
"Yep, this is the spot. See, right up ahead." One of the Sichuan locals who knew the terrain led the way. Everyone squinted through the gloomy rain and, sure enough, spotted a pitch-black Daoist temple at the edge of their vision. The temple’s entrance wasn’t flashy, but the place was pretty big. Off in the distance, two Daoists stood guard at the gate, arms crossed, just lounging around and chatting—not a care in the world.
"Ugh, the senior brothers and uncles are off doing their 'special cultivation' again, and we’re stuck on gate duty. Like there’s gonna be any thieves out here! Bet they just want all the fun for themselves—totally unfair!"
"Forget it, don’t be jealous. This batch of cauldrons is all used up anyway. It’s like trying to squeeze oil from a rock—nothing left to get. After tonight, they’ll probably bury them. Next time we get a fresh batch, we’ll sneak a taste, grab some extra yin energy, maybe level up our skills—ugh!"
He didn’t even finish his sentence before a sharp pain hit his throat. He reached up and pulled out something long and pointy—a blow dart! Glancing over, he saw his junior brother had one stuck in his neck too, glowing faintly green in the candlelight.
Those blow darts were poisoned!
"En—enemy attack…" His numb throat couldn’t make a sound louder than a whisper, and then—wham, wham—someone chopped them on the neck and knocked them both out cold.
"Lucky us—all the Daoists are busy with their 'special business.' Nobody’s got time to worry about anything else! Alright, everyone, keep it quiet and get in there. Let’s find that ‘Triple Peak Harvest Technique’!" Stayfree (Kotex) and Barry Sherman led the rogues over the wall and into the temple, with Jill Young hanging back a bit. She hopped up, glanced down the mountain, and muttered, "Where’d they go? Don’t tell me they got lost."
Then her ears twitched—she caught a faint sound, frowned, and started sneaking off in that direction with purpose.
Meanwhile, elsewhere on Qingcheng Mountain…
"Is this the True Enlightenment Sect?" Wu Zhenfeng stood calmly atop a tree branch—so soft it didn’t even bend under her weight. The night rain was like powder, but it couldn’t dampen her clothes. In the silent night, she seemed to be talking to herself. Then, suddenly, a voice came from the darkness beside her. Looking closely, she saw a petite figure in black, respectfully answering, "Reporting to you, Supreme Leader, yes, this is the True Enlightenment Sect."
Ahead of Wu Zhenfeng, layer upon layer of courtyards formed a massive, majestic Daoist temple. She focused her internal energy into her ears and could hear countless soft, steady breaths. The temple was pitch black, but clearly packed with experts.
"Gotta admit, this place lives up to the southern Daoist rep—and Master Zane Purple’s name. But I never thought Zane Purple’s disciples would turn out this rotten. What a shame for the Daoist world. Anyway…" Wu Zhenfeng paused, then turned around with a sigh: "Where’s Jill Young? And the rogues? And where did the Three Marvels go?"
"Uh…" The shadow didn’t know how to answer.
Yep, on this pitch-black night, their plan was to play the waiting game. Jill led the rogues to wreck the bad guys’ lair, while Wu Zhenfeng and Lady Three Marvels were supposed to ambush the marked pure jerks. After this trip up Qingcheng Mountain, they’d get a dual cultivation manual and smack down anyone who annoyed them. And with all the chaos, nobody would notice a few missing scumbags—happens all the time. No one’s cover would be blown, and everyone could keep playing both sides.
"Three birds with one stone! What a masterstroke from your queen. If this were a Gu Long novel, I’d be the final boss, ha ha ha!"
That over-the-top laughter still echoed in her ears, but in a blink, reality hit—where did everybody go?!
The Three Marvels were gone, Jill Young was gone, and even the rogues had vanished!
Looks like Jill was right—newbies always mess things up. Gotta toughen them up before they’re any use.
"Alright, you’re dismissed. Pass the word—everyone stay hidden, don’t blow your cover." Wu Zhenfeng waved the shadow away, eyes flashing as she looked at the grand temple ahead. "I’ll check things out myself."
Even if I’m all alone, I’ll wreck this evil den myself!
Whoosh—Wu Zhenfeng glided into the temple courtyard like a breeze. White clothes in the pitch dark—totally not stealthy for a night op, but she just didn’t care. She landed on the rooftop, striking a pose like a flower blooming in the night—elegant and dramatic.
With all five senses cranked up to eleven, and over a century of internal energy in her veins, her perception was off the charts. Even on this pitch-black, rainy night, she could pick up every subtle movement.
"No wonder this sect, founded by the patriarch of the Inner Alchemy School, is so strong. Compared to their disciples, folks from my Spirit Eagle Palace are a step behind."
Wu Zhenfeng could hear countless long, steady breaths and instantly sized up everyone’s skill level. There weren’t that many people in the whole temple, but even the newbies had a good ten or twenty years of training. There were plenty with forty-plus years under their belt—at least a dozen by her count.
On average, they were way stronger than anyone at Spirit Eagle Palace.
Of course, thanks to the Dragon Elephant Skill we’ve been rolling out at No One Under Heaven, things are starting to change. If it came down to a real fight, who knows who’d win?
And as for the real heavy hitters…
Wu Zhenfeng closed her eyes, focusing hard. A moment later, she snapped them open—got it, over there!
The top dog in the whole temple was in that room. And the biggest fish is always the best place to start—follow the leader, and the clues come easy.
Silently, Wu Zhenfeng landed on a rooftop—quieter than a falling leaf. Right below her was a master-level expert. If it were anyone else, even Lady Three Marvels would probably get caught—this guy was no joke. Jill Young? Forget it, she’d stick out like a sore thumb. But Wu Zhenfeng? She could try peeking in.
Whoosh—Wu Zhenfeng slipped from the roof to the eaves, sticking upside down like a ninja bat-girl. Inside, a long-bearded old Daoist wasn’t meditating—he was hunched over a desk, brow furrowed, staring at something by candlelight.
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"Who’s there?" The old Daoist suddenly snapped his head up, eyes flashing like swords as he glared toward the door.
But Wu Zhenfeng didn’t panic—he wasn’t looking at her, but at someone she’d already noticed.
Whoosh—a faint sound sliced through the air as a figure in black darted away from another building. The old Daoist shot out after him like an arrow, yelling, "Thief! Where do you think you’re going?"
With that shout, the whole temple sprang to life. Daoists burst from their rooms, swarming from every direction to chase the black-clad figure. At that same moment, Wu Zhenfeng seized her chance, slipping in like a phantom to the spot where the old Daoist had just been working.
On the desk was a letter—a carrier pigeon note, scrawled on a scrap of cloth. Just a few words, but they made Wu Zhenfeng frown.
[Chester Chu of True Reality Sect assassinated; Innate Skill stolen.]
"The current head of True Reality Sect, Chester Chu, was killed—and even Master Charles Young’s Innate Skill got snatched?" Even out west, Wu Zhenfeng had heard of Innate Skill and Chester Chu.
"Chester Chu might not have his master’s genius, but he’s no pushover—he’s supposed to be the strongest of the Seven Masters. After Master Charles Young died, the True Reality Sect lost a lot of clout, but it’s still the northern Daoist powerhouse. Plus, Bobby Tong is still alive—who’d dare kill and steal like that?" Wu Zhenfeng mused, feeling this was just the beginning of a much bigger mess.
This is gonna cause a huge stir in the martial world.
"Looks like I came to the wrong place—this isn’t much of a den." Outside, the whole temple was in chaos, clothes whipping through the air as everyone rushed around. Wu Zhenfeng calmly put the note back, glancing around: "But hey, since I’m here, maybe I’ll find Zhang Boduan’s Treatise on True Enlightenment. That’d be a real score… Hm?" She looked out the window, half exasperated, half amused: "I knew I wouldn’t have to worry about finding you. Wherever you go, you always make a scene."
Outside the window, a distant mountain peak was suddenly bathed in a golden-red glow. Every branch and leaf was lit up—someone had set a massive fire on the other side of the mountain.