Chapter 53: The New Settlement of Penglai
“Miss Liang… you’re too polite.”
Cheng Ru Yi replied in a daze, then suddenly realized something. He turned sharply to Yan Kuang and glared, “You… you’ve known all along?”
Yan Kuang nodded honestly. Cheng Ru Yi raised an eyebrow and said, “So that’s why earlier you couldn’t bear to strike those people down? You thought they were disciples of your junior sister?”
Cheng Ru Yi’s “junior sister” was his third junior sister, known as Lady Sui Yu, the renowned leader of the Ling Tian Sect, famed throughout the martial world.
Cheng Ru Yi kept the latter thought to himself, but Liang Zhanying understood immediately. Her watery eyes reflected shock as she couldn’t help but ask, “All these years… you’ve known?”
Yan Kuang answered truthfully, “Five years ago, when I was on official business in Qizhou, I accidentally crossed paths and fought with your people.”
“That’s when I realized it. The leader of Ling Tian Sect, the illustrious Lady Sui Yu, was in fact my third junior sister.”
“The Liang family’s spear techniques combined with the Flying Stone Falling Star skill—there’s no one else in the world who can match you.”
His words stirred memories. Liang Zhanying paused, lowered her gaze, and softly asked, “Then why didn’t you come to recognize each other?”
Distracted, she almost dropped the brush she was using to oil the roast chicken into the fire, but Yan Kuang’s quick reflexes caught it just in time.
“Why didn’t you come to recognize each other?” Yan Kuang repeated, but it sounded more like a question posed to himself.
Cheng Ru Yi understood the implication. Yan Kuang’s reputation as a “lackey of the court”—well known both in the martial world and the imperial court—meant that neither side sought recognition.
He didn’t seek her out, and she didn’t seek him.
At that moment, Cheng Ru Yi sneezed loudly, breaking the tense atmosphere.
“Go put on some clothes,” Yan Kuang instructed, while Cheng Ru Yi shook his head repeatedly.
“If you don’t change soon, I’ll come help you,” Yan Kuang urged coldly.
The iron-fisted authority of a king of hell… Cheng Ru Yi snorted but knew he was shivering from the autumn wind and his thin clothes. After hesitating, he gritted his teeth and resolutely went inside to change.
Only Yan Kuang and Liang Zhanying remained in front of the door, roasting chicken and potatoes. They exchanged no words, enveloped in silence, broken only by the sizzling sounds of the roasting chicken dripping oil onto the coals.
Finally, Liang Zhanying spoke to break the silence, “I can assure you, this matter has nothing to do with Ling Tian Sect. The true mastermind behind it is probably the Penglai New Village.”
“What exactly is the Penglai New Village? Another female assassin organization?” Yan Kuang asked.
Before he could answer, Cheng Ru Yi’s voice sounded from behind. When the two turned around, Liang Zhanying exclaimed in surprise.
Cheng Ru Yi, though sharp-tongued, was naturally handsome, living up to the nickname “Prodigy” bestowed upon him by the Imperial Censor.
After hours of turmoil, though disheveled, his face remained fair and refined. The sheer translucence of his complexion and eyes was enhanced by the delicate pale blue-white gauze he wore. Stray strands of hair fell over his shoulders, the faintly visible bandages around his neck adding an ineffable charm.
Cheng Ru Yi shifted slightly, revealing the rare fabric of his clothing. The wide sleeves and flowing skirt resembled water lilies floating or moonlight shimmering on waves, each inch radiating light.
Yan Kuang stared intently.
Even Liang Zhanying couldn’t tear her eyes away, making Cheng Ru Yi, who was watched so closely by his senior brother and sister, feel uncomfortable as if he had lice crawling all over him. He opened his mouth but didn’t know what to say.
Liang Zhanying sighed repeatedly, “This attire was a gift from someone else. As a martial artist, it’s inconvenient for me to wear, so it’s been stored at the bottom of my chest. I never thought it would suit Mr. Cheng so well. Consider it a gift upon meeting…”
“Thank you, Miss Liang, but it’s not necessary,” Cheng Ru Yi said, feeling he wished there were a hole for him to bury his head in.
Though replying to Liang Zhanying, Cheng Ru Yi kept glaring at Yan Kuang, silently cursing, “Damn it, you despicable Yan dog! You’ve ruined my dignity!”
Yan Kuang avoided Cheng Ru Yi’s gaze, somewhat guilty, and then took up the thread of the conversation, saying to Liang Zhanying, “If you trust me, junior sister, you can tell us everything.”
Liang Zhanying hesitated briefly but then said calmly, “If fate has brought us together, how can I not share?”
She then solemnly explained, “The Penglai New Village is less of a martial arts group and more like a cult…”
“A cult,” Cheng Ru Yi echoed.
“How evil are they?” Cheng Ru Yi couldn’t help but lean in curiously.
He considered Luo Shaofeng’s deeds pretty “sinister,” but those were merely self-deceptions, a failed attempt to con Lin Jiangyue.
Liang Zhanying pondered, “Have you heard of Bo Yuntian?”
Cheng Ru Yi shook his head. His life for the past twenty years had mainly revolved around two things: studying and surviving.
Yan Kuang explained, “Bo Yuntian is an estate outside Qizhou city. The master is skilled in martial arts and takes disciples but is not a famous sect.”
Liang Zhanying continued, “Though small in reputation, Bo Yuntian’s master is righteous and benevolent, helping villagers. But three or four years ago, something strange happened.”
“Bo Yuntian disappeared.”
Her voice was as soft as falling snow, vanishing without a trace. Yan Kuang and Cheng Ru Yi exchanged a glance, silently urging her to continue.
Liang Zhanying frowned, “I don’t know if it happened overnight or gradually, but the master of Bo Yuntian and all the disciples vanished without warning or trace.”
“But the strangeness does not end there. The villages once under their protection all deny Bo Yuntian ever existed!”
She couldn’t hide her indignation, “When I repeatedly mentioned Bo Yuntian to them, I became an outcast and a madwoman in their eyes… they emphatically deny it, as if Bo Yuntian never existed. And the land that belonged to Bo Yuntian has become…”
“Penglai New Village.”
She enunciated each word with biting hatred, though she maintained her composure.
At this point, Yan Kuang interjected, “Junior sister, two questions.”
Liang Zhanying was about to speak but paused and nodded slightly.
Yan Kuang asked, “Is the ginkgo village with the strange illness near Bo Yuntian?”
Liang Zhanying nodded. Both men reached for their uniforms and held together a jade pendant inscribed with the character for “Righteousness,” which they had split into two halves.
Cheng Ru Yi asked, “Miss Liang, have you seen this jade pendant before?”
Liang Zhanying furrowed her brows and hesitated before answering, “No, I haven’t.”
Yan Kuang then produced a blood-stained token he had found among the bones and handed it to her.
Liang Zhanying was puzzled but took the rusted token and examined it carefully. Suddenly, she sat up straight.
Shock and confusion shone clearly in her eyes. She frowned, tracing the character and cloud patterns on the token with slender fingers, her voice cold but trembling.
“This is the token every Bo Yuntian disciple carried. Where did you find this?”
Yan Kuang’s voice was low, “Among piles of skeletons. Nearly every set of bones wore such a waist token.”
Cheng Ru Yi added, “The skeletons were found in the woods near Penglai New Village.”
“The Bewitching Forest…” Liang Zhanying said incredulously. “That forest is strange, easy to enter but hard to leave, and there are man-eating tigers inside… I have never dared to go in lightly.”
Cheng Ru Yi cleared his throat, “Well… the man-eating tigers have been flattened by your senior brother to a cat pancake…”
“No wonder… no wonder.”
Liang Zhanying looked down, opening her palm. The token had been gripped tightly, and rusty blood stains dotted her hand. Yan Kuang seemed about to pat her shoulder but hesitated and withdrew his hand.
It was easy to guess that the mountains of withered bones in the forest were those of the vanished Bo Yuntian disciples.
Seeing this, Cheng Ru Yi quickly changed the subject, “Miss Liang, it seems the disappearance of Bo Yuntian and the Penglai New Village are connected. What about the strange illness in Ginkgo Village? How does it relate to the two?”
With a sizzle, oil dripped from the roasting chicken onto the coals. Liang Zhanying gathered herself and peeled two chicken legs, handing one each to Yan Kuang and Cheng Ru Yi.
“You’ve had a hard journey… eat something first.”
After all the trouble, the two men were indeed hungry. Especially Cheng Ru Yi, who had been salivating at the aroma for some time. They took the chicken legs and began eating—Cheng Ru Yi with some restraint, Yan Kuang less so, with oil smudged on his face.
Liang Zhanying smiled helplessly and took out a small knife, cutting off a slice of chicken breast to nibble.
She then spoke gently, “After Bo Yuntian disappeared, Penglai New Village suddenly emerged. When I learned of this, the nearby villagers were already devout believers in the so-called ‘Penglai Goddess.’ They held regular worship and offerings…”
“Even worse, they sacrificed their daughters and wives to the so-called goddess, calling them divine attendants.”
Cheng Ru Yi mumbled with a mouthful of bone, “In broad daylight, there’s no such thing as a goddess… that’s definitely a bit sinister.”
Liang Zhanying handed them some roasted potatoes, “My original intention in founding Ling Tian Sect was to protect the safety of women in the region. At first, I tried to intervene directly, but the villagers resisted fiercely. I also attempted to lead people into Penglai New Village, but the terrain is complex, and there are many experts inside… I even lost several sisters in the attempt.”
She expressed regret, “Recently, the strange illness has spread in Ginkgo Village. The villagers neither report it nor seek medical help. They blindly believe the goddess’s blessings can cure all illnesses… I can’t intervene directly and have had to discreetly report it to the authorities.”
Liang Zhanying sighed, “Who would have thought that unreliable Shen Zhuoyan… only sent the two of you here.”
Cheng Ru Yi, warming his hands on a potato, agreed silently with Liang Zhanying’s harsh judgment of Shen Nian.
But he felt one thing needed explaining on Shen Nian’s behalf, or else people might die.
“Miss Liang, actually… Lord Shen had earlier sent medical officers to Ginkgo Village, but the villagers refused cooperation and detained the doctors. That’s why Officer Yan had to personally intervene…”
“Moreover…” Cheng Ru Yi wiped some potato residue from his mouth and said earnestly, “Lord Shen said this morning…”
“He plans to go to Ginkgo Village himself.”