That day, a strange scene unfolded in a certain forest deep within the Vermilion Bird Mountain Range.
A man's voice and a woman's voice rose and fell in alternation, ringing through the trees without pause — sometimes sharp, sometimes deep, at times resembling a chorus of a hundred birds singing together, at other times like the roar of a fierce tiger shaking the heavens.
And they went on like that for more than half a day. Fortunately, no one happened to pass by, or their souls would have been scared out of their bodies, leaving them utterly useless for the rest of their lives — permanent half-paralyzed cripples.
In the forest, the corpses of
Chu Feng lay on his back in the grass, bare from the waist up, with the beautiful and delicate
But the most alluring thing of all was Su Rou's docile expression. Such a strong-willed girl could only be this meek and gentle in the arms of the one she loved.
And just how meek was she? She looked for all the world like a little girl, nestled obediently in Chu Feng's embrace, tracing lazy circles on his chest with her slender fingers.
"All right, it's time to get up. If Xiao Mei wakes up and sees us like this, I really won't know how to explain it." After a long while, Su Rou gently pushed Chu Feng, though reluctance was written all over her enchanting face.
"Then let's get up together!" Chu Feng broke into a wide, toothy grin.
"Absolutely not. Xiao Mei is still young — you can't touch her!" At that, Su Rou pinched Chu Feng's arm hard.
"Haha, just kidding." Chu Feng chuckled, then sat up and began dressing. As he pulled on his clothes, he said, "Don't tell anyone that I'm a grey-robed Spirit World Master for now. Not even Xiao Mei."
"Mm." Su Rou helped him fasten his garments, nodding obediently.
"Also, I will marry you sisters, but not too soon. The way I do things is bound to attract a lot of enemies. Until I feel I'm strong enough..."
"I understand." Su Rou gently pressed a finger to Chu Feng's lips, then nestled against him like a bird seeking shelter, pressing her lovely cheek tightly to his chest. "However long it takes, I'll wait for you. I'll wait for you to come and marry us sisters."
Hearing those words, Chu Feng smiled with pure happiness and wrapped his arms tightly around this beauty, savoring their brief, tender moment together.
While Chu Feng and Su Rou, this pair of lovers, were lost in sweet affection within the Vermilion Bird Mountain Range, panic gripped the city of Vermilion Bird.
Outside the City Lord's manor, Shangguan family corpses lay everywhere, blood staining the earth crimson. With the sun sinking in the west and the last rays of twilight bathing the scene, the blood looked even more vividly red — a truly horrifying sight that would strike terror into anyone who so much as glanced at it. A timid nobleman who happened to walk by was so frightened he dropped dead on the spot.
But all of that was nothing compared to the Shangguan family estate. That was where a true river of blood had flowed. On that very day, all thirteen thousand two hundred and forty-one members of the Shangguan family had perished — not a single survivor.
No one knew the name of the person responsible, but they knew he was a grey-robed Spirit World Master, and he carried a resounding title: the Grey-Robed Master.
Inside the main hall of the City Lord's manor,
Every face wore a look of unease, yet none of them knew what to do. Their worry extended not only to Su Rou and
"City Lord! City Lord!" Suddenly, a guard rushed in, panic-stricken.
"What is it?" At those words, everyone in the hall sprang to their feet as though facing a mortal enemy, beads of sweat as large as beans sliding involuntarily down their foreheads.
"The... the Young Miss is back!" Having delivered that message, the guard pointed toward the entrance of the main hall.
Everyone turned to look, and overwhelming joy spread across their faces. There, outside the hall, was Su Rou in her crimson wedding robe, cradling the unconscious Su Mei in her arms and walking slowly toward the main hall.
"Second Sister, you're safe — that's wonderful!" Overjoyed, Su Long hurried over and took Su Mei from Su Rou's arms, examining the sleeping girl with doting concern, terrified that his little sister might have been harmed.
"Rou'er, what about... what about the Grey-Robed Master? And Shangguan Yue — what happened to him?" Su Hen stepped forward as well, but rather than truly showing concern for his daughter, his gaze swept cautiously toward the entrance.
"This is from the Grey-Robed Master." Su Rou did not answer. Instead, she handed her father a folded slip of paper.
"I'm tired. I'm going to rest." After passing the note to Su Hen, she threw him a reproachful glance, then turned and walked toward her room.
Su Hen said nothing about her attitude. After all, he knew full well that he had been wrong today — to preserve the Su family's foundation, he had nearly sacrificed the happiness of both his daughters.
Though the Grey-Robed Master's arrival, the annihilation of the Shangguan family, and the bloodshed that drenched Vermilion Bird City were deeply inauspicious events, Su Hen did not entirely see them as bad things. At the very least, the Grey-Robed Master had eliminated a great enemy on his behalf.
Once the news spread that Su Rou and Su Mei were safe and sound, the entire City Lord's manor erupted in celebration. Though Vermilion Bird City had faced a catastrophic bloodbath, the manor itself remained completely unscathed — a cause for genuine rejoicing.
Even if the Shangguan family had connections to the Qilin Prince's Mansion and the Mansion launched an investigation, it would not implicate the Su family. Besides, the Shangguan family was probably not worth the Qilin Prince's Mansion making an enemy of a grey-robed Spirit World Master.
Late that night, when all was quiet, Su Hen returned to his private chambers. He stood at the window, gazing at the bright moon outside, his heart deeply troubled. Until now, he had not summoned the courage to open the slip of paper in his hand, afraid of what it might say.
But avoidance was no solution — Su Hen understood that perfectly well. He slowly closed his eyes, took several deep breaths, then opened them again and unfolded the note.
When he read its contents, his expression shifted repeatedly — green, purple, joy, worry — and after a long moment, he drew a sharp breath, his face awash with a mixture of elation and dread.
Though the note contained only a few simple words, they carried an unmistakable meaning.
"If you ever try to marry Su Rou or Su Mei to anyone again, it won't be the Shangguan family I destroy — it will be your Su family."