The moment Tao Qing finished speaking, a sharp pain stabbed through An Jin’s temples. A loud ringing filled her head, buzzing without end.
Could it be that they still couldn’t escape the original storyline?
Suddenly, Gong Yue’s expression changed.
In one smooth motion, he stepped in front of both women, his hand tightening around the sword at his waist.
“Who’s there?” he called coldly.
A figure stood silently atop a nearby roof, as though he had been watching for quite some time.
Wrapped entirely in black, the man let out a hoarse, unpleasant laugh.
“So Gong Yue is here after all. That old fool Tao actually lied to me. Fortunately, the Tower Master was wise enough to prepare a second plan.”
As he spoke, his hand reached into his robes as though retrieving something.
Sensing danger, Gong Yue reacted instantly.
His sword flew from its sheath and shot toward the man like lightning.
But he was too late.
A signal flare exploded high in the sky.
Boom!
The black-clad man laughed sinisterly.
“Gong Yue, the Tower Master has spoken. If you wish to leave Fengyu Tower, hand over the Gong Family Sword Manual. Otherwise, your wife and your unborn child will die without a burial place.”
“The Tower Master has already issued a kill order throughout the jianghu. Every major sect is heading toward Yungu Manor. Let’s see how long the so-called Number One Swordsman Under Heaven can survive!”
With that threat delivered, he leaped away and disappeared into the distance.
Gong Yue’s face darkened.
After retrieving his sword, he turned and pressed its blade against Tao Qing’s throat.
Murderous intent filled his eyes.
“Tell me. Is Uncle Tao working with Fengyu Tower?”
Tao Qing’s face turned deathly pale.
Covering her head, she shook it frantically.
“I don’t know! I don’t know!”
Then, as though remembering something, she suddenly grabbed An Jin’s hand.
Hope filled her tearful eyes.
“Sister Wei’er! Brother Gong! Come with me. I know a secret passage. I can get you out!”
Gong Yue’s eyes remained icy.
An Jin herself felt lost and overwhelmed.
If Yungu Manor had truly allied itself with Fengyu Tower, how could they trust Tao Qing so easily?
What if following her led them directly into a trap?
Seeing the distrust in their expressions, Tao Qing grew increasingly desperate.
She clung to An Jin’s hand and cried,
“Believe me! Please believe me! If we wait any longer, it’ll be too late! I’ll get you out of here!”
Her hysterical desperation moved An Jin.
She gently raised a hand.
“Yue’er, lower the sword.”
Then she looked at him softly.
“Let’s trust her this once.”
Human hearts were made of flesh after all.
During these months, An Jin had treated Tao Qing sincerely, and she could tell that beneath her impulsive nature, Tao Qing was a kind-hearted girl.
And the terror on her face when she rushed in to save them had not looked fake.
Even if Old Master Tao had betrayed them, Tao Qing likely knew nothing about it.
Tao Qing froze.
Looking into An Jin’s gentle eyes, she found herself unable to speak.
In the end, the person who trusted her most was Sister Wei’er.
Shame washed over her.
She remembered her earlier schemes to get close to An Jin and felt deeply embarrassed.
Yungu Manor had wronged them.
She wiped away her tears fiercely.
“Then come now!”
“I’ll save you.”
The secret tunnel had been built after Yungu Manor nearly suffered total destruction years ago.
Only she and her Father knew of its existence.
The entrance lay hidden behind her courtyard.
Upon reaching the spot, Tao Qing lifted a stone slab, revealing a narrow underground passage.
“Brother Gong, Sister Wei’er, hurry. The tunnel isn’t long. It only leads outside the manor. Be careful and don’t let them catch you.”
Gong Yue jumped down first.
Then he helped An Jin descend.
With her swollen belly, she could barely manage without his support.
Once she stood safely inside the tunnel, An Jin looked up worriedly.
“Qing’er, if you ruin Old Master Tao’s plans, will you be alright?”
Tao Qing forced a smile.
“He’s my Father. He’s not going to kill me, is he?”
Then she added quietly,
“Go. My Father owes you both far more than he can repay.”
After saying those final words, she replaced the stone slab.
Darkness returned.
Only then did she collapse onto the ground, covering her face as she sobbed.
At least she had saved them.
At least she had succeeded.
“What have you done?”
A furious roar suddenly rang out.
Before Tao Qing could react, someone grabbed her collar and hauled her off the ground.
Her tear-filled eyes met bloodshot ones.
“Where is Gong Yue? Did you let them escape?”
Old Master Tao was livid.
After discovering that Gong Yue had not fallen for the false information he had planted, he immediately joined forces with the martial artists gathered outside the manor.
Gong Yue was too strong for them to confront directly.
But his pregnant wife was another matter.
Yet when they arrived at Qinghe Cottage, the place was already empty.
After hearing from the guards that Tao Qing had visited earlier and then left in a hurry, Old Master Tao immediately sensed disaster.
In his rage, he had killed the guard on the spot.
Then he came straight to the tunnel entrance.
And there was his daughter.
The stone slab had clearly been moved.
The truth was obvious.
Tao Qing had let them go.
Her face was ashen.
“Father… stop while you still can.”
Veins bulged on Old Master Tao’s forehead.
Without hesitation, he slapped her.
Crack!
The blow carried internal energy.
Tao Qing was sent sprawling onto the ground.
Her hair came loose.
The left side of her face instantly swelled.
Blood trickled from the corner of her mouth.
Digging her fingernails into the dirt, she cried out,
“If it weren’t for Brother Gong, Yungu Manor would’ve been destroyed years ago! You’re repaying kindness with betrayal! You even killed Uncle Gong!”
The final veil of hypocrisy was ripped away.
“Shut up!”
Old Master Tao roared.
“You stupid girl! You’re trying to get your Father killed!”
“If Gong Yue survives this and escapes, do you think he’ll spare Yungu Manor? Do you think either of us will live?”
“Men!”
“Lock this unfilial daughter in the woodshed! No food!”
Tao Qing struggled desperately as the guards restrained her.
Tears streamed down her face.
“Father! Let them go!”
“Father, I’m begging you!”
Old Master Tao ignored her.
“I’m heading to the tunnel exit right now.”
“You’d better pray I kill him this time.”
…
The tunnel was dark and freezing.
The only warmth An Jin could feel came from the hand holding hers.
“Yue’er.”
Her voice trembled slightly in the darkness.
The oppressive surroundings and fear of the unknown weighed heavily on her nerves.
Gong Yue tightened his grip.
“I’m here.”
Fortunately, the suffocating darkness did not last long.
The tunnel gradually widened.
Light appeared ahead.
Soon they emerged into the open.
Outside, everything was blanketed in snow.
The endless white landscape was intimidating.
A bitter wind swept across the mountains.
An Jin’s face turned pale from the cold.
Gong Yue tightened her cloak around her.
Dark emotions churned in his eyes.
Ordinary women nearing childbirth were pampered and protected by their families.
Yet his Wei’er had been dragged into danger because of him.
He had never trusted others easily.
The jianghu was too dangerous for that.
But Uncle Tao had been different.
He was his Father’s sworn friend.
A senior who had watched him grow up.
He had brought An Jin to Yungu Manor hoping she could spend her pregnancy in peace.
Instead, he had nearly delivered her into a trap.
The information Uncle Tao gave him had clearly been false as well.
For more than twenty years, through countless storms and hardships, Gong Yue had never experienced fear like this.
If he had taken the bait and left…
Wei’er would have been doomed.
His gaze drifted into the distance.
His eyes resembled a frozen abyss.
Silent.
Lifeless.
“Yue’er.”
An Jin tugged gently on his sleeve.
She knew he must be hurting.
His parents had died young.
Now the only elder he trusted had betrayed him.
No comforting words seemed adequate.
She simply wanted him to know that she would always stay by his side.
The concern in her eyes shone like a ray of light into the barren wasteland of his heart.
His expression softened.
“Let’s go.”
They could settle today’s debts later.
First, they had to survive.
“There they are!”
Shouts erupted from every direction.
An Jin turned around sharply.
A massive crowd was charging toward them.
Her breath caught in her throat.
Gong Yue’s expression grew serious.
If he were alone, he feared no number of enemies.
But An Jin was with him.
If a battle broke out, there would inevitably be moments when he could not protect her.
Direct confrontation was not an option.
Making his decision, he swept her into his arms.
Then he leaped into the air.
His profound internal energy and unrivaled lightness skill quickly widened the distance between them and their pursuers.
The wind howled around them.
Cold pierced through flesh and bone like needles.
An Jin buried her face against his chest and dared not look back.
Yue’er could do anything.
Just as he had rescued her from the embroidery house before, he would protect them now.
They would be alright.
Then a sharp pain suddenly twisted through her abdomen.
Her face went pale.
She assumed the shock had disturbed the pregnancy.
Biting her lip, she gently stroked her belly.
Be good, little one.
Don’t make things harder for Father.
But the pain only intensified.
Wave after wave struck her.
The agony became so overwhelming that she could barely think.
Then she felt a warm liquid flow beneath her.
Her eyes widened in horror.
Her face lost all color.
Grabbing Gong Yue’s robes desperately, she spoke through tears.
“Yue’er…”
“I think… I’m going into labor.”
Gong Yue froze.
Looking down, he saw her bloodless face.
Then he glanced at the enemies pursuing them.
A terrifying killing intent erupted from him.
It was because of them.
They should have welcomed their child in safety and comfort.
Instead…
There was no town nearby.
No physician.
No midwife.
Not even a shelter from the snow.
Then he spotted a building in the distance.
Without hesitation, he changed direction and rushed toward it.
Feeling him stop, An Jin lifted her head weakly.
The sight before her drained every last drop of blood from her face.
A ruined mountain shrine.
Her body began trembling uncontrollably.
Was this truly unavoidable?
Was she still destined to die giving birth in a broken temple, just like the original story?
Unaware of her thoughts, Gong Yue carried her inside.
The shrine had long been abandoned.
Spiderwebs covered the beams.
The mountain god statue stood broken and coated in dust.
He spread his outer robe on the ground.
Then he gently laid her down.
Wrapping her securely in his cloak, he cupped her pale face in his warm hands.
“Don’t be afraid.”
“I’ll guard the entrance.”
“No one will get in.”
Tears slipped down An Jin’s cheeks.
She was terrified.
But she could not say it aloud.
Forcing a smile through her trembling lips, she whispered,
“I trust you, Yue’er.”
Gong Yue pressed a kiss to her forehead.
Then he picked up his sword and walked outside.
As the temple doors closed behind him, he silently mouthed two words.
Don’t be afraid.
Standing outside in only his inner garments, snow settled across his hair and shoulders.
Sword in hand, he stood alone before the temple.
Cold.
Silent.
Unyielding.
Like a lone guardian protecting the most precious thing in the world.
At that moment, Ghost-faced man and Old Master Tao arrived with their forces.
Ghost-faced man laughed loudly, jade flute in hand.
“Hahaha! Gong Yue! The Number One Swordsman Under Heaven!”
“So even you can be reduced to this!”
Old Master Tao narrowed his eyes.
Maintaining a hypocritical air of concern, he said,
“Yue’er, don’t fight Fengyu Tower.”
“Hand over the sword manual. Perhaps you can still save your life.”
The pretense was disgusting.
Gong Yue’s gaze swept across every greedy face before him.
Fengyu Tower.
Yungu Manor.
Chaoshan Gate.
Tiangong Sect.
Nearly every major force in the martial world had gathered here.
What had he done to deserve such a grand mobilization?
His expression remained calm.
“There is no Gong Family Sword Manual.”
The Gong Family Sword Art was powerful because generations of the Gong clan had refined it and passed it down orally.
Every child of the family learned to wield a sword almost as soon as they learned to hold chopsticks.
Yet these people believed that possessing a manual alone would make them invincible.
A trace of mockery flashed through his eyes.
“You think we’ll believe that?”
Weapons were drawn one after another.
Then suddenly, a cry of pain echoed from inside the mountain shrine.
A woman’s laboring scream.
Old Master Tao’s eyes lit up.
“That’s his pregnant wife inside!”
“She’s giving birth!”
“Charge in!”