The group rode their horses down from Mount Jiuhua. A gentle mountain breeze accompanied them as dusk slowly deepened, and before long, darkness had settled across the land. Seeing the night fall, they sought lodging at a roadside inn. After the day's weariness, each retired to rest. Inside the inn, the swaying lamplight painted a tranquil picture of the quiet night.
That very evening, a soft knock sounded at the door. Zhao Rou rose at once and opened it—there stood Liu Yun, tall and graceful, the moonlight falling upon her profile, lending her beauty an even softer glow. She smiled faintly and said in a low voice,"Master Zhao, would you care to walk with me beneath the moonlight?"
Zhao Rou was slightly taken aback. She glanced toward Wu Tong, her eyes asking for counsel."Brother Tong, would you like to join us?" she asked softly.
Wu Tong, perceptive as ever, had long seen through Liu Yun's feelings—this moonlit stroll likely carried a meaning beyond idle conversation. After a brief pause, he smiled and replied,"You two go ahead. I'm a little tired and will turn in early."
Stretching lazily, he made as if to sleep. Seeing this, Zhao Rou said no more, and she and Liu Yun walked side by side into the stillness of the night.
Around the hour of the dog, Zhao Rou returned to her room. There was a faint shadow between her brows, her face touched with displeasure, and her tone carried a trace of vexation."Brother Tong, tomorrow I'm changing back into women's attire."
Wu Tong raised an eyebrow—clearly something had happened. He suspected Liu Yun had spoken some flowery vow or entreaty that had unsettled her. Testing the waters, he asked,"Sister Rou… did Liu Yun say something to you?"
Zhao Rou sat down with a sigh, absently toying with her folding fan. Her voice was low, almost sullen."She did. But even if I told you, you couldn't help. In any case, tomorrow I'll dress as a woman again—that will solve it."
Wu Tong was curious, but seeing her mood, he didn't press further. He smiled lightly."As you wish. Whatever happens, it's better to face it than to let it drag on."
At his words, Zhao Rou sighed again, her gaze drifting toward the window, where the night lay deep and the wind stirred softly. It seemed this moonlit talk had not gone as she had hoped.
The next morning, as the others came down for breakfast, Zhao Rou excused herself, claiming she was changing clothes, and asked Wu Tong to go ahead. Thus Wu Tong took his seat in the inn's main hall with the Two Wonders of Wulin, Liu Yun, and the Heavenly Venerable Ding Ren and Earthly Venerable Wei An of the Heavenly Venerable Sect. They ate and laughed together, the mood pleasantly warm.
Then, from the stairs, came the sound of light footsteps. All turned to look. A young woman in a pale green gown descended gracefully. Her brows arched like distant hills, her eyes shone like clear water, her skin was luminous and smooth. A faint breeze lifted her skirts; a touch of powder and rouge only enhanced the autumn light in her gaze. Her bearing was at once alluring and refined. She moved like a moonlit immortal stepping out of a painting, and for a moment, the entire inn seemed to hold its breath in spellbound wonder.
Even Wu Tong, who had seen his share of beauties, could not help widening his eyes, his pulse quickening, a strange heat and cold prickling over his skin. Never had he imagined that the playful, unrestrained girl from only months before could have blossomed into such peerless radiance.
Zhao Rou smiled faintly and stepped to his side."Brother Tong, what's wrong with your eyes?" she asked softly.
Wu Tong started, realizing his lapse, and hurried to cover it."Everyone's waiting for you to have breakfast," he said, keeping his tone even, though his expression still betrayed a hint of awkward surprise.
Liu Yun, for her part, stared in confusion at the exquisite young lady before her. Unable to hold back, she asked,"Master Wu, and this young lady is…?"
Wu Tong gave a slight start, then forced a chuckle."This… is Master Zhao."
The words had scarcely left his lips when Liu Yun went pale, as though struck by lightning. Her pupils trembled; she stood frozen for a heartbeat before covering her face and bolting for the door, murmuring over and over,"This can't be true… this can't be true…"
Her voice shook with disbelief and wounded pride as she fled the inn.
Wu Tong could only shake his head and turn to Zhao Rou, his tone teasing,"Sister Rou, this one's for you to handle. You'd best go comfort her."
Zhao Rou sighed and nodded, turning to follow. The inn remained hushed, the patrons just now recovering from their astonishment. Daoist Baimei stroked his beard and marveled,"Who would have thought that when Rou'er donned women's attire, she'd be a beauty beyond compare?"
Master Zhenkong added with a sigh,"As a man, she's dashing and heroic; as a woman, she's a vision unmatched. Even Young Hero Wu must admit she outshines him entirely."
The Two Wonders of Wulin, worldly and well-versed in the entanglements of men and women, exchanged knowing smiles and said no more.
A verse says:
Twin eyes hold autumn waters,Powdered cheeks brushed by the breeze.A graceful form drifts forth,And secret feelings quietly arise.
So began a new and silent tangle of the heart.
After breakfast, the party readied themselves for departure. Wu Tong offered Zhao Rou two steamed buns."You didn't eat earlier—make do with these."
Liu Yun, unexpectedly, said,"Brother Tong, I'll have one too."
"Good thing I brought two—one each, just right," Wu Tong replied. Their banter lightened the mood, and the road ahead seemed cheerful enough.
By midday, they sought a place to rest, and soon found a pavilion standing in the open wilds. Yet before they could approach, they saw the pavilion already occupied—two groups facing each other, tension in the air, blades nearly drawn.
At the forefront of one side stood a towering, broad-shouldered man, his frame corded with muscle, his face set and eyes cold. Clearly, he was a master of external martial arts. Arms folded, his voice was like ice as he declared,"I am Shi Kai, Right Dharma King of the Black Dragon Sect. I come under orders to warn your sect—do not go to the Pavilion of Prince Teng! If Zhengyi Sect knows what's good for it, it will step aside. Helping the Tang army will bring you nothing but ruin. Even the Tang troops have no will to fight for the Emperor—why should you suffer for nothing?"
His opponent was a middle-aged man in a blue robe, upright and dignified, with sword-like brows and eyes that shone with inner light. His bearing was righteous and unyielding."I am Zhang Zhen, known as the Dragon-Tiger Hermit. We may not influence the Emperor's court, but An Lushan's rebellion is a crime against Heaven itself—a treachery that plunges the people into misery. Such villains cannot be tolerated!"
The Zhengyi Sect's ancestral seat lay on Dragon-Tiger Mountain, and Zhang Zhen was leading his disciples and allies to the Pavilion of Prince Teng for the Grand Assembly to Punish the Traitors. Alongside him were renowned righteous heroes—Daoists Qingyangzi, Yun Yizi, Xiaozhenzi, Wu Wei, and others—martial masters famed for their chivalry and their aid to the oppressed.
Shi Kai's eyes narrowed. He gave a cold snort and said with contempt,"The wise bow to the times. Let us test each other today—see if you truly have the skill to defy me!"
Zhang Zhen's spirit flared. His eyes flashed and he barked,"Rebel scum, enough boasting! Show me what you've got!"
Before he could move, the Black Dragon Sect's Western King, Xiao Cheng, stepped forward with a roar. His palms whirled and he leapt high, his strikes a storm of wind and force, fierce as a sudden squall, aimed straight for Zhang Zhen.
Zhang Zhen's eyes brightened—this was no ordinary palm technique. But he did not falter. Sliding into motion, he danced away with the grace of a dragon in flight, evading each blow with ease before counterattacking in a steady, flowing rhythm, his palms surging like an unending river, swift as thunder.
They clashed like lightning and shadow, their strikes raising clouds of dust, the air alive with force. In the blink of an eye, they had traded thirty or forty blows, neither yielding an inch. Both, however, were secretly astonished at the other's depth of skill.
Shi Kai seized a moment to sneer,"The Tang Emperor has fled Chang'an—the empire's fate is sealed! Dragon-Tiger Hermit, with your skill, why not abandon the sinking ship and serve a new master? You'd have wealth and glory beyond measure."
Zhang Zhen's brows shot up in fury."Silence! Men of martial virtue act with honor and loyalty. An Lushan is a traitor who will meet a death without burial—mark my words!"
With that, his palms struck harder still, one fierce blow driving straight for Shi Kai's chest. The battle's heat rose once more, the outcome hanging on the edge of every strike.