One person: Starting with the Snow Drinking Blade

Zhang Chulan's voice grew softer and softer.

"Old Master Tang Miaoxing said that there were actually disagreements within the Tang Clan back then. Some people felt that national wars were a matter for soldiers, and the Tang Clan, being a martial arts sect, shouldn't get involved. In those years, warlords fought each other, and martial arts sects didn't participate, and nobody said anything. But this time is different; this time it's a war against the Japanese, a war of national subjugation and genocide."

He raised his head, his eyes solemn.

"The sect leader at the time, Old Master Tang Jiaren, only said one sentence—"

"If the nation ceases to exist, how can its gates stand? If the skin is gone, where will the hair attach?"

"Then, he personally led the thirty-seven most elite disciples of the sect down the mountain."

"Never came back."

The room was completely silent.

Even Zhao Zhongxiang's voice on TV seemed softer. Feng Baobao stopped eating potato chips, hugged a bag of them, and stared blankly at Zhang Chulan.

"And then?" Nie Lingfeng asked.

"Later, the Tang Clan declined with each generation," Zhang Chulan sighed. "The elite forces were almost wiped out, and most of the inheritance was lost. Especially 'Dan Shi'... the Tang Clan's supreme martial art, which is almost lost. Now, in the entire Tang Clan, only Elder Tang Miaoxing has barely mastered 'Dan Shi,' but its power is far less terrifying than recorded."

“‘Dan Shi’…” Nie Lingfeng frowned.

He had heard of that name. It was the most terrifying assassination technique of the Tang Clan, said to be inescapable and certain to kill anyone struck by it. However, the conditions for cultivation were extremely harsh, the success rate was very low, and it also caused great harm to the cultivator. Of all the Tang Clan leaders throughout history, less than one in ten had managed to master "Dan Shi."

"The main reason we're going is to investigate whether Wu Gensheng and the Thirty-Six Thieves had any dealings with the Tang Clan back then," Zhang Chulan continued. "After all, one of the Thirty-Six Thieves was from the Tang Clan—Xu Xin. But Xu Xin 'died' decades ago, and now, there aren't many people in the Tang Clan who know the truth about what happened back then."

"Did you find it?"

"We found some information." Zhang Chulan nodded. "Xu Xin is not dead. He has been secretly imprisoned by the Tang Clan in the 'Devouring Cave' in the back mountain."

"The Devouring Cave?"

"That's where the Tang Clan imprisons serious criminals. The place is extremely gloomy, never seeing sunlight, and surrounded by all sorts of poisons and formations. Xu Xin is imprisoned in the deepest part, kept alive by poisons and formations, but he's practically ruined, delirious, and we can't get anything useful out of him."

Zhang Chulan paused, then lowered his voice.

"However, we found some notes left behind by Xu Xin in the Devouring Cave. The notes were written on a special kind of animal hide and hidden in a crevices in the wall. They must have been secretly written down by Xu Xin. They mentioned some things in them."

He glanced around, as if afraid of being overheard, then leaned closer to Nie Lingfeng and lowered his voice even further:

"Xu Xin said in his notes that the thirty-six thieves swore brotherhood not only to 'share their unique skills,' but also to... fight against a certain 'being.'"

"That 'being' is secretly manipulating the course of the world of supernatural beings, and even... influencing the fate of the entire world. The Thirty-Six Thieves wanted to break this 'shackle,' but failed. After Xu Xin escaped back to the Tang Clan, he was imprisoned by the then-leader. One reason was to punish him for betraying the sect, and the other was... to protect him, and also to protect the Tang Clan, so that it wouldn't be silenced by that 'being.'"

"That 'existence'..." Nie Lingfeng's eyes narrowed, "Is it related to the Twenty-Four Solar Terms Valley?"

"The notes didn't explicitly say it, but they mentioned words like 'door,' 'key,' and 'seal,'" Zhang Chulan nodded. "It matches what we saw in the Twenty-Four Solar Terms Valley. Moreover, the notes also mentioned that the ancestors of the Tang Clan actually participated in 'sealing' that 'being.'"

He paused, his voice becoming even lower:

"The Tang Clan's 'Dan Shi' was not originally intended for killing, but for... 'soul sealing.' It was only after the lineage was broken that it became a purely killing technique."

Nie Lingfeng remained silent.

Sure enough, the Tang Sect is also related to that "existence".

It seems that more than one family or sect participated in the sealing back then. The Celestial Master of Longhu Mountain, the Pill Devourer of the Tang Clan, the Qimen of Wudang, the Spirit Binding and Commanding of the Feng Family... Perhaps there are many more, all hiding secrets unknown to others.

"We also met the younger generation of the Tang Clan," Zhang Chulan continued, his tone becoming more relaxed. "There's one named Tang Wenlong, who's quite interesting. He's not very old, only in his early twenties, but he's ruthless and scorns the traditional rules of the Tang Clan."

"What did he say again?" Zhang Chulan thought for a moment. "Oh, right, he said: 'All that talk about ancestral laws being immutable is nonsense! Times are changing, the environment is changing, and the enemies are changing. If we keep clinging to those old relics, we'll be eliminated sooner or later!'"

"He advocated that the Tang Clan should go out and integrate into modern society. He wanted to use the internet, social media, and new media to promote the Tang Clan. He even wanted to set up a 'Tang Clan Culture Communication Company' to make short videos, do live streams, and sell Tang Clan's antidote..."

Nie Lingfeng was dumbfounded.

Shoot short videos? Start a live stream? Sell products online?

Is this the Tang Clan? That sinister and mysterious assassin sect?

"Where is Grandpa Tang Miaoxing? What's his attitude?"

"Grandpa..." Zhang Chulan smiled wryly, "It's complicated. On one hand, he knows that the Tang Clan needs to change and keep up with the times. On the other hand, he's afraid that the Tang Clan will be drawn into an even bigger vortex and repeat the same mistakes. So he both loves and hates Tang Wenlong. He admires his drive and ideas, but he's also afraid that he'll cause trouble."

"He was both polite and wary of us. He wanted to get clues about the 'key' from us, but he was also afraid that if we knew too much, it would bring trouble to the Tang Clan."

"And then? How did you leave?"

"We had a fight." Zhang Chulan grinned, a hint of smugness in his smile. "That kid Tang Wenlong wasn't convinced and insisted on sparring with Sister Bao'er. In the end, he was defeated by Sister Bao'er using the 'Awei Eighteen Styles'."

"The 'Awei Eighteen Styles'?" Nie Lingfeng was taken aback.

Zhang Chulan explained, "What 'Continuous **', 'Old Man **', 'Poison Dragon Drill'... the names may be... cough cough, but their power is indeed great. Tang Wenlong was beaten black and blue, and lay on the ground for a long time without getting up."

Feng Baobao added from the side, "He's too weak. He fell down before I even used any force."

The tone was calm, but it was even more heartbreaking to hear.

"And then?" Nie Lingfeng asked, suppressing a laugh.

"Later, Grandpa Tang Miaoxing intervened. He scolded the kid, and then... treated us to a meal and sent us down the mountain."

"Eat?" Nie Lingfeng raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, let's eat." Zhang Chulan's expression turned somewhat strange, as if he had recalled something terrifying. "The food at the Tang Clan... is quite special. There's a dish called 'Three Lives Three Worlds,' which is made by stewing three different poisonous insects—centipede, scorpion, and spider—with three different poisonous herbs—heartbreak grass, aconite, and gelsemium—for three days and three nights. It's said that eating it can enhance one's resistance to poisons, making one immune to all poisons afterward."

"How does it taste?"

Zhang Chulan's face scrunched up.

"It was bitter, astringent, and numbing, like eating Chinese medicine with chili powder. After eating it, my tongue was numb and I couldn't speak for a long time. Sister Bao'er said it was delicious and ate three big bowls. Master Wang, Zhuge Qing, Lingyu Zhenren, and I forced ourselves to eat a small bite, and we had diarrhea for a whole day."

Feng Baobao nodded in agreement: "It's delicious, even better than the braised pork we had last time."

Zhang Chulan gave her a resentful look: "Sister Bao'er, your taste is too heavy..."

Chen Duo asked quietly from the side, "Is it delicious?"

"It doesn't taste good," Zhang Chulan said honestly. "Don't eat it."

Chen Duo nodded, indicating that she remembered and would not eat it again.

"In short, the Tang Clan gained something from this trip, but not much," Zhang Chulan summarized. "We learned that Xu Xin is not dead, and may even take over the Tang Clan under a different name; we learned that the Tang Clan is related to that 'being'; and we learned the truth about 'Dan Shi'. But it also left many questions unanswered—what exactly were the Thirty-Six Thieves trying to do back then? What exactly is that 'being'? And who are the 'them' mentioned in Xu Xin's notes?"

He looked at Nie Lingfeng: "Brother Feng, have you made any new discoveries during your three months of seclusion?"

Nie Lingfeng thought for a moment, then slowly said, "There are some. But like you, I have more questions than answers. However, one thing is certain—"

He paused, then spoke slowly and deliberately:

"That 'being' is about to awaken. We don't have much time left."

The room fell silent again.

Only on television did Mr. Zhao Zhongxiang's voice continue:

"...The propagation of life is nature's greatest miracle. The birth of every new life signifies the continuation of the species, signifies hope..."

The sound echoed in the silent room, carrying a strange sense of destiny.

"Alright, stop so serious," Xu Si suddenly spoke, breaking the silence. He stood up, clapped his hands, and said in a loud voice, "Even if the sky falls, someone taller will hold it up. Let's eat and drink as we please. Come on, let's have hot pot! It's on me! To celebrate Xiao Feng's recovery and to celebrate Chu Lan and the others' safe return!"

"Long live Fourth Brother!" Zhang Chulan was the first to jump up, the heaviness from before vanishing instantly.

"Hot pot, delicious." Feng Baobao put down her potato chips and stood up. She patted the chip crumbs off her hands, her movements very serious.

"Okay, let's have hot pot then." Nie Lingfeng smiled and pulled Chen Duo to her feet.

Some things can't be rushed.

What's meant to come will come.

Before that, eat a good meal and live well.

The hot pot restaurant that Xu Si found was a famous old brand in Tianjin – Dezhuang Hot Pot.

The shop wasn't big, and the decor was ordinary—the kind of old-fashioned hot pot restaurant with wooden tables and chairs, and a few calligraphy and paintings hanging on the walls. But business was booming; there was a long queue at the door, and the place was bustling with noise and activity.

Fortunately, Xu Si had booked a private room in advance, so everyone went in without waiting.

The private room was on the second floor; it wasn't large, but it was very quiet. In the center was a large round table covered with a disposable tablecloth. At the center of the table was a bubbling nine-compartment hot pot. Red oil churned and steam rose, with chili peppers and Sichuan peppercorns floating in the oil, releasing an irresistible aroma.

The table was filled with all sorts of dishes—tripe, beef aorta, duck intestines, beef, mutton, shrimp paste, fish balls, green vegetables, tofu, enoki mushrooms, lotus root slices, potatoes… a dazzling array that made one’s mouth water.

"Come on, sit down, don't be shy," Xu Si said, pouring everyone a glass of beer. The beer was chilled, with a layer of water droplets on the bottle, looking incredibly refreshing.

"Fourth Brother, I'll just have a Coke." Zhang Chulan raised his hand.

"Look at you, so pathetic!" Xu Si glared. "A man who doesn't drink is wasting his life! Drink!"

"I can't hold my liquor..."

"You need to practice more if you're not good enough!" Xu Si slammed his glass down in front of him. "We're not leaving until we're drunk!"

"Fine..." Zhang Chulan said with a bitter face, taking the wine glass.

Nie Lingfeng ordered Chen Duo a glass of orange juice and also prepared a dipping sauce for her. The sauce was made with sesame oil and minced garlic, with a little oyster sauce and vinegar, and sprinkled with chopped green onions and cilantro. This was Chen Duo's favorite flavor, and he had already remembered it.

Chen Duo sat next to him, watching him quietly prepare the dipping sauce, her eyes shining.

"Here, try this." Nie Lingfeng picked up a piece of tripe, dipped it in the pot a few times, and then put it in her bowl. "Tripe shouldn't be cooked for too long, or it will become tough and hard to chew."

Chen Duo imitated him, rolling the tripe in the dipping sauce before eating it in small bites. She chewed, her eyes curving into crescents.

"tasty."

"Then eat more." Nie Lingfeng put another slice of beef on her plate.

As everyone ate and chatted, the atmosphere quickly became lively.

Xu Si recounted all sorts of bizarre things that happened in the company. He talked about how an employee was fired for stealing mooncakes from a customer, how a delivery truck got lost and drove into a ditch, how two branches almost got into a fight over territory... He told these stories with great enthusiasm, making everyone laugh.

Zhang Chulan complained about the Tang Sect's "dark cuisine," vividly describing the taste of the "Three Lives Three Worlds" bowl and his reaction after eating it. He also imitated Tang Wenlong's tone of voice and expressions, bringing the rebellious youth to life.

Feng Baobao focused intently on the hot pot meat, her chopsticks moving with lightning speed. Several empty plates were already piled up in front of her, but she kept eating, seemingly never getting enough. Occasionally, she would interject with a comment like "This is delicious" or "That's not cooked yet," reminding everyone to pay attention to the heat.

Xu San was relatively quiet, but he would smile and serve food to everyone. He was very attentive; if someone's food was running low, he would quietly turn the lazy Susan around; if someone's cup was empty, he would pick up the teapot and refill it. He was like a dutiful older brother.

Chen Duo ate very attentively, taking small bites, but at a considerable pace. She would occasionally glance up at Nie Lingfeng before looking down and continuing to eat. Sometimes Nie Lingfeng would put food on her plate, and she would softly say "thank you" before continuing to eat.

Nie Lingfeng felt a warmth in his heart as he watched this scene.

This is the person he cares about, and the life he cares about.

Ordinary, lively, and full of everyday life.

He is willing to do anything to protect this ordinary life.

"Oh, right, Xiao Feng." Xu Si suddenly remembered something, took out a file folder from his pocket, and handed it to Nie Lingfeng. "Chairman Zhao asked me to give this to you. He said it's a new mission from 'Dawn.' Don't rush, take a look first."

Nie Lingfeng took it and opened it.

The document bag contained a few pages of paper and a few photos.

The photo shows a woman.

She wore a white lab coat and gold-rimmed glasses, appearing refined, gentle, and intellectual. Her features were delicate, her demeanor elegant; she resembled a university professor or a research fellow. She stood in a laboratory, surrounded by sophisticated instruments—microscopes, centrifuges, incubators, and computers. She smiled at the camera, a gentle yet confident smile that instantly won over anyone.

Nie Lingfeng's gaze fell on the name beneath the photograph—

"Qu Tong, president of Yaoxing Society."

His pupils contracted slightly.

Qu Tong?

The woman in the original work who is mysterious and unpredictable, possesses the "Dual-Handed Skill," and is suspected to be "Duanmu Ying"?

Is she also connected to "that person"?

He continued reading the documents.

"Target: Qu Tong, president of Yaoxing Society. Female, age unknown, suspected of possessing some kind of special ability. Closely connected to 'that person,' she is one of his important partners. She is secretly conducting 'human body modification' and 'consciousness uploading' experiments, attempting to achieve 'immortality' and 'evolution' through technological means."

"Mission: Find out the truth, collect evidence, and, if necessary... eliminate them."

"Danger Level: S. Caution advised."

Nie Lingfeng stared silently at the document, his heart churning with complex emotions.

Qu Tong, Yaoxing Society, Dual-wielding, Human body modification, Consciousness uploading, Immortality, Evolution...

Each of these words carries an aura of danger.

He knew how dangerous Qu Tong was. In the original story, she was almost a perfect mastermind—intelligent, calm, patient, shrewd, and powerful. She had been secretly plotting for years, manipulating countless people and events, even a genius like Ma Xianhong was completely at her mercy.

Now, this dangerous woman has become his target.

Moreover, she is also connected to "that person".

That "being" sleeping behind the gate of the Twenty-Four Valleys, that "thing" that almost destroyed the world.

This pool of water is deeper than he thought.

"What's wrong? Is the mission troublesome?" Xu Si asked, noticing his strange expression.

Nie Lingfeng snapped out of his reverie, put the file away, and smiled, "A little. But I can manage."

He raised his glass.

"Come on, let's drink."

"In order to...live."

"To survive!"

Everyone clinked glasses and drank it all in one gulp.

The liquor, upon entering the throat, is spicy with a hint of sweetness.

Outside the window, the city lights are just coming on; the night in Tianjin is just beginning.

Neon lights flashed, cars weaved through traffic, and pedestrians hurried by. In the distance, the Haihe River flowed quietly, reflecting the lights on both banks.

But a new storm is quietly brewing.

At the eye of the storm, a woman named Qu Tong was smiling and waiting.

She awaited the unfolding of her plans.

She awaits those destined to meet her, step by step, as they enter her game of chess.