Chapter 69: No One Is Allowed to Make a Fool of Me

"Ah, what’s happening? How did the fire start?"
Watching the flames and billowing smoke rising not far away, Ma Xue’e covered her mouth and cried out in alarm. Having lived on the mountain since childhood, she had always been keenly sensitive and cautious about fire.
She knew well that once a mountain fire ignited, it would be impossible to control, devouring everything in its path with ferocity.
Fortunately, most of the trees on this hillside had already been cut down to build the houses, and though the houses themselves were made of wood, they were not overly dense. There was still time to extinguish the fire before it reached the cluster of women, children, and elders.
Upon seeing the blaze, Xiang Ao only paused for a moment before instructing his disciples to fetch water and put out the fire.
Except for Xiang Yinglong and Liang Zhenyun, all disciples of the Luoyang Martial Pavilion rushed off to fight the flames. Martial artists had their own methods, and with light-footed skills, transporting water was swift.
In an instant, aside from the people of Tianmen Stronghold, only six remained in the clearing.
Luo Changning rubbed his brow and mused, "I fear this fire was set by the Second Chief, Peng Qingcheng. We don’t know where he’s escaped to now..."
At these words, the group fell silent.
Meanwhile, as they were busy battling the blaze on Tianmen Peak, Peng Qinghua at the foot of the mountain awoke to searing, bone-deep pain as the effects of the drug began to manifest.
"Ah! Ah! Ah—"
Clutching his arms, Peng Qinghua knelt in agony, his whole body soaked in sweat, bloodshot eyes glaring fiercely.
It’s said pain brings clarity; Peng Qinghua was now in just such a state. Everything that had happened while his spirit wandered now surfaced vividly in his mind.
A handsome youth with sharp brows and bright eyes had forced a fragrant pill into his mouth.
What was the name of that pill?
Yes, the Misty Cloud Elixir—it could rob a martial artist of all their power, leaving them forever unable to practice martial arts... The Misty Cloud Elixir!
Recalling this, a fierce hatred burst in Peng Qinghua’s eyes: My martial arts are gone, I’ll be a cripple for life! And it was all that boy’s doing!
Before he lost consciousness, exhausted in both body and spirit, Peng Qinghua’s last thought was: I, Peng Qinghua, will never share the sky with him. If ever I get the chance, I will exact a hundredfold vengeance!
In his life, martial arts had been all that Peng Qinghua cared for. Now, Luo Changning’s single pill had destroyed it all—deep enmity was thus sown.

In truth, with Peng Qinghua’s brash love for martial arts and simple nature, he wouldn’t have held a grudge even if kept imprisoned for years. In this sense, Luo Changning’s action had only needlessly created a hidden danger for himself.
Still, when trouble comes, one must deal with it as it arises; worrying about what hasn’t happened is pointless.
Back on Tianmen Peak, as Luo Changning and the others watched the shivering, huddled women, children, and elders, they sensed something was wrong.
Even if they were weak, it shouldn’t have rendered them so paralyzed in the face of fire, waiting for death.
Luo Changning scrutinized them and suddenly realized, "They’ve been drugged with a stupefying smoke, robbed of the strength to run."
"Stupefying smoke?"
"My goodness, that Second Chief Peng Qingcheng is truly ruthless—he didn’t even spare his own people!" Ma Xue’e’s little face scrunched up in outrage.
In the crisp autumn air, fire spreads most easily. Had they arrived just half a stick of incense later, these immobilized souls would have met a terrible fate.
"Alas, as rumors said, Peng Qingcheng is heartless and cruel, treating lives as playthings. These are his own household members, wives and concubines among them, yet he intended to burn them all alive..."
"Indeed, leaving one so cold-blooded behind would only bring disaster. Pity he managed to escape," Xiang Ao sighed.
"Changning, that Peng Qingcheng is truly despicable—setting the mountain ablaze just to burn those women and children alive! How heartless!" Ma Xue’e puffed her cheeks in anger.
Beside her, Xiang Yinglong spoke: "He likely guessed we wouldn’t abandon these people, so he set the fire to delay us and escape in the chaos. After all, I’ve heard these bandit dens always have secret tunnels."
Ma Qingyun chuckled quietly, saying no more, but he knew Peng Qingcheng’s motives all too well. He’d witnessed such things before; in the end, it was the basest side of men—those in power treated their own families most mercilessly, calling it ‘virtue’.
Indeed, Ma Qingyun’s guess was not far from the truth.
Though Peng Qingcheng was soft-hearted toward himself, he was viciously cruel to others. Before setting the fire, he gathered everyone, saying he would lead them through the secret passage to safety.
All the while, he was secretly releasing the stupefying smoke. As soon as the old, young, and women inhaled it, their bodies went limp and they became helpless.
Seeing them unable to move, Peng Qingcheng hurriedly took his two sons to ransack the houses for money and jewels, then made for the secret tunnel.
Before entering the passage, he set the fire—the flames were not far from the incapacitated women and children. Yet fate was with them; the battle below ended quickly, and Luo Changning’s group reached Tianmen Peak before the fire could claim any lives, halting its spread.
With the fire set, Peng Qingcheng and his sons fled through the secret passage.

He knew well that these helpless women, children, and elders, if killed, that would be the end of it.
If Xiang Ao spared their lives, it was likely that some of the younger, prettier women would be forced into degrading lives.
For the sake of his own escape, Peng Qingcheng abandoned his wives, concubines, and daughters, taking only his two sons. He refused to let the women become someone else’s or face disgrace that would tarnish the family’s name.
So he chose instead to burn them all, sparing himself shame.
Lin Ruhai, though fond of pleasure, never interfered with his men marrying or having children; he even allowed a maid to bear him a son, who is only five years old now.
These pitiful household members survived only because, watching from Tianmen Peak, Peng Qingcheng saw the defeat at the foot of the mountain—Ma Qingyun’s punch made it clear Tianmen Stronghold was doomed.
He had not expected Lin Ruhai to be so useless, killed in a single blow. Peng Qingcheng thought Lin Ruhai could have held them off for at least the time it took to brew a cup of tea, allowing the fire to spread and leaving Xiang Ao and the others powerless to help.
But his plans ultimately failed; the women of his brothers would likely become other men’s concubines.
Fortunately, Peng Qinghua, though married, had no son; otherwise, his own nephew might have to call another man ‘father’.
As for who Lin Ruhai’s son would call ‘father’ in future, that was no concern of his.
In the end, Peng Qingcheng and his two sons managed to escape for now, drifting at sea in a boat, their destination unknown.

Luo Changning and the others, knowing these women, children, and elders were the families of the chiefs, had no intention of slaughtering them. They advised them not to covet ill-gotten wealth, but to leave the mountain and seek their own paths.
The illicit riches accumulated over many years had already been looted by Peng Qingcheng; Luo Changning’s group would not spend their own resources to provide for the families of bandits—sparing their lives was mercy enough.
Once they took the medicine Luo Changning provided, the women, children, and elders regained their strength and, with profuse gratitude, accompanied each other down the mountain.
But their futures remained uncertain...