Feigned Death and Undercurrents

At the edge of the charred pit, Xiao Lingshan knelt, her ten fingers digging deep into the soil.

The mangled body at the bottom of the pit was no longer recognizable as human. The final burst of energy from the magnetic beam blade was too violent, carbonizing everything within a three-zhang radius. Only a few fragments of clothing that had not been completely burned could still be identified as the moon-white robe that Li Xian had worn that day.

"No...it's impossible..." she murmured, trying to jump into the pit, but Miss Chunmeng held her back tightly.

"Lingshan, calm down!" Chunmeng's voice was hoarse, her eyes bloodshot, but she still maintained her last shred of sanity. "What's the point of you going down now?!"

"I want to take him home..." Xiao Lingshan's tears fell in large drops onto the soil. "He said... he would take us to see the stars... he said..."

Peng Shitao stood a short distance away, holding a pale golden holy water crystal in her hand—she had found it on the edge of the scorched pit, miraculously intact. The crystal was slightly warm in her palm, as if it still retained the warmth of its owner.

She closed her eyes, tears seeping from between her eyelashes.

The chaos on the city wall continued. Eunuch Zhao's sudden "kill order" stunned everyone, but the crossbows ultimately did not fire—because Chu Huaizhou stood in front of them.

"Eunuch Zhao!" Chu Huaizhou's voice was as cold as ice. "Young Master Li has just repelled the enemy army, and you want to kill him now? What will the world think of the imperial court?!"

"Lord Chu!" Eunuch Zhao cried out, "This is His Majesty's secret decree! Li Xian possesses a celestial inheritance, yet instead of serving the court, he has privately established a sacred sect, harboring remnants of the Demonic Sect and the Linghan Palace. His heart is wicked! If he doesn't die today, he will surely become a major threat to the court in the future!"

"Then do you know," Chu Huaizhou said, emphasizing each word, "that without Li Xian, Tonghai Prefecture would have fallen by now, and we would both be dead beneath the blade!"

As the two confronted each other, the situation below the city changed again.

After losing Aunt Xiao's command, the "Radiated Corpses" went berserk and began attacking indiscriminately—including the remnants of the Daoist Sword Hunters. Seeing the situation was dire, the Black Feather Guards were the first to retreat. With Bingwei unconscious, the disciples of Linghan Palace, leaderless, also fled.

In the end, only corpses and members of the Holy Gate remained beneath the city walls.

Miss Chunmeng took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down. She glanced around: Binglan was holding the unconscious Bingwei, using the Ice Soul Mystic Art to suppress the spread of radiation corrosion on her arm; the three girls from the Creation Department were pale-faced, but they were still struggling to pack up the equipment; the women from the Martial Arts Department and the Internal Affairs Department were gathered together, their eyes filled with confusion and fear.

"Everyone," Chunmeng's voice wasn't loud, but it carried an undeniable authority, "evacuate immediately."

"But Brother Li..." a woman said, choking back tears.

"He's dead!" Chunmeng interrupted sharply. "But we're still alive! The Holy Gate is alive! Now, listen to my orders—evacuate in batches, according to Plan Three, and assemble at Outpost Two!"

This was one of the retreat plans Li had devised: if they encountered an unavoidable encirclement and suppression, they would break up into smaller groups and go underground.

The women suppressed their grief and began to act.

Chunmeng walked to Xiao Lingshan's side and squatted down: "Lingshan, I know you're sad. But now, you must stand up. The Green Wood Token is in your hands, you are the Wood Spirit Envoy of the Holy Gate, and the sisters need you."

Xiao Lingshan looked up, her vision blurred by tears, and saw the resolute look in Chunmeng's eyes.

"Li Xian is gone," Chunmeng said softly, "but the Holy Gate cannot be destroyed. This is what he left behind, and we must protect it for him."

After a long while, Xiao Lingshan slowly stood up and wiped away her tears. She took one last look at the scorched pit, carefully wrapped a handful of soil in her hand, and put it into her bosom.

"Let's go."

Thirty li south of Tonghai Prefecture, there is an abandoned mine.

This is the Holy Gate's second stronghold, originally one of the alternative hiding places prepared by Li Xianrang Superman. The mine has been simply modified, with water storage, ventilation systems, and some supplies transferred from Peach Blossom Valley.

As night fell, twenty-three women gathered in the largest cave chamber—five of them were separated, possibly captured, possibly killed, or possibly still on the run.

Bingwei lay on a makeshift bed, the wound on her left arm already treated. Peng Shitao had used all available medicine, and with Binglan continuously suppressing the radiation corrosion with her Ice Soul Mystic Art, the radiation corrosion was temporarily under control, but she remained unconscious.

"The situation is not good," Peng Shitao whispered to Chunmeng. "The radiation isn't just eroding the body, it's eroding... the life force. I can stabilize her injuries, but when she'll wake up, and whether there will be any aftereffects... I don't know."

Chunmeng nodded and looked at Binglan: "I'm very sorry about what happened to your sister."

Binglan shook her head, her eyes vacant: "It was my sister's own choice. She said that if she could do something for the Holy Gate, something to make up for the mistakes of the past... she was willing."

As they were talking, a faint flapping sound came from outside the cave.

The Superman drone slid into the mine shaft, its fuselage damaged in several places, and its indicator lights dimmed considerably. It hovered in front of the crowd, its speakers emitting intermittent sound:

"Sisters... sisters... I'm back..."

"Superman!" Peng Shitao exclaimed in surprise, "You're still alive!"

"Barely... holding on." Superman's voice was crackling with noise. "The Dark Knight and Batman... destroyed themselves to cover my escape. Arya and Big Sister... their whereabouts are unknown."

Silence fell over the group. To them, the drone team was not just a tool, but more like a partner fighting side by side.

"Is there any news about... Brother Li?" Xiao Lingshan couldn't help but ask.

Superman paused for a few seconds before saying, "Based on the latest data records... the energy burst intensity of the magnetic beam dagger is indeed sufficient to... be lethal. But..."

"But what?"

"But 0.3 seconds before the outbreak, His Excellency the Administrator mobilized all remaining energy to form... an energy shield around Boss Li's body. Although it was very thin, it could theoretically absorb some of the damage."

"You mean..." Xiao Lingshan's voice trembled.

"What I mean is," Superman paused, "theoretically, Boss Li has a 10% chance of survival. But that charred corpse... the scan shows the body size and skeletal structure do match his. So..."

not much hope.

The light in Xiao Lingshan's eyes dimmed again.

Chunmeng frowned: "Wait. You said the manager mobilized resources at the last minute? Then the manager now..."

"We've lost contact," Superman replied. "My system can no longer detect any activity from the Administrator. According to the previous agreement, if the Administrator goes silent, I will temporarily take over the Holy Gate's command system."

Silence fell over the cave. Li Xian was dead, the administrators were silent, the Holy Sect was severely weakened, and it still had to face the imperial court's pursuit.

A desperate situation.

"We can't just give up like this," Chunmeng suddenly spoke, looking around at everyone. "Li Xian established the Holy Gate not so we could just sit here and wait to die. Sisters, hold your heads high."

The women slowly raised their heads.

"Now, I will temporarily assume the position of Holy Lord until..." Chunmeng paused, "...until a new decision is made. Does anyone have any objections?"

No one objected. Chunmeng was originally from a demonic sect, decisive in her actions, and highly respected.

"Okay." Chunmeng nodded. "First, Peng Shitao will continue to be in charge of the treatment, doing everything possible to wake Bingwei up. Second, Lingshan, you take the sisters of the Wood Spirit Tribe and find a way to establish a medicinal herb garden in this mine—the Green Wood Token can promote plant growth, and we need to be self-sufficient. Third, Binglan, you will be in charge of vigilance and intelligence gathering, with Superman assisting you."

She looked at everyone: "As for the rest of you... rest, train, and wait for your chance. Remember, we haven't lost; we've just... temporarily gone underground."

"What about the imperial court..." a woman asked timidly.

"The imperial court?" Chunmeng sneered. "Eunuch Zhao issued that kill order too hastily. Just wait and see, it won't be long before Tonghai Prefecture is in chaos again—because the main force of the Daoist Kingdom hasn't moved at all."

Everyone was taken aback.

"What do you mean?"

"The three thousand Blade Hunters who attacked the city today are just the vanguard," Chunmeng said in a deep voice. "The real elite force, at least five thousand men, and their 'general,' are waiting at sea. They will only truly land after Aunt Xiao takes control of the city and after the court is thrown into turmoil."

"But didn't Aunt Xiao lose today?"

"She lost, but she didn't die." Chunmeng's eyes sharpened. "And... do you really think that all of this today is just a coincidence?"

On the same night, at the Tonghai Prefecture government office.

Chu Huaizhou sat in his study, the "secret edict" laid out before him. The flickering candlelight illuminated his ashen face.

The secret edict is genuine; the seal, format, and markings are all correct. The content is indeed "If Li Xian is disloyal, he shall be executed." But the date of issuance... is a month ago.

A month ago, Li Xian was still in Peach Blossom Village, and the Holy Gate had not yet been established. How could the imperial court issue such an edict in advance?

unless……

"My lord." Qin Xiao's voice came from outside the door.

"Come in."

Qin Xiao pushed open the door and entered, his clothes still stained with blood. He glanced at the secret edict on the table and said in a deep voice, "The interrogation has yielded results."

"explain."

"Before coming to Tonghai Prefecture, Eunuch Zhao secretly met with someone—Grand Tutor Pang Wenyuan." Qin Xiao lowered his voice. "Grand Tutor Pang is a proponent of war and has always advocated for the complete eradication of the martial arts world and the centralization of all martial arts knowledge under the imperial court. He... seems to have connections with certain overseas forces."

Chu Huaizhou's pupils contracted: "Grand Tutor Pang is colluding with the Thirty-Three Kingdoms?"

"It's not collusion, it's... exploitation," Qin Xiao said. "Grand Tutor Pang wants to use the Daoist Kingdom to weaken the martial arts world in the southeast. Once both sides are exhausted, the imperial court will then send troops under the pretext of 'suppressing the rebellion' to seize all martial arts manuals and strange arts. Li Xian's creative abilities will naturally be among those seized."

"So he must die." Chu Huaizhou understood. "Because Li Xiantai is uncontrollable. If he lives, and the Holy Sect grows stronger, he will become the biggest obstacle to the court's implementation of the 'Martial Arts Prohibition Order'."

"Yes." Qin Xiao nodded. "Moreover... Grand Tutor Pang seems to have a special interest in the remains of the Star Chariot. He sent Eunuch Zhao here, firstly to kill Li Xian, and secondly to find something."

"What is it?"

"I don't know." Qin Xiao shook his head. "Eunuch Zhao is very tight-lipped. He only said it was 'the key that can change the world's格局 (geju, a concept encompassing overall situation, overall structure, and overall structure)'."

Chu Huaizhou closed his eyes, and after a long while, he opened them again: "Qin Xiao, we've been used as pawns."

"grown ups?"

"What Grand Tutor Pang wants is chaos in the martial world, for the imperial court to send troops, confiscate martial arts manuals, and consolidate its power. As for the lives of the people of Tonghai Prefecture, or the safety of the southeastern gateway... he doesn't care." Chu Huaizhou's voice was bitter. "And we have become pawns in his game."

"So now we..."

"Now?" Chu Huaizhou looked out at the dark night sky. "Li Xian is dead, the Holy Gate has fallen, but the main force of the Daoist Kingdom is still at sea, Aunt Xiao and the Black Feather Guard are still in the shadows, and Grand Tutor Pang's scheme is still ongoing."

He stood up: "Send down the order to impose martial law throughout the city and strengthen defenses. Also... secretly search for the whereabouts of the remnants of the Holy Gate."

Qin Xiao was taken aback: "Sir, you mean...?"

"Li Xian cannot have died in vain." A resolute glint flashed in Chu Huaizhou's eyes. "The Holy Sect cannot simply disintegrate like this. Some scores must be settled slowly."

The East China Sea, a hundred miles away.

Five enormous ships lay anchored in the night like black islands. On the bridge of the largest ship, a middle-aged man in dark purple armor stood leaning against the railing, gazing toward the western landmass.

He was none other than Genda Nobutsuna, the Shogun of the Tushita Kingdom.

"General." The ninja knelt on the ground. "News from Tonghai Prefecture: Li Xian is suspected to be dead, and the Holy Gate has collapsed."

Nobutsuna Genda slowly turned around, his dark purple armor gleaming coldly under the cabin lights. His face was expressionless, and after a long silence, he finally spoke: "Has the body been identified?"

"A charred corpse was found at the scene, but its face was unrecognizable. The remaining members of the Holy Gate had already fled, making a detailed investigation impossible."

"A bunch of useless trash." Genda Nobutsuna's voice was calm, but it made the ninjas bow even lower. "Where's Aunt Xiao?"

"The attempt to seize the city failed, and their whereabouts are unknown. Bingwei betrayed them and was seriously injured."

"In other words," Nobutsuna Genda walked to the nautical chart, "we've lost our vanguard, we've lost our inside man, and the target... might be dead, or he might have escaped?"

"Yes...yes."

Genda Nobutsuna suddenly laughed, a laugh tinged with sarcasm: "The people of the Central Plains are always like this, they like to complicate simple things. Pass down the order: the fleet shall remain stationary and continue to stand by at sea."

The ninja hesitated, "General, are we not going to land? Aunt Xiao made a promise before..."

"An agreement?" Nobutsuna Genda interrupted him. "What kind of agreement is there with a loser like you? We crossed the sea, and our goal was never a city, nor the legend of that broken spaceship."

He tapped his fingers on Tonghai Prefecture on the nautical chart: "What we want is that man named Li Xian, or... the method of 'creation' in his mind. The inheritance of the so-called 'sage from beyond the heavens' three hundred years ago? Hmph, if it were that easy to obtain, the Central Plains would have changed hands long ago."

The ninja suddenly realized: "You mean... Li Xian's value far exceeds everything?"

"Of course." A sharp glint flashed in Genda Nobutsuna's eyes. "The ability to create energy life out of thin air, to drive talking mechanisms, to break through battle formations with a mortal body... this ability is more valuable than ten starship remains. Aunt Xiao, the imperial court, and those remnants of the previous dynasty, they fight and fight, but their vision is still stuck on 'objects'. How laughable."

He paused, then gave the order:

"First, send orders to all our spies infiltrating the Central Plains, to use all resources to find out whether Li Xian is alive or dead. If he's alive, I need to know where he is; if he's dead, I need to see conclusive evidence."

"Second, contact the Black Feather Guards and tell them that if they can provide accurate information about Li Xian or core members of the Holy Gate, the previous promises will be doubled."

"Third..." Genda Nobutsuna's gaze deepened, "Investigate that little female doctor who's always by Li Xian's side, Peng Shitao. She's from Peach Blossom Village, and might know something we don't know about the origins of Li Xian's abilities. If necessary, we can 'ask' her to answer."

The ninja understood immediately: "Understood. Then... Tonghai Prefecture City?"

"Let the imperial court and those remnants of the Jianghu defend it," Genda Nobutsuna waved his hand. "Wait until they are both exhausted, until Li Xian or his accomplices are forced out... that's when we'll step in. Remember, the best hunter is patient."

"yes!"

After the ninja withdrew, Genda Nobutsuna stood alone on the bridge, taking out a dark red crystal fragment from his pocket.

The fragment glowed faintly in his palm, with a liquid-like halo flowing inside.

This is a sacred relic he brought from the royal treasury of the Daoist Kingdom, said to be a "fragment of a star raft" that fell from the sky three hundred years ago. Over the years, he has used the study of this fragment to train the Sword Hunters and improve the combined attack formation.

But now, he wants more.

"Li Xian..." he murmured to himself, "If you're really dead, it'll save us trouble. But if you're faking it..."

He gripped the shards tightly.

"Then this game will be even more interesting."

Deep inside the mine, Peng Shitao sat alone by an oil lamp.

A medical book lay open before her, but her gaze was fixed on the holy water crystal in her palm. The crystal shimmered with a soft, pale gold in the dim light, and seemed to pulsate slightly as if it were alive.

"Brother Li..." she murmured softly, "Are you really... dead?"

No one answered.

But she always felt that this crystal shouldn't be here. If Li Xianzhen was truly obliterated in the energy burst, why was the crystal perfectly preserved? If the administrator was truly dormant, why was the energy still flowing within the crystal?

"Poetry Peach".

Xiao Lingshan's voice came from behind. She walked over and sat down next to Peng Shitao, holding the Green Wood Token in her hand. The token emitted a faint green light in the darkness, intertwining with the golden light of the holy water crystals to form a strange halo.

"Sister Lingshan," Peng Shitao whispered, "I always feel... that Brother Li is still alive."

Xiao Lingshan remained silent for a long time before saying, "I hope so too. But hope... can't put food on the table."

"I'm not just hoping for this out of thin air." Peng Shitao handed over the crystal. "Sense it."

Xiao Lingshan took the crystal and closed her eyes to concentrate. The light of the Azure Wood Token intensified slightly, resonating with the crystal. After a moment, she opened her eyes, a look of shock flashing across them: "There's... Brother Li's aura inside! Although very faint, it's definitely there!"

"Furthermore," Peng Shitao pointed to the interior of the crystal, "look at the trajectory of these flowing halos—doesn't it resemble some kind of...cycle?"

Xiao Lingshan looked closely and, sure enough, the halo inside the crystal was not still, but was slowly flowing along a complex trajectory, like breathing, like a heartbeat.

"The manager said," Peng Shitao recalled, "that the essence of the holy water is 'encoded life energy.' If Brother Li really was... then the energy in this crystal should have gradually dissipated. But it didn't; it's circulating, it's being maintained."

"you mean……"

"What I mean is," Peng Shitao said softly but firmly, "Brother Li might not be dead, but rather in some kind of... suspended animation state. The administrators used their last strength to protect him, and then made him appear dead."

Xiao Lingshan's heart pounded: "Where is he now?!"

"I don't know," Peng Shitao shook her head, "but if we're right, he'll definitely try to contact us. And before that..."

She looked at Xiao Lingshan: "We must guard the Holy Gate and wait for him to return."

The two looked at each other, and hope rekindled in their eyes.

At this moment, Binglan rushed over, her face grave: "Something has happened."

"What's wrong?"

"I just received intelligence," Binglan lowered her voice, "Eunuch Zhao is leaving Tonghai Prefecture early tomorrow morning to return to the capital to report. But before he leaves... he wants to burn down Peach Blossom Valley."

"What?!" Xiao Lingshan stood up abruptly.

"They said they wanted to 'completely eradicate the nest of the remnants of the Holy Gate.'" Binglan gritted her teeth. "There are still things in the valley that we didn't have time to move—the herb garden, equipment, and many manuscripts left by Brother Li."

Peng Shitao also panicked: "Those manuscripts contain research notes on holy water, design drawings for drones, and many other things we don't understand! We can't burn them!"

"But what do we have to do to stop them now..." Xiao Lingshan looked at her exhausted sisters inside the cave.

The three fell silent.

After a long silence, Miss Chunmeng's voice came from the shadows: "Take out your brains."

She stepped into the light, her eyes flashing coldly: "If Eunuch Zhao wants to burn Peach Blossom Valley, he won't just take a few people. He'll take at least a contingent of the Azure Eagle Guard. And the main force of the Azure Eagle Guard is currently guarding the city."

"you mean……"

"A diversionary tactic." Chunmeng smiled. "Isn't he going back to the capital? Then we'll... see him off."

She looked at the three of them: "Li Xian is gone, but we are still here. The Holy Gate has not fallen. We have to fight this battle ourselves."

Deep inside the mine, twenty-three women gathered together.

There was still sadness and fear in their eyes, but something else more—

A fire called "Revenge".

(End of Chapter 47)