Chapter 045: Southern Dragon, Northern Tiger

After returning to his own quarters in the rear courtyard of Daisy Hall, Yun Mobai paused before a portrait hanging on the wall. If Lin Zhan were present, he would surely have been stunned, for the woman depicted in the portrait bore a striking resemblance to the fairy-like elder sister who had overseen his intensive training—so much so that she was either the very same person or her close kin.

Yun Mobai reached out, lightly caressing the face in the painting, murmuring softly, “In those days, I failed to protect you. Now we are separated by life and death. My daughter has grown up; I can no longer afford to be as weak as I was. The Ding family—again—it is high time I erase their name from the martial world forever!”

To understand this, one must start with Yun Mobai’s youth.

The Ding family—Ding Zhennan.

In those years, Yun Mobai and Ding Zhennan rose to fame together, earning the monikers Southern Dragon and Northern Tiger, advancing side by side, and receiving countless accolades in the cultivation world.

Their mutual admiration led them to become sworn brothers, a legendary bond that was the envy of many.

But the arrival of one person changed everything; the tale of brotherhood turned to bloodshed.

That person was none other than Ning Wanrou, later the mother of Yun Yin, and elder sister to Ning Wanqing, current mistress of the Scarlet Refinement Palace.

Ning Wanrou fell in love with the dashing young Yun Mobai at first sight. Abandoning her status as the Demon Sect’s heir, she swore to follow him.

Their love grew intense and unbridled, and soon after, Ning Wanrou became pregnant.

This ignited a storm throughout the martial world. Both the so-called righteous factions and the Demon Sect condemned and hunted them.

At this pivotal moment, Ding Zhennan, Yun Mobai’s sworn brother, remained silent. In truth, he too had secretly fallen for Ning Wanrou and harbored deep jealousy—a melodrama if ever there was one.

The martial world can be both ruthless and sentimental; chance encounters may be forgotten, but not so their consequences.

Yun Mobai fled with Ning Wanrou, evading pursuit from all sides, hoping to escape the endless strife.

Their journey was fraught with peril and bloodshed. Fortunately, they received covert aid from Ning Wanqing, and at last, a lovely baby girl, Yun Yin, was born safely.

However, the harsh postpartum conditions left Ning Wanrou gravely ill.

Desperate, Yun Mobai turned to Ding Zhennan for help—unaware that his sworn brother had already changed.

Witnessing the couple’s unwavering devotion, Ding Zhennan, now consumed by malice, betrayed them by leaking their whereabouts, dooming them to a dead end.

Perhaps thinking their demise inevitable, Ding Zhennan brazenly voiced his sordid intentions. Publicly proclaiming himself as the embodiment of justice, he insisted that if Ning Wanrou left Yun Mobai and secretly joined him, he could make all their troubles disappear.

Only then did Yun Mobai see his brother’s true, treacherous nature—and was driven to madness. Husband and wife fought back to back in a desperate battle.

In the end, Ning Wanrou sacrificed herself, self-detonating to buy Yun Mobai and little Yun Yin a chance to break through and escape.

This outcome filled Yun Mobai with lifelong regret. Were it not for his daughter, he would have unleashed his fury upon the world and followed Ning Wanrou into death.

Throughout the years, supported by Ning Wanrou’s memory, Yun Mobai reinvented himself, finding refuge in the menial servants’ hall at Blazing Flame Peak. There, Yun Yin grew up in peace and happiness, while all his humiliation and rage were buried deep within.

As for Blazing Flame Peak, its ties to the Demon Sect were intricate and profound. This connection allowed Ning Wanqing, herself of the Demon Sect, to become mistress of Scarlet Refinement Palace. Out of loyalty to her late sister, she distanced herself from her family, preferring to remain here rather than return to her clan.

Thanks to Ning Wanqing’s presence, Yun Mobai was able to escape further interference. Apart from raising Yun Yin, he spent nearly all his time in relentless self-cultivation.

From the moment Ning Wanrou perished, Yun Mobai swore that one day he would uproot the Ding clan completely.

But for the sake of his daughter, he had long delayed fulfilling this vow.

Now that his daughter was grown and would soon have her own life and family, the time had finally come.

Few outsiders knew the tangled relationships and subsequent events that had unfolded over the years.

Meanwhile, Ding Zhennan flourished, founding his own sect, marrying into a prominent family, and becoming a force to be reckoned with outside the Blazing Flame Mountain Range.

Taking revenge would not be easy.

Yet now, his daughter had once again been bullied by the Ding family—so why hold back any longer?

“Wanrou, I’ll be joining you soon, but first, let me settle this debt in full.”

Resolute, Yun Mobai turned and strode away with unrestrained grace.

That very night, rumors swept the martial world—a certain clan bearing the Ding name was invaded seven times by a masked man, who left devastation in his wake and killed or wounded more than half the household. Even the clan’s most reclusive elders were roused from seclusion, yet after a fierce joint assault, the masked intruder escaped unharmed.

The following night, the masked man struck again—this time single-handedly abducting the Ding family’s young master.

“Amazing! By all accounts, he shouldn’t have returned the next day, but he did!”

“It seems this masked hero harbors a deep and unending grudge against the Ding family.”

“Indeed! The Dings have long been arrogant and cruel, committing every manner of evil. This day was bound to come—ha! What a relief!”

“Seven raids in and out—what a formidable man. They say he used the long-lost Celestial Tiger Shadow Steps, the very technique that made the Northern Tiger, Yun Mobai, famous in his youth.”

“Hush, don’t speak recklessly. That affair implicated many, and the consequences were far-reaching. Few understood the truth until much later—it’s best left unspoken.”

“Yes, yes, of course.”

Tales and rumors abound in the martial world, but such a wave of criticism and applause, so overwhelmingly one-sided, was rare. It seemed the Ding family, for all their power, had never won the people’s hearts.

On the third day, the masked man broke into another clan, the Zhaos—longtime allies of the Dings—and unleashed yet another bloodbath.

Meanwhile, tragedy struck the Daisy Hall’s menial squad.

Their shift was to rotate, and they were to take over duties in the Cloud Domain. Though they were loath to go, they had no choice.

At dawn, Supervisor Cao Jin arrived to gather the group, but counted only nine men.

“Where are the others?” Cao Jin thundered.

“Reporting, sir, junior brothers Ten and Eleven are still missing. Perhaps they are deep in the Medicine Valley and missed the summons. Shall I send someone to fetch them?” answered Squad Leader One, trembling inwardly.

At that moment, a companion at Cao Jin’s side leaned in and whispered, “Boss, about Ten—Steward Huo Yi gave orders not to bother looking for him.”

Cao Jin glanced back, nodding thoughtfully.

He then turned and barked, “Number Eleven’s deliberate absence reveals serious problems in this squad. All of you are to be locked in the Discipline Hall’s ice prison as an example!”

Upon hearing this, the menial workers protested. Entering the Discipline Hall’s ice prison meant never coming out alive.

They gathered around, demanding an explanation.

“Courting death! Seize them all—any who resist, kill on the spot!”

Like wolves and tigers, Cao Jin’s men tore into them, fists and boots flying. Squad Members One through Nine fell to the ground, wailing in agony—a pitiful and wretched sight.