Chapter 87: When Will You Return?

Zhong Shuman was not someone who liked to boast or exaggerate, so from her serious expression, Zhang He could sense that the “master” she spoke of was far more than simply “extremely formidable.” Sure enough, Zhong Shuman continued, “At that time, the player universally acknowledged as the strongest in the martial world was Wudang Sword Guard, ‘Two Rivers Fat Dragon.’ But even he was only at his second rank, whereas this extraordinary master appeared already at fourth rank. Two Rivers Fat Dragon lost to her—lost utterly convinced.”

Qi Shiqi sighed, “Shaolin and Wudang are the pillars of the martial world. Their second-rank members are as powerful as the chief protectors of lesser sects. Even they paled in comparison, so one can imagine how remarkable that fourth-rank master was, especially as an independent player.”

Zhang He couldn’t help but ask, “What was the master’s name?”

Zhong Shuman replied, “‘When Will I See My Lord Again.’”

Zhang He gave a wry smile, “That sounds rather like a woman’s name, doesn’t it?”

Zhong Shuman said, “Because she was, indeed, a woman—and a peerless beauty, though no one ever saw her true face.”

“Oh?” Zhang He’s interest was piqued. “Why is that?”

Zhong Shuman explained, “She entered the martial world veiled in black, her face covered by a scarf embroidered with her unique pink peach blossom emblem. Almost no one had seen her real face. Only those she deemed worthy of her name learned it. The battle in Jiangdu was against Two Rivers Fat Dragon. Afterward, it was from him that people learned her name was ‘When Will I See My Lord Again,’ but her true appearance remained a mystery.”

Zhang He laughed, “Then how do you know she was a peerless beauty?”

Zhong Shuman shot him a glance, “You seem particularly interested in peerless beauties.”

Zhang He smiled, “That’s not it. I just think she was clever. She knew that Wudang Mountain had the Sword-Releasing Pool, and weapons were forbidden there. She chose to fight Wudang’s Sword Guard in the bustling city of Jiangdu while masked, so everyone saw her as mysterious while avoiding the wrath of the NPC masters. In the end, her fame was justified.”

“Somehow, everything you say turns into a conspiracy theory,” Zhong Shuman said with a bitter smile.

Zhang He smiled lightly, “I’m just a theorist—I like to analyze.”

Zhong Shuman said, “But your analysis isn’t without merit. ‘When Will I See My Lord Again’ did become famous in the Battle of Jiangdu. For the next three months, she was the most renowned figure across the Central Plains. Not only was her martial prowess unmatched, she loved to uphold justice, earning her a reputation as a true hero.”

Qi Shiqi added, “I’ve heard of this, too. Miss He was indeed upright and fond of aiding others. In every region, whenever an intractable dispute or thorny problem arose, her intervention resolved it instantly.”

His gaze swept across their faces, a hint of hesitation in his expression. “At that time, the Life-and-Death Judgement guild had just been established. Their only failure was the assassination of the leader of the Beggars’ Sect’s Youzhou branch—said to have been thwarted by Miss He’s secret help. To this day, her name tops their blacklist.”

Zhang He listened, captivated—these stories from ‘Dynasty’ were almost unknown to him.

But Zhong Shuman let out a long sigh. “Such a remarkable heroine, yet in the end, she suffered at the hands of the wrong people.”

Zhang He asked, “Oh? Why?”

Qi Shiqi sighed, “The endless rivers and clouds of the martial world, the dust of worldly affairs—who can truly pass the trial of love?”

Zhong Shuman sighed, “Miss He later fell in love with Duan Tianya, the hall master of the Carefree Sect. Their online romance was widely disapproved by the martial community.”

Zhang He couldn’t help but sigh, too. Of course it was frowned upon—after all, it was just ‘online love.’

From a certain perspective, a player who hasn’t experienced online romance can hardly be called a true player. Especially in ‘Dynasty,’ a virtual world so lifelike, it was perfectly normal to get lost in it.

Romance in games was not unheard of, but only a rare few couples ever found genuine happiness. If one treated it too seriously, that was another matter entirely. In ‘Dynasty,’ money, equipment, martial arts, and guilds could all be taken seriously—but feelings, never. Not that feelings were always false, but ‘online love’ was elusive, and emotions could run deep. If you couldn’t handle it, it was best not to play.

Zhong Shuman said, “On the first anniversary of ‘Dynasty,’ Miss He and Duan Tianya’s wedding was set to take place in the capital. It was a grand event—many prominent players attended to congratulate them. Unfortunately…”

Seeing her expression darken suddenly, Zhang He knew trouble was coming.

Sure enough, Zhong Shuman continued coldly, “Unfortunately, just before the wedding, a female player stormed the venue.”

Zhang He hesitated, “A third party?”

Zhong Shuman nodded helplessly.

Qi Shiqi frowned, “I heard about this as well. She was a formidable woman from the Murong clan in Jiangnan, reportedly the chief maid of Miss Murong herself, and quite famous. On the female player rankings, her strength was among the top ten.”

“This…” Zhang He fell silent. It wasn’t hard to guess; perhaps the groom was seeing both women, hoping to learn the Murong clan’s martial arts. But on closer thought, there might be more to the story.

“What happened then?” Zhang He couldn’t help but ask.

Qi Shiqi answered solemnly, “It became one of the most sensational historical events in the martial world—known as one of the Three Great Tragedies of the Capital. On that day, as the wedding was disrupted, Duan Tianya could not clear his name, and since it was a matter of the heart, few martial artists dared interfere. In her fury, Miss He drew her sword and unleashed carnage at the wedding…”

At this point, Qi Shiqi’s face seemed haunted, as if the chaos of that day was unfolding before his eyes:

“No matter man or woman, player or NPC, old or young, friend or foe, whether they tried to mediate or mock—everyone present was slain by Miss He. With her sword, in just an hour and a half, the wedding became a funeral. Countless people were decapitated, lost their martial skills, and many famed martial artists saw their rank decrease. The heroes of the Central Plains were powerless to resist. Duan Tianya was repeatedly killed at the Stone of Three Lives by Miss He, and afterward dared not log in. As for the Murong clan attendees—the culprit and all servants, dozens in total—none escaped her wrath. According to ‘Annoying Hoof,’ the death toll reached over six hundred in that battle. Bodies piled up, blood flowed like rivers.”

Zhang He felt his blood surge—‘When Will I See My Lord Again’ was a veritable instrument of slaughter. Six hundred deaths? The implications were staggering; a player would spend a year hiding from the Six Gates’ pursuit, unable to enter any city.

Her fate was tragic, yet her sword drawn in anger was exhilarating.

Zhong Shuman continued, “It was a private matter, and others didn’t want to interfere. But the carnage was so brutal, most people were drawn into it. The capital is the imperial city—such reckless slaughter could not be tolerated by the court. Only when the Six Gates and Murong clan NPC masters arrived did Miss He escape.”

Zhang He was full of admiration. “She actually managed to escape the capital? Truly a master of her age.”

Zhong Shuman’s face showed regret. “That incident sent shockwaves through every martial sect and the imperial court alike. Afterward, Miss He’s temperament changed drastically. She abandoned her chivalrous ways and swore to kill anyone connected to Duan Tianya, until he was forced to leave ‘Dynasty’ forever.”

Qi Shiqi nodded silently. “She resolved to stand alone against the Murong clan and the Carefree Sect, despite their wealth and influence and countless allied guilds—more than twenty or thirty in total. Yet bloodshed plagued Jiangnan; escorts were robbed, travelers slain, small sects wiped out, treasures stolen. Over a hundred incidents occurred, but each time the culprit escaped unscathed—a remarkable feat.”

Zhong Shuman nodded. “All of these were Miss He’s doing. She dared to kill and admit it, to act and own up. At that time, she wielded immense influence among female players in ‘Dynasty.’ For a while, over half the posts in the women’s forum discussed her. In ‘Dynasty’s Winds and Weapons Almanac,’ compiled annually by Annoying Hoof, Miss He’s Blue Jade Twin Swords ranked ninth, acknowledged as the top female master.”

This time, Zhang He was not excited, but remained silent for a long moment. “Her actions were understandable. But deep love seldom lasts, and extreme strength brings disgrace… especially when the tallest tree in the forest attracts the wind.”

Zhong Shuman sighed, “Indeed. Though Miss He was an independent player, her actions depleted her chivalry and her evil value soared. The sects and guilds could no longer tolerate her, and under the leadership of the Murong clan and Carefree Sect, they jointly petitioned the officials. The authorities and players together placed a bounty on her—besides gold, rewards included treasures, martial arts, equipment, and elixirs, with the total value exceeding 800,000 taels of gold.”

Zhang He drew a sharp breath. Two years ago in ‘Dynasty,’ gold was unheard of in such quantities—anyone who possessed ten thousand taels of silver was considered a rare tycoon. The value of Miss He’s head was truly astronomical.

“But what does Miss He have to do with this wooden-bronze sword?” Zhang He couldn’t help but ask.

Zhong Shuman replied, “Perhaps no direct connection, but it is of immense importance to the Sword Manor.”

Zhang He asked in confusion, “Oh?”