Chapter 163: To Return or Not to Return

They say the Central Plains are crouching tigers and hidden dragons. I was quite skeptical when I was in the Southern Frontier, but after witnessing the prowess of the two disciples of Mount Qilian last night, and crossing paths with someone from the East China Sect again today, it truly is extraordinarily formidable. Out of admiration, this young lady voluntarily concedes defeat. Besides, the Central Plains will likely be quite unsettled from here on out, so it is best for me to leave early!

Having made up her mind, Dugu Meng naturally had no intention of lingering any longer. As she withdrew her hand, the spiritual energy subsided as well. Though a trace of reluctance flickered in her eyes, the smile blooming on her cheeks appeared entirely natural, leaving no hint of pretense. At this, her gaze shifted to Dao Tianfeng. The enigmatic expression in her blinking eyes was truly inscrutable. She offered a slight bow, much like a junior paying respects to an elder: "It was all this niece's ignorance that troubled Uncle Dao. This niece will return to the Southern Frontier now. Once I depart this time, I likely shall never appear in the Central Plains again. I hope Uncle Dao takes good care of his health and lives a long and prosperous life!"

Without waiting for Dao Tianfeng's response, her figure leaped away the moment her words trailed off. The exotic figures who had accompanied her dared not linger too far behind. Though they had little interest in such martial arts duels, they had prudently waited around the corner. Dugu Meng's movement technique was remarkably swift. Weaving left and right, while not quite like moving through an uninhabited realm, she encountered very little obstruction. After all, with her abilities on display, even if these martial artists wanted to watch her make a fool of herself, they did not dare to do so overtly. Seeing her approach, they hurriedly stepped aside, and in an instant, a modestly sized path opened up before her.

"Master, this is?" Xia Wuhai's gaze followed the young girl. Only when she vanished from his sight did he turn back, looking at Dao Tianfeng with a troubled expression as the question slipped involuntarily from his lips. Compared to him, Dao Tianfeng appeared remarkably composed; this was, after all, the outcome he desired. "Let her go. A proud young girl like that is a rare sight indeed, and her innate talent is exceptionally similar to that of your Junior Sister Wan'er. If she can calm her mind and focus, she is bound to achieve great things in the future. Experiencing such a setback may not necessarily be a bad thing. As for you, Wuhai, your natural aptitude cannot compare to hers. The Qilian lineage will eventually be handed over to you. If you cross paths with her again in the future, you must be extremely cautious!"

This sounded almost like a parting entrustment. Although the matter of the succession was an open secret both on Mount Qilian and throughout the entire martial arts world, hearing it stated so directly by Dao Tianfeng himself was a first. For some reason, Xia Wuhai felt an extreme sense of panic rising in his chest. His thoughts grew tangled and muddled, leaving him entirely at a loss as to how to respond. Perhaps due to excessive nervousness, his throat felt parched, burning and intensely uncomfortable. At that moment, Dao Tianfeng had no intention of saying anything further. Mentioning Qiu Wan'er stirred a degree of lingering emotion within him. Although so many years had passed, it seemed the young woman's heart had never truly let go. Even if it did not quite amount to hatred, she had chosen not to forgive.

"Miss, we've been secretly sneaking out from the Southern Frontier for so long now, the Master must be terribly worried. We should head back soon!" Seeing Dugu Meng's figure rapidly approaching, the leader of the group hurried forward to meet her. Back in the Southern Frontier, the biting chill might have made his thick, heavy garments appropriate, but here in the Central Plains, it was a completely different story—sweltering hot. Yet, he was stubbornly persistent and refused to shed them no matter what. Consequently, his subordinates had no choice but to follow his example. The entire group remained stationed in the alley, either standing or sitting in their heavy attire, looking somewhat unkempt.

"If you want to go back, go back by yourself. I certainly won't! I came here precisely to make a name for myself. To return like this now would simply be letting that old man look down on me even more. Wouldn't that just mean he cares even more about his precious son?" If she had been putting on a deliberate act in front of Dao Tianfeng, Dugu Meng now allowed her true temperament to show without reservation. A young lady's temper was not easily managed. The man's brow furrowed deeply, his heat-flushed face clashing comically with his expression. Of course, this demeanor vanished as quickly as it appeared, instantly replaced by a flattering grin: "Miss, aren't you making things difficult for us? No matter how stubborn you are or how much you go against him, it's of no consequence—after all, you are his daughter and the Master is your father. At worst, he'll just scold you a bit; he wouldn't even dare to lay a finger on you. But the Master will surely be furious. Since he can't vent his anger on you, he'll naturally take it out on us subordinates. By then, we'll be in miserable shape. Even if we escape with our lives, a flogging is practically guaranteed. You've always been kind-hearted, Miss; surely you wouldn't bear to see us suffer such a calamity?"

This was a remarkably clever speech. It played the sympathy card while flattering her ego. Anyone else would have found it impossible to fend off. Even Dugu Meng, upon seeing the pleading expressions of the men responding to these words, felt a twinge of reluctance. Yet, reluctance aside, if she had fairly lost by her own skill to someone else, she would accept it; her own martial arts were simply not polished enough, and she could blame no one. But to be subjected to underhanded tricks and still expected to submit willingly—given her personality, she could never accept that. With this realization, her hesitation vanished entirely. A trace of anger even surfaced in her eyes as she sharply scolded the speaker: "Xiaoli, are you done nagging? Carrying on like an old woman, for a young man, you act just like those gossipy females. If you want to go back, go back yourself! This young lady will certainly not return until she achieves her goal!"

Seeing that emotional appeals were useless, the youth known as Xiaoli could only silently curse his luck. His lips twitched slightly as if he had words on the tip of his tongue, but ultimately he kept them to himself. With someone like Dugu Meng, once she had spoken with such finality, attempting to persuade her further was clearly a lost cause. He turned around, spreading his hands helplessly toward the men behind him with an expression of utter defeat. Seeing his reaction, the subordinates immediately understood the outcome. Their already lifeless faces grew even more despondent, and they lowered their heads, sighing continuously.

"No, I am going back—and we are leaving immediately!" Dugu Meng suddenly declared. This abrupt pivot came so suddenly that, let alone the others, even she herself looked somewhat surprised. Naturally, she had her own schemes in mind, ones the young man could not possibly fathom. He stared at her, his eyes filled with absolute incomprehension, as if suspecting he had misheard. He asked tentatively, "Miss, you mean...?"

"I said I am going back, but not *really* going back. Do you understand?" A brighter smile bloomed across Dugu Meng's face, her tone laced with triumphant smugness. Needless to say, this declaration left Xiaoli even more bewildered, completely at a loss as to what she meant. He simply stared at her with wide eyes, waiting for the young girl to explain further. Of course, such matters had to be laid out clearly; otherwise, how could her scheme succeed? Dugu Meng glanced toward the distant elevated platform, her gaze narrowing slightly before she continued: "What this young lady means is that you are all to make a grand and conspicuous exit back toward the Southern Frontier. Make sure the martial artists of the Central Plains—especially that old man Dao—all believe I have genuinely returned. Since he treated me this way, if I don't go and stir up a bit of trouble for him, it would be a severe blow to my pride. Slow your pace down slightly on the road and cause some commotion along the way. Understood?"

"Miss, aren't you afraid the Master will genuinely be furious if you do this?" Although he roughly grasped her intent, Xiaoli still looked reluctant. Though his words were addressed to the so-called young lady, he was clearly worrying about his own hide. Dugu Meng saw right through this. She slapped the youth sharply on the shoulder: "What you're really worrying about is your own skin; I know that better than anyone. If you don't follow my instructions, I'll lodge a complaint against you to my father when we return, claiming you instigated my unauthorized departure from home. By then, no matter how many tongues you have or how well you can talk, you won't be able to clear your name. But if you are willing to do as I say, I will take full responsibility for all of this, and it won't implicate any of you!"

The matter having reached this point, the young man knew that given Dugu Meng's temperament, she meant every word she said. If he resisted, her father would undoubtedly believe his own daughter over a servant. Even if he somehow managed to talk his way out of it through his glib tongue, he would have offended this young mistress and suffered endless torment afterward—punishments potentially far worse than mere disciplinary action. That would simply not be worth it. Weighing the options, he had no choice but to yield. Though his face still wore a look of intense reluctance, he could only nod in resignation.