Peach Blossom Dual Cultivation

“Master, something feels off. Should we go in and take a look?”

Muto Yukiko asked, sensing that something was amiss.

“The sun hasn’t set yet, so we shouldn’t act rashly. This is not our homeland, and we don’t know what’s going on inside. Rushing in could be dangerous. We must avenge Yamamoto Hiroshi, but there’s no need to risk our lives,” Yamamoto Yuki replied.

Yamamoto Yuki, though young, was incredibly composed. Her position as the leader of the Iga clan was not solely due to her master being the previous leader. Her martial prowess and intellect were exceptional within the Iga clan.

“If we wait until nightfall, the place might burn to ashes,” Muto Yukiko pointed out.

“Then so be it. Let’s hope that Ye family doesn’t get burned alive. And even if they do, it’s just a small city like Feiyun; I can still find that Zhou Lang,” Yamamoto Yuki said, her demeanor cold and confident.

“Run! Someone’s going to die!”

“The boss has lost it! Run!”

Within minutes, the gates of the Ye family villa were thrown open, and dozens of people rushed out.

These people were bodyguards, household staff, gardeners—everyone was covered in soot, looking like they had been burned. None of them stayed to help put out the fire. As soon as they escaped, they fled the scene.

“Master, should we grab one of them and ask what’s going on? They’re shouting about the boss going mad. What exactly happened at the Ye family villa?”

Muto Yukiko asked.

“Don’t act hastily. This is a high-end villa area, and the police are likely on their way. I have no desire to get entangled with the authorities,” Yamamoto Yuki replied.

After a few more groups of people fled the villa, the area became silent, save for the occasional terrifying screams emanating from the burning building. It was clear there were still people inside.

…

Inside the Ye family villa, the place had turned into a sea of flames. Everyone else had escaped, leaving only two burning figures.

The earlier screams that Yamamoto Yuki and Muto Yukiko had heard came from these two.

These two figures were none other than Ye Tian and Ye Qianqian.

The night before, Zhou Lang had cast an illusion on Ye Tian and Ye Qianqian, though he didn’t kill them outright. After placing them under the spell, he left.

By the time evening arrived, the father and daughter had gone mad. They took several barrels of oil from the villa’s storage and made makeshift torches, setting fires throughout the house.

At first, the servants in the villa tried to put out the flames. But when they realized that it was the villa’s very owners, Ye Tian and Ye Qianqian, who were setting the fires, they panicked and fled.

Now, Ye Tian and Ye Qianqian stood in the middle of the inferno, their clothes completely aflame, their faces grotesquely burned. Despite being under Zhou Lang’s illusion, they could still feel the pain, and their agonized screams echoed through the villa.

Moments later, the fire consumed everything in the villa, including Ye Tian and Ye Qianqian. The father and daughter met their tragic end, perishing in the flames, reaping the consequences of their actions.

About ten minutes after the fire started, the police and fire department arrived. However, the fire was too intense for them to enter. They could only spray water over the villa’s walls from the outside, but the meager amount of water did not affect the raging flames.

It took nearly an hour for the blaze to subside, and only then could the police and firefighters rush in.

It took another half hour to completely extinguish the fire, but by then, the inside of the villa was reduced to ashes. In one corner, they found two charred bodies.

The bodies were so badly burned that they were unrecognizable. The police had no choice but to take the remains for DNA testing.

Though the fire was out, the heat in the Ye family villa was still overwhelming. It was the peak of summer, and the house felt like an oven even after the flames were gone.

As nightfall descended, two dark figures slipped into the Ye family villa shortly after the police left.

Dressed in black, with their faces covered, it was impossible to see their features. However, from their lithe figures, it was clear that they were women.

These two moved with incredible agility, especially the taller one. She vaulted over the wall with movements as smooth as flowing water, landing without a sound—a testament to her martial prowess.

These two were, of course, Yamamoto Yuki and Fujiwara Yukiko from the Iga clan.

Using the cover of darkness, they quickly searched the villa. It took them only ten minutes to finish their investigation, after which they returned to the black sedan they had arrived in. They changed out of their ninja attire and into ordinary clothes.

“Master, there’s no one left alive inside. The people who escaped earlier were just servants—they probably don’t know anything. What should we do now?”

Fujiwara Yukiko asked.

“Yukiko, it seems your skills still need improvement. I’ve already found Zhou Lang’s scent,” Yamamoto Yuki replied.

“Inside the villa, I detected the scent of someone who has been here recently. Aside from the ones who fled and the two who were burned to death, only two others weren’t here today—one was Yamamoto Hiroshi, and the other, naturally, is the Zhou Lang he mentioned.”

“Master, it seems your skills have improved yet again. You’ve mastered the Art of Tracking to such an extent. I wouldn’t be surprised if you soon surpassed the peak level and became a grandmaster,” Muto Yukiko said in admiration.

“Becoming a martial arts grandmaster is no easy feat. It will take several more years of diligent training,” Yamamoto Yuki sighed.

“Now, I’ll give directions while you drive. Let’s go find Zhou Lang.”

With that, Muto Yukiko started the car, and they drove off slowly.

The Art of Tracking is one of the ninja’s secret techniques. A ninja proficient in this skill can track someone by identifying the scents they leave behind. Yamamoto Yuki was a master of this art.

Following the trail, Yamamoto Yuki and Muto Yukiko tracked Zhou Lang to an apartment near Dianxi University, which Zhou Lang shared with Zhao Xiaorou.

“It seems the man responsible for Yamamoto Hiroshi’s death is living in this apartment,” Yamamoto Yuki said, instructing Muto Yukiko to park the car.

At that moment, Zhou Lang was in the living room, instructing Zhao Xiaorou on the art of dual cultivation.

Though the technique was simple for someone like Zhou Lang or Xiaoxi, it wasn’t easy for Zhao Xiaorou, who had little martial foundation. She struggled to remember the many acupoints and the flow of true qi through the meridians. After all, before coming to Feiyun City, she hadn’t even had any true qi in her body. It was only after Zhou Lang’s guidance in internal martial arts that she managed to cultivate a small amount of true qi.

“It seems we have uninvited guests outside,” Zhou Lang suddenly stopped his explanation and said, hesitating for a moment.

“Could it be someone from the Shangguan family? Last time they suffered a defeat, sending only a peak-level expert and a senior martial artist.”