When Chang Jingyun returned to Yufeng Manor, he appeared utterly defeated—his clothes in tatters, his face covered in unkempt stubble, resembling a beggar. Duan Qinyu almost didn't recognize him, until Hua Caiyi's teary eyes filled with recognition. With a voice trembling with emotion, she cried, "Husband, what has happened to you? Why are you in such a state?"
Chang Jingyun handed the antidote to Duan Qinyu and muttered despondently, "The antidote," before closing his eyes and losing consciousness.
Even after awakening three days later, he remained lethargic and withdrawn, refusing to speak or engage with anyone. Hua Caiyi, heartbroken and anxious, tried to communicate with him multiple times but to no avail. Seeing him half-mad, half-lost, she couldn't hold back her tears. Other than knowing he had been poisoned by the 'Half Purple-Red,' they could find no other affliction.
One day, Duan Qinyu came to visit and spoke with Hua Caiyi about distributing the antidote. "The antidote has already been delivered to the people of the Four Great Manors, and the morning shift has descended the mountain. There's one dose left here for Brother Chang."
Hua Caiyi expressed her gratitude repeatedly, saying, "I can't thank you enough, Manor Master Duan, for helping us during this time. Without your assistance, who knows when this ordeal would have ended."
Duan Qinyu glanced into the room at Chang Jingyun, deep in thought. After a long silence, he finally murmured, "I owe Brother Chang an apology."
However, Hua Caiyi didn't catch his words as she continued walking into the room.
Out of concern for Chang Jingyun's mental state, Duan Qinyu remained at Yufeng Manor for another ten days before returning to Suzhou. On the day of his departure, Chang Jingyun suddenly spoke. "The antidote I gave you will last only for a year. Come to Yufeng Manor next year at this time to ask for another dose. Do not question me—just do as I say."
Duan Qinyu was puzzled by these strange words, sensing that something was deeply wrong but refraining from pressing further. He swallowed his curiosity and left.
After Duan Qinyu's departure, Chang Jingyun shut himself in his study, refusing to speak. Hua Caiyi, worried about his condition, wrote a letter to Gu Yuntian, pleading for the truth. In his reply, Gu Yuntian laid out the entire truth for her, and only then did Hua Caiyi fully understand the burden Chang Jingyun carried. Yet, she chose not to mention any of it to him, silently bearing the weight on her own.
Time passed unnoticed, and soon nine months had gone by. It was now summer, and Hua Caiyi's body grew heavier as her due date approached. While the thought of the impending birth filled her with joy, thinking of Chang Jingyun brought a sense of melancholy. The past months had been filled with fear—fear that he would sink deeper into his despair, never to recover.
One day, Hua Caiyi brought freshly cooked mung bean soup to Chang Jingyun but was suddenly struck by intense abdominal pain. The bowl shattered on the floor, startling both Chang Jingyun and Xia Zhaoyun in the study. Chang Jingyun, visibly shaken, rushed out and found Hua Caiyi collapsed in a pool of blood. Without hesitation, he scooped her up and urgently ordered Xia Zhaoyun, "Go get Madam Xiang!"
Madam Xiang was a renowned midwife in Jiaxing. Though Chang Jingyun had shut himself away for months, he had still secretly arranged for her to be ready in case of complications with Hua Caiyi and the child.
After a grueling day and night, the cry of a newborn finally echoed from the room. Chang Jingyun, overjoyed, pushed the door open, but the sight before him shattered his world—blood covered the bed. He grabbed Madam Xiang in a frenzy and demanded, "What happened? Why is there so much blood?"
Madam Xiang, trembling, replied, "Master Chang, to tell you the truth… I fear…"
"What do you fear? Speak up!"
"I fear the lady won't make it…"
"Nonsense! How could she not make it when she was perfectly fine?"
"The lady suffered a difficult labor and lost too much blood. I fear she won't survive this ordeal."
"You're lying! She's always been healthy! This must be your negligence during the delivery. You'll pay for this with your life!"
By this time, Chang Jingyun had lost all reason, his fury turning him into a madman. Madam Xiang, terrified, collapsed to the floor, stammering, "Master, the lady has been weighed down with sorrow for months. Her malnourishment gravely affected the child. This difficult labor was inevitable!"
Her words pierced through Chang Jingyun's mind, and the realization struck him like a thunderclap—he was the true cause of it all. Overwhelmed with guilt and sorrow, he broke down in tears, consumed by regret and self-reproach.
Madam Xiang, fearing for her life, scrambled out of the room, leaving the courtyard as more disciples gathered outside. Chang Jingyun, turning to Xia Zhaoyun, ordered, "Zhaoyun, have the others wait outside." Then he slowly approached the bed. For a moment, he dared not open his eyes. Hua Caiyi's face was pale and lifeless, devoid of color, but with the last of her strength, she softly called his name.
"This is my fate. Don't blame anyone. Look at our child—it's a girl."
Chang Jingyun glanced at the infant lying beside Hua Caiyi, her innocent smile beaming up at him. But he wasn't moved. Instead, he turned to Hua Caiyi and said, "Don't leave me. I need you to live. It's my fault. I shouldn't have lost heart over a setback. This is all on me."
Hua Caiyi gently stroked his face, hurriedly saying, "Don't blame yourself. This calamity was destined for me; I couldn't escape it. After I'm gone, you must live well. Promise me you'll raise our child with love."
Chang Jingyun was deaf to her pleas, his only focus on holding her hand tightly, refusing to let go.
Hua Caiyi glanced at the child beside her and continued, "Look how she smiles, so full of joy. You must ensure she grows up just as happy. I've already decided—her name will be Chang Yiyao. And one more thing you must promise me—never let Yiyao set foot into the world of martial arts. Remember!" With those words, Hua Caiyi's hands fell, and she breathed her last.
At that moment, Chang Jingyun's entire world crumbled. He stared at Hua Caiyi's lifeless body—her face pale, her eyes shut tight, her breath completely stilled.
Outside, the sound of weeping broke the silence. Xia Zhaoyun had been kneeling at the doorway, crying for what felt like an eternity. Only when Chang Jingyun emerged from the room, carrying Hua Caiyi's body, did Xia Zhaoyun rush toward him, clutching at her robes, crying out, "Mistress! Mistress!"
Chang Jingyun paid no attention. He walked on, leaving Yufeng Manor, heading toward Liyun Peak. That night, the moon over Liyun Peak was exceptionally bright, as if washed clean by the heavens.
Placing Hua Caiyi's body on an ancient stone, he gently leaned her against his shoulder and murmured, "Caiyi, do you remember when we first got married? You told me you wanted to come to Liyun Peak to admire the moon, but I was always too busy. I never fulfilled that wish for you. Tonight, we finally get to gaze at the moon together... but you... you..." In that moment, all of Chang Jingyun's emotions erupted. Though he didn't cry, his heart had long turned to ash.
By dawn the next day, as the sun rose again, Chang Jingyun looked down at Hua Caiyi's still body and said softly, "Caiyi, rest assured. I'll raise our child. Once Yiyao is grown, I'll come down to join you."
That day, he buried Hua Caiyi atop Liyun Peak, remaining at her graveside for an entire day and night before reluctantly departing.
After Hua Caiyi's passing, Chang Jingyun slowly emerged from his despair. But unlike before, he became much stricter with his five disciples. Previously, they only trained martial arts for six hours a day; now, Chang Jingyun extended the practice to eight hours. A year passed in this way, and he began teaching Xia Zhaoyun the "Eight Forms of Wind." That year, Xia Zhaoyun was nine years old.