17: Drinking Blood That silhouette stepped forth from the shadowy tunnel, entering the secret chamber, and stood beneath the leaping torch-light.
His long hair was bundled behind his neck, his height increased by two or three inches, draped in loose-fitting garments and wide sleeves, roughly tied up. Perhaps due to the reason of his skeleton finally loosening, his figure seemed nimble and at ease, with a style that could be termed "elegant".
What left people surprised was, if they paid attention they could see that his lower jaw had had some minute change—the silhouette deeper, the line slightly hard, no longer the feminine grace which made people feel a rush of excitement, but added a touch of indescribable, yet distinct elegance.
—for people like Xie Yun whose skill had already reached the pinnacle, the shape and appearance of their bodies possessed their own elegance, completely different enough to be made out in a crowd.
"……" Shan Chao clutched the sword hilt, yet Xie Yun only gave him a pa.s.sing glance:
"Who is your master."
—although the world and times had changed, and the scene was completely different, yet these words were completely identical, such that even the familiar disdain in his tone did not lessen even by a hairsbreadth, yet it abruptly coincided with that b.l.o.o.d.y scene in his memories within yellow sands under a blazing sun where Seven Stars Longyuan swung into his face.
Shan Chao"s teeth clenched tightly: "You…"
"The Tai-E sword?" Fu Wenjie had suddenly discovered something, and said in surprise: "Why do you have the Tai-E sword, where did you get it from this time?!"
It seemed like his mind was somewhat unclear now, rushing up to s.n.a.t.c.h it directly, but Xie Yun casually switched the long sword sheathed in its silvery leather scabbard into his other hand: "Young Master, don"t you recognise me?"
Fu Wenjie abruptly froze, looking up and down at Xie Yun for a while, as if finding a familiar shadow in his handsome countenance.
"—you, could it be…"
"After so many years, presumably this one"s looks has deteriorated much with age, it is normal that Young Master would not recognise me," Xie Yun bantered: "Yet the past heroic bearing of the old Alliance Master did leave a deep impression on me, though we had only hurriedly exchanged blows, afterwards it remained fresh in my memory, that I could not forget it to this day."
Fu Wenjie said in amazement: "So, so the one who defeated my father and stole the divine swords back then… was you…"
"I didn"t expect that upon stepping into Sword-Forging Manor once more, that not only has the old Alliance Master departed this mortal coil, but the entire Fu family has been ruined," Xie Yun"s line of sight pa.s.sed beyond Fu Wenjie, towards the pitch-black coffin in the centre of the chamber, and bowed forward with extreme elegance to make a salute of lamentation: "—only this day did I meet the Young Madam, and the departed are gone, may Young Master contain your sorrow."
Fu Wenjie took half a step back, and from the expression on his face, his emotional state was mired in absurdity.
"You, you took the Alliance Master"s tokens of Longyuan and Tai-E, causing the Fu family no other option but to create forgeries to conceal this, and consequently led the family to be controlled by the Mysterious Demon School for many years, and now you still dare to overtly visit?!"
At the same time on the other side, Shan Chao abruptly looked towards Xie Yun, and a suspicion long-established in his heart suddenly made sense: "You were one in the Mysterious Demon School?!"
Xie Yun lightly glanced at Shan Chao, and the corner of his mouth seemed to carry a careless smile.
"Then why is Seven Stars Longyuan with me?" Shan Chao advanced at a fast pace, and his voice could be considered strict: "Exactly what happened back then in Mobei, why did you want to kill me? Was it you who brought me from Mobei to Ci"en Temple in Chang"an, or—"
His voice suddenly stopped.
Xie Yun had suddenly cleaved the air between them using the scabbard tip to point at him, although the move was very gentle, but in an instant the sword aura of Tai-E was as incisive and bone-chilling as the meaning in his words:
"I don"t talk to weaklings."
Shan Chao abruptly stopped walking.
"I may be the one who stole Longyuan and Tai-E, yet at the duel back then, it was done with uprightness and fairness, and your esteemed father did admit defeat." Xie Yun turned towards a pale-faced Fu Wenjie, his tone unexpectedly mild: "Moreover, although the Mysterious Demon School treated this as a handle over the Sword-Forging Manor to control, yet to the best of my knowledge they have also given you all many benefits, otherwise the old Alliance Master could not have commanded the martial-arts circles so smoothly, am I correct?"
From Fu Wenjie"s resentful expression, it seemed that he was not wrong.
Xie Yun continued: "Most of the transactions in the world are like this, with successes and failures, with benefits and losses. The Mysterious Demon School did not only suppress and exploit your Sword-Forging Manor, they also gave a good deal of subsidy and training; the old Alliance Master was a person of virtue and prestige throughout his life, and after his death the funeral pomp was extremely magnificent. In my humble opinion, I feel that this is already the best conclusion, how does Young Master feel?"
—Shan Chao discovered, Xie Yun truly had this ability.
As long as he wished it, he could guide patiently and systematically, complying with common reason, to lead people into the pitfall of language, even so much that they would believe him without any doubt.
Shan Chao looked towards Fu Wenjie. The Young Master of Sword-Forging Manor twisted his face slightly, and as expected a while later he vomited out a sentence with difficulty: "…the matter has already pa.s.sed, you may say as you wish."
Xie Yun nodded, looking as if he was glad that his grasp of the overall situation was complete. He had just opened his mouth to speak, when suddenly a slight vibration came from above the underground pa.s.sage, and then closed in from the four direction, with soil sprinkling down from between the bricks. Fu Wenjie raised his head, and hoa.r.s.ely said: "Horse hooves?"
"From the capital Chang"an, the Great Cavalry General Yuwen Hu." Xie Yun leisurely said: "The Eastern Palace"s Crown Prince has been poisoned with a strange poison, and the news that the Sword-Forging Manor may contain an antidote has been sent out by the Mysterious Demon School, thus the Exalted One has ordered Yuwen Hu to command five hundred personal troops to go down south to grab… to fetch the last Snow Lotus on this world. Young Master, you should know the connection between the Mysterious Demon School and the current Exalted One."
A flash of understanding immediately crossed Fu Wenjie"s face: "—so the one surnamed Jing suddenly dropped in, for this…"
"Yes, now what do you intend to do?" Xie Yun asked with great interest: "Your crime fell through and was exposed, and powerful enemies surround you, what else can you do?"
If it were anyone else perhaps they would not have realised it, but at that moment only Shan Chao clearly saw, that there was a wicked trace in his master"s smirk.
The sound of hooves approached closer, giving heavy and vague echoes, and from their direction it seemed that they were approaching the entrance of the back mountain villa.
"What can I do… you"re still asking me what can I do." Fu Wenjie stood by the coffin, his gaze turbid and slack, and after a while he sneered hoa.r.s.ely out of the blue:
"—the Great Interior"s1 foremost expert is here, the Great Cavalry General is above, and the Mysterious Demon School certain can no longer be stopped — in spite of everything you"re still asking me what can I do, now shouldn"t I be the one to ask, what are you going to do to me?!"
His last few words unexpectedly rose in pitch, yet unexpectedly Xie Yun shook his head: "No one can do anything to you, Young Master, you have already won over everyone."
His words just ended and Shan Chao"s eyebrows rose in surprise, and then, Fu Wenjie"s sneer abruptly grew louder:
"Oh? Why do you say so, I do not understand."
Xie Yun gave a slight sigh.
"You understand, Young Master." He slowly said, "You have been poisoned for a long time, with your time already limited, and originally you already had no way to survive… the dead cannot be threatened, and forever stand in an invincible position."
1 ZH: 大内 - refers to the Imperial Palace complex, also called the Great Interior. This includes the entire imperial quarter of the capital.
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