Knowing full well that I cannot practice martial arts, why must you court disappointment?”
The journey from Yuye City to Huayu Pavilion was not exceptionally far, and Chen Wen had hired a carriage for the trip.
From the moment he stepped into the carriage, Yan Zhou did not dare to heave a single heavy breath, largely due to Ying Laixian repeatedly addressing the other occupant as “City Lord Tan” back and forth.
Having been frightened out of his wits earlier, he had lacked any spare time to carefully ponder the identity of such a person.
Carrying the surname Tan and holding the title of City Lord in the martial arts world, Yan Zhou only knew of one such figure: the Lord of Yishui City, who happened to be a powerhouse of the Sword Saint tier. Realizing this, he completely extinguished any lingering thoughts of escape.
Naturally, Ying Laixian had done this on purpose. He knew that only by invoking Tan Congye’s formidable identity would Yan Zhou obediently toe the line.
Having left Jiang Ni behind, the four occupants inside the carriage stared blankly at one another, making the atmosphere far less lively than Chen Wen driving the carriage outside.
“Fragmentary Jade Gentleman has actually arrived in this tiny Yuye City as well. It would seem the two of you share quite a close bond,” Tan Congye probed casually and nonchalantly.
Ying Laixian smiled, having invited Ji Tingzhong fellow member of the Four Gentlemen along for this trip for two reasons: first, because she shared the same master and was his martial sister, and second, based on information gleaned from his previous life, Ji Tingzhong possessed certain personal ties with the master of Huayu Pavilion.
Having rescued her younger brother and leveraging her connection, he figured Huayu Pavilion would eventually become an ally.
Ji Tingzhong replied, “City Lord Tan is too polite. This humble one never expected that you would condescend to visit such a place.”
Earlier, Ji Tingzhong had been pondering what kind of backing Ying Laixian could possibly have enlisted to ensure his safety, but after racking her brains, she never imagined it would be a figure of Tan Congye’s caliber.
“As for that,” Tan Congye said, fixing his gaze on Ying Laixian with deliberate suspense, “Jade-like Gentleman should know best.”
Meeting his gaze without a shred of intimidation, Ying Laixian replied with an ambiguous smile, “Many thanks for City Lord Tan’s assistance; I am deeply grateful.”
“I only hope the Jade-like Gentleman speaks the truth,” Tan Congye remarked.
Ying Laixian glanced out the carriage window. “There are quite a few people on this road; I’m afraid we’re being watched.”
“Not at all,” Tan Congye stated with absolute finality. “Matters handled by my Yishui City are always airtight.”
“Is that so?” Ying Laixian raised an eyebrow, visibly unconvinced.
Tan Congye let out a cold huff without offering any further explanation.
With a chuckle, Ying Laixian said, “I was merely making a joke. If I did not trust you, why would I seek you out for cooperation?”
“I suspect Huayu Pavilion is already swarming with martial arts practitioners,” Ji Tingzhong noted. “Waiting like hares for us to stumble into their trap.”
Ying Laixian reached out to pour a cup of tea, only to discover the flask contained wine instead. Realizing then that the carriage had been prepared by Chen Wen rather than Jiang Ni, he smoothly redirected the wine cup toward Tan Congye.
“Waiting for hares with City Lord Tan here with us, what is there to fear?”
Tan Congye stared at Ying Laixian’s delicate, fair wrist, then down at the wine cup. “Did you poison this?”
“I don’t drink alcohol,” Ying Laixian replied. “It was prepared by your own subordinate, so naturally it is what you love to drink.”
Tan Congye took the cup and downed the wine in a single gulp. A sharp, fiery sensation slid instantly from his throat straight down into his stomach. He glanced sideways at Ying Laixian, locking eyes with those cyan-colored pupils.
In an instant, the alcohol he had just consumed made his body grow feverish.
“We will arrive in another half-hour,” Ji Tingzhong told Yan Zhou. “Your elder brother is probably racking his brains right now trying to deal with all sorts of people. With that stubborn wooden head of his, I wonder if he can handle it.”
Yan Zhou, who had been feeling utterly listless, perked up upon hearing this. “You know my elder brother?”
Ji Tingzhong uttered a soft “Mhm,” adding, “Your brother and I are old acquaintances.”
“Then…”
“I don’t know him,” Ying Laixian interrupted flatly.
Yan Zhou nodded. He had originally assumed his elder brother had planned the whole thing out in advance, but apparently not.
“Since you’re an old acquaintance of my brother, why have I never seen you come to visit him?”
“Because we’re not close,” Ji Tingzhong stated coldly. “Your brother is a coward; he doesn’t dare face me, so why should I bother seeking him out?”
A whiff of gossip drifted past Yan Zhou’s nose, but with so many people present, he dared not press further.
“You shouldn’t have snuck out,” Ji Tingzhong remarked out of nowhere.
“I know,” Yan Zhou muttered, lacking any backbone.
Though he felt a twinge of regret for running away this time, had he been forced to remain cooped up inside Huayu Pavilion for the rest of his life, he would never have accepted it.
“But I am nineteen years old; I should no longer hide forever under my brother’s protection.”
The world called him a good-for-nothing, and he had accepted it. Bearing the label of a useless person, his brother feared he would be bullied the moment he stepped foot into the Jianghu, strictly forbidding him from leaving home. He had long since grown sick of such a confined existence; even if he truly was useless, he refused to rot away waiting in one place.
Ji Tingzhong countered, “Even so, your elder brother would never have agreed.”
That was precisely why Yan Zhou had fled. He desperately wanted to shed the label of a good-for-nothing.
“Actually…” Ying Laixian broke the silence. “Once you arrive, perhaps you will understand. Remaining by the side of family matters more than anything else; a true good-for-nothing is not someone like you.”
Having been called a good-for-nothing his entire life, Yan Zhou had never imagined that he might not even measure up to that title.
Ying Laixian continued, “Someone who watches their enemies wander right before their eyes yet lacks the ability to execute them with their own hands—that is what a true good-for-nothing looks like.”
Yan Zhou fell silent, struck dumb. This exquisitely handsome youth seemed to harbor an unspeakable, heavy past.
“Very well.” Ji Tingzhong tossed her dual blades into the air and caught them again, leaning back against the seat. “I’m exhausted. I’m taking a rest.”
From beginning to end, Tan Congye kept his gaze locked on Ying Laixian, sensing a profound sense of helplessness hidden beneath the youth’s words.
This person’s past was undoubtedly filled with sorrow.
Under such circumstances, a carriage heading straight for Huayu Pavilion naturally drew considerable attention, including those tracking Ying Laixian and his group.
Sure enough, no sooner had they drawn near Huayu Pavilion than their path was blocked.
Chen Wen’s grip on the reins tightened slightly as he watched the woman blocking the center of the road with a retinue of subordinates.
The woman was dressed entirely in scarlet, exuding a bewitching charm from head to toe. “Are the few of you heading to Huayu Pavilion? This humble one is Hua Qianmi from the Crimson Beauty Village; I wonder if we might travel together as companions?”
“Crimson Beauty Village?” Ji Tingzhong looked slightly surprised. “Running all the way out here from the foreign territories—it would seem they’ve made thorough preparations.”
Crimson Beauty Village lay far beyond the borders, hundreds of miles away from Huayu Pavilion, yet they had stationed themselves here so early. Clearly, they had no intention of letting them pass easily.
Hua Qianmi. Ying Laixian narrowed his eyes; he had indeed crossed paths with this person in his previous lives.
Though already past fifty, Hua Qianmi showed no trace of age upon her face, ranking as a prominent figure within the pugilistic world. In his past life, she had perished after being ambushed while searching for the Changye Hall treasure.
Chen Wen had also heard rumors of her, but the disciples flanking Hua Qianmi all clutched weapons, radiating an unmistakable air of “If you don’t agree, we’ll take it by force.”
“I’m afraid that won’t do,” Chen Wen raised his gaze, stating flatly, “My apologies, but our master is unaccustomed to traveling alongside nameless nobodies.”
Calling the head of a major sect a “nameless nobody” anyone could tell this was a deliberate slap across the other party’s face.
Though a brilliant smile remained plastered across Hua Qianmi’s face, her eyes turned frosty. “I wonder what sort of remarkable figures your masters happen to be?”
Scarcely anyone in the entire pugilistic world dared speak to her in such a tone, especially since those who did typically steered clear of Jianghu disputes altogether. Hua Qianmi assumed Chen Wen was simply putting on a bluff.
Yet the opposing party completely ignored her, urging the horses forward as though intending to detour around them.
“City Lord Tan,” Ying Laixian said with the air of a spectator watching a play, “Do you intend to leave this entirely to Chen Wen?”
Running a hand along the hilt of his sword, Tan Congye suddenly spoke up, “I recall never mentioning my subordinate’s name to the Jade-like Gentleman.”
“Is that so?” Ying Laixian said carelessly, offering no further explanation.
Tan Congye chose not to press further. With a flick of his wide sleeve, a majestic wave of internal energy surged outward, instantly forcing Hua Qianmi back three steps.
Hua Qianmi was left dizzy and disoriented by the shockwave, while the disciples of lesser cultivation in her retinue directly passed out cold.
This is… the strength of a Sword Saint?!
The realization rushed over her like a tidal wave. Hua Qianmi stared vigilantly at the carriage, uncertain whether to advance or retreat.
“Which senior expert is this? This junior has been disrespectful.”
“Senior Tan,” Ying Laixian observed leisurely, turning to Tan Congye with a teasing hint in his voice, “You really are terrifying.”
Tan Congye shot him a cold glance, offering no response.
“My master is not quite as patient as Pavilion Master Hua,” Chen Wen said smoothly. “Pavilion Master Hua, would you prefer we fight our way through and trample you, or will you step aside voluntarily?”
“…”
Hua Qianmi’s face cycled between shades of pale and red. Having waited here for so long, she was naturally unwilling to let the duck slip through her fingers.
Yet sitting inside the carriage was a Sword Saint no matter her rank or standing, he was not someone she could afford to provoke.
“Please.”
Chen Wen flashed a knowing, triumphant smile and guided the carriage past them.
“I still underestimated the reputation of a Sword Saint,” Ying Laixian sighed. “What a pity; I won’t get to witness City Lord Tan in action.”
Tan Congye let out a cold huff. “If you wish, I can spare some time another day to spar with the Jade-like Gentleman.”
“Knowing full well that I cannot practice martial arts, why must you court disappointment?”
Tan Congye fell silent. He had observed Ying Laixian closely; the youth’s fingers were slender and delicate—the definitive mark of someone who had never wielded a blade or practiced martial arts.
Yet it was precisely such a person who continuously delivered one surprise after another.
“I wouldn’t mind sparring with Senior,” Ji Tingzhong chimed in. “I only wonder if Senior would grant this opportunity.”
A single sparring match with a Sword Saint was equivalent to a year of bitter cultivation—something martial artists across the world yearned for in vain.
Tan Congye’s gaze remained fixed on Ying Laixian, though his reply was directed at Ji Tingzhong: “No time.”
Those two short words amply demonstrated his mounting irritation.
Ying Laixian chuckled softly, raising an eyebrow at Tan Congye.
How could he not realize the other man was intentionally probing him? But the more Tan Congye acted this way, the more he would be drawn into fulfilling further requests.
Human beings invariably harbored curiosity toward the unknown, step by step walking right into the trap. It was the simplest of truths.
Ji Tingzhong’s gaze shifted back and forth between the two. She could sense the unusual treatment Tan Congye accorded Ying Laixian, yet the probing undertone was far too direct, resembling two opponents sparring in a game of wits.
Neither willing to expose the truth, neither willing to let the matter drop.
“Huayu Pavilion should have already received word of our arrival,” Ji Tingzhong noted.
Now that they were drawing close to Huayu Pavilion and making such a blatant display, they naturally could not evade the watchful eyes of the sect.
“That’s where the fun begins,” Ying Laixian smiled. “The clues regarding Changye Hall belong to us, and us alone.”
“Are you truly so certain?”
Ying Laixian wore the confident smile of a strategist holding victory in the palm of his hand. “From the moment City Lord Tan chose to stand by my side, the ending was already sealed.”