The clue that everyone under heaven wanted to know simply vanished just like that.
Huayu Pavilion.
Pavilion Master Yan Zheng who was Yan Zhou’s elder brother had spent the past few days hosting visitors from various martial arts sects.
Ever since he released the news, numerous sects had descended upon Huayu Pavilion under the guise of paying a courtesy visit, making it blatantly obvious that they wanted to reap the benefits without doing any of the work.
Unfortunately, because Yan Zhou had yet to be found, all other matters had to be postponed. Now that word had arrived that a carriage was entering the territory of Huayu Pavilion, representatives from various sects were waiting right at the entrance.
To see whether the visitors brought by the carriage would turn out to be wolves or dogs.
Sure enough, before long, a carriage slowly came to a halt in front of Huayu Pavilion. The driver was a youth dressed in black, with a long sword tucked at his waist and silver buckles on his dark garments reflecting a dazzling glare.
Yan Zheng stepped forward and politely inquired, “May I ask who you are, Excellency?”
Chen Wen waved a hand and leaped down from the carriage. The wooden door closing off the carriage was pushed outward from within.
Everyone watched as a woman emerged, clad in purple martial attire with a simple yet spirited demeanor.
Yan Zheng’s pupils constricted slightly, but almost immediately, his gaze was drawn toward another figure stepping down after her.
It was a person dressed in pink, whose appearance defied simple description. He possessed a pair of rare, cyan-colored eyes, and the single speck of cinnabar red between his brows added an extra touch of exquisite allure.
The very instant this person stepped out, he captured every single gaze in the vicinity, and all surrounding noise instantly faded away.
“Pavilion Master Yan,” Ying Laixian took the initiative to address Yan Zheng.
His cool yet polite voice quickly snapped Yan Zheng out of his astonishment.
Suddenly, someone pointed at the pair of swords at Ji Tingzhong’s waist and cried out in amazement, “Flowing Light Dual Blades? She is Ji Tingzhong, the Fragmentary Jade of Mount Kun!”
Fragmentary Jade Gentleman Ji Tingzhong, one of Old Master Wei’s disciples and a fourth-rank swordsman. Rumor had it that Ji Tingzhong’s ancestor was a founding general, and her entire family possessed fiercely robust personalities; even as a woman, she fell short of men in no aspect whatsoever.
Furthermore, she rarely roamed the martial arts world, yet unexpectedly, she had arrived at Huayu Pavilion today.
That made the identity of the pink-robed man beside her exceedingly easy to guess. Possessing such looks and associating with Ji Tingzhong—
Aside from the Jade-like Slim Snow—the number one beauty under heaven who studied literature rather than martial arts—there could surely be no second person.
“So it is the Jade-like Gentleman.” Yan Zheng’s gaze landed on Ying Laixian. When he looked toward Ji Tingzhong, he discovered that she was also staring directly at him.
Feeling a sudden jolt of panic, Yan Zheng swallowed hard and asked, “I wonder what brings the two of you to my Huayu Pavilion?”
“My purpose in coming here is precisely to escort Young Master Yan back home.” Ying Laixian clapped his hands, and a third person stepped down from the carriage.
This individual looked somewhat fatigued, as though he had endured a long and exhausting journey, but sharp-eyed observers instantly recognized him as Yan Zhou, the young master of Huayu Pavilion.
“Xiao Zhou!” Yan Zheng stepped forward, pulling Yan Zhou this way and that to verify whether he was safe and sound. “It’s good that you’re back. It’s good that you’re back.”
“Brother, I’ve caused you to worry,” Yan Zhou said, filled with guilt.
“No matter,” Yan Zheng breathed a sigh of relief. “Let’s go inside before we speak further.”
Ying Laixian glanced toward the carriage, and seeing Chen Wen nod in his direction, he ceased paying it any further mind. Accompanied by Ji Tingzhong, he followed the crowd into Huayu Pavilion.
Yan Zheng was a shrewd man; naturally, he knew Ying Laixian wouldn’t return Yan Zhou to him out of pure benevolence. “Since the Jade-like Gentleman has safely escorted my younger brother back, I shall honor my promise and hand over the clues to the Changye Hall treasure with both hands.”
“I trust that the Pavilion Master is a man of his word,” Ying Laixian said, surveying the surrounding wolves and tigers eyeing them hungrily.
“That might not necessarily be true,” Ji Tingzhong interjected unceremoniously. “Pavilion Master Yan always has his own unique perspective on people and matters.”
Ying Laixian raised an eyebrow. He did not know the intricate love-hate history between Ji Tingzhong and Yan Zheng in great depth; he only knew they had once held deep affection for one another before turning into strangers.
The specific reasons were known only to the two of them.
“Pavilion Master Yan.” A woman radiating a seductive, flamboyant charm walked gracefully through the entrance. “Since Young Master Yan has already returned, why not share those so-called clues with everyone present so we can all broaden our horizons?”
Who could this woman well-preserved despite being over fifty years of age be if not Hua Qianmi?
“Pavilion Master Hua, since Yan has given my word, this clue will be given solely to the Jade-like Gentleman.”
“The Jade-like Gentleman?” Hua Qianmi looked at Ying Laixian’s breathtaking face. “The Jade-like Gentleman is truly full of surprises, quietly grasping the clues entirely in his own hands.”
Ultimately, Hua Qianmi still dared not act rashly, for she had clearly witnessed the carriage parked outside, which undoubtedly contained occupants.
Since the newcomer was none other than the Jade-like Slim Snow, she boldly surmised that the swordsman inside the carriage was none of other than the Second-Rank Sword Saint revered by the world as Old Master Wei, Wei Heng.
“Pavilion Master Hua is too kind.” Ying Laixian smiled, seemingly oblivious to the greed gleaming in everyone’s eyes around him. “It is merely a stroke of luck. I am a person of principle who never cares to snatch a share from others, and I trust none of you would force someone’s hand.”
“Jade-like Gentleman,” someone spoke up, “we are showing respect to the two of you out of regard for Senior Wei. There are many of us here; we simply wish to catch a glimpse, and surely you won’t make an enemy of us all.”
“Who are you?” Ying Laixian replied mildly. “Senior long ago ceased to involve himself in Jianghu affairs, and Your Excellency need not fabricate excuses so clumsily. Tingzhong, go with Pavilion Master Yan to retrieve the item.”
“Mhm.” Ji Tingzhong tossed the Flowing Light Dual Blades in her palm, caught them, and departed alongside Yan Zheng.
Naturally, the others refrained from making any reckless moves; until the item was brought out, it was unwise to strike.
“I didn’t expect you to come,” Yan Zheng said to Ji Tingzhong.
Ji Tingzhong sneered, “I am merely doing a favor; I am not doing this for you.”
“I know,” Yan Zheng smiled bitterly. He retrieved the object from a secret compartment and handed it to Ji Tingzhong. “Though I do not know how the Jade-like Gentleman discovered that this message took the form of a physical artifact, I hope you will not embroil yourself in the matter of the Changye Hall treasure.”
Holding the item in her hand, Ji Tingzhong retorted with biting sarcasm, “Are you regretting the decision you made back then? I no longer care.”
From the moment Yan Zheng rejected her family’s marriage proposal, they were already through.
Servants brought in tea as everyone seated themselves in the open-air courtyard, waiting for the two to return.
Ying Laixian cradled a teacup in his hand, sitting alone off to one side with a composed demeanor, completely ignoring the surrounding crowd.
Before long, Ji Tingzhong emerged holding the object. Leaping across the courtyard, she came to Ying Laixian’s side and handed the item over to him.
“Jade-like Gentleman!” the disciples of the Crane Crane Workshop shouted belligerently. “Since that item is now in your hands, why not let all of us open our eyes and see it?”
“If everyone wishes to see it, very well,” Ying Laixian agreed readily. “Once I have examined it, I will not contend with you all.”
They were only two people; even if a fight broke out, they wouldn’t hold the upper hand, so the Jianghu practitioners present quickly accepted the terms.
Ying Laixian used his fingers to slowly unroll the scroll bit by bit.
An exquisitely beautiful face abruptly burst into his line of sight.
It was a woman clad in scarlet robes, wearing a gentle smile with eyes brimming with absolute happiness a visage Ying Laixian had almost forgotten.
His mother, the lady of Changye Hall, whom he could never see again no matter how many times he relived his rebirth.
Ying Laixian displayed an unexpected, profound tranquility. He gazed quietly at the woman depicted upon the scroll, studying her with such earnest intensity as if attempting to etch every single stroke and dot permanently into his memory.
Then, he raised his hand and tossed the entire scroll directly into a blazing brazier burning nearby.
This completely defied everyone’s expectations. None of them imagined that Ying Laixian would choose to obliterate all traces of the clue. Several individuals rushed desperately toward the brazier in frantic impatience, but it was already too late; tongues of fire had entirely devoured the scroll.
The clue that everyone under heaven wanted to know simply vanished just like that.
“Ying Laixian!” Nian Zheng, the master of Crane Crane Workshop, roared with fury. “It seems you truly intend to make an enemy of everyone present here!”
“What if I do?” Ying Laixian raised his eyes.
“Utterly arrogant!” A man pointed at Ying Laixian and cursed vehemently. “If the object is gone, at least the person remains men, take him down!”
“Clang!”
A harsh, piercing strum of zither music suddenly echoed through the air. Yan Zheng swept his zither horizontally across his body, his figure flashing forward to block directly in front of Ying Laixian. “The Jade-like Gentleman is a guest of my Huayu Pavilion; I ask that you all refrain from making things difficult for him.”
“A mere Huayu Pavilion dares to make an enemy of us.” Taking matters into his own hands, the man drew his sword and charged forward, instantly engaging Yan Zheng in a fierce clash.
“Crane Crane Workshop disciples, hear my command!” Nian Zheng ordered. “Capture Ying Laixian!”
Ji Tingzhong gripped the Flowing Light Dual Blades in her hands, an aura of decisive, ruthless slaughter radiating from her entire body.
“Does the Fragmentary Jade Gentleman truly believe she can protect him single-handedly?”
“Cut the nonsense!” Ji Tingzhong swung a sword to beat back the attackers lunging toward her, her figure instantly flashing before Nian Zheng. Waves of surging internal energy rippled around her; her strength, nearing that of a third-rank swordsman, was not to be underestimated.
As a sect master, Nian Zheng possessed a high cultivation level reaching the second rank, yet Ji Tingzhong’s swordsmanship was so peerless that the two of them fought fiercely back and forth, locked in a stalemate within a short span of time.
Hua Qianmi seized the opportune moment, gathering internal energy in her palms as she lunged straight toward Ying Laixian.
Boom!
A wide, thick longblade gleaming with a crimson glow crashed down through the empty air. The shockwave of its strike carried an overwhelming intent of slaughter, directly blasting Hua Qianmi several dozen feet away and sending her crashing to the ground as she spewed a mouthful of fresh blood.
Who possessed such terrifying strength?
The crowd turned their heads in unison to look, only to see a figure standing atop the broad blade itself.
The man was striking and unbridled, exuding an intensely aggressive aura. His long hair fluttered wildly in the wind, and his arrogant, downturned eyes carried an overwhelming sense of oppression whenever he gazed down at others. Dressed in a dark inner garment draped beneath a silver outer robe, he cut a heroic, dashing figure.
Moments later, someone in the crowd recognized him.
“It’s Sword Saint Tan Congye!”
Tan Congye, the youngest Sword Saint in the mortal realm.
“Why is he here?”
Ying Laixian finished the last drop of tea in his cup, stood up with unruffled poise, and remarked, “I thought City Lord Tan intended to wait until I was reduced to a skeleton before making a move.”
As soon as these words fell, they triggered yet another wave of panic.
“Tan Congye and Ying Laixian are in this together!”
“So what if they are?” Hua Qianmi grit her teeth. She hadn’t expected the newcomer to be someone other than Wei Heng, but this outcome suited her desires just as well. “Even if he is a Sword Saint, don’t dream of controlling the situation single-handedly by yourself.”
Indeed, with so many people on their side, even Tan Congye would find it no easy feat to escort someone out safely.
For the sake of the Changye Hall treasure, what did risking their lives matter? At this point, whoever captured Ying Laixian would take a step closer to the treasure.
“Attack together!”
“Overestimating your capabilities.” Tan Congye flicked his toes against the ground, his frigid, biting aura inspiring awe and dread in all who beheld him.
“Take him and go!” he commanded Ji Tingzhong.
“Let’s go!” Ji Tingzhong seized Ying Laixian’s hand and bolted toward the exit. Someone intercepted their path, only to see a zither user sweep across the space to block them.