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Chapter 3
The Demon King is Dead, Disaster Not Yet Averted
Wei Kongkong’s lone charge into Delightful Hall was done in secret.
He didn’t want to tell Long Chengbi and Xu Qiaozhi about it, and he really didn’t want to let Sima Xue know.
Because rescuing Third Miss Xue was a personal matter, and he didn’t want to get others involved.
So he hid it from Long Chengbi and the others.
Even so, he could hide it from Xu Qiaozhi and Sima Xue, but he couldn’t hide it from Long Chengbi.
Because Long Chengbi knew Wei Kongkong better than the other two did. And of course he would not feel right letting Wei Kongkong risk it alone, so he had been trailing him this whole time.
× × ×
Delightful Hall really was a place that harbored hidden dragons and crouching tigers.
Long Chengbi had seen with his own eyes Wei Kongkong trapped in the big iron cage, and like a bird unable to fly out of its cage.
Wei Kongkong’s swordplay was mighty and overbearing, but the sword in his hand was ordinary, not some precious sword.
But it was questionable whether even a precious sword that could cut through iron like it was mud would be able to cut through this big iron cage.
So unless Wei Kongkong had Sun Wukong’s 72-transformation skill to make himself as small as a mosquito, there was no way he was getting out of this big iron cage.
Now Le Xiaotian was smiling again.
It was already a foregone conclusion that his right hand was maimed, but Wei Kongkong had become a bird in a cage.
“What a large bird,” Le Xiaotian said, laughing, a venomous look in his eyes. “The best thing for a big bird like this is to let it stew for four to give double-hours, and I guarantee it will be ten times more nutritious than a plump tenfold-stewed chicken.”
Wei Kongkong smiled indifferently. “A swine like you is only fit to eat stewed earthworms. if you’re thinking of eating swan meat, you’re dreaming.”
Le Xiaotian laughed, then suddenly said to Longbraid girl respectfully, “Madame Alliance Head, please leave this person for your subordinate to handle. I guarantee that with your subordinate’s deft hand, the stew made from this person will be fragrant and sweet.”
When the words “Madame Alliance Head” were uttered, Wei Kongkong was not only shocked, even Long Chengbi, hidden behind the fake rock mountain was surprised.
Turns out this pretty longbraided girl was none other than Ximen Piao’s wife, Fourth Lady Iron Pearl, Ren Yuechang!
× × ×
Ximen Piao was already over sixty years old.
But Ren Yuechang at most was no more than thirty, and her glossy black long braid made her look even younger.
Word around the jianghu was that even though Ren Yuechang’s martial arts was inferior to Ximen Piao’s, she was sharp and intelligent, and often the defeat of a formidable foe in the end was at the hands of an incredible woman. Seems the rumors were true.
At least, Wei Kongkong had fallen into her hands, and despite his present calm, he was actually like a crab dropped into a boiling pot. Sooner or later he would be cooked by Le Xiaotian.
Ren Yuechang and Le Xiaotian both really liked smiling.
When they smiled, it was so warm and moving.
If you just looked at their faces you might find them to be the two best people in the world.
But these “good people” could at any time put a living person into a big pot and cook them.
× × ×
Ren Yuechang’s smile suddenly disappeared.
Then back and forth came fifteen to sixteen clear, sharp smacks upside Le Xiaotian’s head.
The corners of Le Xiaotian’s mouth were bleeding at once.
But he never moved a muscle, as if he deserved to be slapped.
But in fact, he didn’t know why Madame Alliance Head was so angry. Was Wei Kongkong not supposed to be stewed and tortured?
Sure enough, after the 15-16 slaps, Ren Yuechang’s expression was again calm. “What kind of person do you take Lordson Wei for? Is he some kind of lowdown thug for you to offend as you please?”
Wei Kongkong found this pretty funny. He didn’t expect this woman to be so capricious.
Just earlier she had taken him for a big fool, but now she was calling him Lordson Wei and had even slapped Le Xiaotian for speaking out of turn.
This was originally a lively place, but for some reason it was now deathly quiet. There weren’t even any guests coming or going.
That was simply impossible!
But it was true!
Was Le Xiaotian just not going to do business today?
No, the other rooms of Delightful Hall were still buzzing, but this one had been sealed off and the guests redirected to other entrances.
Ren Yuechang’s quick adapting and her speedy execution were outstanding.
× × ×
Long Chengbi suddenly felt that his own situation was not much better than Wei Kongkong’s.
Wei Kongkong was trapped in an iron cage, and Long Chengbi had fallen into Ren Yuechang’s snare as well.
Because Long Chengbi had found that outside the main doors there were at least eight martial world masterhands cutting off his escape route!
Luckily he wasn’t really thinking of retreating. His friend was in trouble, even if it were a crocodile pond or a lion’s den he would still charge in.
So he stood right up and walked out from behind the fake rock mountain.
As soon as Long Chengbi appeared he heard Ren Yuechang clapping. Smiling, she said, “Welcome, welcome, Our honored guest has arrived tonight at Delightful Hall at just the right time.”
Long Chengbi stared her down. “Why do you say that?”
Ren Yuechang said, “Because today the chef of Delightful Hall, Hong Yu, is in a good mood and has promised to cook me several wonderful dishes and set out several jugs of excellent wine. I was just waiting for a drinking connoisseur to come along and sample it with me.”
Long Chengbi laughed. “Marvelous, I never expected my luck to be so good today that I would be fated to get drunk together.”
He glanced at Wei Kongkong. “Friend, you really are a nice bird.”
Wei Kongkong smiled wryly. “Why am I a nice bird?”
Long Chengbi smiled. “If you weren’t a nice bird, why would they use such an expensive cage made of the finest cast iron and costing at least over ten thousand taels?”
Wei Kongkong surprisingly laughed. “A nice bird with wings yet still can’t fly away is still a bit better than a dead bird.”
Long Chengbi said, “Look, do I look like a dead bird to you?”
Wei Kongkong said, “Maybe not a dead bird, but at least a drunk bird. Don’t forget that Madame Alliance Head has several jugs of excellent wine waiting for you.”
Long Chengbi sighed. “To die drunk is always better than dying hungry, and way better than dying locked up. See you later, friend.”
See you later.
When would they see each other later?
And when they did, where would it be?
Long Chengbi didn’t know and didn’t want to know, because if he were pessimistic about it, when they met again it would be as two ghosts.
Where ghosts met up was of course not in the land of the living.
Still, Long Chengbi was never too pessimistic.
Just like he was never too optimistic either.
And so with a light heart he accepted Ren Yuechang’s invitation and went to the Purple Aurora Hall in the northeast corner of Delightful Hall.
× × ×
Purple Aurora Hall could be rated as sumptuous and magnificent. It looked like a majestic thearch’s temporary residence when he was out away from the capital.
Long Chengbi liked adventure.
Though this was a sumptuous, magnificent place, it was also a place brimming with danger.
Moreover, there was a dangerous person sitting by him.
Ren Yuechang was movingly beautiful, but also frighteningly dangerous.
Outside the bead curtain, sight maidservants dressed in green were lined up on either side, waiting on them attentively.
Long Chengbi had never seen these eight green-garbed maidservants before, but he was sure of one thing, that those eight masterhands of the martial world who had sealed off the main entrance earlier were these eight maids.
Long Chengbi didn’t care at all that they were keeping an eye on him. At any rate, since he had the courage to come here, even if it were eight devilish, fiendish witches he wouldn’t be afraid, much less eight really pretty maidservants.
Ren Yuechang suddenly clapped her hands twice softly and three times loudly and the eight maidservants withdrew at once.
Long Chengbi laughed. “Why did you send those eight pretty girls away?”
Ren Yuechang coughed gently twice. “It’s just because they’re so pretty, so I had to send them away.”
Long Chengbi said, “If you’re worried one of them is as pretty as you, then that really is uncalled for.”
Ren Yuechang said happily, “Am I good-looking?”
Long Chengbi didn’t deny it or admit it, because she was already holding his hand!
And holding it tightly, really tightly.
Long Chengbi finally heaved a long sigh. “Anyone who manages to get you as a wife has to be the luckiest!”
Ren Yuechang smiled, narrowing her eyes. “Luck? What kind of luck?”
“Lucky in love.” Long Chengbi suddenly realized he was a bit smitten. “If you were my wife? I fear…”
Ren Yuechang batted her eyelashes. “You’d only fear that the green hats on your head would number at least in the hundreds, right?”
Long Chengbi shivered. “How could I dare!”
Ren Yuechang bit her lip and gazed at him. “It’s not whether you dare or not, it’s I who dares.”
Long Chengbi was somewhat startled.
Ren Yuechang suddenly laughed coldly. “Some people even dare to murder their own husband. What does it matter if I give my old man a few green hats to wear?”
Long Chengbi was even more startled.
Because as she was talking she was coiling around him like a snake.
Long Chengbi’s surprise of course was not genuine surprise.
It was the surprise of feeling extremely flattered.
But he wasn’t the least bit muddled. He knew that this beautiful fox throwing herself into his arms did not come without a price.
× × ×
Just as things were heating up between Ren Yuechang and Long Chengbi in Purple Aurora Hall, a silverhaired old man with an imposing, fierce expression and wearing a golden cloak draped over him appeared at the front steps of Delightful Hall.
As soon as the silverhaired old man saw Wei Kongkong in the iron cage he said to Le Xiaotian, “He the one who cut off Hallmaster Flying Devil’s head?”
Le Xiaotian answered respectfully, “Yes!”
The silverhaired old man sighed. “If I were Yin Shiyuan I would never have gone to learn lightness skill. Lightness skill can only let you flee for your life, it can’t take someone else’s life. When the day comes you can’t flee it means your head will be separated from your body. Ai, stupid! Stupid! So stupid.”
Wei Kongkong heard this and suddenly realized something.
Yin Shiyuan’s left ear seemed to be missing.
At the time he didn’t notice, and when Hallmaster Mara Finger was killed and his face was revealed to be missing a nose, he still didn’t realize that Yin Shiyuan’s nose left ear had been missing.
Till now, when the silverhaired old man mention that Yin Shiyuan was Hallmaster Flying Devil did he finally suddenly realize it.
How was Yin Shiyuan’s lightness skill so good?
And what secret was contained in the silverhaired old man’s words?
When did Yin Shiyuan learn his lightness skill?
However, right now who Wei Kongkong was most taking note of was this silverhaired old man.
Because he was the alliance head of the Thousand Demon Alliance, Ximen Piao!
× × ×
In Purple Aurora Hall, the table was piled up with dishes and wine.
The maids outside the bead curtain had been sent away by Ren Yuechang.
Now within the bead curtain, it ought to be the time for springtime charms and luxuriant romance.
Ximen Piao of course knew that his old woman was in Long Chengbi’s arms right now.
But he, as a husband, was not the least bit angry.
Because this was all his own planning.
He thought it up as soon as he learned that Long Chengbi and Wei Kongkong were at Delightful Hall.
He was going to use Long Chengbi’s hands to kill someone.
Someone who made Ximen Piao lose sleep and his appetite over.
That person had to be taken out no matter what.
Because if this person was not eliminated, Ximen Piao might very well be taken out himself.
× × ×
There were only two people in the world who could make Ximen Piao lose sleep or lose his appetite.
The first of course was the alliance head of the martial world, Dongfang Wuyou.
And the second, as far as Ximen Piao was concerned, was even more menacing nemesis.
Because it was the vice alliance head of the Thousand Demon Alliance!
× × ×
Long Chengbi was by no means a gentleman.
A gentleman might be able to resist temptation, but he could not.
Because he was not only not a gentleman, he was a vagabond.
Because in less than half a year after he began roaming the jianghu he was crowned with the title Snowblade Vagabond.
He didn’t care.
“Didn’t care” was a characteristic that a vagabond could never cleanse himself of, never shake off. Because if one were to care too much or be too serious, that person could not be called a vagabond.
Even so, do vagabonds have real feelings?
Yes. They absolutely do, and more sincere and more candid ones than others.
But a vagabond’s feelings were often kept hidden away inside.
Maybe those feelings would never be uttered out of their mouths as long as they lived.
But perhaps they would also shout their accumulated feelings out on the thousands upon thousands of people.
Long Chengbi was a person rich with feeling. Even when his face was ice cold, those who understood him would realize that below that ice cold face lay a blazing hot heart.
So hot it could melt completely the most firm, solid things in the world.
So even though his face was ice cold when he killed, his heart was still blazing hot as always.
He only killed because the result would be much more cruel than if he didn’t.
Everyone could understand that reasoning.
Because there were in the world not a few people who needed killing. If you didn’t kill them, the number of those killed by these people would be even greater.
And killed unjustly, tragically.
So whenever there was someone who needed killing, Long Chengbi would definitely go kill him, even if it meant risking his life in the most perilous of ways.
When he killed he never collected a fee.
Because he was not a professional killer like Sima Xue.
Still, Long Chengbi had realized that Sima Xue was beginning to change.
He seemed no longer to be the old Sima Xue, because he had begun to grow weary of killing for a living.
Anyone who was in a given line of work for too long would begin to grow weary of it.
Even if the line of work was comfortable and easy and the pay was good, they still might get tired of it.
People were constantly changing.
And so his hobbies and his work interests could change at any time.
Long Chengbi really hoped that he truly was weary of killing for a living.
Because that line of work was all about money and not about people. Even though not a few of the people killed really did need killing, there was also not a few innocent, good people who had died unjustly under his sword.
Could Sima Xue really change and stop being a professional killer?
Right now, no one could foresee, including Long Chengbi.
× × ×
Long Chengbi knew how to endure hardship!
In the inner halls of the Long clan when he was hard at work training his Eight Dragon Sabreplay, he had suffered much.
Then when he turned twenty and began roaming the jianghu, his opportunities for suffering increased a lot.
Many times he nearly died surrounded by enemies. At those times if he had not been able to endure hardship, he would have died long ago who knows how many times.
He knew hoe to endure hardship, and he knew how to enjoy things.
When he needed to suffer he could endure anything.
When the time came for enjoyment, he enjoyed to the fullest. He would sit in the most comfortable horse carriage, eat the best food, drink the best wine, and wear what others would feel were the most exuberant, high-spirited clothes.
Of course, also needed the best women.
Ren Yuechang was a married woman, but her old man was not his friend, and it was she who had seduced him. It wasn’t like he had seduced another man’s wife.
Besides, a woman like Ren Yuechang could not be satisfied by Ximen Piao.
Ximen Piao’s martial arts was unmatched, but after all he was an old man in his sixties. An old husband and a young wife was not a good pair in the least.
So he was happily enjoying the feeling of Ren Yuechang in his arms.
Since ancient times heroes have fallen for beauties, so even if he fell at the hands of a woman it wouldn’t be so shameful.
However, Long Chengbi wasn’t looking to really be turned round and round by a woman. As he enjoyed it he was thinking of a plan to deal with this beautiful, terrible woman.
“I heard that the Eight Dragon Sabreplay of your Long clan is the most formidable sabreplay in the world.”
“The Eight Dragon Sabreplay is not the most formidable sabreplay in the world.”
“Is there really a more formidable sabreplay than the Eight Dragon Sabreplay?”
“of course there is.”
“Let’s hear it.”
“The skill that a woman employs in wielding a knife in the kitchen is the most formidable.”
“Why?”
“Because only a woman who is a good cook is able to conquer a man with the strongest martial arts.”
When mentioning a kitchen wife, Long Chengbi of course did not forget about Mr. Cleaver Kou Wutong.
But as soon as that eccentric person who had been missing from the jianghu for twenty years showed his face, he was killed by Hallmaster Mara Finger Shangguan Tang’s Soul Seeking Finger.
An odd look appeared in Ren Yuechang’s eyes and she sighed. “You believe I can conquer Ximen Piao?”
Long Chengbi said slowly, “On that point, forgive me, but I’m not qualified to pass judgment. If your husband were to see us under the current circumstances like this, I fear he would rip me to seven or eight pieces at once.”
Ren Yuechang sneered, “I didn’t know you were such a coward. It’s ruined my high hopes that you could do something for me.”
Long Chengbi said, “Whatever it is you want me to do, just say it. As long as I can do it, I’d never refuse.”
Ren Yuechang said coldly, “You can’t do it.”
Long Chengbi sighed. “Since you’re not willing to say, I won’t force you. I have to go.”
With that he really did stand up suddenly and adjust his clothes and was about to head out through the bead curtain.
Ren Yuechang said, “Come back.”
Long Chengbi said plainly, “Anyway you already look at me with contempt, what good would it do even if I did hang around here and didn’t?”
Ren Yuechang fixed her gaze on him and said coldly, “If you go off and leave, your friend Lordson Wei will be cooked in a boiling pot by Le Xiaotian at once.”
Long Chengbi forced a smile. “You’re telling me if I hang around here you will let that big foolish bird in the iron cage go?”
Ren Yuechang said, “Even if you hang around here for three years you wouldn’t be able to save Lordson Wei. But if you can do something for me, not only will I release Wei Kongkong, I will even let Pearl Mountain Villa’s Third Miss Xue go as well.”
Long Chengbi said plainly, “Since your Thousand Demon Alliance dares to go against Pearl Mountain Villa’s people, then you must really be set on creating open hostility with all the heroes of the world?”
Ren Yuechang said, “There are many kinds of heroes in the world. There’s diehards, there’s muddleheaded fools, and there’s those of two minds, but the most intelligent group is the one that understands that he who understands the times is a great hero. And Pearl Mountain Villa’s people all belong to the second group.”
Long Chengbi smiled. “Your tricks are getting more and more interesting, that you would actually place the martial world famous Pearl Mountain Villa in the group of muddleheaded fools.”
Ren Yuechang said, “The master of Pearl Mountain Villa has always been of high moral virtue, a muddleheaded sweet potato who even recites poetry when he’s eating or taking a shit.”
Long Chengbi said, “What does it matter to the Thousand Demon Alliance if he recites poetry?”
Ren Yuechang sneered, “It matters a lot. Did you know that every poem he chants nowadays is directed against our Thousand Demon Alliance?”
Long Chengbi said, “So what?”
Ren Yuechang said, “if the poems he chants spread to the martial world, then our alliance’s reputation will naturally be greatly affected.”
Long Chengbi laughed inwardly.
Ren Yuechang continued, “I hear that you came here to make our alliance collapse under your Blizzard Blade, am I right?”
Long Chengbi said nothing.
Ren Yuechang said, “What I want you to do for me now is to kill someone for me.”
Long Chengbi still said nothing.
But he had already guessed who Ren Yuechang wanted him to kill. It had to be one of the following two people.
The first: Dongfang Wuyou.
The second: The vice alliance head of the Thousand Demon Alliance.
Because only these two people were worth Ximen Piao using the honeytrap strategy to get someone to do his dirty work for him.
Especially the vice alliance head of the Thousand Demon Alliance. Long Chengbi already anticipated that Ximen Piao would want to kill him.
Because Long Chengbi already knew that the vice alliance head was even more fearful, even more dangerous than Ximen Piao.
Given Ximen Piao’s disposition, he would never permit a tiger to lay beside him.
The question was, did Ximen Piao first want to kill Dongfang Wuyou or the vice alliance head?
× × ×
Long Chengbi’s skill in sleuthing could not be said to be weak.
But sometimes things were beyond one’s ability to predict.
Even a god sometimes couldn’t foresee everything.
Much less him, who was just a person.
So it was really not unusual that this time this intelligent vagabond should guess wrong.
Because the person Ren Yuechang wanted him to kill was Ximen Piao.
× × ×
Ximen Piao of course did not order Ren Yuechang to have Long Chengbi kill him.
Ximen Piao had ordered her to use him to kill the vice alliance head of the Thousand Demon Alliance.
But why had Ren Yuechang turned it around and surprisingly want Long Chengbi to assassinate Ximen Piao?
Long Chengbi was at a loss.
At the same time, he felt that this woman was really frightening.
Because this woman’s wild ambition was not inferior to Ximen Piao’s.
× × ×
Ren Yuechang took a small sip of wine and gazed at Long Chengbi.
“I know, you already planned to kill Ximen Piao.”
Long Chengbi said, “It’s not really a secret. Ximen Piao is well informed, so it would be difficult to hide it from him, but it’s also not necessary for my plan to kill him to be considered a secret.”
Ren Yuechang smiled charmingly. “But Dongfang Wuyou’s martial arts being crippled a year ago, that ought to be a secret, right?”
Long Chengbi’s complexion changed. He sneered, “You’ve no need to talk nonsense. Half a month ago I saw him with my own eyes kill the Four Bears of Liaodong outside the city gates of Daming prefecture.”
Ren Yuechang smiled faintly. “Don’t try to deceive me. Although the Four Bears of Liaodong were killed by Dongfang Wuyou half a month ago, he didn’t do the job himself. The ones who killed the Four Bears of Liaodong were his two personal senior assistants.”
Long Chengbi said, “Even if Dongfang Wuyou’s martial arts had been lost, his power and influence is still utterly massive. The Thousand Demon Alliance could never go up against him.”
Ren Yuechang said, “Not necessarily.”
Long Chengbi frowned. He really couldn’t figure out how Ren Yuechang knew that Dongfang Wuyou had lost his martial arts ability.
Ren Yuechang set down her wine cup and smiled. “Do you know how Dongfang Wuyou lost his martial arts?”
Long Chengbi said nothing.
Ren Yuechang stared at him for a long while, then finally said, “Because he and the vice alliance head had a test of internal force, with the result that his internal organs were jolted. He’s lucky to even still be alive.”
Long Chengbi sneered, “You’re telling me your vice alliance head’s internal force is stronger than Dongfang Wuyou’s?”
Ren Yuechang said, “That’s right.”
“Who is this person anyway?” Long Chengbi’s gaze was like a knife, and his right hand was gripping the hilt of his sabre.
Because he had decided to kill this woman.
Whether she was willing to tell him or not, this woman needed killing.
As long as a person needed killing, no matter if it was a man or a woman, young or old, Long Chengbi’s sabre would show no mercy.
He was never one for softhearted womanly kindness.
× × ×
Suddenly, a violent shout bellowed from beyond the bead curtain.
An old man with silver hair and an imposing, fierce air about him and a golden cloak draped over him came in like a peal of rolling thunder.
Long Chengbi had seen this old man once before, five years ago.
Of course he wouldn’t forget that this was the Callous Thearch Ximen Piao.
Ximen Piao barged in and immediately swept his hand out at Ren Yuechang.
Ren Yuechang’s face was as white as paper and had nowhere to retreat.
Just at this moment, seven iron pearls shot out from Ren Yuechang’s sleeve.
Each of these seven iron pearls weighed three taels, six mace, and six candereens, and they were dipped in a strange poison that seeped into the skin and caused death a very short amount of time.
But Ximen Piao was worthy of the title of grandmaster of the age. Those seven iron pearls were simply nothing to him.
The iron pearls came on fast and strong, but Ximen Piao extended a hand and snatched up all seven of them.
Ren Yuechang felt a burst of delight.
Because Ximen Piao was poisoned now that he’d snatched the pearl in his hand.
But her delight soon departed and her whole person was ice cold.
Because she saw that the hand that had snatched the pearls was wearing a glove.
Ximen Piao bellowed, “Brazen slut, let me give you back these seven iron pearls.”
Long Chengbi stood to the side and watched husband and wife fight.
They didn’t seem to be fighting, but having a fight to the death.
Long Chengbi never got in the way of a couple fighting to try and stop it.
Because sometimes a husband and wife fighting was a good thing.
They say that after a couple fight, their affection for each other is much greater than before.
But right now Long Chengbi didn’t step in because he wanted them to become more affectionate to each other.
He watched the fire from the other side of the river as they fought only because the both of them needed to die.
If they hadn’t been fighting to the death, Long Chengbi would have gotten them to fight to the death.
They were both people who needed to die.
× × ×
From the very first day that Ren Yuechang was married to Ximen Piao she had been thinking every day how she could kill the old monster.
Even though she had married Ximen Piao, he was the one she hated most.
Because the one she have loved before had died by Ximen Piao’s hand.
Ximen Piao naturally didn’t know that Ren Yuechang had married him just so she could get revenge for her lover. At the same time, she also wanted to replace him and become a hegemon among women with the power to rule the world.
Ren Yuechang had not struck until now because she had not been confident of succeeding.
No matter who it was who wanted to kill Ximen Piao, it would not be an easy matter.
Now, Ren Yuechang was regretful.
Before becoming regretful she had had many opportunities to strike but had not dared to do so.
Till the first time she had the chance to launch her iron pearls at him, and was in fact at a severe disadvantage.
Seven iron pearls had not taken down Ximen Piao.
On the contrary, the consequence of those seven iron pearls was now embedded in her beautiful face.
Blood splashed.
A beauty bathed in blood.
Long Chengbi almost couldn’t bear it. The woman was evil, but in the end she was also a beauty.
We might ask how a person like Long Chengbi could not be sad over the death of a beautiful woman.
× × ×
After killing Ren Yuechang in one blow, Ximen Piao suddenly heaved a long sigh.
Long Chengbi was expressionless, his right hand still tightly gripping the hilt of his sabre.
Because he was facing the person he wanted to kill.
A person who had to be killed, but who was not easy to kill.
Ximen Piao’s gaze fell on him. “You’re that recent, most famed among the jianghu Snowblade Vagabond?”
Long Chengbi shook his head. “I’m not famous. Some would say rather that I’m notorious.”
Ximen Piao said, “I hear that the Eight Dragon Sabreplay of the Long clan has become famed throughout the world these past ten years.”
Long Chengbi said, “A famous swordplay is not necessarily a good swordplay.”
Ximen Piao said, “You were sent by Dongfang Wuyou to kill me?”
Long Chengbi said, “Even if Alliance Head Dongfang hadn’t ordered it I would have come to kill you.”
Ximen Piao said, “Why do you want to kill me? I’ve never offended anyone in the world surnamed Long.”
Long Chengbi said, “Even if you were the benefactor of every Long in the world, I would still come to kill you.”
Ximen Piao said coldly, “You sure you can?”
Long Chengbi said coldly, “I like to gamble, especially with my life.”
Ximen Piao’s eyes suddenly widened at least twice as big.
Long Chengbi didn’t flinch a bit. He still continued, “If I only fought when I was sure of winning it would lose the excitement of gambling. All one’s life just winning, never losing is no doubt a painful thing.”
Ximen Piao said, “How many times can you lose?”
Long Chengbi said, “No one knows that. I’ve lost before. Fortunately I didn’t really lose my life.”
Ximen Piao said, “And if one time you did lose your life?”
Long Chengbi laughed and said casually, “That’d be wonderful. I’d give up gambling, give it up forever.”
Ximen Piao smiled.
His smile was like a tiger spotting a deer.
But was Long Chengbi really a deer?
× × ×
String after string of the bead curtain was cut off by a sabre.
The perfectly round beads fell to the ground as a pressing murderous aura filled the room.
Long Chengbi’s blade was out of the scabbard and he turned it over and cut the beads off the curtain.
Ximen Piao sneered, “I never imagined young bladesman with the brightest future in the jianghu would actually do such blustering showing off before killing someone.
Long Chengbi caresses the tip of his blade, smiling. “I was just warning myself not to underestimate my enemy in front of a master like Ximen Piao.”
“Underestimate your enemy?” Ximen Piao laughed. “What right do you have to talk of underestimating an enemy in front of this alliance head?”
Long Chengbi laughed as well. “Yes, right now the one underestimating the enemy is not me, but you! See my blade!”
The point of his blade spread out and the lights in the entire Purple Aurora Hall seemed to lose their color.
The bladelight cascaded like an unfurling bolt of white silk and enveloped Ximen Piao in a blur of blade.
Ximen Piao’s laughter had not died out before he was caught off guard by the sabreplay’s might.
Ximen Piao finally realized that Long Chengbi was not underestimating his enemy.
The one underestimating was himself.
By the time he realized this, Long Chengbi had the advantage and was on the offensive.
The Blizzard Blade’s silvery light flashed and in the blink of an eye he had slashed eight times.
These eight slashes were not the entirety of the Eight Dragon Sabreplay, but only the “Eight Dragons in the Sky” move from the fifth form.
Suddenly, Ximen Piao roared and leapt into the air and flipped over Long Chengbi’s head.
Long Chengbi’s sabreplay changed again and snowflowers covered overhead and protected his chest.
Ximen Piao’s palms shot out like the wind, fluttering about all over, suddenly from the left, then suddenly from the right. It didn’t look like much, but the strikes were fast and changed quickly. There were few people who could reach such a level.
Long Chengbi, sabre in hand, of course projected his murderous aura in close.
But Ximen Piao’s iron palms were also set to kill, every strike enough to drop one dead.
This battle was critical to the safety of the entire martial world. If Long Chengbi could defeat Ximen Piao, the Thousand Demon Alliance’s days were numbered.
But if Long Chengbi was defeated, the Thousand Demon Alliance would become even more arrogant and the the martial world would hardly be able to avoid catastrophe.
Just at this moment, the sound of killing filled the air suddenly outside Purple Aurora Hall.
Eighteen grayclothed monks charged out of Delightful Hall, killing a bloody path out and they rushed directly inside Purple Aurora Hall.
× × ×
Eighteen grayclothed monks.
The lead monk, though, wore a snowwhite kasaya and held a sword in his left hand.
Long Chengbi felt a chill as soon as he saw the monk.
This monk was in his sixties, and Long Chengbi had met him before.
He was Greatmaster Thousand Green, said to be one of the two godly monks of Shaolin Monastery.
Greatmaster Thousand Green always had a staff in his hand, and he used a green pine zen staff.
But right now his green pine zen staff wasn’t in his hand. Rather, in his left hand he held Righteous Blood.
The unique, peerless Righteous Blood sword.
The very same Righteous Blood that Sima Xue loved more than life itself.
How had this sword fallen into Greatmaster Thousand Green’s hands?
× × ×
As soon as Long Chengbi saw Greatmaster Thousand Green he felt a chill in his heart, and it wasn’t just because he was holding Righteous Blood.
It was also because at the same time he held the sword in his left hand, his right shoulder was drenched in blood, his entire right arm having been cut off.
Who had maimed Greatmaster Thousand Green’s right arm?
As soon as Ximen Piao saw Greatmaster Thousand Green, the chill he felt in his heart was even more intense than Long Chengbi.
Because Greatmaster Thousand Green was coming right for him, sword in hand.
Facing Long Chengbi, Ximen Piao was already not getting the best of it, now add Greatmaster Thousand Green to the mix and things were looking even worse.
Greatmaster Thousand Green’s face was like withered wood as his sword suddenly thrust at Ximen Piao.
Ximen Piao’s skill was unmatched, yet he could not dodge out of the way.
Because Long Chengbi’s sabre was chopping at his neck, he could only flit to the left three spans to avoid the sabre.
And Greatmaster Thousand Green was thrusting at just the spot that Ximen Piao was dodging the sabre into.
What swordplay was this?
It was like he was endowed with foresight, able to anticipate where his opponent’s body would be and meet it there.
Because this sword was thrusting at the back of Ximen Piao’s head!
× × ×
Righteous Blood pierced into the back of Ximen Piao’s head.
Then, the sword was pulled back out.
The tip of the sword did not have even half a drop of blood on it.
Nor was there any blood on the back of Ximen Piao’s head.
Could it be that Ximen Piao was a ghost? Or a spectre? And therefore there was not even half a drop of blood in his body?
That of course was impossible. No one had ever really seen a ghost or a spectre, and Ximen Piao was not one.
But even though he was a coldblooded person, he still definitely had blood.
Right now, there was no blood on either the tip of the sword or the back of his head, only because Greatmaster Thousand Green’s thrust was really too quick, too quick.
Quick swordplay, plus the fact that it was Righteous Blood, combined for the world’s fastest sword thrust.
Because Righteous Blood was also a quick sword—a quick sword with a thin, sharp blade.
Blood finally appeared.
It flowed out of the back of Ximen Piao’s head, flowed slowly, very slowly.
The look on Ximen Piao’s face suddenly became odd and his entire face contorted as if he were in immense pain, and also like he was very angry.
Also like he was regretful.
Right now it made sense that he should feel pain and anger.
Anyone who was suddenly stabbed in the back of the head with a sword would definitely have those two feelings.
But why at the same time did he feel regret?
What was he regretful about?
What was it that he had done something wrong?
× × ×
Long Chengbi stared at Ximen Piao’s face.
He knew that before Ximen Piao breathed his last breath he would say a few words.
No matter who it was, at the moment before death one would have the urge to reveal one’s innermost secrets.
Sometimes, the words one spoke at the point of death were the most important words they ever spoke in their life.
Long Chengbi really wanted to know what Ximen Piao wanted to say.
Even if it was just to lay a spate of curses on him, he wanted to hear it.
Because these were the last words the alliance head of the Thousand Demon Alliance would ever speak. Even if the last words out of his mouth before death were a bunch of nonsense, there might be some implications within worth thinking carefully about.
Ximen Piao’s mouth opened slightly.
He indeed did want to reveal a secret before dying, a huge secret, not nonsense at all!
But once he opened his mouth, not a single word could come out.
He could only spill dazzling blood out of his mouth.
A lot of blood.
Greatmaster Thousand Green’s sword thrust had pierced from the back of his head through his throat, ruining even the root of his tongue!
The Callous Thearch, famed throughout the world, at long last died.
He died from the pincer attack of Long Chengbi and Greatmaster Thousand Green.
Because had Long Chengbi’s sabre not tied Ximen Piao up, Greatmaster Thousand Green’s sword thrust would never have been able to get him so easily.
Similarly, if Greatmaster Thousand Green had not arrived when he had, it’s a mystery whether or not Long Chengbi would have been able to defeat Ximen Piao.
But in any case, Ximen Piao was dead.
But it wasn’t over yet.
Because things had gotten more and more complicated, way more complicated than Long Chengbi had originally imagined.
The alliance head of the Thousand Demon Alliance was dead, but the Thousand Demon Alliance seemed to still be alive.
And alive to a frightening degree, and more dangerous.
× × ×
Outside Purple Aurora Hall the sounds of fighting had ceased.
Of the eighteen grayclothed monks, four were dead and eight were wounded, and inside Delightful Hall there were heavy casualties, the remainder already fled for their lives.
Shaolin and Wudang had always held sway over the jianghu, and from the looks of this battle, that was certainly the case.
Greatmaster Thousand Green’s expression was still like withered wood as before.
He sat motionless crosslegged in the corner and ripped a piece off the hem of his kasaya to bandage his right shoulder wound.
Long Chengbi sighed. “Greatmaster’s sword was maybe a bit too brutal.”
A look of compassion and sorrow suddenly appeared in Greatmaster Thousand Green’s eyes. “To deal with a brutal person one’s attack must be a bit brutal.”
Long Chengbi sighed. “I hear that your esteemed monastery’s abbot, Greatmaster Thousand Sutras has ordered everyone in the monastery to heed Alliance Head Dongfang’s orders.”
Greatmaster Thousand Green said plainly, “Yes, First Brother did that purely to deal with the Thousand Demon Alliance.”
He sighed and said, “Because Ximen Piao has huge ambitions, and these ambitions are difficult for our monastery to tolerate.”
Long Chengbi had also heard that Ximen Piao had huge ambitions.
He had wanted to burn down the sutra storehouse.
Anyone, no matter who is was, who went to the sutra storehouse in Shaolin Monastery and stole so much as a sheet of white paper would have caused a sensation among the jianghu, and Ximen Piao actually wanted to burn the storehouse down. Of course that would not be tolerated by the monks of Shaolin Monastery.
Long Chengbi said, “He wanted to burn down the sutra storehouse just to hurt the morale of the jianghu masters of Shaolin, and at the same time establish the Thousand Demon Alliance’s reputation.”
Greatmaster Thousand Green said, “So this old patches had no choice but to break the precept against killing in order to put an end to this menace.”
Long Chengbi suddenly stared at Righteous Blood in Greatmaster Thousand Green’s lap.
Greatmaster Thousand Green seemed to know what Long Chengbi was thinking.
He nodded slowly. “This sword does not belong to this old patches.”
Long Chengbi coughed twice, as if he’d caught a cold.
Greatmaster Thousand Green continued, “However, this old patches paid a price to obtain this sword: my whole right arm.”
Suddenly, a grayclothed monk came over carrying an arm dripping with blood and respectfully presented it to Greatmaster Thousand Green.
Greatmaster Thousand Green shook his head and said to the monk with a sigh, “Hundred Calms, Junior Uncle knows your intention, but it’s already been cut off. Even if you use our monastery’s bone-reattaching method, it would take many years, and this old patches is already over sixty. There’s really no need.”
Hundred Calms sighed at this and finally withdrew.
Long Chengbi said, “Greatmaster’s right arm wasn’t cut off by this Righteous Blood sword, was it?”
Greatmaster Thousand Green said, “That’s right.”
Long Chengbi looked horrified. “There’s not many people in the world able to cut off Greatmaster’s right arm with a sword stroke.”
Greatmaster Thousand Green said, “Still, the ambush occurred while this old patches was sitting crosslegged chanting my evening scriptures.”
Long Chengbi said, “Who was this sudden ambusher?”
Greatmaster Thousand Green said, “None other than the vice alliance head of the Thousand Demon Alliance.”
Long Chengbi was shocked. “That sword is Sima Xue’s, how could it end up in the hands of the Thousand Demon Alliance vice alliance head?”
Greatmaster Thousand Green sighed faintly. “It couldn’t be more simple. Almsgiver, with your intelligence you ought to be able to figure it out.”
Light flashed in Long Chengbi’s eyes. “Sima Xue is the vice alliance head of the Thousand Demon Alliance!”
Greatmaster Thousand Green slowly lowered his eyes and sighed. “Ai, not even this old patches could imagine that the vice alliance head of the Thousand Demon Alliance would be such a young masterhand.”
Long Chengbi said, “Where is he now?”
Greatmaster Thousand Green said, “I don’t know.”
Now Hundred Calms had returned and he interrupted, “After Sima Xue ambushed Junior Uncle and cut his right arm off, he was struck by Junior Uncle’s palm and so dropped this Righteous Blood sword.”
Long Chengbi said, “In that case, Sima Xue must have suffered an internal injury.”
Greatmaster Thousand Green said, “The internal injury he sustained was not too severe, but it wasn’t light either.”
Long Chengbi suddenly shouted, “Sima Xue, I’m going to send you to hell!”
× × ×
Sima Xue was the vice alliance head of the Thousand Demon Alliance.
This news spread faster than a raging forest fire, and in less than half a month it had spread throughout the entire martial world.
As the news spread, Long Chengbi began looking for Sima Xue.
Be it a living Sima Xue or a dead Sima Xue, he was going to find him and bring him back.
As for Wei Kongkong, he had already been rescued.
But Pearl Mountain Villa’s Third Miss Xue was still missing.
Therefore, Wei Kongkong was also looking for Sima Xue.
And then, Xu Qiaozhi also suddenly went missing.
Could he have been done in by Sima Xue?
Right now, though the world was large, there was likely no place in it for Sima Xue to take refuge.
Because with Thousand Demon Alliance Head Ximen Piao and his wife dead, the remaining Sima Xue had become as universally unpopular as a rat running across the street.
The Thousand Demon Alliance had killed many people in recent months. People from at least a dozen factions were looking to get even with Sima Xue.
The number of people the Thousand Demon Alliance owed was way too many.
There were money debts, as well as blood debts.
And every one of these debts was enough to put Sima Xue to death.
× × ×
The seventh day of the eighth month, autumn rain falling on and on without end.
On this day, Long Chengbi rode a jujube-red bay to Healer Valley.
Healer Valley was a place suffused with mystery.
Even though the valleylord of Healer Valley, Xu Qiaozhi, was his good friend, he understood Healer Valley much less than he understood Xu Qiaozhi.
He understood Xu Qiaozhi.
And he believed that Xu Qiaozhi candid, forthright, righteous young man.
But Healer Valley was another case entirely.
Although Xu Qiaozhi was the master of Healer Valley, he didn’t completely represent Healer Valley.
Because the true ruler of Healer Valley was not Xu Qiaozhi.
But was Xu Qiaozhi’s three senior uncles.
These three were eccentrics of the jianghu who had become famous thirty years ago—the Twin Cranes and One Soar to the Sky.
Twin Cranes and One Soar to the Sky weren’t two people but three.
The Twin Cranes were Demon Crane Miao Ping and God Crane Sun Pengliu.
These two were masters of White Crane Fist, but the best was their Twin Crane Sword Formation they had spent decades diligently practicing.
Thirty years ago on the sword dueling platform on Mount Hua, Miao Ping and Sun Pengliu joined up and put together their Twin Crane Sword Formation and ended up defeating the most famous swordsman in less than ten moves, forcing him to throw down his sword and surrender.
That swordsman had been Wudang’s most outstanding lay masterhand in the past hundred years, known as “Demon Cloud Sword God” Zhuge Bai.
After this defeat, Zhuge Bai went missing from the jianghu.
Some said he couldn’t stand losing and threw himself in a lake and drowned himself.
Others said he left the Central Plains and went to live in seclusion in far off India.
But no one really knew what had happened.
The only thing people were really sure of was that Zhuge Bai, the great outstanding swordsman, had finally been defeated.
Defeated by the Twin Crane Sword Formation of the Demon-God Twin Cranes.
× × ×
The Demon-God Twin Cranes had made a lot of noise, but compared to Soar to the Sky they were somewhat inferior.
The Demon-God Twin Cranes proudest accomplishment was defeating Zhuge Bai.
But Soar to the Sky had killed four people.
The martial arts of these four people were was not at all inferior to Zhuge Bai’s.
These four were the Four Great Gentlemen that thirty years ago even Dongfang Wuyou could not deal with.
The Four Great Gentlemen had the most profound martial arts and were the most mannered men of the jianghu.
But they were by no means true gentlemen.
At least, the ancients had a saying: “A gentleman does not bear grudges.”
These four sought revenge for the smallest grievance, villains who exterminated the entire family of anyone who committed the slightest offense against them.
These four had another famous saying that they used as a pretext for killing.
“One who does not requite a wrong is no gentleman”. Aren’t these words also an old saying?
And so, the Four Great Gentlemen killed over a trifle, yet were still “gentlemen”.
Not just gentlemen, they called themselves gentlemen among gentlemen.
In those days there really was no one who dared to say that they were not gentlemen.
Because there was once a Qingcheng swordsmen who ran his mouth at a birthday banquet saying that the Four Great Gentlemen were sham gentlemen, that they were actually petty people. The consequence was that as soon as they finished uttering the words, the Four Great Gentlemen dragged him out the doors and he was cut up into four pieces.
After that, not even the sectmaster of the Qingcheng School dared say a word, because although this sectmaster’s swordplay was strong, he was timid.
A timid person was often a person who was afraid to die.
A sectmaster who feared death naturally wouldn’t dare go head to head with the four “gentlemen”.
But three months later, Soar to the Sky went looking to get even with the Four Great Gentlemen.
He wanted to avenge that Qingcheng swordsmen who had been cut into four pieces.
The Four Great Gentlemen asked Soar to the Sky what relation was he to that swordsman and his response was fast, “He’s my brother.”
“What brother?”
“Within the four seas, all men are brothers. That kind of brother.”
As soon as Soar to the Sky said that, he drew his weapon.
The weapon he used, a gold sabre four spans nine fingerwidths long and weighing thirty-one catties.
The Four Great Gentlemen all laughed to themselves.
Because they felt this sabre was simple too weird. It was ugly and heavy and clumsy, not at all natural and unrestrained.
They really couldn’t understand why Soar to the Sky was called Soar to the Sky.
But by the time they understood, it was too late.
Ten days later, the sectmaster of Qingcheng received a present, delivered personally by the Good Luck Escort Agency’s chief.
The one who had sent the present was Soar to the Sky.
This present you could say was not worth a single coin, but you could also say it was priceless.
Because it was the bodies of the Four Great Gentlemen.
And these “gentlemen” had been cut into four pieces!
Henceforth, the Twin Cranes and One Soar to the Sky of Healer Valley became the most famous masterhands in the jianghu, and the number of people who would dare to offend the people of Healer Valley decreased considerably.
× × ×
Although the Twin Cranes and One Soar to the Sky, these three elder masters of the martial world, had done some good deeds that had benefited the jianghu, recently they had ceased to appear in the martial world and spent their time idly convalescing in peace in Healer Valley.
It was said that these three masters of the martial world had gradually become disagreeable loners.
Long Chengbi didn’t quite believe that rumor, but he couldn’t but take precautions.
He’d come to Healer Valley for one reason only.
To find Xu Qiaozhi.
Xu Qiaozhi’s sudden disappearance was naturally no simple matter.
He believed that given Xu Qiaozhi’s abilities, Sima Xue would find it difficult to deal with him even if he plotted against him in secret.
If Xu Qiaozhi was still alive, there were only two explanations for his disappearance.
One possibility was that he had fallen into enemy hands.
And the second possibility was that he had already returned to Healer Valley.
Even though jianghu rumors had it that masterhands had recently emerged from Healer Valley to look for Xu Qiaozhi, still Long Chengbi suspected that this might be an intentional ruse.
In order to verify his suspicion he had taken his sabre and horse and come personally to Healer Valley.
In coming to Healer Valley to look for Xu Qiaozhi he had first to go find Soar to the Sky.
Because if he asked anyone in Healer Valley, they’d all say, “Valleylord Xu is not here.”
But Long Chengbi wasn’t about to believe what they said.
Even if the Demon-God Twin Cranes told him that he wouldn’t believe it.
He would only believe Soar to the Sky.
If Soar to the Sky said that Xu Qiaozhi was really not in Healer Valley, then Long Chengbi would have nothing left to say.
Because Long Chengbi knew that in the martial world, the one who hated lying the most was Soar to the Sky.
Even if someone said they’d kill him at once if he told the truth, Soar to the Sky would never tell a lie.
“If a real man has to die he’ll die, but how can he unfaithful in front of others?”
Even when facing an enemy Soar to the Sky would not tell a lie.
If there was something he couldn’t say and because he couldn’t lie, Soar to the Sky might pretend he was deaf or mute, but he would never say a single word of untruth.
Therefore, he had come to Healer Valley not to find Xu Qiaozhi, but to find Soar to the Sky.
× × ×
Long Chengbi sat bored in the little Misty Duckweed Pavilion in Healer Valley for a double-hour.
He had requested an audience with Soar to the Sky.
But Soar to the Sky didn’t come out to see him.
Until a double-hour has passed, then he finally saw two people, but Soar to the Sky was not one of them.
These two people were Demon Crane Miao Ping and God Crane Sun Pengliu.
Miao Ping and Sun Pengliu’s ages added together was 150 years.
But if you counted them individually, you might take Miao Ping to be 110 and Sun Pengliu to be just 40.
But actually that was not so.
Miao Ping and Sun Pengliu were both the same age, each 75 years old.
But Sun Pengliu looked much younger than Miao Ping.
And Sun Pengliu was a bit friendlier than Miao Ping.
“I hear you’re looking for Soar to the Sky?”
“That’s right.”
Sun Pengliu chuckled. “Too bad you came at the wrong time.”
Long Chengbi said, “Why is it the wrong time?”
Sun Pengliu said, “Right now he’s in closed-door meditation and won’t be coming out to see guests till at least seven or eight days from now.”
Long Chengbi heaved a deep sigh. “In that case, this junior really did come here in vain.”
Miao Ping suddenly said coldly, “If you have something to say, you call tell us just the same.”
Long Chengbi smiled leisurely. “This matter ought to be brought to you, yes, but this junior fears…”
Miao Ping was impatient and said loudly, “Fears what? When you come to Healer Valley you need not fear say anything, just say it.”
Long Chengbi let out a long breath and said, “This junior fears that you two will be angry when you hear what I have to say.”
Miao Ping kept a straight face and said evenly, “If you have something to say, say it. If you go on hemming and hawing, then I’ll be angry.”
Long Chengbi sighed and finally said, “Recently in the jianghu I heard someone say, ‘the Demon-God Twin Cranes are a couple of bastards!”
Miao Ping’s eyes immediately went wide and large and he boomed, “Who dares say something like that?”
Long Chengbi suddenly chuckled and pointed his thumb at his nose. “That person was me.”
× × ×
Miao Ping was already in a towering rage, abut when he heard that he his anger actually evaporated completely.
Not only did he not look the least bit angry, he was actually laughing.
Long Chengbi saw him like that and laughed with him.
But he really couldn’t figure out what Miao Ping found so funny about him beating around the bush and insulting him.”
Could it be that Miao Ping really did think himself a bastard?”
Of course not.
So that, what was he laughing at?
Miao Ping laughed a good while, then suddenly stopped.
His laughing just then was not real laughter, but an enraged laughter.
While he was laughing at any time he could suddenly draw his sword and and stab someone till they looked like a honeycomb.
Demon Crane’s sword was already drawn from its scabbard.
His laughter at once changed to a kind of prelude to a murderous aura.
“Buddy Long, if you slit your throat right now, this old fellow will leave you with an intact corpse. Otherwise…”
Long Chengbi’s smile froze. After a long while he finally sighed. “An intact corpse still means death. Getting chopped up into minced meat is also death, but in the final analysis, this junior really doesn’t want to die.”
Miao Ping’s face sank. He said coldly, “Too bad it’s too late for you to not want to die.”
Then, Demon Crane’s sword shot out, swordlight dancing swish swish swish in succession, stabbing three times in the blink of an eye.
Demon Crane Miao Ping really was incredible.
Those three thrusts were not only quick and violent, they were all aimed at Long Chengbi’s vitals. The three thrusts were ferocious and ruthless. There were likely very few people in the jianghu who could compare.
And God Crane Sun Pengliu stood to the side with his hands clasped behind his back, sighing over and over.
He was sighing at Miao Ping’s technique and how he hadn’t kept up with his training. In the past Miao Ping could draw his sword and not even move and kill someone. He never imagined that after so many years of quiet cultivation, Miao Ping would still have such an explosive temper.
At the same time, he was also sighing for that young man, Long Chengbi.
Because once Miao Ping drew his sword, that young man had basically received his invitation to see King Yama.
He even closed his eyes, not wanting to watch the young man die tragically by Miao Ping’s sword.
Only when he opened his eyes again did he finally see something inconceivable.
Long Chengbi had not died by Miao Ping’s sword.
But Miao Ping’s sword had left his hand and was nailed to a camphor tree seven or eight staves away, the blade pierced all the way through the trunk, sunk in to the hilt.
× × ×
For the Demon-God Twin Cranes, this was something they couldn’t accept.
Especially Miao Ping. He simply was itching to get his sword and cut off both his hands, then ram his head into a wall and spill his brains out everywhere and die.
But he didn’t really do that.
Because he still couldn’t believe that this was real.
His three sword thrusts were all dodged by Long Chengbi.
When Long Chengbi’s sabre was out, Miao Ping’s Demon Crane Sword seemed to have met the greatest nemesis of its life. The entire blade of the sword quivered.
Miao Ping’s hand wasn’t trembling.
So then why was the blade of the sword quivering?
No one could explain it. Even many many years later still no one could explain it.
Was this what was inexplicably called endless mutual restraint?
When Long Chengbi’s sabre chopped, Miao Ping’s sword retreated.
Three chops in succession, and the Demon Crane Sword retreated three steps.
To be able to force back Miao Ping’s sword was already inconceivable.
And after the third chop he had actually knocked Miao Ping’s sword away. That was simply like a dream.
A nightmare that couldn’t be real.
Ultimately, he nevertheless admitted defeat.
He sighed and smiled sadly. “The rear waves of the Yangtze River drive on those before. That saying really is true.”
Sun Pengliu fixed his eyes on him. “Yes, you lost.”
Miao Ping slowly walked over to the camphor tree and pulled his Demon Crane Sword out. He caressed the blade for a moment, then suddenly busted out laughing. “This old fellow always thought he would be resentful and ashamed after suffering defeat and would want to cut off his hands and kill himself, but now surprisingly I don’t want to die.”
Sun Pengliu heard him say this and he breathed a sigh of relief. He was really worried that Miao Ping would seek his own destruction.
Miao Ping laughed at himself again. “Good, very good.”
Sun Pengliu this time was taken aback. Why would he say “good, very good” after suffering defeat?”
Maybe he was having a nervous breakdown over this loss? Miao Ping said to Long Chengbi, “Brother Long, you really are good. It’s really good that Qiaozhi can have a friend like you.”
Sun Pengliu could finally relax and let go of big stone in his heart.
Miao Ping suffered defeat and didn’t kill himself or have a nervous breakdown. He ought to thank the heavens for that.
Long Chengbi felt a wave of regret.
He felt that he shouldn’t have insulted them and called them bastards.
As he was feeling regretful, outside the little Misty Duckweed Pavilion a man in a golden gown suddenly appeared and said coldly, “A young bastard defeated an old bastard, still all bastards!”
× × ×
The golden gown man’s mouth was ice cold and he was slinging an insult, but Long Chengbi felt that he was not only not being hateful, but he found it amusing instead.
This golden gown person of course was Soar to the Sky.
In Healer Valley, who else but Soar to the Sky would dare call Miao Ping an old bastard?
Soar to the Sky looked a bit older than Sun Pengliu but about 22-23 years younger than Miao Ping.
In fact Miao Ping looked older than his age, and Sun Pengliu looked younger than his age. Only Soar to the Sky looked just right, the most like an old man in his seventies.
A man rarely reaches the age of seventy.
An old man in his seventies always has a cane in his hand.
But Soar to the Sky didn’t have a cane or walking stick in his hand, but rather a longhandled gold sabre about his long as a cane or a walking stick.
This gold sabre was an odd model. Its handle was especially long, obviously intended to be wielded with two hands.
Long Chengbi was headstrong, but he was not about to look down on Soar to the Sky’s gold sabre.
It was because the Four Great Gentlemen, famous throughout the jianghu, had looked down on that gold sabre that the four gentlemen ended up being the sixteen gentlemen.
Long Chengbi wasn’t afraid to die.
But he didn’t want to die like a dumb swine, not even knowing why he was killed.
Besides, he hadn’t come to Healer Valley looking for a fight to the death.
He just wanted to find Xu Qiaozhi.
But just why did he have to find Xu Qiaozhi?
× × ×
Soar to the Sky was old, yet he still used a longhandled gold sabre that weighed thirty-one catties.
Long Chengbi really didn’t want to fight with this old man.
He just wanted to ask him one question.
“Is Valleylord Xu here in this valley?”
× × ×
Soar to the Sky frowned and kept looking Long Chengbi up and down.
“You came here just to find Valleylord Xu?”
“That’s right.”
“You telling me you haven’t heard that we’re all out anxiously looking for him?”
“Of course I heard.” Long Chengbi smiled faintly. “Right now the entire martial world knows that Healer Valley has sent masterhands out searching everywhere to find their valleylord.”
Soar to the Sky slowly sat down in an armchair. “In that case, why did you come here looking for him?”
Long Chengbi said leisurely, “Healer Valley people out everywhere looking for him is one thing, but whether or not he is here in Healer Valley is another thing.”
Soar to the Sky said, “Well said, well said.”
Long Chengbi said, “But Senior still has not properly answered Junior’s question.”
Soar to the Sky stared at him and suddenly said, “Actually you shouldn’t have come to ask me that.”
Long Chengbi said, “If not you, then who?”
Soar to the Sky slowly raised his longhandled gold sabre and said calmly, “You ought to first ask this gold sabre.”
Long Chengbi was somewhat at a loss. “Can it answer me?”
Soar to the Sky’s face didn’t look as amused as when he was calling people bastards. He said coldly, “As long as you can defeat this gold sabre, of course it will answer your question.”
A look of determination suddenly appeared in Long Chengbi’s eyes.
He had decided to ask this longhandled gold sabre whether or not Xu Qiaozhi was in Healer Valley.
× × ×
The gold sabre didn’t have a scabbard, so it lacked that sort of murderous aura hidden inside a scabbard.
But once Soar to the Sky raised the gold sabre, it seemed to be absorbed with life, and a boundless murderous aura suffused its blade.
Sabrelight and a murderous aura both pressed in on Long Chengbi, pressing closer step by step.
The sabrelight could kill.
Its murderous aura could kill as well.
Long Chengbi finally couldn’t help but shout, “Are you really going to kill me?”
That huge shout immediately made Soar to the Sky break out in a cold sweat.
Was he really going to kill this young man?
Was that necessary?
Soar to the Sky suddenly felt his hands get weak.
Long Chengbi again said loudly, “I just want to find Xu Qiaozhi, yet you have murderous intentions. You telling me there’s some secret here you can’t tell anyone?”
Soar to the Sky’s hands weakened further.
He suddenly lowered his hands and the gold sabre, then sighed and said calmly, “I won’t kill you, because you aren’t someone who ought to die under this gold sabre.”
He paused, then continued, “But don’t ask me again about Valleylord Xu’s whereabouts. Whether I know or not, I’m not going to tell you.”
Long Chengbi was dumbfounded.
Then he was disappointed.
He mumbled, “Qiaozhi, are we not true intimated, real friends? Why are you avoiding me right now?”
Just then he heard the rustling of sleeves on the wind and outside the little Misty Duckweed Pavilion a man in white suddenly appeared, gold sabre hung on his waist, flicking a white fan. It was Healer Valley Valleylord Xu Qiaozhi.
Xu Qiaozhi leisurely strolled inside and sighed. “Who said we weren’t true bosom friends?”
× × ×
Once Soar to the Sky saw Xu Qiaozhi appear, he and the Demon-God Twin Cranes left Misty Duckweed Pavilion at once.
Because this had nothing to do with them.
Xu Qiaozhi had not intended to come out to receive anyone, and the search all over by Healer Valley people was of course nothing more than a ruse.
But now that Xu Qiaozhi had come out of his own accord, there was no need for the Twin Cranes and One Soar to the Sky to hide it.
But why exactly was Long Chengbi looking for Xu Qiaozhi?
His reasons were:
—Sima Xue had been struck by Greatmaster Thousand Green’s palm, his injury was not a light one.
—The only person who could save Sima Xue’s life then and there was Xu Qiaozhi.
—Due to the unusual nature of Sima Xue’s injury, in order to treat him he would have to be taken back to Healer Valley.
Therefore, if Long Chengbi wanted to find Sima Xue, he first had to find Xu Qiaozhi.
And Long Chengbi could now confirm that both Xu Qiaozhi and Sima Xue were in Healer Valley.
Xu Qiaozhi heaved a long sigh. “You really did track me down here.”
Long Chengbi said, “You probably already know why I came looking for you?”
Xu Qiaozhi gave a wry smile. “How could I not know. Of course you came to find Sima Xue.”
Long Chengbi said. “You should know that Sima Xue has now become the most unpopular rat that crossed the street in the jianghu?”
Xu Qiaozhi said, “Yes, you could say he’s public enemy number one, because now everyone thinks he’s the vice alliance head of the Thousand Demon Alliance.”
Long Chengbi frowned. “You think he’s not the vice alliance head?”
Xu Qiaozhi said, “If I thought he was really the vice alliance head, would I go through all this risk to bring him back here and save his life?”
Long Chengbi understood Xu Qiaozhi and trusted him.
In fact, he never really did believe that Sima Xue as the vice alliance head of the Thousand Demon Alliance.
He wasn’t looking for Sima Xue so that he could kill him.
Back in Purple Aurora Hall, in front of Greatmaster Thousand Green, he had gnashed his teeth and declared that, “Sima Xue, I’m going to send you to hell!”
But only he knew that what he had said was all an act.
This act was for Greatmaster Thousand Green to see.
To make him think that he really wanted to go deal with Sima Xue.
Actually, Long Chengbi not only didn’t suspect Sima Xue, on the contrary, he suspected Greatmaster Thousand Green of Mount Song’s Shaolin Monastery.
He wanted to find Sima Xue so he could tell him himself what really happened with Greatmaster Thousand Green’s severed arm.
Xu Qiaozhi of course trusted Long Chengbi.
Now Xu Qiaozhi took Long Chengbi to go see Sima Xue.
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