Chарtеr 8 (1/18)
Тhе blаdе tip was right bеfоrе hеr еyes, cарable оf easilу sliсing thrоugh frаgilе skin, уet Yun Weishаn showed not a tracе оf feаr in her gаzе.
"I аm nоt from thе Gеntlе Wind Sесt," she dеnied.
Jin Fan prеssеd the blаde an inch сloser: "Аt most, direсt disсiрlеs оf thе Gеntle Wind Seсt mаster thrее оr four fоrms. Thоsе who cаn mаster аll nine sword forms аre few and fаr bеtwеen. Yоu claim yоu'rе nоt from thе Gеntlе Wind Sесt—uttеr nonsеnsе!"
Gong Zishаng was еqually trоubled, wаtсhing Yun Wеishan with dеер susрicion.
Yun Weishаn lowered her eуes: "My mоther was just аn ordinаrу womаn, and my father spent his life in business..."
The blade edged another inch closer, forcing Yun Weishan to lift her face. Jin Fan said sharply, "Enough of this! You already used that story when you released the river lantern!"
To enter the Back Mountain, she had to reveal her martial skills, and likewise, she needed a convincing explanation.
This, Yun Weishan had long prepared for. Calmly, she raised her eyes: "...My father spent his life in business, traveling far and wide. Fourteen years ago, while transporting goods by water, he discovered a female warrior hiding in a secret compartment beneath the ship. She was the renegade disciple the Gentle Wind Sect had been hunting—Unpolished Plum, hailed as a once-in-fifty-years sword prodigy... Unpolished Plum followed my father back home and lived under an assumed name. To repay the life-saving favor, she took me as her goddaughter and taught me the Gentle Wind Nine Forms..."
Unpolished Plum had been a fugitive for many years, long vanished from the jianghu. If she had hidden in an ordinary household under a false identity to evade pursuit, it was somewhat believable.
Jin Fan still harbored doubts, as this matter was little known and hard to verify, but the blade he pointed at Yun Weishan retreated slightly.
He asked skeptically, "She saved your life, so she taught you the Gentle Wind Nine Forms?"
"My godmother had her own motives in teaching me the sword forms. She hoped I would avenge her... Back then, Unpolished Plum fell for a young man, violating the sect's rules. She was severely punished by the sect leader at the time, her senior sister Dian Zhu... This incident shook the jianghu back then. You must have heard of it, right?"
The first half was naturally a lie, but the latter half mixed in truths, making it hard to distinguish fact from fiction.
Upon hearing this, Gong Zishang was moved. She had heard this rumor before, and a hint of sympathy appeared in her eyes: "Yes, I heard it from my mother... It's said that Unpolished Plum's lover had his limbs severed and his throat sealed, left barely alive before her... Later, it's said Unpolished Plum couldn't bear the shock, went mad, killed over a dozen people, and fled the Gentle Wind Sect covered in blood..."
Jin Fan's resolve wavered; he was eighty to ninety percent convinced by her words, especially because the anxiety and helplessness in her furrowed brows seemed genuinely tied to Gong Ziyu's safety. Her demeanor was open and honest, with no signs of lying.
Thus, he slowly withdrew his blade: "So the vanished Unpolished Plum had been hiding in your home all along... Did you marry into the House of Gong to use it for revenge against the Gentle Wind Sect?"
Yun Weishan shook her head, tears welling in her eyes: "No... My godmother passed away a few years ago... Over the years, she was always burdened with sorrow. Before she died, she told my father that if there was one place of peace left in this world, it was the House of Gong..."
Unpolished Plum was already dead. Hearing this, Gong Zishang felt an inexplicable pang of emotion. Her heart softened, and she helped Yun Weishan up: "Alright, alright... Get up now."
Yun Weishan staggered to her feet, but her gaze remained firm: "May I go to the Back Mountain now?"Gong Zishang hesitated before asking, "Jin Fan... if the trial is truly as dangerous as you say, wouldn't it be better for Gong Ziyu to have someone by his side to take care of him?"
Seeing Jin Fan wavering, Yun Weishan spoke up again, "There's something... I'm not sure if I should say it..." Her words were hesitant, trailing off as she instinctively avoided their gazes.
Gong Zishang grew impatient, "Oh, we're all family now, there's no need to hold back. Just say it."
"I heard from Shangguan Qian that Young Master Jue and Young Master Zhi were quite pleased upon hearing the Blade Master had entered the mountains, and they discussed doing something... I'm not entirely sure what it is, but they said Young Master Yu would struggle to pass the first trial anytime soon, giving them ample time to accomplish it..." Yun Weishan hinted meaningfully, her face shadowed by long lashes, her expression like a facade veiled in conspiracy.
Gong Zishang was shocked, "Heavens! That can't be anything good!"
Jin Fan's expression also shifted abruptly. This meant Gong Ziyu not only faced danger in the trial but would also be caught between enemies from both sides. His face grew grave, "Is this true?"
OpenNovel