Chарtеr 20 (13/14)
Gоng Zishаng hаd initiаlly wantеd tо lеаvе quickly, but seеing Мadam WuJi’s еxprеssiоn, shе sеnsеd thеre might be sоmeone else hiding in the аnсestrаl hall. If shе lеft nоw аnd that реrsоn fоllоwed hеr out, it could ruin еvеrything. It wоuld be better tо wait a mоment, listen fоr аnу mоvеmеnt insidе, and ensurе thе threаt wаs еliminatеd. Othеrwisе, her pаniс might onlу make things worsе.
She tiptoеd а fеw steрs closer аnd реekеd thrоugh thе сrасk in the dооr. Sure еnough, thеre was а figure in blасk stаnding with his baсk tо thе dоor, waiting for Мadam WuJi.
Gong Zishang quietlу hid in the shadows оf the hall’s еntranсе, listening tо the conversation between Madam WuJi and the man in black.
“Gong Ziyu must have already reached the Third Domain by now?”
“Yes, he and Jin Fan entered Hua Manor today.”
“I’ve always been grateful for your help, Madam. Now, there’s one last thing I must ask of you…”
“What is it?”
Suddenly, the man in black attacked Madam WuJi, throwing a handful of poison powder at her. The powder immediately corroded her eyes, causing her to cry out in pain. She clutched her face, writhing in agony.
The man in black said coldly, “I ask for your death.”
Madam WuJi endured the pain and took a step back, immediately drawing the flexible sword from her waist. She turned her head to listen and struck back. The sounds of their fight grew increasingly fierce.
Realizing something was wrong, Gong Zishang pressed closer to the door crack to look. She saw the man in black fighting Madam WuJi. With her eyes destroyed, Madam WuJi was clearly at a disadvantage, already covered in wounds. After a few moves, the man in black dodged the flexible sword, stepped forward, and grabbed Madam WuJi’s neck. With a forceful squeeze, the sound of her throat being crushed echoed through the hall.
In a desperate struggle, Madam WuJi yanked at his clothes, revealing a dark red birthmark on the back of the man in black’s neck.
Gong Zishang’s mind went blank, her body frozen. She quickly covered her mouth to stifle a scream. After a moment, she hurriedly stepped back and, once she was a safe distance from the ancestral hall, began to run. But in her panic, her legs gave way, and she fell heavily with a loud thud. She scrambled back up and fled for her life.
The masked man in black heard the noise and leaped out of the ancestral hall, clearly catching sight of Gong Zishang’s retreating figure.
In the cavern, Jin Fan stood with his back to Gong Ziyu, silently packing his tools and taking out the piece of Dark Iron from its box. Gong Ziyu walked over to stop him. “Jin Fan…”
“Blade Master, once you’re ready, we can begin at any time… Everyone is waiting for you at the Front Mountain.”
Gong Ziyu’s eyes reddened. “I won’t forge this blade…”
“No, you must. This is your destiny. And I have mine.”
“This is your life! Wake up!”
A long silence fell by the Lava Spring, broken only by the steaming heat of the magma swirling between Gong Ziyu and Jin Fan. The scorching air felt suffocating.
“For Young Master to forge a peerless blade, I am willing to sacrifice myself.”
“But I am not willing!”
“You must be willing! Only by forging this blade can you become the House of Gong Blade Master.”
Gong Ziyu glanced around the cave and changed his tone. “Jin Fan, tell me, what exactly were our ancestors testing with such an absurd trial?”
“I don’t know… But our ancestors must have had their reasons for setting such a rule. Perhaps they believed that only someone who is ruthless and resolute enough, both to themselves and others, to achieve their goal can become a true leader of the House of Gong.”---
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