The Central Plains Sword Association indeed would not abandon Bi Lianyi. Such an unpredictable method of forcefully breaking through the mountain was something she had never anticipated. And since the Central Plains Sword Association had boldly shattered the mountain, how could Tang Lizhou not seize the opportunity to act?
Yu Konghou was severely injured, and Gui Mudan had yet to return.
If not now, then when?
She hurried toward Yu Konghou’s bedchamber, but had Yu Konghou truly descended into the drifting Piaoling Garden just to sit and wait for death within the mountain?
She didn’t know.
Just as before, no matter how she tried, she couldn’t discern what had happened to Pu Zhu, nor when Wang Lingqiu had joined forces with Fengliudian, nor whether Yu Konghou’s “severe injury” was real or feigned.
Her footing was still far too weak and insignificant.
At this thought, Bai Suche’s slender willow-leaf brows furrowed, and an object slipped from her sleeve into her palm.
It was a small black stone, seemingly unremarkable.
But Bai Suche knew—this was a unique fragment of rock found only at the summit of the high, cold mountains where the Biluo Palace had long resided on Maoya Peak.
Bi Lianyi had placed this stone at the entrance to Yu Konghou’s courtyard, undoubtedly as a guide.
And the stones he had left along the way couldn’t have been just this one.
With a faint clink , the small black stone fell at the entrance to Yu Konghou’s bedchamber.
Wang Lingqiu and Bi Lianyi were mid-conversation when suddenly, the earth shook violently. A deep fissure abruptly split open in the floor of the room, and from within the crevice, sand and stones surged as several figures leaped out. Wang Lingqiu froze, but Bi Lianyi reacted swiftly. Though his hands lacked strength, he seized Wang Lingqiu’s sleeve and yanked hard.
Wang Lingqiu, advanced in years, staggered from the pull.
The figure who had leaped from the fissure thrust out a sword, its blade resting directly against Wang Lingqiu’s neck.
Wang Lingqiu countered with a grappling move, seizing Bi Lianyi’s right wrist at the vital point, then raised his head.
The black-clad figure who had nearly taken his life with a single stroke was none other than Cheng Yunpao.
When Cheng Yunpao subdued this man, he hadn’t expected to strike gold—it was the long-browed elder. Seeing him grip Bi Lianyi’s pulse point, Cheng Yunpao frowned.
Behind him, Meng Qinglei emerged and, upon seeing Cheng Yunpao’s sword at Wang Lingqiu’s throat, was first shocked, then overjoyed. Noticing Bi Lianyi’s pallid complexion, he quickly supported him, retrieving a pill from his robes and slipping it into Bi Lianyi’s mouth.
Wang Lingqiu sneered, tightening his grip on Bi Lianyi’s pulse point until five bloody marks appeared. The blood was unusually dark, unlike ordinary blood. Then, Wang Lingqiu chanted a Buddhist invocation, “Amitabha… Esteemed guests, this humble monk is a friend, not a foe. I, too, wish to see Yu Konghou dead—”
Cheng Yunpao ignored him. Anyone who would harm Bi Lianyi so ruthlessly was no virtuous man. With a twist of his sword, an icy internal force surged into Wang Lingqiu’s body. Wang Lingqiu felt a bone-deep chill, his fingers stiffening and numbing, forcing him to release Bi Lianyi.
Retrieving Bi Lianyi had been unexpectedly smooth—even Meng Qinglei found it hard to believe. But rescuing him was only the beginning. Now that they had breached the mountain, aside from taking Bi Lianyi back, they had to test whether Yu Konghou—could be killed—or not!
Without Tang Lizhou, could the Central Plains Sword Association not face the challenge head-on?
A sword—three feet of cold steel.
To sacrifice oneself for righteousness, to give one’s life for justice.
To uphold the righteous qi of heaven and earth, to establish the sacred path of humanity.
This is the way a swordsman should act.The five of them sealed Wang Lingqiu's acupoints and emptied his pockets of various bottles, jars, and pouches of medicinal powders and poisons. Xu Qingbu shook open a large sack, bound Wang Lingqiu's hands and feet, stuffed him inside, and carried him on his back.
Meng Qinglei also carried Bilianyi on his back.
They planned to split into two groups.
Xu Qingbu, Zheng Yue, and Meng Qinglei would escort these two back to the Central Plains Sword Assembly, while Cheng Yunpao and Gu Xitan would follow the magnetic stone guide left by Bilianyi and venture deep into the Fengliudian—to kill Yu Konghou.
OpenNovel