After bathing, Yu Huatian spent another round of the fate energy he had earned in the battle. For once, he did not sit down to meditate and circulate his energy. He dried himself, changed into fresh clothes, then lay down on the bed and fell into a deep sleep.
At his level of martial attainment, he could generally go ten days or half a month without sleep. But at that moment, Yu Huatian's exhaustion was not physical, but mental.
After all, he had killed so many people in the battle at Dragon Gate Inn. Even if he feared neither ghosts nor gods, he still needed proper rest and recovery to keep the slaughter from affecting his mind.
Having come to this world of martial arts, free of his previous life's moral and legal constraints, Yu Huatian did not reject killing. His ideal life was even one of unfettered freedom, repaying kindness and settling grudges as he pleased. But he did not want to become a fiend who slaughtered innocents indiscriminately and lose the last of his humanity.
That night, however, while Yu Huatian slept comfortably, many others found sleep impossible.
Less than a day had passed since the battle at Dragon Gate Inn, but as experts from the major sects escaped the desert, word gradually spread.
When they heard about the terrifying battle the previous night, many martial artists who had yet to enter the desert fled at the news, no longer daring to join the commotion.
Even mighty sects of the age such as the Shaolin Sect and the Wudang Sect had been slaughtered into headlong retreat. The Money Gang, the Emei School, the Kongtong Sect, Heavenly Venerable, the Sun Moon Holy Cult, and other factions had suffered devastating casualties. The experts of Black Stone, an assassin organization famed for years, had been almost entirely wiped out. Even their leader, the Wheel King, was dead, and only Drizzle had escaped among their four gold-medal assassins.
Throughout Ming's history, battles so bloody and so far-reaching could almost be counted on one hand.
Whenever one occurred, it could rightly be called a catastrophe for the martial world.
No one had expected that a treasure of the Great White Upper Kingdom, whose very existence remained uncertain, would unleash such a calamity.
Once word spread across the land, the entire Ming Jianghu would surely be shaken again. So many had died in this battle, and the martial sects behind them would never let the matter rest.
The real storm was still to come!
Of course, this incident also convinced many more people that the news of the treasure was genuine. Otherwise, why would it draw so many martial sects, and even prompt the courts of Ming and Great Song to send people to intervene?
Treasure stirred men's hearts. Some withdrew after this incident, no longer daring to meddle for fear they would have the life to seize it but not the life to spend it. Others could not quell their greed and chose to risk everything, remaining hidden in Dragon Gate City to see whether they could fish in troubled waters and pick up some spoils.
Others might have stayed for different reasons, though what those were remained unknown.
The night was dark and windy, with a bright moon hanging high in the sky.
Atop a tall building in eastern Dragon Gate City, a figure clad in red stood facing the wind. Scarlet robes snapped in the night breeze, and black hair danced freely.
Dongfang Bubai stood on the rooftop with his hands clasped behind his back, quietly watching Golden Phoenix Tower. His expression was indifferent, revealing nothing.
Before long, a dark figure raced through the night wind. After darting through several street alleys, he floated onto the rooftop, dropped to one knee before the red-clad figure, and saluted with clasped hands. "Cult Leader."
Dongfang Bubai did not turn. "What have you found?"
The dark figure clasped his hands. "Of the four elders, three died in last night's battle. Only Elder Qu Yang's whereabouts remain unknown. Of the three hall masters, only the Azure Dragon Hall's master, the Yellow-Faced Venerable Jia Bu, was seriously injured. He withdrew from the desert early with his men and is waiting outside Dragon Gate Pass to meet you. Shangguan Yun and Tong Baixiong disappeared after the battle with several of our experts."
"I suspect they have other intentions. The disciples who remained in the city saw the Holy Aunt and Left Emissary Xiang Wentian outside the pass last night."
Dongfang Bubai's gaze chilled. "Yingying came too? Ren Woxing... It seems she truly refuses to give up!"
The dark figure said coldly, "Cult Leader, although Shangguan Yun and Tong Baixiong have outwardly submitted to you over the years, they have secretly remained in league with the Holy Aunt, seeking the location of Ren Woxing's imprisonment so they can rescue him."
"Since they fled early this time, they may already have discovered where you imprisoned Ren Woxing and gone to free him. I have already sent men to investigate their movements!"
"Besides you and me, only a few elders know where Ren Woxing is imprisoned. Now Qu Yang is alive, yet has disappeared? It seems he is suspect too!" A trace of killing intent appeared in Dongfang Bubai's eyes.
After replacing Ren Woxing as leader of the Sun Moon Holy Cult, he had imprisoned him rather than killed him. This was partly out of regard for their old ties, but also because he intended to use him to control Ren Woxing's former followers within the cult and gradually secure its power.
He had never expected that this decision would keep their hopes alive. During the melee between the sects, they had even abandoned him and fled first.
So brazen! Did they truly believe he would not dare kill them?!
Dongfang Bubai said coldly, "Notify Xue Qianxun. Have her take men at once and eliminate every suspect on Blackwood Cliff. As for Shangguan Yun and the others, I will deal with them personally!"
To win people's loyalty after becoming cult leader, Dongfang Bubai had spared not only Ren Woxing but also his only daughter, Ren Yingying. He had even appointed her the Holy Aunt of the Sun Moon Holy Cult to demonstrate his generosity and tolerance.
But he had not neglected precautions. Xue Qianxun was not only his favored consort; he had also appointed her the Holy Maiden of the Sun Moon Holy Cult to assist with its affairs. His purpose was to counterbalance Ren Yingying and weaken her influence within the cult.
"Yes, Cult Leader!"
The dark figure bowed respectfully. Then, after a moment's hesitation, he clasped his hands. "Cult Leader, there is another matter. We have news of the young woman you ordered me to investigate..."
"Hmm?"
Dongfang Bubai whipped around and stared at him. "You found her?!"
The dark figure's heart trembled. Not daring to keep him in suspense, he hurriedly replied, "Yu Huatian, the director of the West Depot, previously disguised himself as an ordinary martial artist. In Green Mountain Town, he killed the notorious rapist Tian Boguang and the Mount Hua Sect's senior disciple, Linghu Chong, and rescued a young nun from the Mount Heng Sect. The incident caused quite a stir at the time."
"After investigating, I discovered that this young nun from the Mount Heng Sect is named Yilin. Her background and appearance closely match your description, so I suspect she may be the person you ordered us to find."
"Yilin..."
A trace of nervousness actually surfaced in Dongfang Bubai's indifferent eyes. He extended a fair-skinned hand and said in a tone that brooked no refusal, "Do you have a portrait? Let me see it!"
The dark figure dared not hesitate and immediately took a rolled portrait from inside his robes.
Dongfang Bubai accepted it and unrolled it. His body trembled slightly. "It's her! It really is her..."
Though many years had passed since they last met, he recognized her at a glance. The young woman in the portrait was his own younger sister, with whom he had once depended on each other for survival!
Back then, he had not been Dongfang Bubai, whose name struck terror into hearts across the land. He had merely been a child from an ordinary family, living with his sister, who was several years younger.
Later, bandits had ravaged their hometown. To protect his sister, he had drawn the bandits away alone. With his life hanging by a thread, an expert had saved him. Then, through a chain of circumstances, he had joined the Sun Moon Holy Cult and become a towering figure of the demonic path, both feared and loathed by the world.
All these years, he had never stopped searching for his sister, yet had found no trace of her. He had thought she was dead. Never had he imagined that she had joined the Mount Heng Sect and become a young nun.
The two of them had taken utterly different paths...
"How is she now..." Dongfang Bubai asked hoarsely, his voice carrying a slight tremor.
The dark figure's heart tightened, and he hastened to answer, "Half a month ago, she accompanied Abbess Dingxian, the leader of the Mount Heng Sect, on an errand. Along the way, the rapist Tian Boguang abducted her. Later, Yu Huatian rescued her in Green Mountain Town. Tian Boguang and Linghu Chong, the Mount Hua Sect's senior disciple who was traveling with him, both died at Yu Huatian's hands. Abbess Dingxian then took the young nun back to the Mount Heng Sect."
"The rapist Tian Boguang? Good riddance!"
Dongfang Bubai spoke coldly, then turned toward Golden Phoenix Tower. A complicated look flickered in his eyes as he murmured, "The esteemed director of the West Depot actually risked exposing his identity to attack a notorious rapist and a Mount Hua disciple, all to save a disciple of Mount Heng..."
The dark figure hurriedly explained, "Apparently, Tian Boguang was arrogant and provoked him first, which is why Yu Huatian killed him. He did not deliberately intervene to rescue her."
"Whatever the case, he was still the one who saved my... this young nun."
Dongfang Bubai looked at the dark figure and ordered, "This young nun is extremely important to me. Send people to protect her. Do not let any harm come to her!"
"Yes, Cult Leader!"
Dongfang Bubai nodded slightly. After a moment's silence, he said, "We will abandon the matter of the treasure. There should still be quite a few martial sects in the city that refuse to give up. Send a copy of the intelligence we gathered to Yu Huatian's subordinates at Golden Phoenix Tower. Consider it repayment for this favor."
The dark figure frowned. "Cult Leader, he killed many of our holy cult's disciples last night..."
"Enough!" Dongfang Bubai cut him off coldly. "Once you send him the intelligence, we are even on this matter. From then on, as long as he does not move against us, we will not provoke him either."
The dark figure was puzzled. Who exactly was this young nun named Yilin to the cult leader, that he valued her so highly?
But he dared not ask further. Clasping his hands, he replied, "Yes!"
Dongfang Bubai said nothing more. He turned again and cast a long look at the heavily guarded Golden Phoenix Tower, then shifted slightly and vanished into the night.
Yu Huatian, I do not like owing favors. You saved my sister. Sooner or later, I will repay you...
The next day, dawn bathed Dragon Gate City.
Yu Huatian woke from his sleep, rose, washed up casually, and pushed open the door.
Since his identity had been exposed, he no longer concealed himself. The West Depot had now taken over all of Golden Phoenix Tower. Its experts and men of the Embroidered Uniform Guard filled the building inside and out, keeping it under tight guard.
The West Depot's three chief officers and the Embroidered Uniform Guard's five Thousand-Household Commanders were already awake and waiting outside his door. When Yu Huatian emerged, they hurried forward to salute:
"Greetings, Director!"
"Greetings, sir!"
Yu Huatian looked them over. After a night's rest, everyone seemed much more energetic. Some had been seriously wounded, but after treatment and bandaging, they looked considerably better. At the very least, their injuries should no longer hinder their movements.
"Has there been any activity at Dragon Gate Inn?"
Yu Huatian asked.
Ji Xueyong stepped forward and clasped his hands. "Reporting to you, Director: after the battle the night before last, everyone from the major sects left Dragon Gate Inn. Apart from the owner and staff, only that group of Tatars remains."
Yu Huatian remembered those Tatars as well. They might have been the reason the various sects had gathered at Dragon Gate Inn.
But with only a handful of men, they dared meddle with the treasure? They truly had no idea how to spell death!
A cold sneer flashed in Yu Huatian's eyes. Looking at Ji Xueyong, he continued, "And the city? How many martial artists are still staying here to wait for death?"
Ji Xueyong replied, "After the battle the night before last, the major sects departed one after another. Once word spread, many martial artists fled as well. But some who have not received the news are still heading here. A few sects of modest renown and some wandering experts have gathered in the city."
"Oh, Director, the men on night watch found this on a window this morning..."
As he spoke, Ji Xueyong handed over a slip of paper.
Yu Huatian took it and unfolded it, his eyes narrowing slightly. "Yue Buqun of the Mount Hua Sect, Four Eyebrows Lu Xiaofeng, Hua Manlou of the Jiangnan Hua Family, Full Moon Scimitar Ding Peng, Fu Hongxue, Yan Shisan..."
Those who loved a commotion and those who did not had all come!
Yu Huatian looked at Ji Xueyong. "Do you know who delivered this?"
Ji Xueyong shook his head. "Not yet. But anyone who could deliver it to the inn under such tight security must possess exceptional lightness skills! Director, should I send men to investigate?"
"Do not waste time."
Yu Huatian waved a hand. "Since this person sent us the information, whatever their martial prowess, they likely bear no ill intent. There is no need to investigate. Make haste. We will head out through the pass first."
"Yes!"
Everyone clasped their hands, then immediately dispersed to arrange their men and prepare to leave the pass and enter the desert once more.
After the battle in the rain two nights earlier, Yu Huatian's arrangements had already been exposed. The factions that also sought the treasure had now been driven away, so this time he did not conceal his movements. He marched openly out of the city and headed beyond Dragon Gate Pass.
More than seven hundred West Depot agents raised the West Depot's banners, followed by over two thousand members of the Embroidered Uniform Guard. It was an imposing procession.
After the disturbances caused by martial artists over the past few days and the great battle two nights earlier, there were already few people at the border pass. Even caravans that usually favored this route had temporarily stopped using it, almost as if deliberately clearing the way for the struggle over the treasure.
Even the occasional villagers they encountered along the road hurried far away in fright when they saw the West Depot's banners, not daring to spare them another glance.
In this era, whether martial artists or soldiers of the court, all were people ordinary folk had to treat with wary respect and keep at a distance. It was, undeniably, another tragedy of the times.
Yu Huatian wore a brand-new python robe, still favoring silver-white above all other colors. With the Heavenly Sword hanging at his waist, he rode at the head of the procession.
Behind him rode Ma Jinliang, Ding Xiu, Ji Xueyong, Zhao Tong, Zheng Yuan, and the Embroidered Uniform Guard's five Thousand-Household Commanders.
They were the broad, corpulent Second Guardian Li Jiang; the Eighth Guardian Huang Chihu, carrying a nine-ring mountain-cleaving saber on his shoulder; the Ninth Guardian Xiao Ce, holding a black sword; the Thirteenth Guardian Lu Wenzhao, carrying the Imperial Guard Saber; and the Eleventh Guardian Jiang Yifan, wearing an Embroidery Spring Saber.
The Third Guardian, Qian Chaofeng, had died in the battle two nights earlier, reportedly surrounded and killed by members of the Bright Moon Cult.
Besides these men, both the West Depot and the Embroidered Uniform Guard had several other capable experts, such as the three brothers serving under Lu Wenzhao: Lu Jianxing, Shen Lian, and Jin Yichuan.
This force could easily destroy any first-rate sect in the martial world. Even the Bright Moon Cult, which claimed tens of thousands of followers, would never dare challenge its cutting edge.
After all, although the Bright Moon Cult claimed tens of thousands of followers, even setting aside whether those numbers were inflated, their quality could never compare with that of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.
Most martial sects recruited a motley rabble. Those who could join the West Depot and the Embroidered Uniform Guard, on the other hand, were generally elites, skilled in tracking, investigation, and martial arts alike. Even anyone lacking those skills would be trained to proficiency after joining. Otherwise, they could never remain there.
Those who got in through connections, like the Second Guardian Li Jiang, were a minority, after all.
Even so, there were still people unafraid of death who dared come to join the excitement...
Just as the procession left Dragon Gate Pass, they saw a group of martial artists in assorted clothing standing outside. Clearly, they had only recently passed through themselves.
When they saw the West Depot's procession, these martial artists did not move aside. Several even stopped and waited where they stood, studying the West Depot's men with interest.
Most of their gazes settled on Yu Huatian.
"Director!"
Ma Jinliang and the others rode forward. Looking at the brazen martial artists, they frowned, then their eyes grew cold as they sought Yu Huatian's permission to attack.
"Be patient. Let us take a look."
Yu Huatian spoke calmly, then urged his horse forward toward the martial artists blocking the road.
At the front stood a man who looked to be in his thirties, clad in dark red. He was handsome enough, with thick eyebrows, large eyes, and a dignified bearing. But he wore two neatly trimmed strips of mustache above his lips, almost as long as his eyebrows, giving him a somewhat peculiar appearance.
"Four Eyebrows, Lu Xiaofeng?"
Yu Huatian spoke lightly. Who else dressed like this but Lu Xiaofeng, the chivalrous wanderer who had risen to fame in recent years, loved making friends everywhere, and could never resist meddling?
Sure enough, when Yu Huatian recognized him at a glance, a smile immediately spread across Lu Xiaofeng's face. He stepped forward cheerfully and clasped his hands. "You must be Eunuch Yu of the West Depot? They say you are the most handsome man at court, with extraordinary grace, comparable to an immortal descended into the mortal world. Seeing you today, I can say your reputation is well deserved!"
Yu Huatian ignored his flattery. "Why are you blocking my path?"
As he spoke, Yu Huatian swept his gaze over the people beside him.
One was a young man dressed in snowy white, with a gentle expression that inspired goodwill at first glance. But his eyes were dull, without light or focus, seemingly impaired. Another wore red over black underclothes and held a saber in a black sheath. His right shoulder sat slightly lower, evidently because of an ailment in his right foot. He too was handsome, but his expression was cold, as though little interested him.
"Hua Manlou, Fu Hongxue?"
A trace of gravity entered Yu Huatian's eyes. They truly were men favored by destiny. Fu Hongxue in particular actually gave him a faint sense of danger.
In other words, Fu Hongxue's saber arts might well pose a threat to him!
Noticing Yu Huatian's gaze, Lu Xiaofeng said with a smile, "Allow me to introduce them, Eunuch Yu. These two are my friends. This is Hua Manlou, a young master of the Jiangnan Hua Family. And this is Fu Hongxue, the successor of the great hero Bai Tianyu, master of the Divine Blade Hall, whose Bai Family Divine Saber ranks sixth in Bai Xiaosheng's Weapons Catalogue."
"The three of us heard that the treasure of the Great White Upper Kingdom had emerged in the desert, so we came to join the excitement..."
Fu Hongxue interrupted coldly, "You came for the excitement. I did not. I heard Ding Peng was here, so I came to find him."
The corner of Lu Xiaofeng's mouth twitched. "It amounts to much the same thing. Why be so particular?"
Yu Huatian glanced at Fu Hongxue, then looked at Lu Xiaofeng, his face unreadable. "Some excitement is not to be joined lightly. Members of the major sects came for it too, but many died the night before last. With your connections, Lu Xiaofeng, you cannot possibly have failed to hear."
"Of course I heard. But rest assured, Eunuch Yu, I am different from them. They came either for the treasure or to vanquish demons and defend the righteous path. I intend to do neither. I simply want to see what the royal capital of the Great White Upper Kingdom looked like three hundred years ago. I hope you can grant me that wish."
Lu Xiaofeng spoke with a cheerful smile.
Yu Huatian narrowed his eyes. After considering for a moment, he said, "If you want to follow, then follow. But if you meddle in anything else and disrupt my plans, you should understand the consequences."
Lu Xiaofeng was unlike ordinary wandering heroes. He had friends both in the martial world and at court. Public-spirited and righteous, he liked standing up against injustice and sometimes even helped the court capture martial experts guilty of heinous crimes. As a result, he had good relationships with officials in charge of government offices across the land.
So, provided he did not interfere with the operation, Yu Huatian did not mind showing him some consideration.
Lu Xiaofeng brightened at once and hurriedly said, "Rest assured, Eunuch Yu. I certainly will not."
"Let us go."
Yu Huatian said no more. He gave the reins a light tug and continued forward.
Lu Xiaofeng and his two companions hurried after him.
Many nearby martial artists who had also come for the excitement cast envious looks at the three. They too wished they could command respect in both the martial world and the court, as Lu Xiaofeng did. Unfortunately, with their standing, if they dared block the road as he had, what greeted them would not be the West Depot director's goodwill, but a storm of blades from the West Depot and the Embroidered Uniform Guard.
But they did not know exactly where the treasure lay either. Seeing that Yu Huatian showed no intention of driving them away, many gathered their courage and followed the West Depot's procession from a distance.
Yu Huatian glanced back and paid them little heed. This world never lacked people unafraid of death. Although most of the principal rivals for the treasure had been killed two nights earlier, what lay ahead was not necessarily safe.
If they wanted to follow, they could. As long as they did not meddle with the treasure or disrupt his plans, their lives and deaths were their own responsibility. If anyone still dared covet the treasure, they would merely contribute more fate energy to him.
Shaking his head, Yu Huatian picked up the pace slightly and headed toward Dragon Gate Inn.
But before he had gone far, he frowned. Suddenly sensing something amiss, he reined in his horse and looked up at the road ahead.
The blazing sun hung high above the narrow trail through the desert. A tall figure clad in a long black robe stood quietly in the middle of the path, holding a longsword in a black sheath.
One man and one sword blocked the entire West Depot procession.
Yu Huatian gazed at the distant figure and sensed a familiar sword intent-the Thirteen Life-Taking Swords he himself had practiced.
Combining that with the names on the note he had received that morning, Yu Huatian instantly recognized the swordsman-
"Yan Shisan..."
-
This is a two-in-one chapter. I originally wanted to split it, but the next section concerns the changes in the protagonist's state of mind as he comprehends the Fourteenth Sword, and I'm a little stuck. I have a few ideas, but haven't worked out exactly how to write it yet, so I combined what I'd finished and posted it first. If you have any good suggestions, feel free to leave them in the comments. Perhaps our souls can resonate and set my thoughts gushing like a spring...
(End of chapter)
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