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14.96% THOUSAND AUTUMNS (Meng Xi Shi) / Chapter 22: Chapter 22

Chapter 22: Chapter 22

Spring Water Fingering was one of the feats that Yan Wushi was well-known for. He had defeated countless masters with it in the past. Even Qi Fengge used two verses to especially describe it. One could see just how unique and exquisite this set of martial arts was.

Nowadays, Yan Wushi must have reached an even higher state.

However, few people were aware that this set of fingering arts came from a set of sword arts.

Yan Wushi was once a sword expert. He had a sword that accompanied him everywhere. Later, he lost the sword, and for a period of time, he couldn't find a weapon that he was satisfied with, so he simply used his finger instead. No one would have thought that it would actually turn out well and that he would come up with this set of fingering arts because of it. It had a tender and sensuous name, but only people within it could understand what kind of storm they were facing.

If the person here had sharp eyes, then his eyes would have told him that Yan Wushi's movement was clearly very slow, very graceful, and very soft. It was as if he was simply going to brush away the dead leaves on the other person's shoulder. But his finger had already turned into numerous afterimages, so many that it was almost impossible to tell which "image" was his real hand.

Shen Qiao was blind. Since a blind person would not be confused by his vision, his other senses had become even sharper.

What he felt was a tremendous pressure rushing toward him from all directions like a mountain pressing down from above. It was almost going to crush him flat while the inner qi surged back and forth. This pressure was not evenly distributed either. Rather, it followed the other person's finger, sometimes pressing down on his shoulder and sometimes threatening his neck. It drifted from place to place, making it impossible to defend.

Shen Qiao was totally wrapped inside this pressure which the other person had constructed. It was like being surrounded by walls from all sides. The dense layers of inner qi were like numerous tide waves. He had nowhere to retreat, no place to advance. Once he exhausted the inner qi inside him, what awaited him was Yan Wushi's finger–a finger as soft as spring water–to gently touch his body.

Then the only thing left for him would be death.

Shen Qiao only had thirty percent of his inner qi and was perhaps less capable than even a second-rate martial artist. Normally, people of this level didn't even need to dream about surviving Yan Wushi's attacks. But Shen Qiao's advantage was that he already had all of Mount Xuandu's martial arts in him, together with the two volumes of The Strategy of the Vermillion Yang. Even though he might not have enough time to make use of all the contents he had just memorized, the recovery of his memories meant that his ability to cope with the enemy had also been restored. At the very least, he would not be as passive as before.

Using his hand as a sword as well, he lifted his sleeve and made a pose.

This was the opening move of Azurewave Sword Art–Mellow Breeze.

Azurewave Sword Art was the exact sword art Yu Ai had used during his battle with Yan Wushi.

Even though Mount Xuandu was world-famous, it only had a few sets of martial arts. As for sword arts, there were only two sets of them.

Since Qi Fengge believed that the principle of martial arts was the same as many other principles in this world, it ultimately all came down to simplicity. Great art conceals itself. Instead of learning many different martial arts, it would be better to practice and perfect these two sets of sword arts until one could control and use them freely as one wished.

As its name implied, Mellow Breeze was an opening move that was gentle and forgiving, making people feel like they were bathing in a cool breeze. Shen Qiao didn't have a sword in his hand, and he therefore had to put out two fingers together as his sword. After this move, he finally retrieved the familiar feelings from the past.

From his Dantian, his inner qi rose continuously and went upwards along Yangguan, Zhongshu, Zhiyang, and other acupoints. They aggregated at Fengfu, then flowed towards Sidu and Waiguan. [1] The other person forged his inner qi into layers of impenetrable defense, pressing toward him from all directions, but Shen Qiao happened to guide his own inner force to his fingertip just in time.

A white mark streaked across like sword light — this was the Sword Energy.

The Sword Energy flew out, and Shen Qiao changed his movement immediately afterwards. Imitating the "Three Refrains of Zither" in Azurewave Sword Art, he pointed a few times in succession with his finger. Each one of them directly pressed the nodes of this "net" that Yan Wushi had weaved using his inner qi.

With a deafening sound, haze rolled and closed in. Sparks fell upon the net, adorning it like beads!

If anyone else was here, they would have seen a dazzling light bursting out between the two people. Shen Qiao couldn't see with his eyes, but he was actually able to break through the other's attack by only relying on his grasp of Yan Wushi's inner qi!

From the beginning of Yan Wushi's assault to Shen Qiao solving it in the end, the people within might have felt like it had been a long time, but for the bystanders, it probably only lasted for a second.

Yan Wushi was a little surprised by this turn of events. However, what followed was an expression of interest growing on his face.

He collected his fingers together into a palm, and his figure floated like a cloud or a phantom. From different directions, he struck three more palms towards Shen Qiao.

These three palms were like the wind passing between mountains or air rising over the sea. They poured down high from the sky with a momentum so tremendous and boundless. In comparison, Yan Wushi's attacks from before were nothing but child's play. It was only at this moment that they finally tore down the mask of elegance and revealed their ferociousness nature underneath!

Three palms from three directions.

Yet there was only one Shen Qiao who had only two hands. It was impossible for him to withstand attacks coming from three different directions at the same time.

Shen Qiao chose to retreat.

After he dissolved Yan Wushi's offense, no inner qi was blocking him from behind. He took several steps backwards. However, that was all he could achieve before the three palms from Yan Wushi arrived before his face!

However skilled Yan Wushi was, he was just a human. He could not strike three palms at the same time. Despite his fast speed, there had to be a delay. It was just that the speed was too fast, making it impossible to tell the order.

But Shen Qiao could, because he was blind.

A blind person didn't need to "see", they "hear" instead.

After he was injured, he had experienced so much suffering which was unimaginable for him before. These pains formed a distinct contrast with his past after he regained his old memories.

There were also times when Shen Qiao felt lost and puzzled. He had also been grieved by his relatives' betrayal.

Yet at this very moment, his heart was undisturbed.

When he was still Mount Xuandu's sect leader, the state of his mind was placid too, but that was a kind of tranquility which belonged to someone who had never experienced any setbacks.

However, the tranquility he was experiencing now was a result of him going through the blasts, the storms, and all kinds of predicaments.

When the raging waves ceased, the moon climbed up above the clouds, merging the water and the sky into the same color.

There were no waves, no ripples, no grief, nor happiness.

It was like watching spring darkening the grass along the stone stairs or autumn thinning the layers of clouds upon the sky. It was like seeing a well reflecting the lonely lantern hanging above it or the moon shining on the colored glass below.

He was able to tell the order of these three palms. Within an instant, like a lotus flower, his hand unfolded and closed again–he was using the "Rising Waves in Mount Cang", "Sun and Moon Within", and "Purple Air from the East" of the Azurewave Sword Arts.

If the disciples of Mount Xuandu were here, they definitely wouldn't have recognized that these moves originated from the Azurewave Sword Arts. In Shen Qiao's hand, these moves possessed endless changes and were already something completely different from their original forms.

However, if Qi Fengge were to return to this world, he would certainly be able to tell that Shen Qiao wasn't just using the forms of these sword moves; in fact, they were even beyond the formality of Sword Energy and had achieved the realm of Sword Intent!

Sword was the king of all weapons. It had always been highly praised by people in the martial arts field. Nine out of every ten martial artists out there used swords as their weapons. Although for most of them, their skills couldn't even be said to have entered the hall of fame, let alone the discussion of realms.

There were four realms in sword arts: Sword Energy, Sword Intent, Sword Heart, and Sword Spirit.

For one to be able to control the sword with their inner qi was an indication that this person had already reached the state of "Sword Energy". This was something all Xiantian experts were able to achieve. Shen Qiao had already reached this state before he lost his martial arts.

He was extremely gifted. Having practiced sword arts since his childhood, at the age of twenty, he had already broken through the formality of sword moves and entered the state of "Sword Energy". Afterwards, Qi Fengge passed on the remaining script of The Strategy of the Vermillion Yang to him. Integrating the qi-cultivation method inside the remaining script into his Sword Energy, his sword skills improved day after day. Had everything continued as it were, comprehending the "Sword Intent" would just be a matter of time.

Unfortunately, there was the challenge on Half-Step Peak. Shen Qiao fell off the cliff, and everything suddenly came to an end.

If it weren't for the strand of inner qi from The Strategy of the Vermillion Yang which had remained inside his body, which granted him the chance to start over, all of the martial arts which he painstakingly accumulated in the first half of his life would have definitely gone to waste.

Yan Wushi was not an ordinary person. He definitely had found out about it as well. He kept pushing harder and harder, but Shen Qiao didn't just collapse on the ground–it even stimulated him to enter the realm of "Sword Intent". Yan Wushi was greatly astonished.

In addition to his surprise, there was also a trace of excitement springing up inside him.

He would force Shen Qiao to fight him from time to time only because the other person carried the inner qi from The Strategy of the Vermillion Yang. He hoped to be enlightened through these fights. It would help him extract the essence of The Strategy of the Vermillion Yang and patch up the martial arts that he had created himself.

Therefore, the stronger his opponent, the happier he became.

Right now, Shen Qiao's mind was in a state of complete tranquility and peace.

After he comprehended the "Sword Intent", his state of mind had entered a whole new world from there. It was spacious, clear, and so mysterious that it was hard to describe.

This piece of land was boundless, like the ocean absorbing all rivers, or the cliff rising thousands of meters into the sky.

This piece of land was also extremely limited with only a square inch to move around and nothing to lean on.

However, the place where the Sword Intent lies is where the Daoist Intent shall be!

One begets Two, Two begets Three, and Three begets all things. [2]

There was no ground under his feet, but the ground would be there once he set foot on it. There was no light before his eyes, but there was light in his heart.

With such a mindset, even if he could not see with his eyes, Shen Qiao could still clearly sense the traces of the other person's attacks.

He waited quietly.

Yan Wushi pointed toward the center between his eyebrows.

Shen Qiao didn't fall back. Instead, he chose to raise his hand and take it straight on.

When he lifted his right hand, the spreading palm happened to block that one finger from the other person.

In a split second, all metal and rocks around them cracked and burst open like shooting stars backgrounded by the curtain of night!

Shen Qiao only heard a loud explosion next to his ear. Immediately afterwards, blood spurted out from his nose and his mouth. He lost control of his body and flew backwards, hitting a bulky trunk in the end. Then he fell heavily to the ground!

However, Yan Wushi let out a gasp and looked rather surprised.

It was because the move he just used carried at least half of his martial power. With Shen Qiao's current cultivation level, even if he had comprehended the Sword Intent, his foundation was so terribly damaged. It was already remarkable enough that he had caught sight of his attack and blocked it without dying right on the spot.

Form this alone, one could see that Shen Qiao's aptitude and potential were indeed amazing. He could still comprehend the Sword Intent even under the blow of betrayal. No wonder Qi Fengge had chosen him to be his mental disciple.

Although Shen Qiao didn't die, he wasn't much better than that.

There was no way he could have taken the blow from Yan Wushi's finger, but he took it anyway. In addition to the fight with Yu Ai earlier on Mount Xuandu, he finally passed out from exhaustion.

Yan Wushi bent down and held Shen Qiao's chin in his hand. The other person's countenance was like a cold jade. It was pale and dull. Even his lip had lost the color of its blood, and it was as if he would breathe his last at any moment.

However, ever since he was greatly injured after falling off the cliff, nine times out of every ten days, he would have this sort of complexion. Now, it just looked a bit more serious.

Amidst this gloomy paleness, however, his tightly closed eyes, his feather-like eyelashes–they all had a delicate yet special ascetic sense of beauty. Since he was unconscious, he appeared to be even more docile and adorable.

Such an obedient appearance was exactly what had confused Mu Tipo on that day, letting him mistake a carnivorous flower as a dodder herb.

But this flower's temperament was rather good, and it was always so soft-hearted. Therefore, it would repeatedly find itself in trouble. It might seem like he invited those troubles onto himself, but he would be fully prepared every time as if he had already anticipated the consequences of his soft-heartedness. If other people looked down on him because of his soft heart, that would be truly stupid of them.

"Look at you. How tired you are! How miserable your life must be! Your master died, and even your position as the sect leader was snatched by someone else. All of your martial brothers that grew up with you either betrayed you or didn't agree with your way of doing things. Utterly isolated from your family and friends, with a body so seriously wounded, you had to leave Mount Xuandu, not having anything to your name."

Using his softest tone, Yan Wushi coaxed him by speaking next to his ear, "But you don't have to live as abjectly. If you just follow me back to the Holy Sect and start to practicing the Fundamental Records of Phoenix-Qilin, I'll even teach you the volume of The Strategy of the Vermillion Yang that I've learned. By that time, not to mention regaining your martial arts, even taking it one step further will be close at hand. This will be way faster than you taking three or five years to recover by yourself. At that time, whether you want to take back your position as the sect leader or kill Yu Ai for revenge, neither would be an issue. What do you think?"

Now was the time when Shen Qiao's will was at its weakest. His head was dreamy and confused, and his body had no strength to resist. It was the easiest time to invade his mind. Furthermore, Yan Wushi had used the Devilish Charm [3] on his words. They greeted Shen Qiao's ear over and over and pierced straight into his heart, pounding heavily against his Daoist Core.

Shen Qiao's brows knitted in pain, his body struggling feebly, but Yan Wushi didn't loosen his grip. He even repeated his words two more times.

"Yu Ai allied with Kunye. Because of them, you fell off the cliff and lost all of your martial arts. Do you not hate them? Without martial arts, without position and status, even clowns like Chen Gong and Mu Tipo dare to hop around in front of you. Is there really not even a tiny bit of hatred in your heart, hm? Don't you want to kill them? I can help you with that too."

If other people were to pass by, they would have thought the two of them were whispering intimately in each other's ears. The scene seemed so flirtatious, while in fact, that wasn't the case at all.

Yan Wushi tightened his grip a bit more and it left a red mark on Shen Qiao's chin which would probably turn into a bruise the next day. However, it was not the reason behind Shen Qiao's suffering. The source of Shen Qiao's pain came from the words which were being poured repeatedly into his head like incantations, and he could neither dodge nor escape the voice.

He gritted his teeth as hard as he could. Even though he had already lost his consciousness, there seemed to be a thread in his subconscious mind that had kept him tightly bound so he couldn't open his mouth to accept.

Once he opened his mouth and agreed, he would then start to lose his true self.

"Why won't you answer me? It's just a word. I can do anything for you if you just open your mouth."

I don't want to become that kind of person. Even if I'm going to do it, I'll do it myself.

"What kind of person do you want to become? Is it not good to be able to seek vengeance at your delight? You can kill anyone you want. Besides, they betrayed you first. You owe nothing to them."

Shen Qiao shook his head. Fresh blood started to spill out from the corner of his mouth, and the expression on his face began to look increasingly painful. A normal person could no longer withstand such torture, but he just wouldn't open his mouth.

Some people were ignorant of the malevolence in this world and blindly offered their kindness. It ultimately not only implicated the others but themselves as well. While some others were capable of seeing through the malice, yet they were still faithful to their hearts, remaining gentle and soft-hearted.

But people were born evil. Despite having experienced innumerable twists, setbacks, and all the rough and ragged paths of life, was there really someone that was still capable of holding onto their conscience?

Yan Wushi let out a quiet laugh. He wiped away the bloodstains at the corner of Shen Qiao's mouth. Putting his hands through his armpits, he carried him in his arms and walked towards the town.

Author's Short Play Time:

Qiao Qiao is always spitting blood, does it make you guys feel good? →_→

Old Yan: Very good.

Shen Qiao (dying) raised his hand: I-I don't feel good….

***

[1] All of these are acupoints, indicating the path inside one's body.

[2] This sentence came from the Daoist scripture, Daodejing. It is the fundamental philosophy of Daoism. Dao (The Way) begets One (nothingness), One begets Two (Yin and Yang), Two begets Three (Heaven, Earth, and Man), Three begets all things (Everything in this world).

[3] Devilish Charm : A martial arts skill practiced by the three Demonic Sects by attaching inner qi into their voices in order to hypnotize and lure others into doing what they say.


Chapter 23: Chapter 23

Shen Qiao felt like he had slept for a long time, but he wasn't completely unconscious. At least he was still aware of people talking loudly next to his ear and the wheels under his body rambling on as they rolled forwards.

He had fainted, but the inner qi inside him never stopped circulating. The benefits of practicing The Strategy of Vermillion Yang was now revealed–the wounds on his body were gradually healing without him knowing it.

Even though the restoration process was extremely slow, by the time Shen Qiao woke up, those feelings of distress and nausea had already disappeared. It was just that he had been drowsing unconsciously these days, so after waking up, he was inevitably a little absent-minded as if he was still in a dream. He covered his head with both hands, appearing to be at a loss.

He looked around and found himself inside a carriage. Yet the carriage had come to a halt, so he couldn't tell what was outside.

Shen Qiao recalled carefully. He was fighting with Yan Wushi before he passed out, so Yan Wushi had probably taken him away.

Just as he was thinking hard about it, the carriage's curtain was lifted up, revealing Yan Wushi's face.

"You're awake?"

Just this one sentence nearly made Shen Qiao's hair stand on end.

He couldn't say he had a close relationship with Yan Wushi, but he still had some understanding of the man's temperament and his way of doing things. Were it not for the fact that, no matter how he looked at him, the person before him had that same face, Shen Qiao really would have thought he was possessed by some ghost.

For when had the Demonic Sovereign–whom everyone dreaded at the mention of his name, whose behavior was so perverse and volatile, who took pleasure in mocking and ridiculing others–ever spoken in such a tender tone?

Shen Qiao hesitated, "Sect Master Yan… did something happen?"

"You were seriously injured and was out cold for many days. Luckily, the inner qi from The Strategy of the Vermillion Yang has been acting inside you and protecting your heart meridian. Just a few more days of rest and you should be all right. We've just entered Ying Prefecture and I found an inn to stay at. Come."

He came forward and bent down, lifting Shen Qiao towards his chest.

Shen Qiao felt his blood run cold. He wished he could turn around and run away at once. Unfortunately, he had just woken up after many days of sleep, and his body was still too weak to resist. So he could only let the other person have his way.

Yan Wushi put up a gentle smile. He ignored Shen Qiao's expression–the kind of look as if one had just spotted a ghost, and carried him into the inn. He walked all the way from the lounge to the backyard, allowing others to crowd around him however they wanted. Even the servant who was guiding them kept looking back. However, he didn't mind any of it and remained the same as before.

"Just to let misters know, this is the prettiest yard. Not just within our inn, but throughout the whole Ying Prefecture City. Just take a look at the bonsai and the water, it doesn't lose by much even if you compare it to the courtyards in those luxurious mansions. And if you want to enjoy some spring scenery, you don't have to go out to the countryside and climb the hills. All you have to do is to stay in this yard and you can have all the spring sceneries of our city!"

The servant was really eloquent. Unfortunately, Shen Qiao couldn't see, and neither could he feel the beauty the person was describing. He could only guess from the servant's attitude that it probably cost a considerable amount to rent this place.

On the other hand, Yan Wushi seemed to be quite interested. He didn't command the servant to shut up. In fact, he even asked him to give a complete presentation and would comment a few lines once in a while. It cheered up the servant even more. Talking non-stop, he introduced the whole yard and every little detail in it.

Yan Wushi was carrying a grown man in his arms, but he somehow still had the mood to stroll around the courtyard without feeling tired. After seeing this, the servant's reverence of him grew even greater.

Shen Qiao's body was terribly in need of rest. He had only been awake for so long before he started to feel tired again that he almost fell asleep in Yan Wushi's arms.

The servant was finally sensible enough to leave. Yan Wushi carried Shen Qiao into the bedroom and laid him down on the bamboo couch next to the window.

The bamboo couch was covered with a thick, soft fleece blanket. As soon as he lied down, Shen Qiao could hear all of his bones moaning in comfort.

But Yan Wushi wasn't in a hurry to leave. Instead, he sat down next to Shen Qiao.

Shen Qiao asked, "Is there only one bedroom with the yard that Sect Master Yan has rented this time?"

Yan Wushi seemed to be taking things easy, "Of course there are more. But since I am the one who rented the yard, I can sit wherever I want. You have slept for several days, and I have been taking care of you throughout the trip. Yet you don't thank me; you even try to change the subject instead. So this is what the upbringing of the sect leader of Mount Xuandu is like?"

Shen Qiao thought to himself, 'that's because you're acting weird.'

As he was thinking about this, the other person suddenly reached over and straightened out his wrinkled collar. It gave Shen Qiao a good scare. This time, not only was he surprised, he was actually horrified.

He couldn't bring himself to believe that when he woke up from his slumber, Yan Wushi had completely changed his temperament.

Neither was he able to figure out what the other person was scheming.

"Sect Master Yan, please stop teasing me."

"How can you call it teasing? Putting aside the ones out there, do you know how many disciples in the Cleansing Moon Sect want me to treat them in such an amiable and pleasant way? Rarely do I want to treat a person nicely. Others can't get it even if they beg me for it!"

Shen Qiao's mouth twitched.

"Or could it be that I have accidentally offended Sect Master Yan without realizing while I was unconscious? If that was the case, I apologize to Sect Master Yan. Sect Master Yan is the bigger person here, so please don't bother with a blind man."

Yan Wushi suddenly burst into laughter, "Shen Qiao! Oh, Shen Qiao! They all say you're kind and sincere, but from what I see, that's hardly the case. What kind of sincere man cuts other people off all the time by making use of the fact that he is blind?"

Shen Qiao pursed his lips and didn't make a comment.

Using his right hand, Yan Wushi took Shen Qiao's pause. The latter shuddered but didn't dodge. It was hard to say whether he failed or if he had no intention to do so at all.

"You still can't see?"

Shen Qiao nodded, "Perhaps it's because I exhausted my inner qi before losing consciousness. Now there are still dull burning sensations around my eyes. It'll probably take a couple more days."

"No hurry. It's still a long way from here to Northern Zhou. We will be riding a carriage along the way, so you can take your time to recuperate."

Shen Qiao frowned, "To Northern Zhou?"

"Why? You don't want to go?"

This question was sheerly unnecessary.

There were no similarities between the two people's sects, their pasts, their temperaments, or even their conduct and personalities. For someone extremely conceited and arrogant like Yan Wushi, it was impossible for him to understand why Shen Qiao could still stay so calm even when he had fallen into such a situation. Not to mention as he was now being carried around — Shen Qiao was forced to parade through the streets. Eventually, someone would recognize that he was Mount Xuandu's former sect leader. By then, it would definitely attract lots of gossip.

There would always be people that would remain Shen Qiao over and over again about the bitter experiences that he didn't want to be reminded of. As the sect leader of the world's leading Daoist Sect, he had lost both his martial arts and his position, and he was betrayed by his junior martial brother. Everything he had defended with his heart and soul was disapproved of. Everyone thought what he did was wrong. It was as if all the beliefs and ideals he had had since his childhood were completely overthrown.

What was more pitiful was that he was also blind. For him, there was no difference between night and day. When placed in an unfamiliar environment, a few extra steps were all it took to trip him, let alone the little things like washing up and getting dressed in the morning.

Compared to only having your ears available when facing an enemy, these trifling details were much more frustrating.

Yan Wushi could hardly understand this kind of loser mentality, and neither was he interested in doing so. What really interested him was this person, Shen Qiao.

Even for a martial artist, if they lost all of their martial arts and changed from someone who could easily take away other people's lives into a weakling who would be bullied by all kinds of people, even if they did not become hysterical at a time like this, they would at least be overwhelmed by anxiety and depression.

As for this person who seemed so gentle and soft, how hard of a bone did he have inside him that he was able to stay this calm?

Shen Qiao nodded, "I'm afraid Sect Master Yan's schedule for the trip will be affected by me again. I'm really sorry."

Yan Wushi thought he wouldn't want to go to Northern Zhou. He was expecting him to decline or raise an objection. However, Shen Qiao's compliance came to him as a surprise. He suggested with his tongue in his cheek, "Or you can choose to go back to Mount Xuandu, find a place in Xuandu Town, and wait for an opportunity to meet with the other martial brothers and elders. Maybe they hold different opinions from Yu Ai and will support you in reclaiming the position of the sect leader."

Shen Qiao knew perfectly well that Yan Wushi was probably just fanning the flames, trying to stir up hatred between him and Mount Xuandu, but he still shook his head and answered his question, "My martial arts is failing me right now. Besides, I lost to Kunye. I don't have the face to lead Mount Xuandu again even if I do go back. Since Yu Ai is already the regent sect leader, he must have control over the mouthpiece of the sect. I would end up being held hostage if I put myself in it. It would be better for me to stay away from them, then maybe I can make some things clear."

Speaking of this, he smiled, "Didn't Sect Master Yan once say that it was because of my ignorance of temporal affairs and my obliviousness of human minds that I have fallen into the current situation? Sect Master Yan holds an important position in Northern Zhou, so if I follow you, I can definitely learn a lot so as not to make more mistakes and recommit the same errors. It would be my blessing then."

Yan Wushi raised his eyebrows, "So you don't care anymore about Yu Ai's cooperation with the Tujue people?"

Shen Qiao shook his head, "There are lots of hidden stories behind it. I believe that Sect Master Yan can tell as well. After Hulugu left after his defeat, there hasn't been any news about him for more than twenty years. Kunye showed up in the pugilistic world under Hulugu's order. His appearance can't be as simple as challenging me. There must be a deeper conspiracy behind his collaboration with Yu Ai. I heard that Sect Master Yan happened to come into contacts with Kunye before. From your opinion, do you think he is a reckless person?"

Yan Wushi didn't hide the truth from him, "His aptitude isn't bad. Given enough time, he may become another Hulugu. During our fights, even though he couldn't win against me even if he went all out, he obviously held back a trick or two. I don't know why he didn't put out all of his efforts so I teased him a few times, but he remained the same. In the end, he couldn't put up with me any longer and ran back to Xiongnu."

The implication was that if Kunye really was a hot-headed, brainless person, even if he was fully aware that he wasn't Yan Wushi's match, he couldn't have tolerated it for such a long time without trying his best even once.

Shen Qiao's eyebrows slightly furrowed as he pondered over it.

Many things started to connect, and the truth was settling into a faint shape. But at the moment, the shape didn't seem to be clear enough. It was like an enormous ball of string. Everything was in utter confusion and chaos. He still couldn't grasp the end of that thread and thus remained puzzled in regards to many aspects.

He sighed, "It seems that things are really like what Sect Master Yan has said. I knew little about the current situation of the world, and I was so narrow-minded yet so self-satisfied with being a stick-in-the-mud. As for what Yu Ai has done, I am responsible for it too. It's because of my ignorance that I can't even guess what they're trying to do."

Yan Wushi sneered, "Where did you get all these emo-like reflections? Absolute strength nullifies all schemes. As long as you are strong enough, it won't be a big problem even if you kill all of them. If these people dare to betray you, then they should be prepared for you to get back at them. Don't tell me that if you can understand their intentions, you'll even try to forgive them?"

Shen Qiao felt rather hopeless towards his "kill them if things don't work out" attitude, "According to you, since Yu Ai is able to control Mount Xuandu, all of my martial brothers and the elders in the sect must have given him acquiescence to do so. My eldest senior brother, who has always been a peacemaker, also thinks that Junior Brother Yu is much more suitable as a sect leader than me. So should I just kill them all? These people are the pillars and cornerstones of Mount Xuandu. How can Mount Xuandu still be called a sect without them?"

Yan Wushi said almost maliciously, "Even if you can regain your martial arts in the future and you are able to take back the sect leader position, your friendship with your martial brothers and sisters can never go back to what it once was. Their betrayal will haunt you like a fish bone stuck in your throat. You'll never be able to get over it. As for them, even if you forgive them for what they did, do you think they'll believe that you don't mind?"

He continued to press on as he talked, his warm breath almost touching Shen Qiao's face.

Feeling uncomfortable, Shen Qiao turned his head away. "Everyone has evil intentions in their minds. The only difference is executing it or not. There's no need to give such harsh criticism."

Yan Wushi asked, "Oh? So does that mean that there are evil intentions in your mind as well? What are your evil intentions? Why don't you tell me about them?"

Shen Qiao wanted to retreat, but an arm blocked him at the waist. Having no other choice, he slightly arched his back.

Without him realizing, he was already pushed to the corner, and his back was tightly pressed against the wall. There was probably a painting hanging behind him as the roller at its end was right below his shoulder blades, hurting him badly.

"Ah-Qiao, what are your evil intentions? Tell me."

This "Ah-Qiao" almost gave Shen Qiao goosebumps, but before he could show the astonishment on his face, he was immediately lured by the other person's deep voice. With his mind in a trance, he opened his mouth and was about to answer.

"I…"

Knock knock knock!

A stream of knocking sounds came from outside.

It slightly shocked Shen Qiao, and he sobered up at once.

"You used Enchantment [1] on me?!"

"This is called the Devilish Charm. The Cleansing Moon Sect is also one of the three Sun Moon Sects. Of course I know everything that the Harmony Sect knows. That silly girl Bai Rong, her skill is still far from perfect. If you listen more often, then you won't fall into her traps so easily next time."

Sect Master Yan wasn't ashamed in the least bit even with his trick being laid bare. In fact, he spoke with such a lofty tone as though it was an honor that Shen Qiao was able to make him use it.

Modest a gentleman as Shen Qiao was, how was he able to argue over Yan Wushi's pettifogging? He was so angry that he started to laugh, "So according to Sect Master Yan, I should even thank you instead?"

Yan Wushi commented, "Sure. Thank me."

***

[1]Enchantment ( Mei Shu): A more literal translation would be Art of Seduction, referring to the skills of enticing/seducing/luring people.


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