Volume One: Chaos in Yan and Yun Chapter Sixty: Brilliance After the Rain (Part Two)
Hearing this answer, Wind-Rolled Waves fell silent.
Wind-Rising’s meaning was already clear, yet he still refused to give up.
Indeed, from every angle, now was the best moment for him to achieve his goal; if he missed it, the risks would be too great.
Wind-Rising was only sixteen, yet possessed strength at the Heart-Awakened Realm. If measured against the most gifted prodigies in ancient history, it would take only three years for him to catch up. Even if he failed to do so, once Wind-Rising reached Heart-Awakened, he would no longer be so easy to control. According to that person’s words, Wind-Rising not only possessed the Lifeless Sword Concealment and the Traceless Sword Gaze, but was also very likely to have mastered the supreme Zen mind technique.
He was a true prodigy.
In other words, if Wind-Rising were not so talented, perhaps Wind-Rolled Waves would not insist so much on him inheriting the position of Lord of Yanbei.
Now there was only one question.
Did Wind-Soaring have the qualifications to make him relinquish such an opportunity?
It was, after all, a matter of choice.
He was responding to Wind-Rising’s remark that he wanted to take a close look at Wind-Soaring.
If he refused, Wind-Rising likely wouldn’t give in so easily—could he really kill him? And if he accepted... it would mean he believed these words.
He had originally thought of Jinlang Pass.
Or perhaps more?
At this, he suddenly realized he had already wavered without noticing. Wind-Rolled Waves let out a bitter laugh and shook his head. “The news that the Second Young Master has joined Daoming Temple is known throughout the land; how could he be willing to inherit the Lordship of Yanbei?”
He paused, then continued, “Even if he were willing, His Majesty would never consent.”
For noble scions who join sects to cultivate, the foremost rule is not to be entangled too deeply with worldly affairs.
People are not trees or grass, so this rule is naturally mere empty words.
But since it is a decree, any action against it cannot be openly discussed. From the moment Wind-Soaring became the temple master, he was already estranged from the Lordship of Yanbei.
In other words, the passing of the lordship was inevitable.
Wind-Rising smiled and said, “First, compared to me, he cares more deeply for Yanbei.”
He paused, then continued, “Second, if he truly must rely on the title of Lord of Yanbei to lead Yanbei, how could he live up to my evaluation of him?”
Wind-Rolled Waves said, “If the name is not correct, words will not be justified.”
Du Gu Zhe added, “If words are not justified, deeds will not succeed.”
Wind-Rising glanced at Du Gu Zhe, thinking, if deeds fail because words are not justified, how could the Divine Dynasty bear the surname Du Gu?
He thought it, but did not say it, instead looking at Wind-Rolled Waves and saying, “My second brother once said, ‘Where there is a will, there is a way.’”
He paused, then continued, “I deeply agree.”
...
...
Wind-Rolled Waves dragged his long spear and left.
The road ahead would not be easy for him.
Before, he only had the Divine Dynasty to contend with; now, there was an evil cult as well.
---
Wind-Rising did not believe the people of the Weeping Blood Pavilion would swallow such a slight; he expected Star-Slaying would be dispatched, with the aim to kill in one blow.
But he did not care about this matter, even though Wind-Rolled Waves was his second uncle.
After all, the reason he dared accuse Lady Feng Muyun of excessive compassion was precisely that he had no such concept himself.
He acted only according to reason.
Afterwards, Wind-Rolled Waves encountered no more assassins; it seemed the Weeping Blood Pavilion’s strength in Jizhou was limited.
That was reasonable. After the old emperor entered Xu Hai, the Weeping Blood Pavilion was nearly crippled, and after several purges by righteous sects and the century-long defense of Kunlun, their influence and strength in the Divine Dynasty were greatly diminished.
Even if that person became the Pavilion Master, it was impossible for them to recover so quickly.
The road back to the inn was strewn with debris.
Many of the residential inns had collapsed; stones sliced by sword intent were reduced to powder in the clash of starlight, leaving the water grey and murky.
The rain had lessened greatly, and the sky at the horizon was beginning to lighten.
The inn stood amid ruins, its walls cracked and riddled with holes, looking desolate and forlorn.
Wind-Rising saw no trace of Murong Xue.
Amidst the chaos, a streak of red appeared.
A young woman in a red dress, holding a red umbrella, entered his field of vision.
Her face was very familiar.
Though she wore no makeup, Wind-Rising recognized her at a glance.
The Saintess of the Red Qilin Pavilion!
Why was she here?
Before Wind-Rising could speculate, he saw a handsome nobleman standing beside the Saintess. Judging by his attire, he was likely a scion of a noble family, probably from Wuyang.
He seemed about to say something.
A breeze passed by.
Du Gu Zhe walked past him toward the Saintess.
Wind-Rising grew ever more puzzled, thinking, Are you not afraid of assassins? How irresponsible!
The next moment, he saw Du Gu Zhe naturally pat the girl’s head, and she obediently leaned into his touch.
“Sorry to have worried you.”
“I’m fine, but Brother Qingyun has been waiting here for a long time...”
Du Gu Zhe looked at Murong Qingyun, opened his mouth as if to speak, then swallowed his words.
“Your Highness certainly ought to feel guilty, but I did not come here to accuse you.”
Hearing this, Wind-Rising raised his eyebrows.
All beneath heaven is the emperor’s land; all who dwell upon it are his subjects.
A subject accusing the monarch?
How audacious!
---
Yet Du Gu Zhe was not angered; instead, he patiently explained, “It was my oversight, otherwise Elder Murong would not have suffered such misfortune.”
Murong Qingyun’s face was dark; after confirming Du Gu Zhe was unharmed, he swept his sleeve and left.
Wind-Rising still had not regained his composure.
Murong Qingyun’s identity was easy enough to guess; when the Red Qilin Pavilion Saintess called him Brother Qingyun, Wind-Rising immediately understood. He kept silent, partly out of respect, partly because he was not interested in the matter or the person.
But the Saintess of the Red Qilin Pavilion... it didn’t make sense.
How could they possibly know each other?
There was no doubt that since the Red Qilin Pavilion’s withdrawal, this was the Saintess’s first appearance in the world.
When they withdrew, they refused all visitors, even the royal family. The future Divine Emperor was not yet emperor.
So why?
Wind-Rising suddenly thought of a possibility and was somewhat astonished. “This is... the Tenth Princess?”
Du Gu Zhe smiled and replied, “Yes, she is Princess Luoxi, Du Gu Linger.”
He paused, then continued, “I hear the heir of Yanbei wishes to become the consort?”
Wind-Rising, unusually, did not respond, though it was quite rude.
Du Gu Linger hid behind Du Gu Zhe, watching Wind-Rising with a smile like a little fox.
Wind-Rising sighed, puzzled, “Why would the Tenth Princess...”
Before he finished, Du Gu Linger interrupted, “I’ve long heard of the famed heir of Yanbei, expecting him to be handsome and heroic, but never imagined he’d be an uncouth rogue unfit for the stage.”
In such a setting, for the heir of Yanbei to say those things, it would indeed affect Du Gu Linger’s reputation, but would not truly harm her honor.
Anyone who could humble the heir of Yanbei would be glorious.
That was another matter; Wind-Rising might indeed be suspected of being a rogue.
For instance, at their first meeting, after only a few words, he might have stripped and groped her.
Wind-Rising blinked, feeling this was a remark he could not respond to.
Du Gu Linger, seeing he said nothing, snorted lightly and did not press further.
Du Gu Zhe looked at Wind-Rising, then at Du Gu Linger, and felt a question rise in his heart, much like Wind-Rising’s.
More importantly, as her elder brother, he keenly sensed something unusual about his sister.
He felt something was amiss.
That sense of unease, seeing Wind-Rising feign calm, became disbelief.
He looked at Wind-Rising and asked, “You don’t really intend to be my brother-in-law, do you?”
...
...