Chapter 544: Wolf-hearted

Li Ruojian's slightly pale and thin face, illuminated by the dim, yellowish lamplight, looked even more anxious and grave.

He walked slowly to a spot, bent down, and picked up the Longevity Lock lying on the ground there.

By the dim lamplight, Li Ruojian stared blankly at the Longevity Lock in his hand. In those first few years of his youth, this object had once been a thorn in his heart.

He stroked the Longevity Lock in his hand, as if seeing his younger self, that stubborn and sensitive fellow.

This Longevity Lock had hung around Li Ruozhou's neck since he was small, but it wasn't until he was nine years old that he learned this Longevity Lock was an heirloom of the Li family, and furthermore, a protective magic treasure.

The very day Li Ruozhou learned of this, he ran to Li Ruojian to show it off.

On that gloomy afternoon, Li Ruozhou suddenly ran into the simple courtyard where Li Ruojian lived alone and pulled Li Ruojian, who was still taking a nap, up from bed.

He flipped open his collar, revealed the Longevity Lock for Li Ruojian to see, and shouted at him: "This is a magic treasure passed down by the Li family, only the eldest legitimate son can wear it, you know?"

Li Ruojian rubbed his sleepy eyes and reached out to touch the Longevity Lock with some curiosity.

Li Ruozhou immediately slapped his hand away and shouted: "What are you touching it for? Be careful you don't break it!"

Li Ruozhou looked at his own younger brother with a look of disgust and said again: "You don't have one! Do you know that? You aren't the eldest legitimate son!"

From that afternoon on, that Longevity Lock became a thorn in Li Ruojian's heart!

That thorn seemed to nail his shameful status right there!

It was also from that time on that a plan began to brew in Li Ruojian's heart, a plan that gradually went from vague to clear.

He wanted to steal the Longevity Lock from Li Ruozhou's neck, then throw it into the deep well in the courtyard, so that no one would ever be able to find it again!

He thought that if Li Ruozhou lost the ancestral magic treasure, he would surely be hung up and beaten by their father!

From then on, he always kept an eye on the Longevity Lock on his brother's neck! Even when his brother bullied him, he would always stare at the Longevity Lock, attempting to understand its mechanism.

A few times, he saw his brother take off the Longevity Lock and use a handkerchief to carefully wipe away the filth on it.

A few times when his brother pinned him down and the two of them were wrestling, he would also take the opportunity to reach out and touch the mechanism of the Longevity Lock.

It took him a full three years before he finally learned how to open and close the mechanism of the Longevity Lock.

But by that time, Li Ruozhou suddenly stopped coming to his courtyard to bully him.

That brother of his, in the year he turned twelve, began climbing into women's beds, and from then on, he rarely came to bully his younger brother.

And as he grew older, Li Ruojian also discovered the absurdity of this childhood complex; a Longevity Lock could not change his fate at all! One careless move, and it could even bring him deeper misfortune!

That ridiculous plan had already been forgotten in his memories.

But at this moment, looking at the Longevity Lock in his hand, from the depths of time, that stubborn and sensitive youth seemed to have returned, and he was examining this Longevity Lock with a pair of curious eyes.

A somewhat eerie smile rose to the corners of Li Ruojian's mouth.

He opened and closed the Longevity Lock in his hand several times in succession, as if the dream buried deep in the bottom of his youthful heart had been realized in an eerie way.

"Brother Li, what are you doing?" Duan Rong suddenly walked over and asked, looking at Li Ruojian.

Li Ruojian looked up, and the eerie smile on his face faded away. Along with the smile, the lingering dream of his youth also faded.

A flash of regret crossed his eyes.

"Nothing!"

As Li Ruojian said this, he had already handed the Longevity Lock in his hand to Duan Rong. He was very clear about his own status; although he had participated in the matter at hand, he was not the person in charge.

Duan Rong took the Longevity Lock, glanced at Li Ruozhou, who was unconscious on the ground not far behind him, and asked: "Brother Li, are you sure that doing this will be enough to scare off your brother?"

Li Ruojian walked over slowly with a blank expression and looked down at Li Ruozhou on the ground.

Li Ruozhou had been beaten black and blue, looking like a pig's head, but they were biological brothers who grew up together after all; even though Li Ruozhou had been beaten into a pig's head by Duan Rong, he still recognized at a glance that this was his brother.

Watching Li Ruozhou beaten into this state, a flash of gratification crossed Li Ruojian's heart. He was two years younger than Li Ruozhou, and when the two of them fought in their youth, he had never once won.

After he began cultivation, he had never surpassed Li Ruozhou in realm either. Li Ruozhou had good talent, and in terms of resources, as the Young Sect Master of a Sect, he was at the top of this world.

Li Ruojian felt not a shred of pity for Li Ruozhou, who lay unconscious on the ground.

This brother had bullied him since he was small.

As for their father, he had even sent him to the Taiyi Sect to be a Sect Hostage. Moreover, their father had already been at the Taiyi Sect for three days and hadn't asked about him at all, as if he, this son, didn't exist at all!

With such a father and brother! What else did he have to be attached to!

The resentment in Li Ruojian's eyes flashed and vanished; he raised his head and smiled at Duan Rong, saying: "My brother's cultivation realm can be considered a leader among his peers. I never expected that he wouldn't even be able to withstand a single move from Brother Duan! Brother Duan is truly no ordinary person! Ruojian has read through many classics and delved deep into the scriptures, but this ability to radiate IntentLight from the entire body is truly inconceivable and unheard of since ancient times!"

Having just witnessed Duan Rong's move, Li Ruojian finally understood why Duan Rong could live in the deep valley and cultivate beside the Ancestor of the Taiyi Sect. With such great talent, who wouldn't be fond of him?!

Duan Rong's expression froze, and he said: "Brother Li, I admit your flattery is good, but isn't the timing wrong! I am asking you, are you sure this will be enough to scare this guy off?"

Li Ruojian smiled, looked at Duan Rong and Lv Qingzhu, and said: "Brother Duan, Miss Lv, you can rest assured! I know this brother of mine better than anyone; he is the very definition of being fierce of face but faint of heart! Although he often bullies the weak, he is the most cowardly! Once, when we were young, because I broke his kite, he pinned me in the woodshed and beat me. It was also because our movements were too big that we startled a nest of rats there. When those few rats scurried out from the woodpile, they actually scared my brother so much that he let out a loud howl! From then on, I discovered the secret and raised a few rats. Whenever he came to bully me, I would hold up the rat cage to scare him off. Only then was I able to live in peace for a few years."

As Li Ruojian spoke of the past, a warm smile flashed across his face.

Duan Rong and Lv Qingzhu both had slight shifts in their expressions; although it was only a few short sentences, they could roughly feel the hardships of Li Ruojian's childhood. Thinking back to how he was sent to the Taiyi Sect to become a Sect Hostage, one could see that this person's fate was truly bumpy.

Duan Rong looked at the unconscious Li Ruozhou on the ground and said: "Since Brother Li says so, it seems there should be no problem with this matter. However, I still want to add fuel to the fire!"

Lv Qingzhu and Li Ruojian looked at Duan Rong with curious eyes upon hearing this.

In a remote part of Cuiwei Peak, there were two dilapidated courtyards, not far from each other; one was the Attendant Courtyard, and the other was the Maid Courtyard.

These two courtyards were where the attendants and maids on Cuiwei Peak lived.

It was just that at this time, with the hour of Hai approaching, these two courtyards were still pitch black and completely silent.

These past few days, Cuiwei Peak had indeed been busy to the point of chaos.

Longyu Hall was preparing for the Engagement Ceremony for the marriage between the two Sects. Inside the Elder Council, the Taiyi Sect and the Tianyan Sect were discussing the alliance. This kept the attendants and maids busy on both ends, and they often couldn't rest until midnight.

At this moment, it had just turned the hour of Hai, so naturally, there was no one there yet!

Duan Rong dragged Li Ruozhou along and hid behind the shadow of a tree with Li Ruojian. Before long, they saw a figure fly out from the Maid Courtyard; the figure was graceful, the sleeves fluttering, and it was none other than Lv Qingzhu.

Duan Rong had asked her to go to the Maid Courtyard to scout the path.

Lv Qingzhu stopped in the shadow of the tree and said: "There is no one inside."

Duan Rong asked: "When you entered, did you scan with your Divine Sense?"

Lv Qingzhu said: "No!"

Duan Rong nodded; it was much as he had expected.

On Cuiwei Peak, whether it was the Elder Council, Taiyi Pavilion, Longyu Hall, or the manors where the people of the Tianyan Sect resided, all were guarded by Guards with profound cultivation, making the defense tight.

But this Cuiwei Peak was, after all, extremely large, and it was impossible to guard every single spot; the Attendant Courtyard and Maid Courtyard were places where servants lived, so naturally, there were no Guards with profound cultivation guarding them.

This was also the reason Duan Rong chose the Maid Courtyard!

Since Lv Qingzhu had already scouted the path, Duan Rong dragged Li Ruozhou and darted out from the tree shadows.

"Wait for me here!" Duan Rong instructed, then executed his movement technique, moving like a ghost; with a few leaps and bounds, he landed in the courtyard of the Maid Courtyard like a large bird.

The moment he landed, his Divine Sense was suddenly released.

The pitch-black courtyard became clear under the investigation of his Divine Sense.

The large courtyard and those several low, connected rooms were all completely empty.

On the clothesline in the middle of the courtyard hung all sorts of clothes, among which there were quite a few women's underpants and stomachers.

Duan Rong hauled Li Ruzhou to the middle of the clothesline, where a dead wooden stake was driven into the ground.

Tied to the dead wooden stake were two clotheslines, which were fastened to the wooden window lattices of the two rooms on the east and west sides, respectively.

Duan Rong reached out to test the stake and found it very sturdy, so he hauled the unconscious Li Ruozhou and tied him to the stake; at this moment, Li Ruozhou was already completely naked, without a stitch of clothing, and had a wooden sign hanging on his chest.

Duan Rong finished tying Li Ruozhou up, then pulled a blanket hanging nearby to cover his body, only then flashing out of the courtyard.

He exited the courtyard and stood there, suddenly pulling a stack of paper from his bosom; the night wind whistled, and the stack of paper rustled as it was blown, soon drifting toward various parts of the mountainside.

After finishing all this, Duan Rong immediately executed his movement technique and disappeared from the vicinity of the Maid Courtyard.

He flashed back into the tree shadows and looked at Lv Qingzhu in the dark, saying, "Everything is ready!"

In the darkness, Lv Qingzhu's eyes shone bright, and she said, "Then let's go!"

Duan Rong turned his head and saw that the Elder Council not far away was already in darkness; it seemed the covenant negotiations for today had ended.

A few lanterns wound their way down from there, and along with the night wind, one could faintly hear the giggling of women.

The maids serving at the Elder Council were about to return to rest.

Duan Rong asked, "When did the Elder Council extinguish their lights?"

Lv Qingzhu said, "Just not long after you entered the courtyard."

"The timing is just right!" Duan Rong said, "Let's go."

Seeing that the maids carrying lanterns were no longer far from this place, their giggling laughter in the night wind was becoming clearer and clearer.

The three were about to execute their movement techniques to leave; they rose into the night sky by Wind Riding, and having flown not far, Li Ruojian suddenly said, "Brother Duan, Miss Lv, you go ahead, I'll go down for a moment."

Duan Rong's brows furrowed, and he asked, "What are you going to do?"

Li Ruojian laughed, "A man has three urgencies. I'm going down into the dense forest to take care of it."

As Li Ruojian spoke, he executed his movement technique and landed in the dense forest below.

Duan Rong hovered in the desolate night sky, watching Li Ruojian's figure land in the dense forest, his gaze deep and flickering.

Duan Rong said, "You go back to the deep valley first, I'll be right back!"

After Duan Rong finished speaking, he suddenly went off by Wind Riding, shooting toward the direction of Cuiwei Peak, which they had just left.

Lv Qingzhu's almond eyes flashed, and she followed as well. She knew that Duan Rong would not return for no reason.

Li Ruojian did not Wind Ride, but instead executed his movement technique, darting through the dense forest; his Lightness Skill was excellent, and he soon darted out of the dense forest, leaped up, Wind Rode across the valley, and landed not far from the Maid Courtyard.

As soon as he landed in the open space, Lv Qingzhu saw him from behind the tree shadows.

The moment she saw Li Ruojian, Lv Qingzhu knew why Duan Rong had turned back!

Lv Qingzhu did not make a move; she knew Duan Rong must already have a plan, and if she were to act rashly, she would instead interfere with Duan Rong!

Li Ruojian's figure was like a ghost, and with a few leaps, he jumped into the pitch-black Maid Courtyard.

The moment he landed in the courtyard, his Divine Sense was suddenly released; there was no one in the courtyard, and his Divine Sense instantly locked onto Li Ruozhou, who was tied to the dead wooden stake in the middle of the courtyard.

In the darkness, a cruel smile flashed across Li Ruojian's face.

"Elder brother, do you know? The only way I can forgive you is to kill you with my own hands! If there is a next life, may we, in the two worlds of yin and yang, never meet again!"

In the darkness, Li Ruojian drew his Long Sword, and with a flash of cold light, he struck toward Li Ruozhou's heart.

Li Ruozhou's entire Qi had been scattered by Duan Rong, and he was still in a state of unconsciousness; with this one sword strike, he could take Li Ruozhou's life.

Just as Li Ruojian thrust his sword out, a figure suddenly leaped up in the night sky from behind the east building.

In the dark night sky, a Plum Blossom Afterimage suddenly bloomed by Duan Rong's hand, and a Phosphor Crystal Flying Needle, with a flash of cold light, pierced straight at Li Ruojian's brow.

Li Ruojian was greatly alarmed and swung his sword to deflect it.

"Ding!" He knocked the flying needle away, and Duan Rong leaped, his white, glistening gloves pinching the Phosphor Crystal Flying Needle that Li Ruojian had knocked away!

Li Ruojian was greatly alarmed!

He knew very well what it meant for the flying needle he had knocked away in a hurry to be caught in mid-air by Duan Rong.

The moment he swung his sword to knock it away, based on his sword path, Duan Rong had already judged the direction the flying needle would be knocked, and thus had been waiting there long ago. Based on this one point, the difference in their martial arts attainments was immediately clear!

Duan Rong pinched the flying needle and said coldly, "Brother Li, Duan had long expected you to have this trick! This move of yours is not very honorable!"

Li Ruojian looked sadly at the center of the courtyard; he knew Li Ruozhou was tied right there.

The moment Duan Rong appeared, he knew that the opportunity for a life turnaround he had racked his brains to plan had already been buried.

It was absolutely impossible for Duan Rong to let him kill Li Ruozhou!

In the darkness, Duan Rong had already leaped onto the wall; he looked at Li Ruojian, who was standing dazed in the courtyard, and said, "Still not leaving?!"

Li Ruojian sighed, turned his head and left, and together with Duan Rong, leaped out of the Maid Courtyard.

The two had just exited the Maid Courtyard when Lv Qingzhu came to meet them; at this time, the maids carrying the lanterns were only a few zhang away.

Lv Qingzhu glanced at Li Ruojian, looked at Duan Rong, and asked in a low voice, "Are you alright?"

Duan Rong said, "I'm fine! Let's go!"

The three executed their movement techniques and darted into the dense forest; after darting for a good distance inside the dense forest, they only then suddenly Wind Rode and rose into the night sky, heading toward the direction of the deep valley.

In the night sky, Duan Rong's Divine Sense remained locked onto Li Ruojian the entire way.

Li Ruojian naturally could also feel the shroud of Duan Rong's Divine Sense; if it were before, Duan Rong acting in such a manner would certainly be extremely offensive, but given what had just occurred, Duan Rong merely using his Divine Sense to lock onto him was already being extremely polite to him.

When Duan Rong first found Li Ruojian, he had already known of this person's danger.

Especially when it came to plotting, Li Ruojian had given his all without holding anything back; if not for him teaching Lv Qingzhu the method to open and close the spring mechanism of the Longevity Lock that Li Ruozhou wore around his neck, Duan Rong would never have been able to beat Li Ruozhou until his nose was bruised and his face was swollen!

But Duan Rong had long been guarding against Li Ruojian! Using Li Ruojian was, from the start, a double-edged sword!

Just now in the Maid Courtyard, if Li Ruojian had killed Li Ruozhou, this crime would have fallen upon Lv Qingzhu!

After all, it was Lv Qingzhu who had asked Li Ruozhou to come out.

And Lv Qingzhu, in order to cover for Duan Rong, would spare no effort and take all the blame upon himself!

By doing so, Li Ruojian could also retreat unscathed! After all, if Lv Qingzhu were to expose him, Duan Rong would also be implicated.

If Li Ruozhou were to die, he would be the primary candidate to inherit the position of Young Sect Master of the Tianyan Sect.

Li Ruojian had calculated Lv Qingzhu's intentions precisely, which was why he dared to make such a move!

"This person truly has the heart of a jackal!" Duan Rong thought to himself, "Usually, people who have suffered endless torture will also stop at nothing; one must be most careful of such people!"

(End of chapter)