Chapter 233

Jiang Jiang Feihu's curses naturally drew Lu Lu Yuanlang's deadly response; as the most gifted among the inner disciples of Tianmu Mountain, he had never been so openly insulted—even the enemies he'd killed in the past either clung to false hope without cursing, or never had time to speak before dying.

Though only one curse had been uttered, in his thirty years of cultivation, it was the first time ever.

The result of cursing? His head flew high into the air.

From Jiang Jiang Feihu onward, Lu Lu Yuanlang's strikes grew faster; anyone who answered even slightly wrong was executed immediately, leaving no chance for further curses.

Even on Wulong Mountain, few were as fearless of death as Jiang Jiang Feihu, yet no one knew Wei Wei Hongqing's whereabouts—some claimed he went to Lingnan, others to Wu-Er Yue, some to the north, still others to Ba-Shu.

But Lu Lu Yuanlang was not easily deceived; by observing expressions and asking a few questions, he instantly discerned truth from lies. Filled with bitter rage, he left not a single survivor, killing several more in succession.

Liu Liu Xiaolou, though filled with grief and fury, was deeply moved: ten had been killed, and not one had named him as one of the "Twin Prodigies of Wulong Mountain" alongside Wei Wei Hongqing. Of course, what might come later was uncertain—but for now, the conduct of Wulong Mountain's disciples was truly worthy of tears and praise.

After killing the tenth, Lu Lu Yuanlang finally turned to Yun Ao. He unsealed Yun Ao's acupoints and dragged him forward; Yun Ao was terrified, babbling frantically: "I'm Yun Ao of Bai Yun Villa! From Danxia Sect! I'm Danxia Sect! I'm not from Wulong Mountain!"

Lu Lu Yuanlang paused, regaining a sliver of reason: "You say you're from Danxia Sect? Prove it."

Yun Ao said: "My home is south of Mount Mount Shenwu, a thousand li from here! I… I'm the son-in-law of the Hua family—your Tianmu Mountain's branch line! My wife's given name is Hua Fusu, second daughter of the main Hua household. My father-in-law is Hua Hua Mengmei; my brother-in-law is Hua Hua Fuxin, an official in Tianmu's inner sect."

To name such connections, it was almost certainly true. Yun Ao added: "My family's ancestral Bai Yun Sword Art—lend me a sword!"

When captured last night, his Bai Yun Sword had been left on Qianzhu Ridge; he urgently needed to demonstrate to prove he was truly of the Yun lineage.

Lu Lu Yuanlang gestured, summoning a longsword from the corpses he'd just slain, and tossed it to Yun Ao. Yun Ao infused his true qi into the blade, and instantly a three-foot sword aura erupted, crackling with lightning.

The sword was a low-grade magic treasure; the lightning often flickered during demonstration—but the Danxia Sect's thunder-and-wind essence was unmistakably displayed, truly befitting a great sect's stature.

Looking at Yun Ao's attire and the cool jade pendant at his waist, Lu Lu Yuanlang finally believed: which bandit would waste such an ornamental, useless item? Whoever owned such a thing would've sold it long ago for spirit stones.

At this moment, Lu Lu Yuanlang felt a faint relief: had he acted without asking, he might now have made an enemy of Danxia Sect. In a few days he was to test his sword at Danxia Grotto—what would it mean if he'd killed one of their disciples?

"Your family is high-born—how did you end up in this den of bandits?" Lu Lu Yuanlang asked, his relief tinged with displeasure.

"I came seeking the Su family's son-in-law…" Yun Ao pointed to Liu Liu Xiaolou behind him.

Lu Lu Yuanlang thought a moment: "Come to think of it… there was something like that." He unsealed Liu Liu Xiaolou's acupoints: "You're not living as Su's son-in-law—why return to Wulong Mountain as a bandit? Haven't you reverted to your bandit nature?"

As Liu Liu Xiaolou rose, he stumbled, nearly falling again; as he turned to sit up, he shoved his qiankun pouch deeper into his undergarments, terrified—this unknown storage treasure could not be worn so carelessly. He feared Lu Lu Yuanlang would search him, but had no way to stop it, only answering with a blank face: "I was divorced by the Su family." He unconsciously reached into his robe and pulled out a yellow sheet, sending it flying toward Lu Lu Yuanlang.

Lu Lu Yuanlang caught it, sneered: "So that's it." He tossed the divorce decree back and asked: "Do you know where Wei Wei Hongqing went?"

Liu Liu Xiaolou shook his head: "Wei Wei Hongqing left Wulong Mountain years ago; I've never heard he returned. I only came back last year, after being divorced… Who among Wulong Mountain's people would return if they had even a shred of hope to rise? Third Young Master, you've seen it—so many killed. Do you think none of us fear death? We all fear it, dread it—but no one knows where he went."

Seeing Lu Lu Yuanlang no longer killed indiscriminately but allowed them to speak, Liu Liu Xiaolou finally gathered courage: "Wulong Mountain's people may not be good, but they all seek cultivation. If you punish them for their crimes, I have no words—but if you kill them merely to extract Wei Wei Hongqing's whereabouts, please reconsider!"

Lu Lu Yuanlang scanned the group, then said: "Given you once were Su's son-in-law, I'll spare you. Return to your mountain. Lu San's actions are none of your concern!"

With that, he gestured, pulling another person beside him—it was the young Li Busan.

The boy was drenched in sweat, eyes wide with terror, unable to speak, trembling uncontrollably.

Liu Liu Xiaolou was stunned: this boy had been like a half-disciple to him, having guided and trained him for a year—he couldn't be killed so carelessly. He shouted: "Third Young Master, spare his life! He's only sixteen, just entered the Second Layer—he knows nothing!"

Lu Lu Yuanlang unsealed Li Busan's acupoints, staring coldly: "So what if I kill him? Born in a den of bandits, killing him is right. He may be innocent now, but later he might become a bandit who harms the world. Will you become a bandit?"

Li Busan trembled like a sieve, his teeth chattering uncontrollably—he clearly feared him to the core, and in answering, couldn't tell if he was nodding or shaking his head.

Lu Lu Yuanlang said slowly: "Very well—I'll take your silence as a shake of the head. If you won't be a bandit, speak truthfully. No lies. Tell me: where did Wei Wei Hongqing go?"

Li Busan answered almost in tears: "I… I don't know…"

Lu Lu Yuanlang pressed: "Then tell me—who is most likely to know?"

Li Busan shut his eyes, two tears streaming down: "I… really… don't… know…"

Lu Lu Yuanlang's face turned icy, his hand rising: "Not afraid of death?"

His master, Longshan Dai Sanren, had his meridians sealed, unable to move or speak, only gasping hoarsely in his throat—barely audible even to himself—helplessly watching, tears streaming down his aged face.

Liu Liu Xiaolou blocked again, stepping before Li Busan and bowing low: "Third Young Master, spare him—he's still a child."

Lu Lu Yuanlang frowned: "Move aside."

Liu Liu Xiaolou bowed again, bending even lower, truly panicked: "He's still a child, Third Young Master!"

Lu Lu Yuanlang said nothing, swept his sleeve—and Liu Liu Xiaolou was struck hard, flying several zhang away, chest constricted, unable to rise. But he didn't care; he lay on the ground shouting: "Yun Brother, stop him! Don't kill the child! Don't kill him! Yun Brother, he's the one I brought to General Temple—you've seen him twice!"

Yun Ao gritted his teeth and stepped forward: "Third Young Master, spare him."

Lu Lu Yuanlang roared: "Who spared my two brothers? My cousin Lu Zhongqiu died—Wei did it! And my younger brother—my own flesh-and-blood brother—also killed by him! He hid on the mountain for five years, deceived me for five years! That dog…"

Yun Ao had no reply. Liu Liu Xiaolou shouted from the ground: "But you can't kill children!"

Lu Lu Yuanlang snorted: "Sixteen? A child? At sixteen, I was already killing bandits! Move!"

At that moment, a voice echoed up from Ghost Dream Cliff: "To elders, a child is always a child."

The words barely finished when a dark shadow drifted up, arriving behind Lu Lu Yuanlang. Lu Lu Yuanlang, unwilling to expose his back to an unknown foe, instinctively stepped three paces sideways, facing the newcomer: "Who are you?"

The man who climbed the mountain appeared around fifty, slender, his cheekbones and every bone beneath jutting out like the gnarled branches of a withered tree—his appearance was deeply odd.

He chuckled: "You're Lu Lu Yuanlang? They say you're the rising star of the next generation of Tianmu Mountain—how do you compare to Qu Xuan of Zhanglong Sect? Ah, I'm Tu Tu Junyi. I heard Wulong Mountain had trouble, so I came to see—and indeed… Didn't your Sect Master ever tell you Wulong Mountain is a boundary mountain? Don't wander here recklessly."

Lu Lu Yuanlang nodded: "So you're Elder Tu. My apologies. I've just emerged from seclusion and knew nothing of boundary mountains—I only know vengeance. Please don't stand in my way."