Chapter 89

Five-colored mist supported Xing Yuxian's body as she flew in the air, hearing Zhou Shuo's words, she hovered in the air for a moment, then without any lingering, directly shot through the void and flew away; she is not a fool, naturally understood what Zhou Shuo meant; if it weren't for her father Xing Xuan, she would also be among those kept secret.

"Hong Yi, the rest is up to you, let those guys opposite keep quiet." Zhou Shuo looked at the girl who had flown away on her own, raised his hand toward Hong Yi in the sky, and spoke to signal clearing the area.

"How do we keep it secret?" Chan Yin Sha didn't quite understand Zhou Shuo's words.

"Only the dead will be the most secretive." Zhou Shuo rolled his eyes at the sister who didn't understand, "Is my meaning that hard to grasp?"

In fact, Zhou Shuo's words are indeed somewhat hard to understand for most people; besides the flying Xing Yuxian, most of the people below are in a fog, including Hong Yi himself; however he is also someone who doesn't hesitate, after the attempt to induce surrender was rejected, he suffered an attack ordered by Wei Lei, immediately released the Wuji Arrow; that arrow is not much use against true masters, but against those little lackeys it's one shot one kill, easily taking care of several boatloads of people; Hong Yi then used some words, provoking a servant of Wei Lei named Lei Lie to kill him.

After killing Wei Lei, Hong Yi then used the surrendering Lei Lie to detain the remaining troops of the Wei family; as for the Golden Wolf Guard subordinates abandoned by Xing Yuxian, after they refused to surrender, Hong Yi did not act, but Chan Yin Sha swiftly drew the Chengxiao Sword and slaughtered the Golden Wolf Guard on over thirty boats, leaving none alive, showing no mercy.

After clearing out the Golden Wolf Guard, the battle ended completely; Hong Yi's men began to quickly clean the battlefield, disarming all the detained Wei family troops and then imprisoning them on one ship; fortunately, this time the troops brought by Wei Lei were all his own household retainers, not soldiers of the Jinghai Army, otherwise Hong Yi would have had a headache.

Regarding the post-battle cleanup, Zhou Shuo lacked interest; he ordered Hong Yi's subordinate Zhou Daxian to prepare a quiet room, and he and Chan Yin Sha waited for Hong Yi to come himself; and Hong Yi, being shrewd and capable, finished handling matters in less than a moment, then personally brought the Shocking Heaven Bow, Wuji Arrow, and some armor and weapons over.

"Shuo Brother, this Shocking Heaven Bow and Wuji Arrow return to their original owner; as for these Silver Shark Armor, Black Gold Kasaya, and swords, they are spoils, we split them seventy-thirty." Hong Yi had the attendants who brought the armor and weapons retreat, then solemnly returned the Shocking Heaven Bow and Wuji Arrow to Zhou Shuo's presence, the intent within the bow and arrow having been fully withdrawn, and then spoke of the distribution of the armor and weapons.

"Yi Brother, you really handle things in an orderly manner." Zhou Shuo looked at the armor and weapons on the ground, as well as the Shocking Heaven Bow and Wuji Arrow presented before him, lifted his gaze to the bright-eyed youth, smiled and took the bow and arrow, then casually handed them to Chan Yin Sha beside him; Hong Yi returning the Shocking Heaven Bow and Wuji Arrow would have been enough, but he also sent over those spoils, clearly implying something else, preparing to speak openly.

"We scholars naturally have a measure in our hearts; Brother Shuo's assistance today, Hong Yi keeps it in mind; however Hong Yi has one thing unclear: just a month ago, Hong Yi had only a passing acquaintance with the two of you, why today do you assist Hong Yi so much?" Hong Yi looked at Zhou Shuo's smiling face, and at Chan Yin Sha, who after receiving the Shocking Heaven Bow and Wuji Arrow remained motionless, merely as a listener, and poured out his doubts.

Indeed, Hong Yi felt a little moved by Zhou Shuo's help just now, but Hong Yi is not the type easily swayed by emotion; he can sense that Zhou Shuo is approaching him with a purpose, not asking what that purpose is, not figuring out who Zhou Shuo is, he will never acknowledge a stranger as a friend.

"Brother Yi's cultivation is the Past Amitabha Sutra of the Great Chan Temple, right?" Zhou Shuo looked at the boy who was speaking openly, his smile still on his face, while Chan Yin Sha beside him suddenly lifted her head, gazing at Hong Yi with surprise; the Past Amitabha Sutra, one of the Great Chan Temple's three supreme scriptures, grants indestructible soul and spirit, no wonder this fellow could recover in the Heavenly Fan Gale just now.

"How did Brother Shuo figure that out?" Hong Yi's pupils contracted slightly; he had managed to rise from a scholar to his current level in just a few years, indeed relying on accidentally obtaining the Past Amitabha Sutra, but this information, even his closest confidants he had never told, how could this guy know?

"I cultivate the Present Tathagata Sutra." Zhou Shuo looked at the youth whose pupils had contracted slightly but who still maintained a composed posture, and raised his chin slightly.

"Is Brother Shuo a remnant of the Great Chan Temple?" Hong Yi looked at the guy who slightly raised his chin, his heart gaining some faint understanding; just before Zhou Shuo arrived, he also had a vague premonition, if there were a connection among the Great Chan Temple's three supreme scriptures, then perhaps it was possible.

"No, my master is the Supreme Dao Elder; the Present Tathagata Sutra is just something I accidentally obtained; regarding you, I have some vague premonition, and after your battle with Xing Yuxian just now, I confirmed my premonition." Zhou Shuo rounded out his own words.

"Brother Shuo wants the Past Amitabha Sutra in my hand, right?" Hong Yi listened to Zhou Shuo's words, pondered in his heart, and at the same time spoke to test.

"Not bad, just don't know if Brother Yi can meet my request." Zhou Shuo looked at the boy who understood the implication, likewise smiled and probed; that secret manual which can instantly fill one's soul and spirit with blood, one of the Great Chan Temple's three supreme scriptures, he is very interested in it.

"I am willing to present it with clasped hands, but Hong Yi hopes Brother Shuo can do me a favor!" Hong Yi, upon hearing Zhou Shuo's probing words, agreed without thinking; he is fundamentally no match for Zhou Shuo, Zhou Shuo's visit this time is aimed at him, he has no choice.

"What favor? I won't take it for nothing; I will share the Present Tathagata Sutra in my hand with you." Zhou Shuo, hearing Hong Yi's words, couldn't help but raise his eyebrows; his earlier words were merely a probe, he had never intended to take Hong Yi's things for free, but what favor to help Hong Yi with, that's hard to say.

"Hong Yi would rather not have the Present Tathagata Sutra, but please Brother Shuo help with this favor, assist me in seeking justice for my mother." Facing Zhou Shuo's words, Hong Yi hesitated not at all, rose from his seat, bowed to the other party, and solemnly presented his insistence.

"Brother Yi's family affairs, how could I interfere?" Zhou Shuo glanced askance; indeed it was this matter, but he had never intended to get involved; between Meng Bingyun and Hong Xuanji, there is fundamentally no right or wrong, no injustice, it's merely a case of victor and vanquished.

"There is a saying: elder brother is like a father, how could I not intervene?" Hong Yi without hesitation found a reason.

"Brother Hong, you're joking; I think better this way: I'll exchange the content of the Present Tathagata Sutra in my hand for your Past Amitabha Sutra, and later I'll think of a way to help you kill Hong Xuanji, but I won't raise any banner of justice." Zhou Shuo looked at Hong Yi, who had lost all face, and couldn't help but collect his expression, even changing his mode of address; he would rather challenge Hong Xuanji than meddle in this marital discord and filial opposition.

"Brother Zhou, from your tone it seems you know about the past events; do you think my mother's treatment was just?" Hong Yi lifted his head to look at Zhou Shuo whose tone had shifted, his own manner of address also changed accordingly, carrying a heavy question; now it is no longer limited to a transaction, but a matter of cognition.

"My master is the Supreme Dao Elder; you ask if I know or not, as for your mother's matter." Zhou Shuo looked at the youth questioning him, also not angry, because his tone like this is entirely due to his longing for his mother and his hatred for his father, believing his father treated his mother unfairly, even secretly killing her, which violates familial ethics.

"Your mother, from the very beginning when she approached your father, her purpose was not pure; she chose your father as the next generation's Supreme Dao Sect Leader……." Zhou Shuo looked at the youth, his words not yet finished, when the other party snatched them away.

"My mother chose him to be the Supreme Dao Sect Leader, with sincere devotion to him, and he! He allowed the Zhao clan to secretly harm my mother." Hong Yi could not accept this statement; his mother chose Hong Xuanji to be the next Supreme Dao Sect Leader, such sincere devotion, yet he repaid his mother with what?

"Sincere devotion is indeed sincere devotion, but do you know what the requirement is to become Supreme Dao Sect Leader? To follow the Supreme Dao of forgetting emotions, to oversee the world's imperial authority; you grew up from childhood in the Wu Wen Hou mansion, you should understand your father's character, right?" Zhou Shuo looked at the youth with bloodshot eyes, shook his head and refuted his words.

"Supreme Dao forgetting emotions, overseeing the world's imperial authority……" Hong Yi held back tears welling in his eyes, his gaze flickered slightly, then he murmured a repeat.

"Your father is a Confucian scholar, severing heavenly principle, extinguishing human desire; his Dao and the Supreme Dao's concept are completely opposite; the affection between your mother and your father is precisely because of sincere devotion, turning what should have been fulfillment into tragedy, the two went from lovers to opposing sides in a gamble, in this gamble whoever first falls into the net of emotion loses first." Zhou Shuo clarified the youth's thinking, aside from not wanting to meddle in others' family affairs, it's because he does not agree with Hong Yi's original line of thought.

"So, my mother lost." Hong Yi, hearing the explanation, widened his eyes, somewhat unable to accept; his loving mother and hateful father have come to this point, entirely because of themselves, then what am I, what am I?

"Yes, she lost, many think she lost utterly, I also thought so, until I saw you, I realized she had not surrendered; if she had surrendered, she wouldn't have needed to die." Zhou Shuo looked at the dazed Hong Yi, paused slightly, then asked a question.

"Has anyone told you that you are the person most like your father?"

"What do you mean?" Hong Yi gathered the tears in his eyes and looked at Zhou Shuo.

"Nothing much, the two most similar people are not similar in what they do, but in their personalities being completely alike; such a personality is like a blessing that is also a curse: when I grew up I became you." Zhou Shuo averted his gaze, revealing a harsh fact.