Chapter 274: 266 Probing

"Good mountains, good water, good and cool!"

Yun Xiyan sat by the bank, trailing her hand through the water, feeling the clear, bright ripples flow between her fingers. She plucked a reed to tease the golden carp in the shallows, then scattered millet to feed the school of fish, watching them swim east and then west, enjoying a simple and pure happiness.

The summer heat dissipated, and the breeze by the water was cool; she played like this for the entire morning.

"There is nature here, and there is vitality; it is truly a fine place. Isn't this more interesting than that pile of artificial craftsmanship in Jianzhou?"

Yun Xiyan, who had previously felt this place was unremarkable, quickly changed her mind and grew increasingly fond of these mountains and waters. When it came down to it, this girl had a nature that clearly distinguished love from hate; if she found you pleasing, everything about you was pleasing, and if she didn't, then nothing about you was right. Since she had forced herself to think this place was good for Tang Zhao's sake, she felt it was even better, until in the end, she brainwashed herself, feeling that this shallow marsh was even better than the great sea of Jianzhou.

At this moment, her words of admiration came entirely from the heart; she had not intended for anyone to hear them, because there was no one around to begin with.

"Oh, so you mean to say, Miss, that you have been to Jianzhou?"

A voice rose from nearby.

Yun Xiyan frowned. It was the voice of a young man; although the voice was low and pleasant, the interruption was too abrupt.

She turned her head to look, only to see a fair-skinned young man standing in the reeds behind her. His skin was so white it was almost translucent, like the texture of ice, and he wore a white curly-fur cloak—wearing this in the July weather was quite reminiscent of the "rinsing stones and using a stream as a pillow" lifestyle.

Yun Xiyan had to admit that this person was indeed handsome, his temperament cold and detached, possessing an otherworldly air. Among the people she knew, only a few, such as Tang Zhao, could compare; under normal circumstances, it was hard to feel animosity toward him.

But Yun Xiyan's situation was not normal. She had come out to relax at the words of Lady Hua Rong, intending to cast aside her worries and be carefree and happy alone. Yet, having finally felt a bit better, she was disturbed by this person, and she could not help but feel greatly displeased. Furthermore, she immediately felt a sense of vigilance in her heart.

Could it be that someone with ill intent had come knocking?

Moreover, the position this person stood in was very particular; it was exactly at a node where he could converse but remained outside her range of alertness, to the point that Yun Xiyan only noticed his presence when he spoke. This showed he was experienced, making his stance even more suspicious.

However, Yun Xiyan could not convict him just like that. After all, the two were complete strangers, and he could also be a friend of Zhuoyu Villa. It was not convenient for Yun Xiyan to be too blunt, so she nodded and said, "Mm, I have been."

The young man smiled and walked closer, saying, "Could it be the Spring Talisman Assembly that concluded earlier this year?"

"Mm, that's right."

"How nostalgic." The young man maintained a steady, unhurried pace as he approached and squatted down on the bank with her. Yun Xiyan did not stop him; instead, she let him approach—after becoming a Sword Guest, she had become increasingly confident. If this strange young man were to suddenly attack, that would be for the best; it would save her the trouble of using her brain to analyze things back and forth, and she would just sweep him away with one sword strike.

"I also participated in the Talisman Assembly back then, the session four years ago. It was also in Jianzhou. Kungang Snow Mountain, the sun shining on Jin Ding—the scenery at the summit is worth remembering for a lifetime. Not to mention that one could make good friends there; we were all Talisman Sword Masters of the same age, gathering to chat, exchange Rune Formulas, study knowledge, and talk freely about the future. There is no memory more beautiful than that."

He had truly hit the right topic. Yun Xiyan could not help but think of the events at the Talisman Assembly, revealing a smile as she said, "Mm, indeed. Meeting new friends, going on adventures together, fighting together, drinking together—it was truly exhilarating."

The young man paused for a moment, feeling that his memory was a bit confused—was the Talisman Assembly a place where everyone drank and fought together? He forced a smile and said, "Oh, was the Talisman Assembly this year that lively? I heard Jianzhou was quite bustling this time?"

Yun Xiyan said offhandedly, "It was quite bustling. There's no need for me to say it; the whole world has heard of it. Things like the mountain collapsing, the Turtle Bandits, the Kun Sword—fighting until the mountains overturned and the seas surged; wasn't that lively enough?"

The young man showed an interested expression and continued to ask Yun Xiyan for details about the Talisman Assembly. Yun Xiyan thought this was not a secret matter, as many people had seen it, so she picked a few things that left a deep impression and said, "Later, when the big scene happened, I happened to be too far away, so I wasn't clear on it. But even if I were in the middle of the battlefield, it wouldn't have been of any use; I was only a Sword Student at the time. If anyone was going to steal the spotlight, it had to be my brother. You know, Tang Zhao of Zhuoyu Villa; he is now famous throughout the world."

The young man nodded and said, "I have long heard of Brother Tang's demeanor. It is precisely because I admire him that I had the audacity to come up the mountain to participate in the Sword Casting Conference of his sect. Fortunately, the Host is hospitable, and even someone like me, who has no prior acquaintance, was received with care."

He praised Zhuoyu Villa at great length. Yun Xiyan felt a sense of being half a host herself and smiled, saying, "They say the first time makes strangers, the second time makes friends; even if we weren't friends before, we are friends after this. Having more friends means more paths; when walking the pugilistic world, one should make more friends."

The young man smiled slightly and said, "Exactly, I also want to make a friend of you, Miss. Oh, I heard the speeches at the Talisman Assembly were also very brilliant; that Libationer Zhu... Zhu..."

Yun Xiyan interjected, "Zhu Yang."

The young man clapped his hands and said, "Right, Zhu Yang. I heard he put forth a theory that shocked the world."

Yun Xiyan laughed heartily and said, "Then you've asked... the wrong person! Although I am a registered Talisman Sword Master, I actually don't know the first thing about that stuff. I heard his theory and forgot it immediately. If you want to know, why don't you go ask Brother Jiang? He is also a talent of Zhuoyu Villa. He especially admires Libationer Zhu's theory. I feel that even Brother Tang only thinks it's average."

The young man said softly, "Of course I want to ask him."

Yun Xiyan said, "By the way, didn't anyone from your sect participate in this year's Talisman Assembly? Wouldn't it be better to ask your own junior brothers and sisters about theories?"

The young man sighed and said, "Ah, my younger brother went. But I haven't been able to ask him. We have been separated for half a year, and I still haven't seen him yet."

Yun Xiyan said casually, "What sect are you from? Maybe I've seen him?"

The young man said with a smile, "Yuanji Palace."

Yun Xiyan was startled and said, "Ah, that... I'm sorry." Because she was not a party involved, she did not know the final outcome for Xiao Guangwang, only vaguely hearing that he had died. She wanted to say "please accept my condolences," but felt it would be very rude to say that without confirming the news of his death, so she couldn't find the words for a moment and felt a bit awkward.

The young man said, "It seems you have heard of my humble sect? Did you see my younger brother at the assembly?"

Yun Xiyan said, "The Seven Great Factions, who hasn't heard of them? My ears have grown calluses from hearing the name Yuanji Palace. But I haven't seen Xiao Guangwang; I've only heard his name. I heard that he..."

Just as she was about to say something, she heard a splash in the distance.

Yun Xiyan looked up, saw a "familiar person," stood up, and said, "Sorry. My friend is calling me over; we'll see each other next time—" After saying this, she cupped her hands and went off along the bank like a gust of wind.

The young man watched her tall back, his eyes narrowing slightly, his lips moving silently:

"Ignorant fool."

Yet he did not know that in the marsh at his feet, a pair of eyes lay hidden in the sludge, staring at him coldly the entire time.

That was the eye of a crocodile.

Yun Xiyan chased after it all the way, reached the end of the stone beach, and fished her "familiar person" out of the water.

"I say, Old Gui, it was you who called me over, right?" Yun Xiyan said, "Is Brother Tang looking for me?"

The giant turtle, naturally Gui Ye, opened its mouth and said, "It's not him; he is still in seclusion. It's because I saw you were about to be sold out by someone, so I hurried over to save you."

Yun Xiyan said, "Nonsense, how could I possibly be... are you talking about that guy from Yuanji Palace just now? He really had ill intent? I thought his tone sounded off. Does Yuanji Palace also have a grudge against Zhuoyu Villa? Or was he impersonating someone?"

Gui Ye knew the ins and outs of the matter, but it was impossible to tell Yun Xiyan that Zhu Yang, the murderer who killed Xiao Guangwang, was still hiding here in Zhuoyu Villa, and that the victim's family had somehow found a lead and come to test the waters. It was afraid that if it told her, Yun Xiyan would let something slip, or that this girl with a heart like clear water would feel that she herself was the villain, so it said, "I don't know specifically if there is a grudge. But this person came a long time ago; he counts as one of the earliest to arrive. After arriving, he has been walking around here for several days, trying to pry information out of everyone he meets, setting all kinds of traps and probing; naturally, there is a ghost in his heart. You also know that our villa is now full of people with different motives; people's hearts are hard to fathom. Big Sister, you should just hang out with people you know. If you're bored, you can go browse the shops over there; it's best to pay little attention to strangers."

Yun Xiyan said "Mm," then suddenly stepped on the turtle's shell and said, "Good fellow, who are you calling Big Sister? You're so old, calling me Big Sister?"

Gui Ye retracted its head into its shell and said, "Alright, alright, you are the Big Younger Sister, I won't provoke you anymore."

Yun Xiyan hummed and said, "When did you come out? How long have you been separated from Brother Tang? How is he now? Is the Sword Casting going smoothly?"

Gui Ye said, "I've been separated from him for some days, so I don't know how things are on his side either. You know, the few days before the Sword Casting Conference are the most critical moments for Sword Casting; once a Treasure Sword is cast, there can be no mistakes, and it cannot be allowed to be destroyed by anyone. So they are currently secretly concentrating on refining the sword in a Sword Furnace. The location of that Sword Furnace is not told to anyone, otherwise, if someone found it, the possibility of it being destroyed would be high. As for me, I was originally supposed to stay at..., but I thought the villa was short of hands, and I couldn't help in other places—I can't fight and I can't carry—so it's better to be here and do some networking or something without attracting attention."

Yun Xiyan said disapprovingly, "Hiding and sneaking around in your own home, isn't that too stifling? In my opinion, whoever spies, just gouge out their eyes; whoever makes a move, just chop off their hands. Hey... you said that Xiao Guangwang's brother, could he be asking about his younger brother's affairs on the surface, while secretly probing for the location of the Sword Furnace?"

Gui Ye thought he might really be asking about Zhu Yang's whereabouts, but once Yun Xiyan said it, it also became vague; after all, Zhuoyu Villa should be suspicious of everyone right now.

Yun Xiyan slapped her palm and said, "Nine times out of ten. Dog thing, playing tricks with me; I'm going to go settle the score with him!"