Chapter 568: 521 The Sole Awakened

The two Abyss Envoys left in the end.

Tang Zhao insisted on etiquette, escorting the two Abyss Envoys all the way to outside the main gate, and even walked several miles with them. Given his status, escorting the Abyss Envoys was actually considered a bit light in weight. To avoid making Changfa Manor appear too impolite, Xing Cang, as the Grand Steward, had no choice but to follow along.

Once He and Pipa disappeared into the shadows of the sky, the rest of the group stopped in their tracks.

It was time to return to the manor.

"Grand Steward, such great joyous news must be reported to the Master." Tang Zhao dragged the three Heart Incense, saying excitedly: "I will go down the mountain now to offer these three treasures to the Master. You go back first, I am leaving immediately."

Seeing his pretentious act, Xing Cang felt a wave of disgust, but he had long expected this—wasn't it just that he didn't intend to return once he left the manor, fearing he would be imprisoned by him?

He calculated in his heart for a moment.

Now that the two Abyss Envoys were gone, the biggest obstacle was no longer present; he could choose to forcibly keep Xing Qi behind.

But after weighing it, he chose not to take action. The best opportunity had just been lost, and since they were already outside the manor, taking action now would inevitably lead to more complications. Although he was confident in subduing this slave, he lacked the means of control to ensure he could not escape. If it turned into a chaotic mess, it would not be ideal.

Of course, the ethereal "care" the two Abyss Envoys had shown for Xing Qi also influenced him slightly; he was a bit intimidated.

Most importantly, he held a trump card; in half a month, he would surely be able to sweep the other side away with thunderous force, so he didn't care about temporary gains or losses.

Little did he know, Tang Zhao had sensed his desire to act and his subsequent retreat, and felt a bit disappointed in his heart.

He had gained a great deal from his trip to Wangliang Mountain in every aspect. Xing Cang's value had greatly decreased, while the hidden dangers were gradually rising. If the old man had made a move, Tang Zhao would have taken the opportunity to slaughter him, which would have been very convenient.

What a pity.

Never mind. He had a hypothesis; if it were true, Xing Cang still had another layer of value. Let him live for now.

Tang Zhao casually invited Xing Cang to go down the mountain with him, but Xing Cang naturally refused. Having finally made it up the mountain, how could he return under the eyes of that YoungMaster? Tang Zhao hadn't been sincere in his invitation either, so he didn't press the matter. The two seemed to have forgotten their subtle confrontation at the manor gate and their mutual barbs about each other's fates, returning to a state of equality, chatting and laughing as if nothing had happened before bidding each other farewell.

Tang Zhao still took Xing Wu down the mountain.

Xing Wu was a relatively weak person, his strength was only average, and his Sword Intent was somewhat interesting. Although his heart leaned toward his new master, one could not expect him to show any resistance toward Xing Cang. In this regard, he was not even as good as the dim-witted Xing Shisan who remained at the foot of the mountain. But Tang Zhao still took him, saving him from Xing Cang's grasp.

Firstly, it was to consolidate his position, and secondly, there was an experiment that required Xing Wu's cooperation.

The two left the manor, and seeing that they were getting further and further away from Xing Cang, Xing Wu couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief.

Tang Zhao said: "What, you don't like staying in the manor either?"

The word "either" made Xing Wu relax a bit more, and he nodded: "Who would like staying on the mountain? Except for the Grand Steward."

Tang Zhao laughed: "Exactly. I didn't want to go up the mountain in the first place, and with the Grand Steward there, I wanted to even less."

Xing Wu nodded. Although he didn't dare to say too much, badmouthing the boss in private with a colleague was truly pleasing. He thought of something and said: "You must not tell the Master about you entering the Recording Circle today. If you do, even if the Master trusts you, he will be wary in his heart, and you will lose your reason for existing. Don't worry, none of us will tell the Master, not even the Grand Steward. This is the tacit understanding among servants."

Tang Zhao naturally wouldn't refute words that were flawless on the surface, saying: "I know. But do you think the Grand Steward will hide this matter?"

Xing Wu sighed: "He will. A Sword Slave intruding into the Master's heart and touching the sacrificial treasures is not only a grave sin, but would also bring disgrace to Changfa Manor, making it despised by other manors. The Grand Steward deeply values the manor and will never leak this scandal. You see, he himself has never entered that place."

Tang Zhao said: "He can't enter, right? The old Master planted the locust trees outside the Recording Circle specifically to guard against his pine trees. Using trees to guard against trees—that is also quite clever."

Upon hearing this, Xing Wu suddenly paused and said: "Whether it is to guard against them, we servants dare not speculate. Old Seven, do you mean you think the Grand Steward's Sword Image is a pine tree?"

Tang Zhao asked in return: "Isn't it?"

Sword Guests of Wangliang Mountain rarely made moves, and outsiders could not know the details of their swords. Although Xing Cang had a record of slaughter, no one had seen clearly how he made his moves. Wei Zhangle had probed for information, but only guessed that his Sword Image might be the manor itself. Only with the help of the entire manor could he maintain a crushing advantage while facing many opponents.

But after Tang Zhao went up the mountain and observed Changfa Manor, he still didn't think it was the Sword Image. With his Inspiration, if it were truly the Sword Image, he would have sensed it. Instead, the ubiquitous pine trees seemed more like the Sword Image. Using the branches and pine needles of the pine trees to penetrate every wood and stone to control the manor—didn't it look just like the manor was obeying orders?

Xing Wu lowered his voice and said: "I dare not assert whether it is, but you should know... Xing San thought so."

Tang Zhao raised an eyebrow, and Xing Wu continued: "Back then, he once told me this speculation in private, asking me to guard against those pine trees. Perhaps he guessed right. But later he died without a sound, which shows his precautions weren't very useful, right?"

Tang Zhao frowned: "Is that so..."

Xing Wu sighed: "You know my Sword Image is the SourceOfLife, and it is particularly sensitive to the aura of life. From what I can see, those pine trees should be true life."

Tang Zhao pondered: Xing Wu's words also made sense. Then... if he guessed wrong and it wasn't the pine trees, what was Xing Cang's Sword Image?

The two went down the mountain all the way and finally returned to the dye house.

At this time, many of the surrounding banquet sheds had been removed, and the area in front of the main gate had become much quieter.

As soon as they entered, they saw Jiang Shenyi coming out of the door, full of excitement. Seeing Tang Zhao, he felt slightly surprised, but immediately became even happier, saying: "You're back? Perfect, I have a piece of good news, a huge piece of good news! Come with me!"

Tang Zhao nodded to Xing Wu and followed Jiang Shenyi to the back.

Seeing him leave, Xing Wu felt a bit melancholy: in the manor, he was naturally walking on thin ice, but down the mountain, he was also isolated from the Master's confidants; it was clear he didn't fit in anywhere. This was normal; they weren't the same kind of people, so how could he easily integrate?

Yet Xing Qi could be so harmonious with the people on the Master's side, and he didn't know how he managed it.

Jiang Shenyi pulled Tang Zhao into the inner courtyard. Even though he had been in a rush to announce some big news just a moment ago, he was calm now. Instead, he put on a straight face, revealing a mysterious smile, and said: "I have a piece of heaven-sent good news here. Guess what it is?"

Tang Zhao said: "You have already solved the problem of the Sword Seed invading the Inspiration?"

Jiang Shenyi: "..."

After a moment, Jiang Shenyi said resentfully: "You actually guessed it... Even if you guessed it, couldn't you have pretended to think about it for a while before saying it? It would have been more interesting if you had guessed wrong once or twice first."

Tang Zhao laughed: "It's not that I guessed it, it's that I have confidence in my Senior Brother. With your ability, it's no surprise that you solved this unprecedented difficult problem after days of dedicated research. If I had hesitated, been incredulous, or didn't even dare to think about it, that would be a lack of trust in your ability!"

Jiang Shenyi was somewhat satisfied, saying: "That's true. It wasn't that easy for me, either; it was just luck that I had a breakthrough. As for your project..." Seeing Tang Zhao's gentle smile, he suddenly raised his voice: "You succeeded too?"

Tang Zhao laughed: "Look, you aren't that surprised either, which shows that we brothers trust each other."

Jiang Shenyi paused and said angrily: "Nonsense, I'm very surprised, okay? I'm not surprised that you have the ability to research the project, but where did you find the time? I was watching the banquet sheds all day, researching with all my might, while you were entangled in chores, busy welcoming guests and dealing with conspiracies. Did you research it in your dreams? And researching how to sever the sacrificial relationship between Wangliang and the Sword Slaves must have required going up Wangliang Mountain. You only went there once, and you solved it in a mere two or three days? Is there any reason left in this world for you?"

Tang Zhao said with a grin: "Luck, it really was luck. I was able to solve it not because of my own knowledge, but because I inadvertently caught a glimpse of a secret of Wangliang Mountain, which instantly pierced through that layer of window paper, and everything became clear. Compared to that, liberating the sacrificial Sword Slaves is a small matter. Perhaps this is the key to us dismantling the power of Wangliang Mountain. Come, come, let's go see Jinwu Dianxia and study it together."

Jiang Shenyi was pushed along by him, grumbling: "Stop grinning. If it were Azhao's appearance, that would be fine, but with your current appearance, grinning like that is really hard to take..."

The two talked and laughed as they entered the main courtyard of the Golden Crow. Because the news of Tang Zhao's return was not kept secret, their own people already knew by now, so they naturally returned to the main courtyard. The two were in no hurry and waited in the courtyard.

At this moment, the first person to enter was actually Wei Zhangle.

Tang Zhao had always been concerned about this old friend who had suffered so much, and he stepped forward to examine his state. His complexion was better than before, but in just a few days, it was impossible to say he had been reborn or was full of spirit; he could only recuperate slowly. He asked: "Zhangle, how have these two days been?"

Wei Zhangle nodded and said: "Very good. I sleep very soundly; I won't be startled awake by others, nor will I be startled awake by myself." As he spoke, with a *zheng* sound, he drew a Sword.

Jiang Shenyi, standing behind, felt slightly surprised, not understanding why Wei Zhangle drew his sword, but he was not nervous. This came from his trust in Tang Zhao: firstly, he trusted that Tang Zhao accepting Wei Zhangle meant the relationship was reliable, and secondly, he trusted Tang Zhao's strength; even with Wei Zhangle holding a Treasure Sword close at hand, he couldn't hurt a Sword Hero in the slightest.

Likewise, Tang Zhao was even less nervous, only thoughtful. His peace of mind came from his trust in Wei Zhangle, and he guessed in his heart that this should be related to their previous agreement.

It was just that he had already forgotten.

While Tang Zhao waited calmly, Wei Zhangle swung his sword:

"Sword Art—Sole Awakening!"

It was as if a great stone pressing down on a spring had been moved, and countless spring waters gushed forth. Tang Zhao's memories suddenly became abundant, and he clapped his hands together:

"That's right! Miss Ling, I left her at Sunset Manor."