Chapter 18: Huo Tianqing

The soft grass had already been dampened by dew; the night had grown deeper.

Huo Tianqing walked slowly through the courtyard. The light from the small building in the distance cast a glow upon his pale, haggard face, making him appear lonely and weary. Yet, his thin lips were slightly upturned; the smile seemed mocking, and yet it also held an indescribable sense of triumph.

Whoever could scheme against Dugu Yihe, the sect leader of the Emei Sect, had every reason to be triumphant.

Huo Tianqing was no exception.

Although he had not seen the outcome of this battle, he could already foresee the inevitable death of Dugu Yihe.

No one could defeat Ximen Chuixue while possessing only fifty percent of their internal energy.

And Ximen Chuixue's Sword was rarely merciful.

Huo Tianqing was very satisfied.

He was the son born to the legendary martial arts figure Heavenly Harp Old Man at the ripe old age of seventy-seven. From the moment he was born, he became the Little Master to the renowned martial arts elders, the Two Elders of Shangshan, the martial nephew of the Hero of Guanzhong, Shanxi Yan, and the sole heir to the Heavenly Harp Sect.

His martial arts were formidable, and he wanted to carve out his own career, to accomplish something earth-shattering, unwilling to live his whole life under the shadow of Tianqin Laoren.

Once this matter was completed, he would surely become world-renowned.

Flutter, flutter~

A carrier pigeon flew into the courtyard.

A green figure swept by, toes lightly tapping the rockery, his body soaring upward. In an instant, he had ascended thirty or forty feet, reaching out to grab from afar, and the pigeon fluttered into his palm.

Huo Tianqing landed lightly, removed the short note tied to the pigeon's leg, and a smile immediately appeared on his face.

This smile was indescribably warm, as if a traveler had returned to his hometown, or as if a lover separated by distance had caught sight of his beloved.

Huo Tianqing shook his arms and soared into the air. His lightness skill was also top-tier, and it revealed a wild aura, like a goshawk sweeping across the sky, with the scenery flying past rapidly.

……

…………

Lu Xiaofeng had just encountered the "Emei Four Beauties," four very beautiful and lovely girls. He had always been a very romantic man, but this time he had absolutely no interest in discussing women.

Because the "Emei Four Beauties" had already told him a terrifying piece of news: Dugu Yihe had also arrived at the Zhuguang Baoqi Pavilion.

Although he was not very close with Dugu Yihe, he had seen Dugu Yihe's sword techniques and internal energy more than once; although he had never seen him use his full strength, it was already extremely astonishing.

Ximen Chuixue would never miss the chance to encounter such a master.

But Dugu Yihe's sword technique was sharp, and his defense was even more impenetrable; it was very likely that Ximen Chuixue was not his match.

Now, he only hoped that Ximen Chuixue would not encounter Dugu Yihe, otherwise, Ximen Chuixue would be blowing his own blood this time.

Lu Xiaofeng unleashed his movement technique, his body like a flying phoenix, sweeping toward the Zhuguang Baoqi Pavilion.

Fortunately, he no longer needed to worry; after passing through a dense forest, Lu Xiaofeng spotted Ximen Chuixue in a tavern by the side of the main road.

Calling it a tavern, it was actually just a small wooden hut with windows on all four sides, selling some simple wine and food to passing travelers.

When Ximen Chuixue found his way here, the owner had already been about to sleep, but who could refuse a hundred-tael silver note?

The wealth and splendor of Wanmei Villa were by no means inferior to the Hua Family of Jiangnan; Ximen Chuixue had never lacked money.

Ximen Chuixue sat casually at a table, on which were placed a plate of green vegetables, a plate of boiled tofu, two boiled eggs, and a bowl of plain noodles. He did not drink wine, nor did he eat anything too greasy.

A person who single-mindedly pursues the Sword is inherently lonely and cannot enjoy life.

His pitch-black Sword was placed beside him, very close to his hand, ready to be drawn at any moment, ready to kill at any moment.

Lu Xiaofeng smiled.

Ximen Chuixue was his friend, and it was he who had invited him out of the villa; naturally, he did not want to see the other party meet with misfortune, otherwise, he might feel guilty for the rest of his life.

"I am not dead." Ximen Chuixue seemed to have anticipated Lu Xiaofeng's arrival, and seemed to have long known what he was going to say: "After thirty moves, Dugu Yihe's sword suddenly became chaotic. A master like him should never have made such a mistake."

Lu Xiaofeng could not smile anymore, and said: "So he died?"

He knew that Ximen Chuixue's Sword would never be merciful, nor could it be.

Ximen Chuixue said coldly: "Someone saved him."

Lu Xiaofeng said in surprise: "Who could save someone from Ximen Chuixue's hands?"

Ximen Chuixue paused for a moment, and said word by word: "Yu, Lian, cheng!"

Lu Xiaofeng said: "It really was him!"

……

…………

A private residence was built deep in the mountains and forests, hidden by dense woods; looking from afar, one could only see a corner of the courtyard wall or the roof.

A figure tapped lightly on the tree branches, and the person drifted into the courtyard.

Huo Tianqing looked at a brightly lit room in the residence, and a wave of indescribable warmth suddenly surged in his heart.

"Brother Huo, please come in." A clear, bright voice came from the room. Huo Tianqing's figure froze instantly, and the calm expression he originally held was swept away, replaced by dark clouds, as if he could erupt with thunderous rage at any moment.

A husband returning home from a long journey, suddenly hearing the voice of another man in his house, would likely have this expression.

He strode forward, pushed open the door, and saw Yu Liancheng in black, with the "Duoqing Sword" placed beside him.

Besides him, the two sisters Shangguan Feiyan and Shangguan Xueer were also in the room. One was pounding his back, the other was kneading his legs, just as if they were maidservants.

"Brother Huo, please sit." Yu Liancheng waved his hand; rushing to two engagements tonight was not an easy task.

Huo Tianqing did not sit; he acted as if he had not heard, merely fixing his hawk-like sharp gaze upon Shangguan Feiyan.

Shangguan Feiyan was using her soft fists to pound Yu Liancheng's back, a sweet smile on her delicate cheeks, her beautiful eyes fixed entirely on Yu Liancheng, filled with girlish admiration and worship, as if being able to pound his back was a matter worthy of honor and praise.

As for everything in the outside world, nothing was worth keeping in her eyes.

Including Huo Tianqing.

Huo Tianqing's complexion, however, gradually became complex.

Admiration, resentment, jealousy, madness... all sorts of emotions mixed together, and so on.

Yu Liancheng raised his head to look at him, and said indifferently: "Brother Huo, I heard you are the General Manager of the Zhuguang Baoqi Pavilion?" This sentence contained true energy; the voice was not loud, but it echoed endlessly throughout the room.

Huo Tianqing finally turned his gaze toward Yu Liancheng and said coldly: "That is correct."

Yu Liancheng said: "The master of Zhuguang Baoqi Pavilion, Yan Tieshan, is already dead, so this portion of the assets has fallen into your hands."

Huo Tianqing said coldly: "Correct."

Yu Liancheng said: "As far as I know, Yan Tieshan's original name was Yan Liben, and he was a high-ranking official of the Golden Peng Dynasty; his wealth was originally the treasury of the Jinpeng Dynasty, intended to be used for its restoration."

Huo Tianqing said: "Correct."

Yu Liancheng pointed at Shangguan Feiyan and Shangguan Xueer, and said: "The direct descendants of the Jinpeng Dynasty are almost all dead; now only these two sisters remain. Shouldn't you return the property to its rightful owners now?"

…