Chapter 737: Disappointment, he can't do it
The sword sect master sucked in a cold breath! He never expected Long Feiye to say such words to him. For all these days, he’d treated him like his own child! Besides the matter with Duanmu Yao, he had always treated this boy well.
But Feiye’s made me his enemy today for the sake of a woman?
Feiye, do you have any idea what you’re saying?
As if reeling from a massive blow, the sword sect master staggered back a few steps. “Feiye, you...you want to kill your master?”
“Your lordship won’t forgive a single person that hurt her!”
The Profound Frost Sword seemed to sense its master’s rage as it began to howl with eagerness. At any second, it looked ready to run the sword sect master through.
The sword sect master lost his temper. “Feiye, do you know who this woman is?”
Who this woman is?
Of course Long Feiye did. He not only knew about Han Yunxi’s status as a Poison Sect scion, but her identity as the West Qin imperial clan’s surviving heir! The first was a status that all of Cloud Realm Continent and its power factions feared and strove to suppress; the second was his mortal enemies by way of their centuries old grudge between empires.
But what of it?
What did any of that have to do with Han Yunxi? She had never been involved in the wild ambitions of the former Poison Sect to destroy the world with poisons, nor did she know anything of the enmity between East and West Qin! Even now, she had no idea she was royalty at all.
Where was her fault in this?
She was like him, someone who couldn’t choose their parents or their lineage. But neither of them accepted their fates, did they? No matter who she was, he only knew that she was the bride who bore sneers and taunts to step into the Duke of Qin’s estate, the weak woman who stood up singlehandedly against the might of Tianning’s imperial court, the empty-handed doctor who captured the entirety of Medicine City and gained the loyalty of its countless physicians, the one woman he had cherished for almost four years, unable to see her hurt. She was his wife, his one and only!
How could she be so seriously injured?
How could she?!
“She’s the descendant of the Poison Sect!” Long Feiye proclaimed coldly.
When the crack had appeared in his stone wall, he had heard everything that the sword sect master and the four elders had spoken to Han Yunxi. Although he’d yet to fully master the Lustbite Seal’s power, he still emerged from his cultivation ahead of time. Only a single wall separated him from his beloved’s humiliation, yet he was unable to reach out and help. Nobody could understand how much that hurt him!
This was the first time in his life that he’d ever lost his cool, and he didn’t want it back.
“You! You…” the sword sect master sputtered, but he still did his best to cover up Long Feiye’s faults. “Feiye, it’s not too late now that you know! Everyone kills the remnants of the Poison Sect. My Celestial Mountain Sword Sect would never shield such scions! Once this grandmaster kills her, I’ll take you to Medical City to ask for penance! The ignorant are blameless, so Academy Head Gu will definitely be lenient!”
The sword sect master was saying these words on purpose. He wanted to hint at Long Feiye about the severity of the situation. He was confident that the man would be intelligent enough to pick up on his cues, and his earnest efforts all this time. The sword sect master knew that Han Yunxi hadn’t poisoned any of the Celestial Mountain disciples or done anything to harm the world in the Poison Sect’s name. But she still has to die!
Once Han Yunxi’s status was exposed, it would only implicate Long Feiye as well. Forgot about losing the seat as Celestial Mountain Sword Sect’s leader, he’d suffer negative consequences in the imperial courts of the secular world as well. Long Feiye’s reputation would be absolutely destroyed. As soon as the news spread down mountain, Medical City would be the first to cause him trouble. The martial arts circles and various imperial clans would also ally themselves against him. Even the old, established families of South Ning would seize the chance to make a fuss via the commander-in-chief’s estate.
Long Feiye had exerted all his efforts to create a perfect chessboard on the map of Cloud Realm Continent. It was very possible that Han Yunxi could ruin it all! His decade’s worth of work would all be wasted in the end! Moreover, even the powers supporting East Qin would reject him.
He cannot lose everything because of a single woman. He cannot become the pariah of the entire world, just because of her!
Long Feiye laughed out loud. Of course he understood his master’s intentions, but he never expected the master he treated as a father to be so awful at understanding him.
A long, long time ago, he’d once said that he wouldn’t trade Han Yunxi for the world. There was no way he could disappoint the expectations of an innocent woman simply for his power, his kingdom, or all under Heaven!
“So this is a so-called righteous sect with righteous ways!” Long Feiye’s lips quirked into a mocking smile. He didn’t want to waste any more words with the sword sect master and simply leaped into the air with both hands on his sword. It was unclear what power he’d channeled into his Profound Frost Sword, but the surging, sluggish waves of energy on its surface was a terrifying sight!
Only now did the sword sect master come to terms with reality: Long Feiye really wanted to kill him!
He reached out a hand, and his Scorching Frost Sword flew into his grip. Tapping against the earth, he too soared into the skies, facing the wind as he stared sternly at Long Fieye.
“You’ve truly disappointed your master!” he murmured in a low voice, still trying to persuade Long Feiye. As long as the man could change his mind and kill Han Yunxi, things wouldn’t grow serious.
“Bullying the weak with the strong, the few with the many! The two Depositories and Courtyards along with you--the foremost of all blade wielders--joined hands to pick on a woman who didn’t even know martial arts. Your lordship has no master like you!” Long Feiye gave a cold snort.
“You!” the sword sect master was furious but had no words to retort.
Before Long Feiye could strike, however, he saw Cang Qiuzi and the second and third elders moving to attack Han Yunxi.
“You’re seeking death!” He slashed his sword at them, aiming for the space beside Cang Qiuzi. If it weren’t for the fact that they were so close to Han Yunxi, he would have used a fatal attack. Cang Qiuzi dodged quickly enough to escape with a scrape, but second and third elder were sent tumbling backwards until they crash landed on the sidelines, incurring some internal injuries. Both were scared by the fact that Long Feiye’s martial arts had improved so markedly. Just what level has he reached with his internal energy? Could it be that he’s broken through level eight like the sect master?
How is that even possible?
Both second and third elder grew afraid and drew back. Cang Qiuzi retreated as well, his heart filled with dread. Fine, we don’t have to touch Han Yunxi. Let Long Feiye and Li Jianxin fight each other to the death. Then I’ll call over the Heretical Sword Sect members to seize the position of sect leader.
Although Long Feiye’s internal energy had increased remarkably, he wasn’t supposed to emerge from closed door cultivation until tomorrow. Otherwise, Granny You and Han Yunxi wouldn’t have tried so hard to protect that stone door. Cang Qiuzi looked up at the two figures with a cold smile. Long Feiye, you must be harboring injuries of your own!
Go on and fight! Duel between master and disciple!
Long Feiye gave a shrill whistle, summoning the various Cloud Realm disciples who had pledged loyalty to him. After that, he began to fight the sword sect master in earnest. Everyone could sense the sheer power radiating off their swords. Both the sect leader and Long Feiye’s strikes were filled with world-shaking strength. At first, a few people thought that Long Feiye had overestimated himself and was sure to lose. But after a few more rounds, they realized that not only was he still going, but actually evenly matched with his master.
Their figures flashed and flickered through the skies in the wake of their arcing sword awns. Like a tiger and dragon they fought, astounding the sights of the young disciples watching the battle. They even forgot that this was a revenge-fueled match, too caught up in the sight of Long Feiye.
A man like this was as dazzling as the sun, the moon, and the stars!
Even Cang Qiuzi and Duanmu Yao could only stare blankly at the sight and forget about everything else. Very soon, scores of young disciples from the branch factions arrived on the scene. According to sect rules, they weren’t allowed on the peak before being assigned a main faction, but Long Feiye’s whistle had alerted them to come immediately without fail. Now they saw him fighting with the sect master and couldn’t help but be cowed by the sight. Just what was going on?
“Quickly, protect esteemed wangfei!” Very soon, someone stood out from the crowd--one of the guards for the mountain peak. Others followed in his wake. All of them had witnessed what happened just then and felt the injustice of it all. But their fear of the sword sect master had held them back, nor did they have the ability to defy his will. Now that Long Feiye had arrived, they were throwing caution to the wind.
There were always people that could tell right from wrong. Multiple disciples hurried to bring Han Yunxi to the Abstinence Hall. Long Feiye spared them a glance as he fought, allowing the sword sect master to seize the chance for a quick slash. But Long Feiye blocked the strike all the same. After a few more rounds, master and disciple finally stopped and faced each other.
“Are you going to let Cang Qiuzi off just like that?” the sword sect master asked in a low voice.
“He’ll be number two!” Long Feiye declared icily.
The sword sect master suppressed his temper and said, “You’re already bearing injuries after emerging from closed door cultivation early! You can’t defeat this grandmaster.”
“Han Yunxi cannot die unless your lordship dies first.” Long Feiye was no fool. He knew that if he kept fighting, Cang Qiuzi would gain the advantage. But he had to keep going! He needed to kill the sword sect master first.
He wasn’t being heartless or cruel, but simply facing the facts. As long as the sword sect master lived, Han Yunxi had no way of surviving.
“Do you have to have her life?” the sword sect master asked word for word.
“Do I have any other choice?” Long Feiye asked back.
“None!” the sword sect master retorted. “This master will never allow you to take the wrong path as long as I live!” As he pressed on, Long Feiye viciously pushed him aside. Yes, he was still suffering from injuries, but he suppressed it all!
Once again, master and disciple fell into a renewed bout. Everyone was watching their moves. Amongst them, Granny You knit her brows anxiously but was at a loss for what to do.
Long Feiye and the sword sect master ended up fighting for three days and three nights without determining a victor.
Tomorrow was supposed to be the start of Celestial Mountain’s ranking matches, but nobody remembered that now. All of them were focused on the dueling pair. No matter who won the fight, great changes would follow in Celestial Mountain Sword Sect. Cang Qiuzi was already making quiet preparations on the side.
Granny You deliberated for a long, long time before seizing a chance to slip away before anyone noticed. She didn’t go far, but used a secret passage in a hidden room to access Han Yunxi’s previous quarters. As soon as she appeared, multiple disciples looked at her with alarm and stood protectively in front of their charge.
Han Yunxi was lying on the bed. She had been channeled with multiple doses of true qi over the past three days and fed various miracle pills, but still hadn’t regained consciousness. Still, her complexion looked much better.
“Auntie You, you…” the leader of the disciples made to speak, but Granny You coldly cut off the words.
“Let me take a look at Han Yunxi.”