The Affairs of the Martial World - Vol 3: Chapter 4

Zhu Que arrived at the Villa of Ten Thousand Swords, but Murong Hanshan was not there. An old servant said, “The master has gone out to care for some matters and does not know when he will return.”

Zhu Que couldn’t find Murong Hanshan, so he could only look for the people of the Tianshan Sword Sect instead.

It was said that the people of the Tianshan Sword Sect traveling in Jianghu dressed in the same attire, all in pure white, with blue snowflakes embroidered on the lapels, making them very easy to inquire about.

They all stayed at the Donglai Inn, and the largest rooms were all booked by them.

A person from the Tianshan Sword Sect came out when Zhu Que knocked on the door and asked what the matter was.

Zhu Que said, “I wonder if Mr. Ji is here?”

Lu Congfeng said, “Who are you, sir? What brings you to seek my master?”

Zhu Que replied, “There’s something important.”

Lu Congfeng seemed to have never heard such a non-answer response before. He quietly looked at Zhu Que for a long time and said, “My master don’t meet with nameless individuals.”

Zhu Que smiled and said, “What a coincidence. I just happen not to be an unknown person; my name is Zhu Que.”

The renowned Zhu Que that captivates the world.

But Lu Congfeng seemed not to have heard this name and coldly said, “Never heard of you, no meeting!”

Zhu Que pondered, could it be that the people of the Tianshan Sword Sect were as cold as the snow on Tianshan (1)? He felt a bit awkward for a moment, and to ease the tension, he reached out to push the door, wanting to see if Ji Wuyou was there.

Lu Congfeng mistakenly thought that Zhu Que was about to make a move, and a sword suddenly appeared in his hand, pointing at Zhu Que.

The speed at which the Tianshan Sword Sect drew its sword surpasses all other sword sects. Lu Congfeng had continuously practiced drawing his sword for over three months to achieve such swiftness.

However, his original intention at this moment was simply to drive away Zhu Que.

Zhu Que was forced to take a step back by the sharp sword energy, and Lu Congfeng’s sword followed with a step forward. If Zhu Que took one more small step back, Lu Congfeng was ready to sheathe his sword and close the door.

But in the eyes of a master, one must retreat to a distance where there is no threat. Under the constraints of the situation, Zhu Que lightly tapped the tip of his toes, his body drifting backward like willow catkins in the wind. Lu Congfeng was drawn by the distance from which he could counterattack, and his sword moved forward almost beyond his control.

Zhu Que continuously retreated and dodged between the railings of the inn’s corridor, while Lu Congfeng’s sword was like maggots on a corpse, just a foot in front of him, unable to break free or shake off.

At that moment, a person appeared at the door of the next room. If Lu Congfeng had the leisure to take a glance, he would know it was his senior brother, Shi Congrong.

Shi Congrong saw the two of them, one attacking forward with a sword while the other retreating to dodge, like two large birds constantly leaping in the narrow space of the inn, leaving him momentarily stunned.

The inn’s rooms were arranged in a circle around a central courtyard, with the second floor resembling a courtyard in the sky. There were corridors on the southeast, southwest, northeast, and northwest sides, each with railings more than half a person’s height.

Lu Congfeng and Zhu Que danced between the railings of the southeast, southwest, northeast, and northwest. To outsiders, it seemed that Lu Congfeng’s sword was just a step away from piercing Zhu Que, yet Zhu Que appeared unable to shake off Lu Congfeng.

Lu Congfeng took the initiative, constantly changing his sword techniques, hoping to bring his sword closer to Zhu Que. The two did not intend to compete, but Lu Congfeng’s competitive spirit gradually arose. He exerted all his strength to pursue, and after completing a set of Snowfall Sword Techniques, he still made no progress.

Suddenly, a figure leaped between the two, drawing a sword to block Lu Congfeng’s attack. In surprise, Lu Congfeng turned his head to see that his senior brother, Shi Congrong, had blocked his sword. He immediately sheathed his weapon and halted.

At that moment, Zhu Que’s retreat speed suddenly increased, and he jumped from the railing on the east, landing on the railing on the west.

Lu Congfeng suddenly realized that Zhu Que was just testing him; otherwise, even if the opponent were only just retreating, he wouldn’t be able to catch up no matter how hard he tried.

He looked at Shi Congrong’s stern gaze, cold sweat dripping from his forehead.

Shi Congrong said calmly, “I did not know Young Master Zhu Que had arrived. I have not come out to welcome you; please forgive my offense. How about we go inside and talk?”

Zhu Que could see that Shi Congrong was much more skilled than his junior brother Lu Congfeng, and he also knew that Shi Congrong realized he was just trying to take the opportunity to observe the sword techniques of the Tianshan Sword Sect. He smiled slightly and said, “That sounds wonderful.”

After settling down in Shi Congrong’s room, besides Shi Congrong, there were also Lu Congfeng, Wei Congxue, and He Conglin, making a total of four brothers present. Shi Congrong introduced each of them one by one.

Zhu Que knew that Ji Wuyou had seven great disciples, known as the Seven Swords of Tianshan. In addition, there were also Guan Congyun, Xiao Congyu, and Wan Congshan, who were not present here, presumably following their master Ji Wuyou on the road.

Shi Cingrong explained, “My junior brother rarely comes down the mountain and is unaware of the world-renowned Zhu Que, so please do not take offense.”

Zhu Que smiled slightly and said, “It’s not surprising. May I ask where your esteemed master is now?”

Shi Congrong did not answer directly but instead asked, “I just saw Young Master Zhu fighting with my junior brother. You could have won in just a few moves; why have you been reluctant to strike?”

Zhu Que replied, “Brother Lu’s swordsmanship is exceptional. I’m also giving it my all; how could I possibly win in just a few moves? You must be joking.”

Shi Congrong furrowed his brows and asked, “Is that really the case?”

Zhu Que stared at him for a while, seeing that he had no intention of being modest, and replied somewhat angrily, “That’s not true. I could disarm Brother Lu with my second move and win with my third.”

Lu Congfeng’s face turned red, showing a look of wanting to try again, but he remained silent. It seemed that the hierarchy within the Tianshan Sword Sect was quite strict; when the senior brother spoke to others, the three of them did not interject. Shi Congrong nodded slightly, noticing Zhu Que’s unfriendly tone, and asked with an unchanged expression, “May I ask why Young Master Zhu is still so persistent?”

Zhu Que said, “I want to see if the Tianshan Sword Technique, which dominates the Western Regions, truly lives up to its name.”

Shi Congrong asked further, “But why is that?”

Zhu Que said, “I want to know who would win if your master fought against Murong Hanshan.”

Upon hearing him mention his master, Shi Congrong asked solemnly, “Has Young Master Zhu come to a conclusion?”

Zhu Que sighed and shook his head. Shi Congrong asked again, “Does Young Master Zhu want to take another look at my swordsmanship to make a conclusion?”

Zhu Que smiled wryly and said, “Even if all seven of you brothers have sparred with me, I still wouldn’t be able to draw a conclusion. Your master must have reached the level of a grandmaster to be able to train all seven of you. I wonder if the four of you are here to keep an eye on Murong Hanshan’s movements? Waiting for your master to return so you can have a match with him?” He had already guessed that Ji Wuyou was not present; otherwise, why would only the disciples be here?

Shi Congrong did not answer, but isn’t remaining silent the precise best answer?

Zhu Que said, “You all don’t need to wait any longer. Murong Hanshan is no longer at the Villa of Ten Thousand Swords. If I guess correctly, his purpose for leaving this time is to find out where your master currently is.”

Shi Congrong did not hide it and said, “My master is currently in Jinan. Young Master Zhu must know the reason as well. We had already learned that Murong Hanshan left the Villa of Ten Thousand Swords, but we still thank Young Master Zhu for informing us of this matter.”

Zhu Que hummed softly, thinking to himself, ‘Ji Wuyou must have learned of Yin Wuxing’s death and immediately traveled thousands of miles from Kunlun to the Central Plains. Along the way, he must have come to realize that Murong Hanshan may not be the murderer; finding out the cause of Yin Wuxing’s death should be the priority. I wonder if Murong Hanshan is acting out of restlessness or if there is another reason for his initiative to go to Jinan to find Ji Wuyou?’

Zhu Que couldn’t help but say, “You all are so well-informed; it seems like I’m the one being meddlesome. Do you all know why Murong Hanshan left the villa?”

This question was asked casually, and he didn’t expect them to have an answer. To his surprise, Shi Congrong replied calmly, “Doesn’t Young Master Zhu know that recently, a swordsman from Fusang named Liu Hehongtang has been causing trouble all over Jiangnan? Murong Hanshan was forced to take action, but unexpectedly, Liu Hehongtang was killed beforehand. Murong Hanshan has rarely drawn his sword over the years, and now that he has, only to strike at nothing, he must feel insulted. Therefore, the one he is seeking now is likely not my master but rather the murderer who killed the Fusang swordsman.”

Hearing this, Zhu Que fell silent. After coming from the desert to Jiangnan, his ears and eyes had become so blocked that news from the Central Plains had to be relayed to him by people from the Western Regions.

Zhu Que was not yet clear about the sword techniques of the Tianshan Sword Sect but was deeply impressed by their ability to gather information.

Shi Congrong’s speculation made Zhu Que admire his extraordinary intelligence, and he developed a fondness for his candidness.

Just when Zhu Que thought they could be friends, Shi Congrong issued an eviction order, “If Young Master Zhu has no other matters, please feel free to leave.”

Zhu Que asked, “Do you not wish to go with me to see the Master?”

Shi Congrong shook his head, not saying whether he was unwilling to go with Zhu Que or if he simply had no intention of going at all. Zhu Que thought to himself that if the answer was the latter, he would feel a bit more at ease.

Since the disciples of the Tianshan Sword Sect had sent him off, no matter how thick-skinned Zhu Que was, he could not keep lingering and had no choice but to leave reluctantly.

(1) as cold as the snow on Tianshan — Tianshan is a large mountain range in Central Asia. This sword sect was located on top of one of these mountains.