The Affairs of the Martial World - Vol 4: Chapter 14

Since the cult in this county had been eradicated, Zhu Que went to the Zhuang family.

Zhuang Yuxie glanced at Zhu Que, who was arriving again, feeling puzzled. He did not know whether Zhu Que had been here all this time without leaving or if he had left and returned.

Zhu Que saw that Zhuang Yuxie was bewildered and unaware that the Fragrance Cult in Qingshui County had been eradicated. Zhu Que asked, “Do you know what has happened in the past month?”

The two were in the hall, drinking wine and chatting. Zhuang Yuxie had already heard Zhu Que talk about the Fragrance Cult but still felt a bit worried. Those elders and their followers spread across the country were not to be underestimated.

Zhu Que mentioned that the court was hunting down the followers of the Fragrance Cult nationwide. Anyone who was a member of the Fragrance Cult was considered a traitor, and once captured, they would be executed immediately. It seemed that the menace of the Fragrance Cult was on the verge of being eradicated, and there was no need for concern anymore.

As for the leader Wang Zhaoxian and the elders of the cult, they had been wholly surrounded in Kaicheng County. Since they had dispatched Xiang Zhong as the governor, this person was wise and brave, so he surely wouldn’t let a single rebel escape.

Man Si and Wang Zhaoxian were the leaders they wanted to eliminate, so there was no need to worry about the revival of the Fragrance Cult.

The two finally drank to their heart’s content. Zhu Que suddenly laughed and said, “We’ve been so busy drinking and talking that we forgot that my sister-in-law Yingying hadn’t eaten yet. Call her over to join us for the drinks.”

In fact, at that time, men would drink, and women generally could not join the table, but this was merely the behavior of ordinary families. Zhuang Yuxie and Tang Yingying were both from the martial world, open and bold, and would not care about these pedantic rules.

Zhuang Yuxie nodded slightly and called out a few times for Yingying, but she did not respond. Zhuang Yuxie then called a servant to inquire, and the servant said, “I just saw the lady go out.”

Zhuang Yuxie hummed in response, not paying much attention, and casually said she might have gone out to buy cosmetics.

Zhu Que saw Tang Yingying had left the house, so naturally, there was nothing more to say.

Tang Yingying was absent, so he and Zhuang Yuxie spoke without reservations. They reminisced about past grievances and joys, using these memories to accompany their drinks, which were the most enjoyable.

Zhuang Yuxie said, “Brother, you’re not young anymore; you should consider settling down. Wandering around like this isn’t a solution; you need a place to call home.”

Zhu Que recalled Yi Xue and did not hide it from him, explaining how they met and how he saw her again because of the Shadowless Sword’s death.

When Zhuang Yuxie heard that she was a disciple of the Shadowless Sword, he couldn’t help but exclaimed, “Doesn’t that make it even more of a match? Both partners are from the martial world, so they must have plenty to talk about.”

Zhu Que said, “What are you talking about? This matter hasn’t even started yet. At that time, she wanted me to help her take revenge, but she didn’t say it out loud. By the way, she asked me to ask Qian Yan why Yin Wuxing treated her so well, yet she heartlessly killed him. Qian Yan is already dead, and although this matter can’t be resolved now, in the end, it was I who forgot about it.”

At this point, he thought this matter might not have been Qian Yan’s true intention. Moreover, with Qian Yan now lost and resting eternally beneath the flowers in the Wangyou Valley in the Qilian Mountains, only Xie Tingyu would know whether it was her wish or not.

He wondered whether Xie Tingyu had settled the blood feuds among the various sects, but with his biological father, Ji Wuyou, backing him, Zhu Que did not need to worry. It was just Yi Xue, he sighed.

Zhuang Yuxie said as if he could see through his thoughts, “With your skills and talents, how could any girl not be moved?”

Zhu Que shook his head and said, “Mutual affection cannot be earned by skill; otherwise, wouldn’t the person with the best martial arts in the world be loved by all women? This reasoning is flawed; this reasoning is flawed.”

When it came to martial arts being the best in the world, one couldn’t help but think of Murong Hanshan. He won the battle against Ji Wuyou, so it would be hard to find anyone who could match him, even if he weren’t the best in the world.

Zhuang Yuxie, pretending to be a master in the realm of romance, said, “Little brother, I have been through this and have rich experience. In this regard, I can be your mentor. Let me tell you, a talented man and a beautiful woman are just the foundation, like the base of a house. With a solid foundation, you can build a big house. Of course, it also requires spending more time together. This interaction is like laying bricks on the foundation; every time you meet, it’s like adding a brick. The more you meet, the higher the bricks are stacked, and the house gets built. If you use some tactics, it’s like putting a roof on the house. In that case, wouldn’t Miss Yi Xue end up entering your home? By then, if she wants to leave, she might not be able to. So, you should find ways to see her, whether you have something to discuss or not. If you don’t often meet, how can feelings develop? The saying ‘time will nurture feelings’ is just like that.”

Zhu Que laughed and scolded, “What nonsense theory is this? Don’t even mention where your vague and ethereal rich experiences come from. From the moment you were born, you probably only developed feelings for Yingying, right? And you and Yingying fell in love at first sight, yet you come to persuade me to cultivate feelings over time—how ridiculous! Sigh, you don’t know. When I see Yi Xue, I get nervous; all the composure I had from practicing martial arts disappears instantly. I won’t hide it from you. I want to see her, but I am afraid to see her. Actually, I do have a reason to see her regarding the matter of Xie Tingyu……”

Zhuang Yuxie glanced at him, seeing that he had exposed his identity as a master of romance, but he wasn’t angry. Instead, he encouraged him, saying, “Then go for it! What’s the use of just talking here? Do you think the girl will commit to you for life just because you casually mention it from a thousand miles away?”

Zhu Que said, “I think it’s best to go with the flow. Perhaps she and I aren’t suited for each other; it might just be a superficial attraction. Let’s not talk about this anymore. Here, let’s raise a glass to the Fragrance Cult being besieged.”

Zhuang Yuxie raised his glass and drank with him, thinking that from now on, he would no longer be threatened or controlled by this cult, which could be considered a major disaster averted.

Zhu Que was afraid he would bring up Yi Xue again, so he started talking about his past adventure in the desert, searching for treasure.

Zhuang Yuxie had simple thoughts and was captivated by Zhu Que’s story, forgetting to persuade him to meet Yi Xue. The story was full of ups and downs, and Zhuang Yuxie felt a bit regretful for not going along. He was also very interested in the ancient city of Jingjue, which was buried in the sand, and constantly asked questions, which Zhu Que answered one by one.

They continued drinking until it grew dark, but Tang Yingying still hadn’t returned.

Under Zhu Que’s reminder, Zhuang Yuxie also felt something was off. Not to mention whether the Fragrance Cult in this county had been wholly eradicated. If even one or two of those temporarily escaped cult elders were left, Yingying, who was alone outside, would be in danger.

They became worried, no longer caring about drinking, and immediately arranged for people to go out and search.

Ever since Tang Yingying returned and things returned to normal, Zhuang Yuxie had his servants and house staff arrange for a large number of people, reverting to his original nature as a wealthy young master who enjoyed indulgence. This time, he dispatched everyone in the household, and it wouldn’t be long before they searched the entire county.

Zhu Que accompanied Zhuang Yuxie as they walked around the manor. Suddenly, Zhu Que noticed a letter at the well in the backyard. Zhuang Yuxie rushed to pick it up and returned to the well-lit room. As he pulled out the letter to read, he hadn’t finished when he suddenly swayed and fell down.

Zhu Que swiftly moved to support him, helping him sit in a chair while he picked up the letter to read. After finishing, his expression also turned grim.

The letter was written by Su Xiaoyue, stating that Tang Yingying had died a long time ago, and no expert in the cult could cure her strange illness. To greedily use the Zhuang family’s wealth for rebellion, the Fragrance Cult had Su Xiaoyue impersonate Tang Yingying and return home with Zhuang Yuxie. During this time, the one accompanying Zhuang Yuxie was Su Xiaoyue, not Tang Yingying. She was initially worried about being discovered by Zhuang Yuxie, but he truly believed she was Tang Yingying, thinking that as long as she returned, everything would be fine, and she didn’t dare to delve into the past. As they spent time together, she gradually developed feelings for Zhuang Yuxie, which made her even more reluctant to reveal the truth. If nothing went wrong, she planned to continue impersonating Tang Yingying and live with Zhuang Yuxie for the rest of her life…

Today, she heard from Zhu Que that the Fragrance Cult was facing the threat of destruction. She had once received great kindness from the cult leader, Wang Zhaoxian, and felt compelled to offer her help. She estimated that this farewell would be a final one. She also revealed to Zhuang Yuxie the location where Tang Yingying was buried so that Zhuang Yuxie would have a place to remember her. She initially did not want to say anything out of jealousy for Zhuang Yuxie’s deep love for Tang Yingying. However, she also loves Zhuang Yuxie, and how could she bear to let him fall into pain again? Yet, she must repay her debt of gratitude, and her parting words should be for him to consider.

The letter concluded with the words: “Farewell, my lord. If I do not die, I will surely return to find you. Whether you think of me as Tang Yingying or Su Xiaoyue, I will cling to your side.” The meaning of the letter was both sorrowful and cruel.

Although Zhu Que could understand the words above, he still found it hard to believe the bizarre and strange events that had happened to Tang Yingying, which greatly exceeded his expectations. He found a bottle of strong liquor, pried open Zhuang Yuxie’s mouth, and poured a few sips into him. Zhuang Yuxie coughed a few times, slightly returning to normal, but immediately jumped up again, shouting, “Where is Yingying? Where is my Yingying? Yingying is not dead, not dead……”

Zhuang Yuxie cried and laughed as he called out Yingying’s name. Zhu Que knew that his mind was in turmoil at this moment, and if left unchecked, Zhuang Yuxie would become mad. He pressed on Zhuang Yuxie’s sleep point, then struck his spiritual platform point with his palm. A surge of profound internal energy flowed through Zhuang Yuxie’s spiritual platform point, circulating through all his body’s acupoints, bringing his scattered internal energy back into alignment.

At night, the servants who went out to look for Yingying or to find Su Xiaoyue gradually returned, reporting that they had not seen her. Zhu Que knew that Su Xiaoyue must have rushed to Kaicheng County overnight; where else could they possibly look?

The next day, Zhuang Yuxie woke up, and Zhu Que was on guard beside him, fearing he might do something crazy again. Fortunately, Zhuang Yuxie had regained his composure and did not act out of line.

Zhu Que handed him a bowl of water. Zhuang Yuxie tilted it to take a sip. After finishing the water, he said in a deep voice, “In fact, I realized long ago that she is not Yingying.”

Hearing this, Zhu Que was even more surprised, unable to close his mouth. This matter truly had twists and turns, leaving him utterly confused. Zhu Que asked, “If that’s the case, why did you lose control so much last night?”

Zhuang Yu said hoarsely, “I just can’t believe it. I’ve been lying to myself all along; she is Yingying. I vaguely feel Yingying might be dead, but I dare not think deeply about it. If I don’t say it out loud, maybe she will still be alive, or perhaps she is somewhere, and I am waiting for Su Xiaoyue to let me do something for the cult again so that I can bring her back. During this time, I see Su Xiaoyue every day, and it feels like I am seeing Yingying; they look so much alike. I fear that if I say it out loud, Yingying won’t return. If she is gone, too, then I will truly have nothing left. I am scared! I am scared! But the moment I saw the letter, I knew everything was already beyond repair……”

As he spoke, he began to cry.

Zhu Que knew he was too deeply trapped to extricate himself. Zhu Que said, “Let’s go together to see Yingying’s grave.”

Zhuang Yuxie nodded slightly, and the two prepared their horses, heading towards the burial place of Tang Yingying, mentioned in Su Xiaoyue’s letter.