Chapter 168 - The Only Hope (1)

Night lay black as ink, and a full moon hung high overhead.

Yellow Dragon Market sat at the meeting point of the Myriad Ascents Mountain Ranges, the Guanyin Mountains, and the Thousand Streams River.

Once, it had been nothing more than an ordinary relay station along the official road, a place for travelers to rest their feet and water their horses. But over hundreds and thousands of years, its geographic advantage had slowly turned that remote little stop into a bustling commercial market stranded in the wilderness.

Countless merchant caravans and wandering martial bands stopped here. Rows upon rows of pleasure houses, taverns, gambling dens, and shops of every sort stretched together until they formed a sleepless city without walls.

The clamor of wine, women, lights, and laughter did not dim with nightfall. Brothels and entertainment halls, gambling houses and flower boats, all of them swallowed up the countless merchants, travelers, and wandering swordsmen who passed through.

Then, all of a sudden, a convoy entering through the market’s eastern gate drew the eyes of every passerby on the street.

The black coiling dragon carved across the fragrant sandalwood carriage looked almost alive. Several sect disciples rode ahead of the carriage on all manner of demonic horses, swords at their waists, robes bright, mounts fierce, every one of them young and splendid enough to make a poor man hate his own parents for giving birth to him ordinary.

Had anyone on the street dared to probe them with their soul sense, they would have discovered that every one of these young talents was at least fifth rank.

The man and woman at the very front of the convoy were even third rank Grandmasters.

The man wore plain robes, his long hair falling loose across his shoulders. The woman wore a fitted embroidered fighting outfit that hugged a figure as dangerous as it was alluring.

Their eyes swept over the surrounding crowd.

Wherever their gazes passed, everyone looked away.

After glancing around, the plain-robed man riding at the head of the convoy smiled lightly. “Yellow Dragon Market is as lively as ever. Though it doesn’t seem to have changed much.”

The woman beside him replied in a cool, indifferent voice, “We only left for Stillwater three months ago. Of course it would not have changed much.”

The plain-robed man smiled at that. “True enough. Though the trip was a waste, at least Xinyao’s third brother is unharmed. A pity we did not get to meet him.”

When the fitted-clothed woman heard him mention Xinyao’s third brother, deep disdain flashed through her eyes. “A wastrel who knows nothing but food, drink, and pleasure. What is there to meet?”

The plain-robed man chuckled, looking very open-minded about it. “That is only rumor. Judging whether a man is good or bad based on rumor alone is far too shallow. If I met him with my own eyes, I would make my own judgment.”

As he spoke, the plain-robed man seemed to remember something and suddenly lowered his voice. “Ziqing, I remember you spent some time in the imperial capital back then. Did you ever meet this third brother of Xinyao’s?”

Ziqing shook her head lightly, her smooth long hair swaying with the motion. “There is nothing worth saying. I only saw him once from afar. He was parading through the streets with those so-called Four Young Masters of the Capital, bullying men, harassing women, and making a spectacle of himself. Nothing worth mentioning. Compared to Xinyao, he is the difference between heaven and mud.”

“Ziqing... my third brother is also a pitiful man.” Suddenly, a gentle woman’s voice came from within the black coiling-dragon carriage behind them.

Hearing that voice, both of them unconsciously slowed their horses.

The curtain of the black coiling-dragon carriage was drawn aside from within, and a young woman appeared in their sight.

She wore a water-blue dress lightly embroidered with peach blossoms. The cut was elegant, her figure tall and slender. Her black hair had been gathered into a high beauty’s bun, and her collar lay slightly open, revealing the graceful, pale curve of her long neck. The blue of her clothes made her skin look even whiter than snow, and there was always the faintest hint of a smile resting at the corner of her lips.

At first glance, she gave off a feeling as gentle as flowing water, as refreshing as a spring breeze.

Zhou Ziqing shook her head lightly and said no more, though she did not take back her assessment of Xu Changtian.

The plain-robed man beside her saw this and simply grinned. “Caught between Xu Changge, Xu Chang’an, and Xinyao, forget Xu Changtian being an ordinary man who can’t cultivate. If it were me, I’d think myself pretty pitiful too.”

Xu Xinyao’s eyes dimmed slightly. “Zhonghua is right. But according to the people in Stillwater, my third brother seems to have encountered some sort of opportunity. He has changed quite a bit.”

As she spoke, the girl’s beautiful eyes curved into a smile, and a strange light flickered within them. “This time, he even took the initiative to speak with Eldest Brother about going out to temper himself.”

Li Zhonghua smiled and shook his head. “It is only a pity that I won’t be able to meet this third brother of yours on this trip down the mountain.”

Xu Xinyao’s beautiful eyes flickered. “Zhonghua, are you returning to Radiant Moon?”

Li Zhonghua nodded with a smile. “Mhm. A few days ago, my sect sent word. It’s time for me to make a trip back.”

Xu Xinyao fell silent for a moment. Her autumn-water eyes fixed on the man, shimmering faintly. “You truly worked hard for us along the way, Zhonghua.”

Li Zhonghua was caught between laughter and helplessness. He shook his head, guided his horse forward, and spoke in an easy tone, his words very direct. “I came down the mountain to temper myself in the first place. I never imagined I would meet a remarkable woman like you, Miss Xinyao. It’s a shame I cannot continue wandering the world with you all.”

Xu Xinyao blinked. “Zhonghua, you flatter me. What sort of remarkable woman am I?”

Li Zhonghua’s voice grew a little more serious. “Xinyao, I, Li Zhonghua, have spent most of my life within the sect. I always dreamed of roaming the world with a sword in hand, punishing the wicked, rooting out evil, and helping the kind and innocent. But after coming down the mountain, I realized there is more evil in this world than I could ever cut down, and more good people than I could ever help. Killing one demonic beast might save ten people, but there are far too many demons in this world.

“But after meeting you, Xinyao, in less than a year of traveling together, how many people have survived because of your aid? More than a million, surely. Giving a man a fish is not as good as teaching him to fish. If merit like this is not enough to call you a remarkable woman, then who in this world deserves the title?”

“Tch. That’s disgusting, Li Zhonghua.” Zhou Ziqing glanced at Li Zhonghua, amusement in her eyes. “If you like our Xinyao so much, why not have your master go to the Chancellor’s Manor and propose marriage?”

“I’d like to.” Li Zhonghua took the jab rather freely, only smiling as he shook his head. “But I know I am not worthy of Xinyao, so I won’t go looking for humiliation.”

“It is me, who is unworthy of you.” Xu Xinyao shook her head gently. “If not for you and Ziqing protecting me, I might have died many times over along the way.”

Zhou Ziqing’s beautiful eyes curved with a smile. “Since you’re grateful, why don’t you treat us tonight, Xinyao? It’ll be a farewell dinner for this fellow Li Zhonghua while we’re at it. Once he leaves, who knows when we’ll meet again.”

“Tch.” Li Zhonghua clicked his tongue, sounding displeased. He lifted his sword sheath and made to smack Zhou Ziqing’s horse on the rump. “Zhou Ziqing, why do I feel like you’re trying to hurry me along? My sect is urging me to return, sure, but I can at least finish this trip to Sageridge.”

Zhou Ziqing blocked him with her sword, shot him a glare, then ignored him and turned to Xu Xinyao instead. “Right, Xinyao, why are you so set on going back to Sageridge for a look? The spring tide in the Myriad Ascents Mountain Ranges has started again recently. There are more and more demonic beasts around here.”

Xu Xinyao fell silent for a moment, then said softly, “Because of Third Brother’s matter, I left before the illusion array was fully completed. I need to go back and see whether the formation has been perfected.”

Zhou Ziqing looked somewhat surprised when she heard this and lowered her voice. “Before we left, didn’t we already activate the grand array and verify the power of that illusory mist array?”

Xu Xinyao’s beautiful eyes curved faintly as she replied in a low voice, “That activation only verified its power. Many of the procedures in the formation core were never fully put in place. It would be best to go back and take a look.”

Li Zhonghua’s words remained simple and direct. “Xinyao, are you worried the Myriad Manifestations Sect tampered with it after you left?”

“Mhm.”

“Why?”

Xu Xinyao was silent for a moment. Through the dark night, she gazed far off in the direction of Sageridge. “The matter of Sageridge went too smoothly. Although the Myriad Manifestations Sect also stands to gain a great deal from the creation of the formation, they agreed too readily. I keep feeling as though they are hiding something.”