SS Chapter 15

Chapter 15: Setting the Trap

The Yunlai Residence was the largest inn in Guyang City, with four courtyards that could house over a hundred people. Normally, at least half the rooms would be empty, but these past few days, the entire inn had been occupied.

The Palace of Burial Souls, now at the height of its power, was subtly rising as the leader among the demonic factions. They had taken over the entire Yunlai Residence, forcing both the innkeeper and the guests to vacate, with all operations run by their own people to prevent any outsiders from prying into their affairs.

“So that coward Xie Wuyi has finally decided to accept the challenge letter.”

A soft, boneless hand pushed open the door, its crimson-painted nails flashing in the light, almost dazzling the eyes. The newcomer was a beauty dressed in red, with ink-black hair, fox-like eyes, and an alluring face, yet spoke in a man’s voice.

The young man painting at the table glanced at him and scolded, “Bu Xueyao, it’s best to keep your mouth shut about those you can’t afford to provoke. Otherwise, once your mouth is torn apart, someone else might take over your position as the Suzaku Hall Master.”

“Li Lang is right; I was wrong,” the red-clad Bu Xueyao covered half of his face with his sleeve, looking as if he were about to cry, casting a shy glance over.

Li Feng frowned in disgust. His usually indifferent face turned somewhat fierce as he knitted his brows. “The Northern Barbarian matter is unresolved, yet you haven’t returned to report to the Palace Master. Instead, you came to disgust me—what for?”

“So heartless! My poor heart—it’s breaking,” Bu Xueyao clutched his chest and pouted, “It’s that wretched Hutar who couldn’t handle himself. Just as we were about to breach the stronghold, Yingying Guards snuck into his main tent. My promising path turned into a mess, and I was even splattered with his dirty blood. Can’t you sympathize a bit?”

Li Feng’s eyes flashed with a gleam. “If they managed to kill Hutar under your watch, it must have been quite the expert.”

Bu Xueyao slowly removed his red robe, revealing two wounds on his pale chest. One cut nearly severed his left shoulder and neck, while another ran from his collarbone straight down to his navel—any deeper, and it would have split him open.

He sighed, “That person was ruthless. Four strikes in total—the first I blocked, the second almost opened up my chest and belly, the third took Hutar’s head, and the fourth landed on my shoulder, nearly sending me to join him.”

Li Feng laughed.

He rarely laughed, usually keeping a face as stiff as a coffin’s lid. Even now, the smile didn’t look pleasant, more like a corpse grinning as it prepared to bite.

Li Feng reached out, tracing the blade marks inch by inch. “An impressive blade, sharp and merciless!”

Bu Xueyao gathered his robe and asked, “How does he compare to that master of Duanshui Manor?”

Li Feng replied, “Seeing isn’t the same as hearing. I’d have to fight him to tell.”

Bu Xueyao said, “Too bad he fell victim to my ‘Dark Dream.’ By now, he’s probably sleeping himself to death somewhere.”

“Not necessarily,” Li Feng’s face softened slightly as he withdrew his hand. “‘Dark Dream’ is indeed difficult to counter, but not incurable. Besides, anyone with skills like his wouldn’t willingly die in a dream.”

“Alright then, let’s get to the point.” Bu Xueyao covered his mouth with a smile, his eyes twinkling, “This time, we failed to breach Jinghan Pass. The Palace Master won’t be able to explain himself to that lord, and I’ll be in an even worse spot. So, I came here, Li Lang, to ask for a way out.”

Li Feng sneered, “In my life, I’ve only ever offered paths to death.”

“And other people’s paths to death are my way out,” Bu Xueyao fastened his robe, playfully kissing his crimson nails, his expression both seductive and wicked. “The Palace Master initiated this ‘Sharp Edge Gathering,’ intending to trample the pride of the Central Plains martial arts world and gain fame. That’s one aim. Weakening their experts and dampening their morale is the second. Since that’s the case, why don’t we make it a win-win?”

“And what’s that supposed to mean?”

Bu Xueyao said, “I’ve already spread the news through the Heavenly Spider that Xie Wuyi initially refused the challenge post. People from all around the Central Plains, those self-proclaimed righteous folks, are on their way here to pressure him. If he declines again, it will prove that the so-called ‘First Blade under Heaven’ is nothing but a sham, and he’ll become a disgrace to the martial world. We won’t even have to lift a finger to ruin Duanshui Manor’s reputation. Isn’t that enough to instill fear in the Central Plains?”

“But he’s accepted it.”

“He accepted, and that’s even better,” Bu Xueyao smiled lightly. “Now, with people from all the major sects gathering to witness the duel, we could set a trap and wipe them all out. This way, even though we failed with the Northern Barbarians, this success could counterbalance that failure. Wouldn’t that be my way out?”

“Your appetite is enormous. Aren’t you afraid of choking?” Li Feng sneered, “The Central Plains martial world is full of hidden talents. With just our hundred or so men, dreaming of keeping them all here is pure fantasy.”

“Not necessarily,” Bu Xueyao stretched his fingers, flashing a mischievous smile. “Since you know I just returned from the Northern Barbarians, you should know that the Heavenly Spider is now under my command. My people are already woven into every corner of Guyang City, where these martial artists are staying and what they eat—all arranged by us. While I dared not poison them to avoid suspicion, slipping in a lure was easy. Now everything is in place; we just need Li Lang to stir the eastern wind.”

Li Feng glanced at him. “And what exactly is this ‘eastern wind’?”

“Just have Li Lang draw out the fight to keep these people entangled, and lend me the Baizu troops for the arrangement. Only when we control the entire battle area will we be able to trap the turtle in the jar, allowing for a swift victory…”

The last word stuck in his throat as Li Feng’s hand abruptly clamped around his neck, lifting him off the ground. His gaze was icy, and only when Bu Xueyao’s eyes began to roll back did he finally release him with a snort, throwing him onto the floor.

“I dislike such schemes. For the Palace Master’s sake, this is the last time I’ll allow you to use me. Next time, I’ll kill you.”

Coughing, Bu Xueyao lay on the ground. Li Feng stepped over him, leaving only one remark: “I’ll instruct the Baizu to follow your orders temporarily. But do not interfere with me during the duel, or I’ll cut off your legs.”

As the door closed, Bu Xueyao slowly got up, shaking his head in mock sorrow. “Truly a man who doesn’t know how to cherish beauty.”

He walked to the table, gazing at the black ink on white paper—Xie Wuyi’s name.

“You must be eager, Li Lang.” Bu Xueyao’s lips curved in a coy smile, his gaze lingering like a young maiden’s longing, “Let’s hope this Lord Xie lives up to your expectations.”

The next day, all of Guyang City was in an uproar.

The Palace of Burial Souls had revised the rules for the upcoming duel, changing it from a single match to a best-of-three format. Officially, this was framed as the Palace’s disciples admiring the reputation of Duanshui Manor and wishing to learn more from them.

People buzzed with various opinions—some were indignant, others agreed, while many more took delight in the misfortune.

“The Palace of Burial Souls is truly overconfident. Just because they changed the rules, does Duanshui Manor have to comply?”

“They call it ‘sharing their expertise,’ but it’s just trampling on Duanshui Manor’s honor, treating Xie Wuyi like a puppet!”

“But I heard that Duanshui Manor has agreed to it. They just made one request: they want the stage set up inside their manor. What do you think they’re planning?”

“Speaking of which, Duanshui Manor has been in decline for years. It’s still uncertain if Xie Wuyi is useless or not. Even if he isn’t, who else would be able to handle the other two fights? Or could it be that Xie Wuyi thinks so highly of himself that he wants to take on all three matches alone?”

“Tsk, why bother guessing? We’ll find out once the battle begins in three days!”

“…”

Outside, discussions ran high, but inside the manor, it was eerily quiet.

Xie Wuyi had promised to deliver the Duanshui Blade to Cangxue Valley after the battle. Thus, Chu Xiwei straightforwardly left Duanshui Manor with Sun Minfeng and his entourage. Over the next four days, Xie Wuyi methodically arranged the affairs of the manor, dismissing most of the servants and guards, leaving the vast estate increasingly desolate.

Xue Chanyi saw all this and asked multiple times, only to be brushed off with casual remarks, so much so that she became anxious and developed blisters on her lips. Xie Li also wanted to ask, but feared being scolded, so he remained obedient and silent, dutifully practicing martial arts each day.

With only a few people left in the manor, Ye Fusheng’s quality of meals dropped significantly. He showed no sense of being a guest and would go to the kitchen himself for each of his three meals, always taking the best items. Even after being chased around the courtyard twice by Miss Xue wielding a whip, he felt no shame.

“A tree needs its bark, and a person needs their face, but only with thick skin can one succeed,” Ye Fusheng said with a smile, pushing a slice of raw ginger into Xie Li’s mouth. “It’s damp these days; eat more ginger to ward off the cold.”

“…” Xie Li was speechless, for the first time feeling an urge to spit in someone’s face.

At this moment, Xue Chanyi was carrying a food box as she headed toward Xie Zhongshan’s small courtyard. The guards had left, and only a maidservant remained, who was currently in the laundry room. Thus, the courtyard was utterly silent.

As twilight deepened, she glanced at the sky and was briefly entranced by the orange clouds. In that instant, a cold glint flashed, striking directly at her exposed neck.

Her brow furrowed, and Xue Chanyi bent backward, raising her left leg to counter, her foot meeting the edge of a sharp blade. But before she could see clearly, someone seized her left ankle, and with a “crack,” twisted it out of place.

“Who?” Pain flashed across her face, but Xue Chanyi twisted her body like a dancing flower, swinging the food box in her hand to deflect the blade. In that split-second, she drew the whip from her waist, sending it like a dragon to coil around the hand holding the weapon. Without looking back, she used the strength of her waist to hurl the assailant behind her.

Unexpectedly, the assailant used the momentum from her whip to rebound midair, severing her whip with a turn of the blade. With a free hand, he raised his palm to strike at her head!

Just inches away, Xue Chanyi remained unperturbed. At the last moment, she tilted her head aside, her steps light and quick as she maneuvered behind him, a short blade in her sleeve ready to strike.

At that moment, her attacker turned around.

“Chanyi, it’s been three years, and your martial arts have greatly improved.”

The face, the voice, the expression—all too familiar.

The man before her wore a plain brocade robe, his long hair loosely tied at the back, his gentle smile as refined as jade, his eyes like ink softly brushed on paper.

Caught in a daze, she called out instinctively, “Master…”

The man’s smile faded, replaced by a cold, unyielding stare.

Xue Chanyi trembled, snapping out of her trance. Her lips moved, but no words came.

Xie Wuyi said coldly, “Three years ago, I was occupied with recovering from my injuries and consolidating the manor’s forces against Xie Zhongshan. Many things slipped my attention, and only later did I realize that the Manor Lord’s jade pendant had disappeared. After searching for three years without a trace, it turns out… it was you.”

“I…”

Two embroidered pouches slipped from Xie Wuyi’s sleeve. One bore a crude bamboo design, the other, a delicate plum blossom, was a peace charm she had made for Xie Li. Though the stitching quality differed, they were clearly from the same hand.

Upon seeing the pouch, her face turned pale, then she looked up abruptly, asking incredulously, “How did you…? Where is my master?”

“So, you finally admit it. You’ve known for three years that I am not him, and yet you called me ‘Master’ all this time.” Xie Wuyi’s lips curled in disdain as he tossed the pouch to her.

Xue Chanyi clutched the pouch, her face ashen.

Thirteen years ago, she was the youngest child in her family, and a girl at that. Seeing how dire the times were, her parents sold her off. She was only three years old then and remembered little, except that the woman who bought her was ill-tempered, often starving her and beating her. Before long, the woman was planning to sell her again, but someone rescued her.

That person was her master, Xie Wuyi, the Manor Lord of Duanshui Manor, known as “The First Blade Under Heaven.”

Xie Wuyi gave her a name, fed and clothed her, and taught her literature and martial arts, letting a girl who should have perished under the harsh world survive and grow. Xue Chanyi had sworn countless times that she would repay this debt in her lifetime, even if it meant being shattered to pieces.

She knew she had little natural talent, so she worked a hundred times harder than others. At eleven, she left her master to roam the martial world on her own, enduring hardships, suffering losses, and slowly growing into the person she aspired to be.

Three years ago, she heard that a Western Blade Fighter had challenged her master at Lingyun Peak, leaving him gravely injured. She hurried back, standing vigil outside his door for three days and nights, yet never seeing him.

Doctors came and went, deepening her fear, until even the Ghost Doctor arrived. She prayed fervently, waiting anxiously until the door finally reopened.

Though the face and voice were the same, one glance at the cold and unfeeling look he gave her chilled her joy.

Thht wasn’t her master, for she knew her master would never look at her with such detachment.

Yet everyone, even the old Manor Lord, insisted that he was Xie Wuyi.

She dared not object, dared not cry, only laughed with the others.

As this imposter Xie Wuyi dealt with the manor’s dissidents, even overpowering Lady Rong and the old Manor Lord, her fear grew. She left on an excuse, then quietly returned to steal the Manor Lord’s jade pendant, setting off aimlessly to find her master.

How vast is the world when trying to find one person?

Finally, she remembered her master’s name and the poem “Qin Feng – Wu Yi.”

With no other options, Xue Chanyi went to the frontier, using what little she had to blend in with the refugees and sneak into the military outpost. There, she finally spotted her master among the soldiers.

They were both filthy and disheveled, but recognized each other instantly.

At that moment, she was overwhelmed with joy, clinging to her master and sobbing like a lost bird finding its nest.

But her master told her to go back, saying that from then on, he would be Xie Wuyi, and she was to obey him.

Life and death hinge on a single thought; joy and sorrow are often two sides of the same coin.

“He couldn’t dissuade me, so he told me the truth, gave me all his money, and sent me back. Out of spite, I left the jade pendant with him, vowing to wait for him to return to Duanshui Manor. Then I came back,” Xue Chanyi forced a smile. “With Master gone, I had to look after Duanshui Manor and take care of A-li.”

“You’re quite the loyal disciple: patient, cunning, and unwavering.” Xie Wuyi clasped his hands behind him. “This time, I sent you to Cangxue Valley to find the Ghost Doctor, so you must know about the ‘Muscle and Blood Replacement’ method that could heal me. And you also knew that using this method would cost Xie Li’s life. That’s why you took the risk of letting a stranger into the manor at this critical moment.”

For the past three years, Xie Wuyi had kept a low profile, but Xue Chanyi knew that his control over Duanshui Manor remained absolute; none dared defy him, including her. She couldn’t protect Xie Li if he truly intended to harm the boy.

Lacking trust in this treacherous Xie Wuyi, and feeling powerless, she had lured Ye Fusheng into the manor, not to truly protect Xie Li, but to divert Xie Wuyi’s attention and create some room for maneuver.

“A clever move, albeit risky,” Xie Wuyi remarked.

Cold sweat beaded on Xue Chanyi’s forehead, and she instinctively tightened her grip on the dagger hidden in her sleeve.

“Try to move again, and I’ll make sure you lose an arm,” Xie Wuyi sneered. “If I really wanted to punish you, do you think you’d still be standing here, talking?”

“…Chanyi thanks the Manor Lord.”

“You’re young, but you’ve got a lot of nerve. However, I’ve seen far more people than you have. Ever since the jade pendant went missing, I suspected you. The only reason I haven’t acted on it for the past three years is that you pose no real threat to me, and Xie Li has no one else by his side who genuinely cares for him. Though you’re a bit foolish, you’re not completely hopeless.” Xie Wuyi raised his hand and tossed her a crumpled piece of paper. “Now that it’s all out in the open, let’s put this matter to rest. From here on, follow what’s written on that paper.”

Xue Chanyi unfolded the note, her body trembling as her hands began to shake.

“You…”

“What?”

The words died in her throat, and she swallowed them down, then said instead, “Since you’re here, won’t you see the old Manor Lord?”

“It’s just mutual disdain. What’s the point of seeing each other?” Xie Wuyi glanced at the tightly shut door, shook his head, and turned to leave.

As he was about to step out, Xue Chanyi asked, “My master… is he… well?”

Xie Wuyi paused, his shoe momentarily caught on the doorstep. After a brief silence, he replied, “He’s dead. I didn’t kill him. Believe it or don’t—it’s up to you.”