Fragrance rises to dance - Chapter 26
Before Sheng Xiang could finish her sentence, Bi Huohan tightened his grip with his fingertips, and his voice immediately went hoarse.
Bi Qiuhan's face was pale as he glared fiercely at Sheng Xiang, a surge of murderous intent rising within him. Thinking of Sheng Xiang's many despicable acts and treacherous intentions, he tightened his grip, determined to strangle him to death!
He considered him a friend, never suspecting his unwavering loyalty. Yet, Sheng Xiang harbored ulterior motives, concealing such a crucial matter from him! Sheng Xiang's deep-seated treachery was utterly appalling! Now, with Sheng Xiang's neck in his hand, his anger clouded his reason, and he tightened his grip even more. In an instant, Sheng Xiang's neck would be snapped, and he would die between his three fingers!
With a loud bang, the door was flung open.
A man kicked the door open, shattering the two large doors with a single blow. The debris flew through the air, crashing against the wall and kicking up clouds of dust. It was clear that the man's kick was delivered with rage and full force.
Bi Qiuhan was startled, as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over him, instantly sobering him up a bit. Just as he was stunned for a moment, the person who came stood in front of the door, looking at him coldly, "Let go."
The person who came was Tianyan Yuxiu!
Bi Qiuhan's momentum faltered, and he slowly released his grip. Looking at the purplish-blue bruises on Shengxiang's neck, he broke out in a cold sweat, overwhelmed by regret and guilt, and his face turned ashen.
With a "whoosh," Yu Xiu put his hands behind his back and said calmly to the onlookers behind him, "Go back."
The onlookers were mostly sensible and perceptive. Seeing that Bi Qiuhan had almost strangled Shengxiang to death, they all knew that something major was about to happen. Even without Yuxiu's words, they all avoided him and pretended not to see him.
In an instant, the area outside the door was deserted, except for Daoist Qinghe, Tong Toutuo, Yang Zhen, Fu Guan, and other people who knew the truth.
Everyone looked at Yu Xiu, wondering what he was going to do.
The matter is complicated, and Yu Xiu obviously doesn't know it. How could he possibly act fairly?
"Cough cough..." Shengxiang slumped to the ground, clutching her neck with one hand. "Yu Mutou, don't be angry. I went too far... cough cough... I... you tell them all to leave..."
Yu Xiu glanced at Bi Qiuhan indifferently, and seeing that he was still standing there, said calmly, "Shengxiang is not angry, you can leave now."
Bi Qiuhan remained in a daze. Fu Guan clasped his hands in a salute to Yu Xiu and took the lead, saying, "Brother Yu, please forgive us. We will take our leave now." With that, he pulled Bi Qiuhan along, and the group bowed and departed.
"What are you up to now?" Yu Xiu frowned.
Shengxiang clutched her neck in discomfort, sat up, and leaned against the chair leg. "How was I supposed to know... cough cough... Xiao Bi was so angry that he actually tried to strangle me. Doesn't he care that it would cause my mental illness to flare up and I'd have to go see the Buddha in the Western Paradise?"
"Qiyang said long ago that you wouldn't die." Yuxiu didn't sympathize with him much. "Besides, you deliberately lured him to strangle you so that he would feel guilty and not want to reveal your mother's secret. Why should I sympathize with you?" He said indifferently, "Aren't you afraid that no one will save you? If you die, you will have died in vain."
"How am I as evil as you say?" Sheng Xiang looked at Yu Xiu with a smile. "This young master is a good person."
"A good person." Yu Xiu smiled faintly, a rare occurrence. "If you really wanted to harm people, then no one could afford to offend you."
"Nephew Bi." Master Qinghe and Bi Qiuhan walked quickly to the outside of the Wudang Taoist Temple. Bi Qiuhan slammed his fist into the Wudang pine tree, and the trunk cracked with a "crack." He remained silent, his face ashen.
“Nephew Bi, I have been standing outside the door the whole time. I cannot entirely blame you for grabbing someone’s neck. But we consider ourselves chivalrous people. How can we bully the weak in a moment of anger? Tonight, you acted impulsively.” After saying this, Master Qinghe chanted his Taoist name: “Amitabha Buddha.”
"Hehe." Fu Guan chuckled indifferently.
"That young master was the son of the mastermind back then, so killing him is no big deal," Yang Zhen said coldly. "Who in the martial world hasn't killed a person or two? Is it so strange? You call yourself a chivalrous person, but you're just a hypocrite."
"Seniors, please allow Qiu Han to calm down," Bi Qiu Han said in a low voice. "Sheng Xiang has been lying and denying everything. If I, Qiu Han, continue to handle this matter, I might very well make a mistake again." He chuckled self-deprecatingly, closed his eyes, and said, "Heh heh, after more than ten years in the martial world, only today do I realize that Qiu Han is truly impulsive..."
“Amitabha Buddha,” Master Qinghe sighed, “Nephew Bi values relationships, which is why he was so angered by the sacred incense.”
"Please explain the matter of the murderer, Daoist Master." Bi Qiuhan took a deep breath, clasped his hands in a fist salute, and said, "Qiuhan, return to your room."
Bi Qiuhan did not go straight back to his room; instead, he strolled slowly along the forest path in Wudang Mountain.
The crescent moon, clear and bright, casts a shadow that makes even the finest strands of hair appear black on the ground, creating an eerie picture. The distant chirping of cicadas echoes through the night, and occasionally, flashes of yellow light appear in the woods—the eyes of the Wudang Night Beasts.
Everything else was pitch black, so dark you couldn't see your hand in front of your face. Turning around, only a few ever-burning lamps in the Taoist temple flickered. The strange chirping of insects in the grass at my feet only added to my unease.
He wasn't usually someone who enjoyed nighttime strolls or having many worries. Over a decade of bloodshed in the martial world had long since made him forget the peaceful moonlit nights of his youth when he was learning his skills. If he hadn't almost accidentally strangled Shengxiang today, he probably wouldn't have thought of that kind of moon again for the rest of his life.
With a soft "whoosh," a branch snapped open. Bi Qiuhan's brows furrowed, and he hissed, "Who's lurking around like that?" He moved with the agility of a bird, instantly leaping onto the branch that had made the sound.
There was no sound from all around, but Bi Qiuhan knew for certain that someone had been there just now.
The branch that had sprung up was quite large, and as it swayed slightly, Bi Qiuhan could immediately discern the best foothold on it—anything that didn't step on that spot would fall from the branch. And at that foothold, the bark was slightly peeled back, leaving no trace of footsteps. In this world, only Chunfeng Shili Dubu possessed such a light and agile footwork; there was no other like him.
"Jade Peak?" Bi Qiuhan asked coldly.
The voice came from behind Bi Qiuhan, and the person who came said coldly, "You really can't forget that transvestite."
It wasn't Yu Cuiwei, but the voice was still familiar. Bi Qiuhan suddenly turned around, and there was a person standing behind him, nose to nose and eye to eye. When he turned around, the person smiled sinisterly and suddenly blew a breath into Bi Qiuhan's mouth.
A faint fragrance, tinged with the scent of orchids, wafted over. Bi Qiuhan, alert, held his breath, parrying with his sleeve while simultaneously leaping backward, landing with a soft "thud" on a pine tree three zhang away. "It's you!" he sneered coldly. "You're not dead yet?"
The newcomer was none other than Li Shiyu, who had been cleaved into the Han River by Yu Cuiwei's palm strike. Even in the dead of night, he was still dressed in white, holding a long sword that gleamed under the moonlight. "I ambushed you with a sword, and Yu Cuiwei ambushed me with a palm strike. We have met twice and neither of us could determine a winner. How about we settle things tonight?"
"Who are you to Li Lingyan?" Bi Qiuhan was already in a state of great annoyance, and seeing this was exactly what he wanted. "Sneaking up Wudang Mountain in the dead of night, acting so suspiciously, you are indeed a villain, you have never known what it means to be upright and honest!" he said coldly.
Li Shiyu chuckled, "You think you're foolproof just because you're hiding in Wudang Mountain? Who is Ling Yan? Do you think this kind of trick can fool him? We've known all along that you bunch of stray dogs have nowhere to go but Wudang, which is right here!" He flicked his sword, "That old Taoist Qingjing is incredibly audacious to take you in. At his age, he's probably tired of living. I am Li Shiyu, Ling Yan's own brother, but don't worry, I'm all alone tonight." He said coldly, "I want to kill Nan Ge, but you're no less capable. I'll kill you first, then Nan Ge!"
"What arrogant words!" Bi Qiuhan sneered. "You might as well wait until you've killed me before spouting such boastful and presumptuous remarks!"
"I will take your life within thirty moves!" Li Shiyu said no more, holding his sword horizontally, muttering to himself in a very low voice, as if speaking to the sword. His other hand hung motionless at his side as if dead.
This was the first time Bi Qiuhan had ever seen such a strange sword-fighting stance, and he couldn't help but feel a slight chill in his heart, becoming secretly on guard.
As the moonlight shifted westward, the shadows of the trees slowly swept across Bi Qiuhan's face. But before the shadows could even pass over Bi Qiuhan's eyes, Li Shiyu let out a cold laugh and thrust his sword out with a "whoosh."
Bi Qiuhan tightened his grip, the scabbard in his hand, his eyes fixed on the tip of Li Shiyu's sword, ready to draw his sword and parry.
With a "whoosh," a sword thrust forward, its wind chilling and its chilling aura emanating from it.
This was clearly a sword strike, but the sword suddenly disappeared midway through!
The chilling edge of the sword barely touched Bi Qiuhan's nose, but the sword vanished midway, disappearing without a trace! Bi Qiuhan was terrified. With a clang, he reversed the scabbard, simultaneously wielding the sword with his left hand and the scabbard in his right, executing a "fan sword" move. Four sharp clangs rang out as Li Shiyu thrust his sword, striking four vital points simultaneously. Fortunately, Bi Qiuhan's swordsmanship was extremely steady, and even caught off guard, he managed to parry. Li Shiyu gave a cold laugh and praised, "Excellent skill!"