Bloodstained Kill - Chapter 13
Why the rush to destroy each other?
Three days later, at the Sima residence.
Sima Chenfeng sat upright in the hall, his eyes lowered and focused on the teacup in his hand. His face was calm and expressionless, but his heart was filled with turmoil.
If his calculations are correct, Sima Liuyun will return to the mansion in the next few days.
Although the bounty had been issued, he received news that the assassins had all failed to capture Sima Liuyun along the way, and that Sima Liuyun's whereabouts were unknown. This news had made him uneasy in recent days.
His brother far surpassed him in both martial arts and strategy, and as the direct heir of the Sima family, the position of head of the Sima family was not his for the taking. However, faced with readily available wealth and power, how many people in the world could remain unmoved?
"It is fate," Sima Chenfeng thought with a touch of melancholy. "Otherwise, why would my father fall seriously ill when Sima Liuyun left the manor?"
Now that things had come to this, he had no choice but to join forces with that person and act according to the plan. As long as Sima Liuyun lived, he would never have a moment of peace.
Sima Chenfeng lowered his eyes slightly, concealing the hint of ruthlessness that had been lurking within them. Just then, a servant hurriedly entered the hall and whispered, "The Second Young Master and his party have just entered Lezhou City and are currently on their way back to the manor."
Sima Chenfeng's teacup trembled slightly, but he quickly regained his composure and ordered in a deep voice, "Go and make the arrangements."
A short while later, Sima Liuyun, accompanied by his entourage, arrived at the mansion, weary from their journey. Sima Chenfeng, along with his servants, was already there to greet them. The two brothers exchanged a nod, both noticing the other's somber expression and the hidden worry in his eyes.
Sima Liuyun asked, "Brother, how is Father's condition?"
Sima Chenfeng sighed, shook his head slightly, and said in a low voice, "He kept holding on, just to see you one last time, you..."
Sima Liuyun was overcome with grief and hurriedly said, "I will go see him right away." He then strode quickly toward the inner courtyard.
Seeing that the two guards behind him were still following closely, Sima Chenfeng frowned slightly, turned around and instructed the group of followers that Sima Liuyun had brought back: "Everyone must be tired from the journey. Let's go to the front hall for some tea and snacks." As he spoke, he gave a wink to a trusted confidant beside him, and then hurriedly went to the inner courtyard.
Sima Liuyun arrived at his father's residence, entered the inner room, and stood outside the bedroom door, calling softly, "Father, your son has returned."
The bedroom was completely silent, with no echo.
Sima Chenfeng arrived at that moment and said, "Father hasn't been feeling well these past few days, and he's probably still asleep. Quietly go in and take a quick look at him, then come out and pay your respects when he wakes up."
Sima Liuyun nodded and pushed open the door to the bedroom.
Sima Chenfeng saw that the two guards stood outside the door with their heads bowed, neither looking to the side. After a moment, he quietly reached for the short sword at his waist, a cold glint flashing in his eyes...
Sima Liuyun entered the bedroom and found the windows tightly closed, the room dimly lit, and the curtains hanging low in front of his father's bed, making the whole room feel stuffy and suffocating.
He walked to within ten feet of the bed, then stopped and stared intently at the thick brocade curtains before him, but did not step forward to lift them.
After a while, the room became even quieter, and even the faint breathing sounds inside and outside the tent could be clearly heard.
Sima Liuyun stood still, listening quietly, a hint of coldness gradually appearing on his face.
At that moment, the curtain suddenly tore open from the inside, and a cold light shot out from it, as swift as a meteor, straight at Sima Liuyun's chest.
Sima Liuyun's eyes sharpened, and he quickly clasped his hands together, barely managing to hold the sword tip an inch in front of his chest. Then, he turned his left hand, gripped the blade, and tried to break the longsword in two.
The man in the tent leaped out with his sword. He saw that Sima Liuyun had already put on black silk gloves. He raised his eyebrows slightly and struck out with his left palm. Sima Liuyun met the attack with his own palm. The two palms collided and their forces intersected. They each took a step back. The man's wrist trembled slightly, and he took the opportunity to pull his long sword back.
In the brief exchange just now, both of them had sensed that the other's internal strength was profound and that their skills were comparable to their own, and they were both secretly surprised.
Sima Liuyun looked up and saw that the other party was a young man of about twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old. The man was handsome and had an extraordinary appearance. His expression was extremely cold. At this moment, the corners of his lips were slightly raised, and he said indifferently, "Young Master Sima is indeed extraordinary. He was able to see through my plan. It seems that I underestimated you."
Sima Liuyun recognized the man as the mysterious one who had visited Sima Chenfeng the other day, and said in a deep voice, "Who are you? Why did you force my brother to commit patricide and fratricide?"
The man smiled faintly and said indifferently, "Young Master Sima is indeed kind-hearted. You don't even believe that your brother plotted to harm you?" Although this man's assassination attempt on Sima Liuyun in the tent failed, he was confident that there were many experts lying in ambush in the Sima mansion to provide support. Although Sima Liuyun's martial arts were high, he didn't take him seriously.
Sima Liuyun's face turned cold. He drew his long sword from his waist, leaped forward, and began to fight him.
Sima Liuyun's swordsmanship was superb and he was renowned in Sichuan. However, when he saw the man's swordsmanship was fierce and his moves were strange, the wonder of his swordsmanship was truly rare in his life. He couldn't help but be secretly amazed: This person's martial arts are so exquisite, why have I never heard anyone mention him in the martial arts world?
The man was also filled with doubt and unease. He thought to himself: With such a commotion in the room, the people lying in ambush should have already appeared and attacked Sima Liuyun from both sides. Why is it that no one has come in yet?
The thought had barely formed when the door slammed open, and two figures burst in. The man glanced at the newcomers amidst his haste, and heard one of them chuckle. A steel claw flew swiftly towards him with the sound of laughter.
The man's face darkened, and with a casual wave of his hand, he knocked the steel claw away. He saw that the newcomers were two men dressed as servants, but the laughter just now clearly came from a woman. Looking closely, he saw that the two men were slender and their facial expressions were stiff, so they were obviously women in disguise.
The woman who had spoken earlier said in a sweet voice, "Oh dear, this person's martial arts are too high. I can't beat him. Miss Luo, you should do it. I'll go help deal with those outside." With that, she darted out of the room.
The man fought Sima Liuyun for a while longer. Seeing that the "Miss Luo" stood motionless to the side, not joining the attack, he was slightly surprised, but had no time to think it through. He seized the opportunity, unleashing a series of sword strikes, pressing forward relentlessly towards Sima Liuyun. Seeing Sima Liuyun take a step back, he suddenly moved swiftly towards the woman disguised as a servant, and with a backhand thrust, stabbed towards her heart. But he saw her clear, bright eyes, seemingly filled with surprise and joy, staring blankly at him, and he was slightly taken aback.
Sima Liuyun shouted urgently from the side, "Be careful!"
Startled by the approaching sword wind, Yun Ran quickly leaped backward to dodge, and with a soft sound, she swung her soft sword, slicing the incoming sword in two.
The man was startled, realizing that the other woman seemed to know his sword techniques very well. She had perfectly timed and positioned her sword strikes, easily cutting his longsword in half. Could this woman's swordsmanship be even better than Sima Liuyun's?
He then noticed the purple light emanating from the soft sword in her hand, its chilling aura palpable. He knew that with such a divine weapon at his aid, if she joined forces with Sima Liuyun, he would definitely not fare well. In a flash, he swiftly moved aside, smashed the window with a palm strike, and leaped out.
Seeing that Yun Ran's behavior was quite different just now, Sima Liuyun knew that this mysterious man was probably closely related to her. So he did not chase after her and said gently to Yun Ran, "Let's go and see how the situation is outside."
Yun Ran was still somewhat dazed as she stared out the window. Upon hearing this, she forced herself to calm down, gave a soft reply, and then slipped out of the room with Sima Liuyun.
Upon seeing the several corpses lying in the inner room, Sima Liuyun turned to Yun Ran with a smile and said, "I am deeply grateful for the help of the two young ladies."
Yun Ran smiled faintly, "Wanwan received five hundred gold coins from you, so it's only right that I do something for you."
Sima Liuyun glanced at her, thinking to himself: Miss Luo has helped me several times, yet she takes it all for granted. What merit do I, Sima Liuyun, possess to be able to become such a close friend?
It turned out that Sima Liuyun had discussed his plan with Yunran and Wanwan at the inn that day before leaving the city to meet up with his entourage who arrived shortly afterward. Over the past three days, he had secretly made arrangements, and today he led his entourage back to the manor. Yunran and Wanwan, disguised as his bodyguards, subdued Sima Chenfeng outside his bedroom and killed several assassins lying in ambush. The other entourage launched their attack as soon as they entered the main hall. Although outnumbered, they were all carefully selected experts from the manor's guards, skilled in the Nebula Sword Formation; once activated, the Nebula Sword Formation would be a formidable force.
Sima Chenfeng's prestige within the household was already low, and his power grab was illegitimate. Aside from a few close confidants and the skilled fighters the mysterious man had brought to ambush him, most of the household guards and servants were loyal to Sima Liuyun. The disparity in strength was immediately apparent. Now that Sima Chenfeng had been captured, and more than half of his men were dead or wounded, the rest, seeing that the situation was hopeless, surrendered one after another.
Sima Liuyun and Yunran arrived at the hall, only to find that Wanwan had already immobilized Sima Chenfeng by striking his acupoints and was holding him in the hall.
Sima Chenfeng's face turned deathly pale upon seeing him arrive.
Sima Liuyun was silent for a moment, then asked in a low voice, "Did you personally lay a hand on Father?"
Sima Chenfeng trembled and said in a hoarse voice, "You...you knew everything?"
Sima Liuyun's probing question confirmed his suspicions, but he was deeply disappointed. He said in a deep voice, "Father has always treated you like his own flesh and blood. How could you bear to harm him?"
Sima Chenfeng gave a slightly sarcastic smile and said softly, "But in the end, the position of the head of this family will still be passed on to you, my own flesh and blood."
Sima Liuyun sighed, "Do you know that Father sent me out this time to reorganize the industries in various places and hand them over to you to manage in the future?"
Sima Chenfeng's expression changed, and he said in a low voice, "It's too late to say anything more. If you want to kill me for revenge, then do it."
Sima Liuyun slowly said, "Who is the man who conspired with you to harm me? Why did you take full responsibility for this matter and not mention him at all? Could it be that he has some leverage over you, forcing you to take action while your father is seriously ill?"
Sima Chenfeng's expression changed, he closed his eyes, and remained silent.
Seeing that his wife and children were not by his side, Sima Liuyun understood the situation, stepped forward, and thrust out his long sword.
☆、A gentleman is fond of beauty
A gentle night breeze stirred the rippling water. Sima Liuyun stood on the shore of the lake on the outskirts of Lezhou City, listening to the sound of the water lapping against the bank. His thoughts were in turmoil, and his mind remained unsettled for a long time.
Suddenly he heard light footsteps behind him. He turned around and saw Yun Ran, dressed in an apricot-colored shirt with her black hair loosely tied up, slowly walking towards him from the night. She then threw something at him.
Sima Liuyun reached out and took it, seeing it was a wine pot, its contents exuding a rich aroma. It contained the very same Zhuyeqing wine he often drank while enjoying the scenery by the lake. He was taken aback and asked, "How did you know...?"
Yun Ran smiled faintly but did not answer. She had heard her brother Yun Yi mention that every time he went to Sichuan, he would bring a pot of Zhuyeqing wine and chat with Sima Liuyun by this lake. Today, Sima Liuyun was in a bad mood, so he must have come here.
Sima Liuyun turned to look at the lake again and said in a low voice, "My elder brother used to bring me here to play. But as we all got older, we had different interests and only came to this lake when I was with my friends."
Now that his friend is gone and his brother has broken off their friendship, he fears that this lake view will be enjoyed by no one again. Sima Liuyun sighed softly, sat down on the shore, tilted his head back and took a sip of fine wine, but found the taste much more bitter than usual.
Yun Ran remained silent and sat down beside him. Today, Sima Liuyun had crippled his elder brother's martial arts and expelled him from the Sima family. In his heart, this brother was no different from being dead. She had also experienced the pain of losing her father and brother, and her gaze towards Sima Liuyun softened somewhat.
Sima Liuyun's eyes met hers, and he felt a sudden stirring in his heart. He then saw Yun Ran take the wine pot, put it to her lips, take a sip, and turn to him with a smile, saying, "The person accompanying you to see this lake view tonight doesn't drink. I wonder if you will find me boring, sir."
Yun Ran, who never drinks alcohol, swallowed a mouthful of Zhuyeqing liquor, frowned slightly, and shook her head with a wry smile, saying, "It doesn't seem to taste very good."
Seeing her flushed face and embarrassed expression, Sima Liuyun knew she couldn't hold her liquor, so he smiled and said, "You don't need to drink. Staying here and talking with me is just as good."
Yun Ran handed the wine pot back to him and gave him an apologetic smile.
Sima Liuyun looked at her smiling face, and his originally gloomy mood was lifted. He felt that the blushing and smiling appearance of the Miss Luo in front of him was indescribably beautiful and pleasing. He couldn't help but call out softly, "Miss Luo".
Yun Ran raised an eyebrow and asked with a smile, "What?"
Sima Liuyun gazed into her bright, clear eyes, a surge of emotion welling up within him. He slowly said, "I seem to..."
Suddenly, a soft sound came from the shadows of the trees by the lake. Sima Liuyun and Yun Ran stood up at the same time and shouted in unison, "Who goes there!"
The man chuckled and lightly leaped out from the shadows of the trees. Yun Ran whispered in surprise, "Qi Mo?"
Qi Mo smiled faintly, cupped his hands to the two, and said, "I had no intention of disturbing you, please forgive me." He glanced at Yun Ran, then turned and flew away, instantly appearing several feet away.
Seeing Qi Mo suddenly appear here in the middle of the night, Yun Ran was surprised and suspicious, fearing that he still intended to harm Sima Liuyun. She immediately turned around and said, "Young Master Sima, you go back to your residence first. I'll be right back." Before Sima Liuyun could reply, she had already flown off to chase after Qi Mo's figure.
Qi Mo noticed her chasing after him, a slight smile appearing in his eyes, but he didn't stop running. The two of them ran one after the other for several miles in a short while, until they came to a grove of trees. Only then did Qi Mo stop and turn around with a smile.
Yun Ran ran for a while, then suddenly stopped, feeling a little dizzy. She regulated her breathing to suppress the discomfort, and frowned as she asked, "Why is Chief Qi here by the lake?"
Seeing her expression, Qi Mo knew what she was wondering and said with a faint smile, "Does Miss Yun think that I am hiding by the lake to deal with Sima Liuyun?"
Yun Ran stared intently at him and saw that although he had a smile on his face, his gaze was deep and unfathomable, and she could not guess what he was thinking.
Seeing that she bit her lip and did not answer, Qi Mo shook his head and smiled, "I was just enjoying the night view by the lake when I didn't expect to be misunderstood by you. I had already promised you that I would not lay a hand on Sima Liuyun. Do you think I, Qi Mo, am the kind of person who breaks his word?"
Yun Ran recalled Qi Mo lending her a horse to travel with her, comforting her on a rainy night, and giving her the assassination order in Lezhou City. It seemed that everything he had done recently was out of good intentions, but for some reason, she always felt wary of him. Thinking of this, her face flushed slightly, and she felt a little guilty towards him, but for a moment she didn't know how to start a conversation.
Seeing her slightly flushed cheeks and embarrassed expression, Qi Mo couldn't help but chuckle. He took two steps forward, lowered his head, and said softly, "Miss Yun has wronged me. Should I punish you again?"
Yun Ran was startled, but he had already grabbed her pulse and pulled her into his arms. Qi Mo's deep, dark eyes stared at her intently for a moment, then the corners of his mouth slightly curved up. He slowly lowered his head, and his lips pressed against hers.
Yun Ran was furious, but the alcohol was taking effect, and she felt dizzy. In her panic, she felt his warm, soft tongue probe between her lips and teeth. After a series of teasing and sucking, she seemed to respond in a daze. For a moment, the only sound in the quiet forest was their soft breathing.
After a long while, the two finally separated, panting slightly. Qi Mo looked down and saw Yun Ran's cheeks flushed red, leaning softly against his chest, her expression a mixture of shyness and annoyance, but not her usual coldness. He couldn't help but smile with satisfaction.
Seeing his sly smile, Yun Ran was extremely annoyed and quickly pushed him away. Qi Mo laughed and said, "Now that the money is settled, Miss Yun, you don't need to worry that I will go back on my word and assassinate Sima Liuyun, right?"
Yun Ran was slightly taken aback, recalling the condition Qi Mo had whispered in her ear when he agreed to let Sima Liuyun go, and felt a surge of shame and anger again. Although she knew Qi Mo was teasing her, she still angrily said, "You!"
Qi Mo recalled that when he had held her earlier, he seemed not to have smelled the fragrance of Night's Delight. He chuckled softly, "Have you run out of Night's Delight? I'll give you a box later as an apology."
Yun Ran turned her head away and ignored him. Qi Mo smiled slightly and then said, "Sima Liuyun's rival is very cunning. You'd better stay away from the Sima family and avoid getting into trouble."
Yun Ran sensed that he knew the man's identity from his tone. Her lips moved as if she wanted to ask him, but remembering his despicable behavior just now, she finally held back and just gave a cold snort.
Qi Mo smiled, then suddenly heard a sharp whistle from afar. He raised his eyebrows slightly and said, "I have urgent business to attend to." With that, he moved swiftly toward the direction from which the whistle came.