Kiyomi Tsuki and His Fox - Chapter 191
Thinking about how he had practiced martial arts diligently since childhood, only to be unable to withstand even a single move from someone else's sword, Kiyomi Tsuki felt extremely annoyed and frustrated. He blurted out, "Damn it."
Lu Qingcheng chuckled softly, "Watch me win it back for you."
Qingjian Yue blushed; she must have let her thoughts show on her face. Lu Qingcheng, carrying his precious sword, slowly walked over, standing opposite Li Lin from a distance. Under the moonlight, he stood proudly, his eyes shining brightly, his tall figure exuding a noble and extraordinary aura.
Kiyoshitsuki was immediately in a good mood; Qingcheng was still the most handsome.
The two men in the arena suddenly attacked. It was a contest of strength and speed, intelligence and perseverance, without any fancy moves; it was a fight for life and death.
Kiyomi Tsuki was mesmerized by what she saw.
He recalled how he had once killed three lords with three strikes, half by skill and half by luck. His enemies didn't even consider him an enemy—that was contempt, and to contempt an enemy is to offer your own neck for their blade. Another, more significant reason was the enemy's fear of Lu Qingcheng, which bound them tightly. He had exploited their weakness, and thus he won. However, against truly powerful masters like Lu Qingcheng and Li Lin, his strength was utterly insignificant. Was it due to an innate physical difference between men and women?
Kiyomi Tsuki thought to herself with a self-deprecating smile.
He recalled his first encounter with Li Lin. At Old Madam Lu's command, Li Lin drew his sword. With that speed, he had no chance to dodge, let alone retaliate. He could only stare helplessly as the gleaming sword hurtled towards him, his mind blank. Just as he felt the tip of the sword pierce his clothes, about to break through his skin and penetrate his flesh, it suddenly stopped for some unknown reason.
That sword strike shocked the entire Lu Family Fortress. That sword strike made Li Lin famous, just like the one that killed three lords with a single blow. But after that, he rose high in the sky like the bright moon, while Li Lin remained silent like an unfathomable sea.
Their success or failure was determined from the very beginning.
Li Zhen's assassination of the Tong brothers, and the subsequent series of poisonings, almost successfully provoked a complete breakdown in relations between the already estranged Lu mother and son. If it weren't for…
when!
A deafening clang shook the heavens and earth, abruptly separating the two duelists. Li Lin staggered, his sword plunging into the ground before he finally regained his footing, his clothes torn open, blood gushing from his wounds. Lu Qingcheng fared no better, her injuries identical to Li Lin's.
Almost simultaneously, Qing Jianyue and Xu Yun rushed towards them without hesitation. Qing Jianyue hugged Lu Qingcheng, while Xu Yun, with tears streaming down her face, hugged Li Lin.
Li Lin gently embraced her, a faint smile appearing in his eyes. "You won."
Lu Qingcheng smiled and said, "You flatter me."
Next, how to deal with Li Lin's matter was no longer the most important thing. Lu Qingcheng and Qing Jianyue were quickly taken to their rooms. After a period of chaos, everyone returned to their respective places.
Qing Jianyue closed the door, turned around and glared at Lu Qingcheng, looking just like an angry kitten.
Lu Qingcheng couldn't help but laugh and said, "What does it look like? Come here."
"Don't give me that." Qing Jianyue snorted, "You'd better explain yourself clearly, when did you find out Li Lin's true identity?"
“After learning about your background, I exchanged letters with my father several times,” Lu Qingcheng said.
"Lu Qingcheng, you kept this from me so well."
Kiyomi Tsuki grinded his teeth, as if a ferocious little beast was about to tear him to pieces.
Lu Qingcheng said softly, "I did hide it from you. But darling, didn't you hide it from me too?"
Qingjian Yue choked, then turned away angrily and said, "I did hide some things from you, but you shouldn't have kept things from me about Li Lin. You'd better explain yourself clearly, what kind of play are you and Li Lin putting on?"
"Do you still remember that poisoning incident?" Lu Qingcheng said slowly and heavily, "It made me almost think I had lost you. Even now, thinking about it still makes me feel lingering fear."
His voice, like a gentle and affectionate hand, touched Qing Jianyue's heartstrings. In this situation, even if he was still angry, he couldn't hold back his anger. Qing Jianyue quietly walked to the bedside, knelt on one knee in front of Lu Qingcheng, and leaned over his legs.
Lu Qingcheng reached out and stroked his silky black hair, "I swear, I will find out who is behind this. I absolutely, absolutely cannot let him live and give him another chance to hurt you."
Kiyomi Tsuki raised his face, and glistening tears shone in his eyes.
"But as I investigated further, I was shocked. Three years ago, Xu Lan was ordered to assassinate Madam Long, but was seriously injured by Lord Long. Although he managed to escape, he died halfway, and his body was obtained by the Sky Eagle Sect. Li Tieying had always coveted this fortress, but he dared not act openly and was worried about how to make a move. Xu Lan gave Li Tieying a great inspiration. He wanted to use the fortress's weaknesses to dismantle it from within. Li Ying recommended Li Lin, not only because Li Lin's physique was similar to Xu Lan's, but also because Li Lin was the Sky Eagle Sect's number one swordsman, and his wit and composure were unmatched. Indeed, Li Lin lived up to expectations; the Liu Jianhua siblings almost destroyed the fortress. In the Lei Yongqing incident, Li Lin intentionally or unintentionally revealed his identity to attract the attention of Sky Dragon Fortress and Wind and Moon Manor. This move was very clever. From then on, Sky Dragon Fortress and Wind and Moon Manor began to support the Sky Eagle Sect openly and secretly."
Upon hearing this, Kiyomi Tsuki was so surprised that she couldn't speak.
"The Grand Enforcer realized the seriousness of the situation and sought help from his father behind his mother's back. In fact, although his father was far away from the fortress, it did not mean that he did not care about it. He had noticed the trouble in the fortress long ago, and he began to frequently appear in Tianlong Fortress and Fengyue Manor, and even interfered in the affairs of the fortress's branches in various places. This was to warn the Tianying Cult that with him around, they would not be able to touch a hair on the head of the fortress."
"Does the old lady know?"
"My mother knew a little about it. But this only intensified the hatred in her heart."
Lu Qingcheng sighed, and Qing Jianyue couldn't help but sigh as well.
"Since Li Lin went to such lengths, why did he use a fake death drug on me at the crucial moment? Also, when the old lady was pressuring you, why did he defend me? He almost succeeded, didn't he? Why did he give up?"
"Because of your background," Lu Qingcheng replied.
Kiyomi Tsuki was stunned.
"Li Lin said that after learning about your background, he felt a deep sense of guilt. In fact, he had long disapproved of his father and brother's behavior, and now he despised them even more. Of course, he didn't want to hurt you anymore, not only because of your background, but also because you have a noble soul. He wanted to atone for the mistakes his father had made by you. He also didn't want to be used by his father and brother as a tool for killing anymore."
Qingjian Yue never dreamed that Li Lin would be such a righteous and awe-inspiring man. Qingjian Yue couldn't help but feel respect for him. After thinking for a moment, she asked, "But what about the assassination of Madam Long, bribing Tang Xing, Jia Li, and Qingfeng's uncle, and instructing them to instigate Qingfeng to take revenge on the old lady? What about that?"
"The assassination of Madam Long was ordered by Li Ying on Li Tieying's orders. Li Tieying was furious about Li Lin's failed attempt to poison you last time. Perhaps feeling guilty, he was very afraid of you. He feared that you would use the power of our fortress to join forces with Tianlong Fortress and Fengyue Manor to retaliate against the Tianying Sect, so he was determined to get rid of you as soon as possible. He secretly ordered the assassination of Madam Long and then framed my mother, all to incite hatred between Tianlong Fortress and Fengyue Manor against our fortress. If the two tigers fought, the Tianying Sect could benefit from the conflict. After Li Lin learned of this, he immediately contacted me. Through Miss Lijiang, the message was first sent to Yunnan, and then forwarded to Tianlong Fortress by my father and the Holy Father, the leader of the White-Clothed Holy Sect. The three of us reached an agreement and decided to use this opportunity to eliminate the Tianying Sect, not only punishing the evildoers but also avenging you and fulfilling your wishes."
A surge of emotion welled up in Kiyomi Tsuki's heart, and tears streamed down her face.
Lu Qingcheng reached out and wiped away the tears on his face. "I went into the city to secretly meet with the envoys from Tianlong Fortress and Fengyue Manor. However, I never expected that Tang Xing and Jia Li's incident would happen. Li Lin also did not expect that if it weren't for your calm and decisive handling, a terrible mistake would have been made."
"You mean, you mean, besides Li Lin, there are, there are..."
Qing Jianyue stared intently at Lu Qingcheng, who nodded slightly. Qing Jianyue suddenly felt a chill creep down his spine. He thought of something, but dared not think any further. He instinctively hugged Lu Qingcheng tightly, and Lu Qingcheng also hugged him back, his deep voice echoing in his ear.
"Tonight's performance serves two purposes: first, to eliminate the Eagle Cult traitor lurking in this fortress; and second, to put on a show for that person. Next, there will be an even more spectacular and important performance."
Chapter Seventy-One: The Great Battle is Imminent
The castle gates were wide open, and Du Ping led twenty porters pushing beef, mutton, wine, and meat purchased from Fengcheng into the city. As soon as they entered the castle, the gates were quickly closed. Under the watchful eye of Lin Feng's deputy, the twenty porters lined up and were searched from head to toe. Other guards inspected the goods and tested them for poison.
Du Ping said with a smile, "Vice Lord Fang, there won't be any problems. I personally selected all these people, and they have impeccable backgrounds. In addition, all the food and drink have been inspected by me."