La cúspide del mundo de las artes marciales

Capítulo 14

The room fell silent. I lifted the curtain and found Leng Baichun awake, staring with his dark eyes at the carved floral vines on the couch.

For some reason, from the first time I saw her, I always found it hard to believe that she was the once-powerful Leng Baichun. She was like a withered flower, gray and lifeless.

"You heard everything, right?" I smiled at her somewhat awkwardly. "Don't worry, those quack doctors love to spout nonsense to scare people..."

"Su Xie." She suddenly called my name, staring straight at me. "You promised me, and you must keep your promise."

I paused, remembering her expression in the carriage, and inexplicably felt that perhaps she had already prepared herself for death. I sat down on the edge of the couch, grinning, "I'm Su Xie, you know. Do you really believe everything I say? You should raise your own child; I don't want to carry a burden..."

Her hand landed on the back of mine; it was icy cold. She asked me, "Could you let me see Gu Shaoting? I have a few words I want to say to him."

I hesitated, "You know Gu Shaoting... he'd love to tear me apart, I'm afraid..."

Her eyes darkened, and she said with a bitter smile, "I know he doesn't want to see me, I know..."

Her expression was truly heartbreaking, and I blurted out, "How about..."

“Go ask him for me!” she interrupted abruptly, completely disregarding what I was about to say, her eyes burning with determination. “Just say I want to see him… no, no, just say I want him to see the child…”

She was incoherent and made all sorts of excuses.

That silly look of hers was just like my mother's. When my mother wanted to see my father, she would encourage me in the same way, making up a hundred different reasons: "Go tell your father that your mother is dying... No, it's more effective to say that your mother has morning sickness, or you can just say that you are dying..."

She gripped my hand so tightly it hurt, her brows furrowed. "I just want to say a few words to him, it doesn't matter if we don't meet, just a few words..."

I don't know why I suddenly softened, so I nodded and agreed.

==============================================================================

The moment I stepped out of the room, I regretted it. Why was I in such a hurry to die? Walking into a trap like this is really not my usual style!

I squatted by the corner of the wall by the door, looking at the door not far away with some melancholy. What do you think I should say after I knock on the door?

They're saying, "Hey, Mr. Gu, come out here for a second, someone wants to see you..."

Or perhaps, Young Master Gu, Leng Baichun is on the verge of death, and since you two were once lovers, she wants to see you one last time…

It seems like no matter which scenario happens, Gu Shaoting will stab me with his sword. Perhaps the most likely scenario is that he'll open the door, see me, and stab me outright...

But at this crucial moment, Brother Xiao Jiu has disappeared without a trace, leaving no one to deliver a message.

I was sadly pondering how to get there when I suddenly saw the leader of the alliance coming up from downstairs, carrying two packets of medicine in his hand. He went straight into Gu Shaoting's room with a solemn expression.

Gu Shaoting's medicine was already prepared, wasn't it?

I was a little confused. I looked around and saw no one. Unable to resist my curiosity, I tiptoed over. Just as I reached the door, I heard Gu Shaoting's voice, which was unusually loud. He said angrily, "That vixen has nothing to do with me!"

A vixen? Who is it, Leng Baichun or me?

I leaned in and heard the leader's cold voice, "Whether you admit it or not, she's pregnant with your child now."

"It's all her wishful thinking!" Gu Shaoting roared so loudly that you didn't even need to steal a sound. "Besides, it might not even be mine; it could belong to someone else."

My breath caught in my throat, I couldn't swallow. I never knew a man could be so contemptuous of you when he doesn't love you, and I truly admire his reason. So this is what pregnancy is like—it can be one-sided...

The alliance leader told him to lower his voice, then added, "You decide this yourself. Here are two packets of medicine. Do you want to keep the larger one or the smaller one?"

Something in my heart suddenly fell to the ground; no matter how obvious those words were, I dared not confirm them.

Gu Shaoting remained silent for a long time before chuckling, "The demonic cult's daughter is nothing but a remnant. Even if I were certain that the child wasn't mine, I would still personally uphold justice! All members of the demonic cult deserve to die! I will leave not a single one alive!"

I was terrified as I listened. Every word was incredibly vicious. When I was Lu Ning, my father had said something similar. In the eyes of the righteous sects, anyone associated with the Demonic Sect was unforgivable and deserved their punishment. But I couldn't understand how a human could be so cruel. Even tigers don't eat their cubs.

The room fell silent. The leader of the alliance remained silent for a long time before finally speaking: "That is, after all, the flesh and blood of the Gu family. No matter how much you deny it, the people of the martial arts world have long recognized that Leng Baichun is carrying the child of you, Gu Shaoting. You cannot deny it." He paused slightly, "Don't go too far. The Gu family is a prestigious sect after all. So many eyes are watching you, the young master of the manor. You can't afford to make any mistakes."

Gu Shaoting seemed silent for a moment, then asked, "Then what do you suggest I do?"

I suddenly felt inexplicably nervous, holding my breath until my palms turned cold. I wanted to hear something but was also afraid to hear it, until the leader's voice came again. He said calmly, "Leave Xiao."

Suddenly, I felt relieved, as if I had confirmed something I dared not be sure of. Hearing it with my own ears made me feel that everything had finally settled down.

I didn't want to listen anymore, so I got up to go back to my room. Suddenly, someone came running up behind me and bumped into me, causing me to stumble and fall to the ground. My knee hurt so much that I gasped for breath. Gu Biyun's sweet and crisp voice rang out behind me, "Su Xie?!"

I turned around and saw Gu Biyun's panicked expression. She was clutching her sore arm and glaring at me with barely concealed anger. "It really is you, you vixen! What are you doing at my brother's door!"

You're the one who hit me! I was so caught off guard, my old bones almost broke!

I lay on the ground, my knees aching so badly I wanted to cry, and said irritably, "Don't people from reputable families watch where they're going? What business is it of yours where I am!"

Enraged, Gu Biyun drew her sword to stab him, but the door opened in an instant, and the alliance leader grabbed her wrist, hissing, "Biyun!"

I took the opportunity to get up, not even glancing at them, and turned to go back to my room. Just as I was about to step into the room, I heard Gu Biyun say anxiously, "Cousin, you have to go and see! Brother Xiao is fighting with some members of the Demonic Sect in the street!"

Brother Xiao Jiu? I paused, hearing the Alliance Leader ask, "Brother Xiao, weren't you going to pick up Young Master Lu? How did you run into people from the Demonic Sect?"

I heard Young Master Lu's body tremble. It couldn't be such a coincidence, it absolutely couldn't be such a coincidence, how could it be such a coincidence...

Chapter 18, Part 17

To maintain the initiative and avoid being caught off guard, I secretly followed the leader and his entourage, passing through the bustling streets. Outside the city gates, I heard the enthusiastic cheers of the crowd: "Big guy, go! Smash him to death! Smash him to death!"

"What are you hammering for! Everyone in the Demonic Cult knows poison! Just you wait and see!"

Some people whispered, "Which one is the good guy?"

"The most handsome one!"

"I think the guy next to me is so cute!"

"No way! I think the young man in white across from us is much more handsome!"

…………

I squeezed through the crowd and saw the leader of the alliance flash by, raise his left hand, block with his right, flick his white robe, and stand in the middle, shouting in a deep voice, "Stop!"

He looked incredibly dashing. I heard a young woman next to me, her face flushed with excitement, exclaim, "How handsome he is!"

I felt contempt. I was deceived by the leader's face back then. Do you know what a hypocrite is? Just look at the leader.

The power of the crowd is truly not to be underestimated. Su Xie is not tall, and I could only see the general scene through the shoulders of the crowd as I walked through the sea of people.

Brother Xiao Jiu was on the left, and there was someone who was said to be a member of the Demonic Sect on the right. The Alliance Leader stood in the middle and stopped Xiao Jiu, saying, "This is a busy place. We must not fight. What if someone gets hurt?"

As expected of the leader of the alliance, his holy light shines upon all living beings.

"Excuse me, excuse me..." I squeezed in while listening intently.

Suddenly, a slightly childish voice was heard angrily say, "Brother Ruan and his group are members of the Demonic Sect, bullying people in the street!"

A shiver ran through me. That voice… that tone… damn it, it couldn't be such a coincidence! I raised my voice slightly and said, "Huh? Who dropped their money?"

Where?

Almost everyone looked down at the ground at once, and suddenly everything was bright before my eyes. In the center of the crowd, I saw the little boy behind Xiao Jiu, baring his teeth and brandishing his claws...

I immediately shrank into the crowd, not daring to look up. Yes, as it turns out, life is full of coincidences. This young master was none other than the young master of the Lu family, the pampered son of my aunt, and my half-brother Lu Mingxiu.

Even more coincidentally, I then heard an extremely seductive laugh, like a gentle winter breeze, which made my skin crawl. Even if I were reduced to ashes, I could immediately confirm without looking that such a flamboyant voice must belong to that slut Yan Shu.

Heaven is playing tricks on me, forcing me to become a demon...

"Alliance Leader Ruan, how have you been?" Yan Shu said with a smile, looking rather smug.

The alliance leader calmly replied, "High Priest Yan Shu, how have you been? What brings you here to lead your men in a brawl in the middle of the city?"

Yan Shu chuckled, "I'll do it wherever I want, wherever I'm happy to do it."

You beast! I was being jostled left and right by the crowd.

Lu Mingxiu, still furious, said, "Brother Ruan was the one who led the charge in forcibly abducting this young master in the street! If I hadn't seen it, who knows what they would have done to him!"

Abducting a man from the streets? Yan Shu's tastes have certainly broadened. I wonder what kind of stunning beauty would make him snatch someone in the middle of the street...

Out of curiosity, I couldn't resist peeking in. Before I could even see clearly, I heard the girls behind me excitedly exclaim, "Look! Look! It's that young master! He's so cute! He smiled at me! He smiled!"

I don't know who was so unreserved, but they pushed me from behind, and I tripped on someone's shin, yelling "Ouch!" and falling over...

What does it mean to be irrational? I am now a painful example. I fell flat on my back on the cobblestone street. The pain wasn't just physical, but also emotional... I wish I could bury my face in the dust!

"Miss Su?" The Alliance Leader showed me no respect whatsoever, calling me that out of the blue.

"Su Xie?" Several different voices, each with a different tone, called out to me in turn.

Knowing I couldn't avoid it any longer, I simply stood up, dusted myself off, and said with a frank smile, "Oh my, what a coincidence, everyone's here!"

Several faces immediately fell, and Gu Biyun scoffed at me without any courtesy, "The demonic cultists really do all sorts of underhanded things!"

I never argue with unreasonable people, so I ignored her, smiled at Brother Xiao Jiu, and before I could speak, I heard Yan Shu call out to me in a very affectionate tone: "Little Su Su~"

I shuddered and turned to look at Yan Shu, who was surrounded by her subordinates. She was dressed in white like snow, with black hair like satin and a face like a spring flower. "Priest, you're still as beautiful as ever after just a few days..." What a show-off!

"You're so glib." He glanced at me sideways, smiled slyly, and said, "It seems you're still alive after all these days."

"It's all thanks to you, sir." I said with a smile. "Whenever I'm in despair, I think of you, sir, and I'm immediately filled with hope for life."

"Oh?" His pale fingers twirled the lake-blue fan pendant in his hand, and he raised an eyebrow slightly. "I had no idea I was so important to you."

Important, extremely important.

Whenever I feel hopeless about life, I think that if God can tolerate such a smug, pretentious, perverted, and beastly scoundrel who harms the people, He must also be lenient enough to let me live.

Besides, I have survived under his rule, so why should I worry about these insignificant people!

As I smiled, Lu Mingxiu behind me tugged at the alliance leader's sleeve and asked, "Brother Ruan, is she really Su Xie?"

Ah, Su Xie is truly famous far and wide.

What's meant to happen can't be avoided, so I simply turned around and smiled kindly at Lu Mingxiu, saying, "Greetings, Young Master Lu, I am indeed Su Xie."

Lu Mingxiu seemed startled by me, and took two steps back in a panic. Her pretty little face was flushed red and her bright eyes stared at me.

Is Su Xie really that repulsive...? I reached up and touched my face, feeling very wronged.

The alliance leader came over to help me out of the predicament and asked Lu Mingxiu, "Mingxiu, what about that young master?"

Lu Mingxiu, her face flushed, peeked at me and looked behind her in a panic. "Hey? She was just here! Where did she go?"

The alliance leader frowned slightly.

Lu Mingxiu anxiously searched around, repeatedly asking, "How could they be missing?"

Suddenly, someone in the noisy crowd raised their hand and waved, saying, "I'm here."

That sounded familiar. The alliance leader and I both looked into the crowd and saw Lu Mingxiu run over, push through the crowd, and pull out a little boy, complaining, "Why did you run over there? I thought you were missing!"

"Sorry." The little boy smiled obediently, his two dimples dazzling my eyes.

I turned to look at the leader of the alliance, and sure enough, he had a blank expression. Not only him, but also Brother Xiao Jiu and the Gu siblings were all staring blankly at the boy that Lu Mingxiu was holding.