Quand je reviendrai avec toi

Chapitre 9

"With the Right Envoy and Elder Kui present, and with Qianming leading the Seven Killers to assist them, they shouldn't be able to cause any major trouble."

"That's true in theory, but who would have thought that the Left Envoy would be so ruthless as to incite the Quefeng Camp? Those rats are really a headache when they cause trouble."

“The Tempering Peak Camp…” Jia Ye’s expression finally changed slightly. “That’s not Elder Kui’s…”

"Elder Kui's administration was ineffective and he was negligent in his vigilance, which led to this great chaos. Even if he did his best to kill many traitors, it would not be enough to atone for his sins."

"Was the Pope startled?"

"The King had foreseen this and ordered Fei Qin Zi Su to guard the inner palace, so there should have been no problem." His smile seemed to carry a hint of cunning. "But Fei Qin actually took advantage of the internal strife to betray the sect and leave. The Assassination Group was caught off guard and the Left Envoy stormed into the main hall, almost alarming the King."

Where was Qianming at that time?

"To my shame, Elder Kui and I joined forces to kill Elders Xiao Jing and Xiao Jing, but we were unable to [do something]."

Where is the Right Envoy?

"The Right Envoy led the Assassination Squad to fight the rebels. Although he killed the Left Envoy, he was also seriously injured and is currently only being kept alive by ginseng soup."

Jia Ye remained silent for a long time, "I never imagined that the Left Envoy's conspiracy would be so sinister."

"Jia Ye, you've traveled a long and arduous journey, you should go back and rest first." The man leaned closer, but before he could get near her, she gracefully retreated.

"Thank you for your kindness, Qianming. Let me first pay my respects to the King."

"The King is still resting. Only Zi Su is currently in the palace. Everyone else must wait for an announcement." He raised his eyebrows with amusement and chuckled maliciously.

"The king's decree applies to everyone, including you."

The two envoys fought each other, the three elders fell to the ground, and the Tempering Edge Battalion and the Killing Group clashed.

The internal strife within the sect has escalated to such a dramatic degree in just a few days; it is truly astonishing.

He was extremely worried about Jiuwei.

Their situation amidst such great changes is truly a matter of concern.

Is the spirited young man from that day still safe and sound?

Only when he saw the familiar smiling face did he finally feel relieved.

"Are you alright?" After carefully examining the boy's appearance, everything seemed normal except for the bandage marks on his arm.

"I'm still alive, and I only suffered minor injuries. I'm already very fortunate." Jiuwei brushed it off with a grin, not caring at all. "I heard you and Jiaye went to Shache, I really can't believe it."

"Was it really that dangerous that day? You were taking too much of a risk." He couldn't help but scold you slightly.

"It's alright, you can't get ahead if you don't take a gamble." Jiu smiled and put her arm around his shoulder. "At least now it's proven that I bet on the right thing."

"What exactly happened? How could there be so many deaths and injuries?"

Jiuwei sat down lazily, patted the grass beside her, and said, "Sit down and listen to me."

"The cause of this matter is that Qianming secretly informed the King that the Left Envoy had committed the crimes of deception and arbitrariness, secretly appropriating the rare treasures offered by various countries in the Western Regions for his own use, and accepting heavy bribes from countries such as Shule to whitewash and exonerate them in front of the King. In fact, most people in the sect knew about this matter, but the Left Envoy's actions were watertight, making it difficult to find solid evidence. I don't know what kind of handle Qianming caught this time, but it made the King take notice and urgently summon Elder Jing back to the sect to inquire. As a result, it alarmed the Left Envoy, who took a risk. In order to avoid the King turning against him and conducting a thorough investigation, he simply colluded with Elders Jingxiao and Zhangxiao to rebel."

He let out a soft sigh, kicked at the grass, revealing a broken sword blade, its creased edge stained with purplish-black blood. “The Seven Killers are all shrewd; most of them guessed the clues. The King’s secluded cultivation every three years is the perfect opportunity for the Left Envoy. Those as prudent as Jia Ye used the opportunity to escape, avoiding conflict. Others, like Qian Ming Zi Su, fully supported the King, hoping to advance further when power was weak after the rebellion was quelled. Then there are those like Fei Qin who betrayed the sect and fled when the internal strife made pursuit impossible, and…” He smiled meaningfully, his expression enigmatic. “And three less astute individuals perished in the Left Envoy and Elders’ conspiracy.”

"Unintentionally...who did it?" After a moment of thought, one name gradually came to mind, "Qian Ming?"

"Smart." Jiuwei looked at him admiringly. "You guessed it so quickly."

"Only he benefits."

“That’s right.” Jiuwei flicked his fingers. “He put a lot of thought into the whole thing. If he hadn’t secretly instigated the mutiny in the Cuifeng Battalion, not so many people would have died.”

"If we stir up a mutiny... Elder Kui will be unable to recover, even though he is loyal to the King. It will also weaken the Right Envoy's prestige... What a brilliant two-birds-with-one-stone strategy."

"Moreover, the greater the internal strife, the easier it is for him to eliminate dissidents. The entire Quenching Peak Camp was wiped out, and the Assassination Group was severely damaged. He and Zi Su made the greatest contributions and will definitely be relied upon by the King." Jiu Wei flung out his broken blade, startling birds into scattering among the trees. "This time, with the Left and Right Envoys and the three elders all in power, and four of the Seven Killers gone, even the heavens are helping him. He probably never dreamed it would go so smoothly. Now, all that's left is for the King to officially appoint him as the new envoy, and then he can rightfully take over the reins of power."

"And what role did you play in all of this?"

"The Assassination Group suffered heavy losses, and I was the bravest one when protecting the sect. I should be able to advance to the Seven Killers rank, so it's worth it, right?" he said with a hint of self-deprecation. "In Qian Ming's eyes, I'm just a minor character, not worth paying attention to at all, and I doubt he'll stand in my way."

Becoming a Seven Killer in just one year is remarkable enough, not to mention the blood and sweat he shed. Jiuwei's face showed no heaviness, but he couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

"What about Jia Ye? It seems she has been ostracized."

"Her? Don't worry, the mission in Shache Kingdom was difficult this time, and she completed it so well. She must have deserves credit. If she didn't rely on that, why would she leave the sect at such a critical moment?"

"Qianming's tone suggested he was confident of victory."

"That's true. At the very least, his future status will surpass that of Jia Ye. With Zi Su's help, suppressing Jia Ye is only a matter of time."

"Why did Jia Ye travel so far away? Did she have no ambition?"

"Who knows what she's plotting? Among the Seven Killers, she's the most low-key, never showing off her skills." The boy picked up a blade of grass and gazed at the distant clouds. "But if things continue like this, she'll be dragged into Qian Ming's bed sooner or later. Let's see how long she can endure it."

"...You mean...?"

"Everyone in the sect knows this, and Jia Ye probably knows it too. I don't believe you didn't notice."

"...She's just a..." He couldn't finish his sentence.

No matter how calm and terrifying she may be, she is still a young girl, a child who has not yet grown up.

“That man doesn’t think so.” Seeing his strange expression, Jiuwei chuckled. “To be fair, although he’s a bit young, Jia Ye’s appearance is indeed one of the best in the sect, no wonder he’s lusting after him.”

He fell silent for a moment, recalling the snow-white, unadorned face.

"Are you worried about her?"

"No." I just felt... a little sorry for her.

Even with such strength and sharpness, it ultimately cannot withstand the cruel reality.

Playing with his expression, Jiuwei raised an eyebrow.

"Shuying, seeing you like this, I'm starting to believe the rumors circulating in the sect."

"Rumors?" He glanced sideways, puzzled, not understanding where his companion's teasing came from.

"It's about you and Jia Ye."

"Me and her?"

Why did she suddenly take you to Shache?

"That's because..." His words trailed off in embarrassment; how could he possibly utter such humiliation?

What happened before you left the church?

He looked away, avoiding eye contact, but Jiuwei was in high spirits and asked with a gossipy grin.

"Nothing... How would I know what she's thinking?" He replied curtly, shoving away Jiuwei's face as she turned away.

"You really...?" Her face was squeezed out of shape, but Jiuwei still smiled ambiguously.

He interrupted abruptly. "Shadow Guards are there to assist their colleagues; what's so strange about them going out together?"

"When did things develop like this?" Jiuwei wouldn't let him off so easily, and pressed on relentlessly.

"I don't understand what you're talking about."

"It was that night..."

"At night?" He turned his face in surprise.

"I heard she tore your clothes to shreds..."

His face suddenly burned.

"I heard it was outdoors. I didn't expect her to be so proactive. I thought she was completely ignorant about matters between men and women, which is why she ignored you. I guess I was wrong. It's all because your face is too alluring; even the detached and abstinent Jia Ye..."

He covered the incessantly chattering mouth with one hand, his handsome face flushing red and then pale, and scolded in a low voice, both embarrassed and angry. "What nonsense are you talking about? There's no such thing."

After struggling for a while, she finally broke free from his arm. Panting for a long time, she rolled her eyes. "I almost suffocated from your breath. Why are you so nervous?"

"Who taught you to spout a bunch of baseless nonsense?"

“Don’t blame me for guessing, but the changes in you and her are indeed strange. I thought it was just a rumor. I know your temper better than anyone. If she really tried to force you, you definitely wouldn’t be able to handle it, and you might cause some trouble and ruin yourself. But today, you were like this with her…” Jiuwei scratched her head in confusion, “What exactly is going on?”

After hearing what he said, he calmed down.

"Nine Microscopic Points".

"Um?"

"Actually, I'm... pretty incompetent."

"What do you mean?" The topic was suddenly changed, and Jiuwei was stunned and confused.

"In your opinion, is it possible for me to escape back to the Central Plains?"

After a long silence, the only sound was the rustling of insects chirping among the grass.

“Almost impossible, right?” He smiled calmly. “With my internal energy suppressed and the Red Pill ingested, plus my restricted status, there was no way I could escape.” He relaxed his body, leaning against the large tree behind him, as if talking to himself. “I tried my best to protect myself, waiting for any chance, just to survive… but I didn’t even realize my own predicament.”

Following his gaze, Jiuwei saw a small white butterfly somehow stumble into a spider web, wrapped in layers of silk. Its wings were still trembling slightly, but it was too weak to struggle and was about to become someone else's food.

"If I hadn't met you, I might not have made it this far."

"Why are you suddenly saying these things?"

“That night it wasn’t Jia Ye, it was Elder Xiao.” His tone was flat, as if he were talking about someone else. “You reminded me.”

Jiuwei froze, recalling Elder Xiao's dying face, her eyes gradually turning cold. Had she known this would happen, she should have stabbed him harder.

"She saved me." He lowered his eyes, concealing his emotions. "Although she was only doing it to make better use of me."

“Shuying…” Jiuwei didn’t know what to say.

"I will make myself stronger." He raised his head, a cold glint flashing deep in his eyes. "To be as useful as possible, which is better for me, for you, and for her."

"You've changed."

After a long silence, Jiu smiled. Although she didn't know what had provoked him, she couldn't help but sigh in approval.

"That's good."

Four Envoys

Qianming knelt on the ground, unable to utter a sound.

I could hardly believe my ears. Suppressing my fury, I forced myself to lower my head.