Ordre du Lotus Rouge

Chapitre 29

Yun Ran shook her head to indicate she was alright. Looking down, she saw Liu Bicheng lying not far in front of her, her body blackened. She realized the hidden weapon aimed at her was poisoned; if she had been hit by one, she would be dead like Liu Bicheng. Thinking of this, she glanced at Qi Mo and felt a wave of fear wash over her.

Knowing what she was thinking, Qi Mo smiled slightly and said, "With two great masters, Lord Huo and Young Master Sima, by our side, those hidden weapons naturally won't hurt us, so what's there to worry about?"

Yun Ran turned to look at him. She naturally knew that those hidden weapons were both swift and dense, and launched by a master. Even if Huo Qingfeng and Sima Liuyun were prepared, they couldn't guarantee that they could shoot them all down without missing a single one. Qi Mo's actions just now were tantamount to handing his own life over to someone else. Given his usual temperament, he would never have done such a thing, yet now he had selflessly protected Qi Mo without hesitation…

Seeing Yun Ran's gentle gaze fixed on him, Qi Mo quietly reached out and lightly touched her fingers. Yun Ran blushed slightly but did not refuse, letting him hold her hand. Their fingers intertwined beneath their wide sleeves, both feeling an inexplicable joy. Suddenly, Sima Liuyun's expression changed, and he exclaimed urgently, "Not good!"

Yun Ran was taken aback. Sima Liuyun said in a low voice, "I was caught off guard just now and Su Rang got away." As he spoke, he looked extremely annoyed.

Yun Ran looked around and saw that Su Rang and the others were no longer in the hall. It seemed that although Sima Liuyun and she had changed their appearances, they were still recognized by the Kongtong Sect members when they made a move. Su Rang had taken advantage of the chaos to secretly slip away with Wanwan.

She was also extremely anxious, thinking that Wanwan must have suffered greatly in Su Rang's hands. She whispered, "Once this matter is settled, we will go to find her. If necessary, we can go to the Kongtong Sect. Su Rang will definitely take her back to be punished."

Sima Liuyun nodded, his eyes now filled with gloom.

As the three talked, Huo Qingfeng and Wen Huaifeng exchanged a hundred blows, their sword energy surging. Both were exceptionally skilled swordsmen with exceptional comprehension, bringing out the essence of the Jade Sword Sect's sword techniques to the fullest. Yet, they also frequently came up with ingenious ideas, their moves often surprising everyone.

The onlookers were thoroughly entertained, feeling that witnessing this battle today was truly worthwhile. Even the disciples of the Jade Sword Sect were dazzled, feeling that while they had learned most of the sword techniques used by the two, some were completely new to them. Some astute individuals had already realized that the strange sword techniques used by Liu Bicheng and the woman in yellow seemed similar to these techniques. Could there be some connection between these individuals?

After a hundred moves, Wen Huaifeng laughed loudly, then suddenly leaped back several feet and shouted, "Stop!"

Huo Qingfeng stopped his sword strike and lowered his eyes, saying, "It's been many years since we last met. Senior Brother's swordsmanship has improved a lot."

Upon hearing this, the younger disciples of the Jade Sword Sect nodded secretly, all thinking to themselves: This man is indeed a senior of our sect.

Huo Qingfeng then said, "However, as soon as Senior Brother returned to our sect, he used poisoned hidden weapons to kill his juniors. Isn't that chilling?"

Qi Mo felt a chill from Yun Ran's palm and asked in a low voice, "What's wrong?" Yun Ran's face turned pale, and she bit her lip and shook her head.

Wen Huaifeng's eyes flashed, and he said in a deep voice with a smile: "Junior Brother Huo is joking. Everyone present just now saw clearly that the hidden weapons were shot out from different directions at the same time. Do you think I could shoot hidden weapons from four different places at the same time? Besides, I have no grudge against Junior Nephew Liu, so why would I want to harm him?"

Huo Qingfeng had recognized Wen Huaifeng the moment he first launched his hidden weapon, but he knew that Wen Huaifeng's accomplice had disappeared into the crowd during the chaos and could not be identified. Now, seeing Wen Huaifeng's sophistry, Huo Qingfeng, who disliked arguing with people, walked towards Li Jin, flicked his sleeve to release Li Jin's pressure points, and said coldly, "You've seen what happened to Liu Bicheng. If you don't tell the truth, do you think that the person behind the scenes will let you go and not kill you to silence you after you leave this place?"

Li Jin trembled, but still looked pale and said with his head down, "This disciple does not know what Uncle Huo is talking about. That woman in yellow has a strange background. Junior Brother Liu also died because of her. Please, Uncle Huo, avenge Junior Brother Liu."

Huo Qingfeng saw that not only did he stubbornly deny it, but he also blamed Yun Ran for Liu Bicheng's death. Now that there was no way to verify the truth, he couldn't find out the truth about He Chun's death, and he felt quite troubled.

Wen Huaifeng smiled faintly and said slowly, "I'm not afraid to admit it, junior brother, but I'm here today to discuss the selection of a new sect leader."

Huo Qingfeng was taken aback upon hearing this. He suddenly looked up and saw Wen Huaifeng smiling slightly as he looked at him and said, "I heard that Junior Brother Huo has made it clear that he will not take on the position of sect leader. As a disciple of the Jade Sword Sect, I have an even greater responsibility to share the burden of the sect and take over the position of sect leader to carry forward the glory of our Jade Sword Sect."

He then turned his gaze to Yun Ran and said loudly, "This young lady has just defeated Junior Nephew Liu Bicheng. I, Wen, now challenge you to see who is more qualified to serve as the sect leader. I humbly request that you step down and give me your guidance."

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Yun Ran's expression changed slightly, but before she could speak, Qi Mo said, "Lord Wen Huaifeng holds a high position in the court, and his Dragon Guard Army is renowned. Would he really care about this mere position of sect leader?"

Seeing Wen Huaifeng's gentle and composed demeanor, and his address to Huo Qingfeng as a fellow disciple, everyone assumed he was merely a hidden master within the Jade Sword Sect. However, upon hearing Qi Mo's words, they were all taken aback. Since the martial arts world and the imperial court have always been at odds, and knowing Wen Huaifeng was a member of the court, they couldn't help but suspect his motives for coming to vie for the Jade Sword Sect leadership, and their gazes towards him became more hostile.

Wen Huaifeng smiled faintly and said, "My Jade Sword Sect has no rule that forbids its disciples from entering officialdom. Even if I were to become the sect leader in the future, I would still act in accordance with the rules of the martial arts world, which has little to do with my position in the imperial court. However, the young lady beside Sect Leader Qi has a rather unclear background. I wonder which generation of disciples she belongs to in my Jade Sword Sect, and who her master is?"

The disciples of the Jade Sword Sect also had doubts about this, and when Wen Huaifeng asked, they all looked at Yun Ran.

Huo Qingfeng frowned slightly. He had seen that Yun Ran was proficient in the sect's martial arts and had intended to use her to lure out the traitor within the sect. However, Liu Bicheng was silenced as soon as she revealed her true colors, and the person behind it all was his senior brother who had left the sect many years ago. When Wen Huaifeng's plan failed, he immediately challenged her personally. Yun Ran's swordsmanship was inferior to his, and if she were to publicly declare that her skills were taught by him, how could she be so disrespectful as to compete with her own master for the position of sect leader?

Yun Ran had this concern, and her mind raced for a moment, but she couldn't think of a proper way to respond.

Qi Mo sneered slightly, intending to provoke Wen Huaifeng first and then find a way to relieve Yun Ran's predicament, when he suddenly heard someone outside the hall laugh: "This young lady is my disciple, so she is your peer. I wonder if she is qualified to fight you?" As they spoke, a man and a woman walked into the hall hand in hand.

Seeing the extraordinary appearance and radiant spirit of the couple, everyone was speculating about their origins. However, Wen Huaifeng recognized them as the master couple who had severely injured his Dragon Guard Army that day. His expression changed, and he said, "Today, our sect is choosing a new leader. You are not a member of our Jade Sword Sect. It would be unreasonable for you to interfere."

Shi Wei snorted, "Boy, your master Long Yanzi and I are from the same school. You should call me 'Uncle-Master' instead of 'Your Excellency'."

He turned his gaze to Huo Qingfeng and said with a smile, "Nephew Huo, I heard that you had nothing better to do the other day than to go around looking for people to fight with, and you even went so far as to challenge your own uncle. Wouldn't that make you a laughing stock if word got out?"

Seeing that Xiaodouzi had already rushed to the couple and was being very affectionate with them, Huo Qingfeng had a thought and asked in a deep voice, "Are you the great hero Shi Wei?"

Shi Wei shook her head helplessly and muttered, "They are all so ignorant of the rules. How did Senior Brother Long Yanzi even take on his disciples?"

Everyone present had long heard of Shi Wei's reputation as the number one swordsman in the world, but no one knew about his sect or background. Now that he had suddenly appeared and claimed to be a disciple of the Jade Sword Sect, they couldn't help but discuss it and the scene was in an uproar.

Shi Wei turned to look at Li Jin. Li Jin saw that Shi Wei's gaze was sharp and seemed to be able to see through people's hearts, so he involuntarily lowered his head and dared not meet his eyes. Shi Wei sighed and slowly said, "Although my Jade Sword Sect does not have as many rules as other sects, the crimes of insubordination and betrayal of one's master and ancestors will still be severely punished."

Li Jin trembled slightly, but then he saw a figure move and Shi Wei was standing in front of him. Although she had a slight smile on her face, her expression was authoritative without being angry: "Now you have one last chance, it all depends on whether you are willing to tell the truth."

Li Jin was terrified by his gaze and whispered, "What do you want me to say..."

Shi Wei reached out and pressed on his shoulder. Li Jin felt the energy in his body surging like a tide, flowing out uncontrollably. His whole body convulsed, and his limbs went weak. Suddenly, he remembered that this was the same sign that his martial uncle He Chun had shown when he died.

His expression changed drastically, and he hissed, "Lord Wen, save..." He suddenly felt a lump in his throat, and the rest of the words caught in his throat. But everyone had already realized that he was pleading for help from Wen Huaifeng.

Wen Huaifeng frowned slightly, lowered his eyes, and ignored him.

Shi Wei loosened her grip slightly, and Li Jin took a deep breath, hurriedly shouting, "I'll talk!"

Shi Wei withdrew her hand and saw that he was still hesitant. She smiled slightly and said in a low voice, "Your family has all been rescued by me. You don't need to be afraid of being threatened anymore."

Hearing that he knew about this matter, Li Jin had no more reservations and knelt down, saying, "It was Wen Huaifeng! He conspired with Liu Bicheng to kill Uncle He when my master passed away, then issued a bounty on him and found a scapegoat to take the blame, intending to frame Uncle Huo. Only later did I learn that Liu Bicheng was actually a spy he had planted under Uncle He's command. Wen Huaifeng threatened my family's lives, ordering me to support Junior Brother Liu as the sect leader. I dared not disobey and had no choice but to be manipulated by him..."

Shi Wei turned her head and asked, "Lord Wen, what do you say?"

Wen Huaifeng sneered, "If you want to condemn someone, you can always find a pretext." Knowing he was no match for Shi Wei and her husband in martial arts, he glanced at the indignant expressions of the Jade Sword Sect disciples, Huo Qingfeng's somber face, and Qi Mo and Sima Liuyun watching coldly from the side. He coughed lightly, and suddenly a barrage of hidden weapons rained down from the crowd. Screams erupted, and several guests were instantly injured and fell to the ground. Wen Huaifeng seized the opportunity to rush out of the hall.

Shi Wei snorted, "What a despicable scoundrel." Just as he was about to give chase, he suddenly heard someone shout, "Poisonous smoke!" He saw a thin layer of white smoke rising from somewhere in the hall, and smelled a pungent odor. He was startled and held his breath, first heading towards the densest part of the smoke.

Yun Ran and Qi Mo were closest to the entrance of the hall. Seeing Wen Huaifeng escape from the hall, Qi Mo whispered, "Let's chase after him." The two of them moved quickly and immediately gave chase.

Wen Huaifeng moved with effortless grace, leaping like the wind. Yun Ran and Qi Mo used their lightness and agility techniques to pursue him closely, always maintaining a distance of more than ten zhang between them.

Qi Mo chased for a while, then reached into his robes and flicked his sleeve, sending several iron caltrops flying towards Wen Huaifeng's back. Wen Huaifeng didn't turn around; he swung his Purple Thorn Soft Sword in a backhand motion, deflecting the caltrops one by one. However, his pace slowed down as a result, and the two finally caught up with him.

Qi Mo laughed and said, "Lord Wen can leave his life and the Purple Thorn Soft Sword here today."

Wen Huaifeng's face turned cold, and he swung his sword to slash at Wen Huaifeng's chest. Suddenly, a dark longsword appeared from the side and clashed with Wen Huaifeng's Purple Thorn Soft Sword.

The two swords clashed without making a sound, yet neither was damaged in the slightest.

Wen Huaifeng was startled. After seeing the shape of the long sword in Yun Ran's hand, he whispered, "It's the Broken Scale Divine Sword!"

Qi Mo drew his longsword and thrust it out, laughing, "Lord Wen has good taste."

Yun Ran remained silent, but attacked from the side with her sword. With her help, Qi Mo fought Wen Huaifeng together, and gradually gained the upper hand in dozens of moves.

Seeing the situation was dire, Wen Huaifeng brandished his Purple Thorn Soft Sword, unleashing a series of purple flashes as he struck at both Qi Mo and Yun Ran, using the momentum to leap into the air. Qi Mo saw through his intentions, and with a cold laugh, twisted his body to dodge the sword's edge, then leaped up and swung his own sword, aiming for Wen Huaifeng's left chest. Wen Huaifeng dodged to the right in mid-air, but Qi Mo's longsword still managed to slash his arm. Qi Mo knew that Yun Ran was already waiting to flank him from the right, and with Wen Huaifeng in mid-air and unable to gain any leverage, he would inevitably be unable to evade her fatal blow.

Seeing Wen Huaifeng's figure fall to her side, Yun Ran thrust out her sword, but it grazed his ribs. Wen Huaifeng gave Yun Ran a deep look, landed, and immediately leaped away, disappearing into the distant bushes after a few leaps.

Qi Mo paused for a moment, then stopped chasing. Turning back, he noticed Yun Ran's unusual expression and couldn't help but ask, "Why did you deliberately miss with that sword strike just now?"

Yun Ran lowered her eyelashes and remained silent for a moment before softly saying, "He saved me a long time ago and taught me martial arts. No matter what his intentions were, he was always kind to me. This time... consider it my way of repaying him."

Qi Mo looked at her expression, narrowed his eyes slightly, and asked, "Besides this, is there nothing else?"

Yun Ran slowly shook her head.

Qi Mo felt stifled and snorted. Suddenly, he felt a soft warmth in his palm. Yun Ran had reached out and taken his hand, whispering, "Let's go back."

Since he met Yun Ran, he had never received such a proactive show of affection from her. Overwhelmed with gratitude, he couldn't bring himself to complain. A smile involuntarily appeared on his face as he responded and led Yun Ran back to Shuangquan Villa.

When the two returned to the manor, they found that the chaos in the hall had subsided. Several of Wen Huaifeng's henchmen had been killed or captured by Ye Xiling, Sima Liuyun, and others. The poisonous incense that was emitting poisonous smoke was also quickly found and extinguished by Shi Wei.

The guests cursed Wen Huaifeng for his sinister intentions and ruthless methods. The Jade Sword Sect disciples asked everyone to return to their seats. Chu Yan stepped forward and asked, "Grandmaster Uncle, Uncle Huo, should we continue with the selection of the sect leader, or should we postpone the discussion? We would appreciate your decision."

Huo Qingfeng said calmly, "Please give me your instructions, Uncle."

Shi Wei said slowly, "When I came in just now, didn't Miss Yun already defeat Liu Bicheng?"

Huo Qingfeng hesitated for a moment, then said, "But she..."

Shi smiled and said, "She is proficient in the martial arts of my Jade Sword Sect and has a strong comprehension ability, making her the perfect candidate for sect leader. The only thing she lacks is that she hasn't been formally accepted as a disciple... However, that young man surnamed Wen is really not worthy of being her master. How about this..."

As he spoke, he looked at Yun Ran and laughed, "Anyway, I've taught you martial arts before, so you can be my disciple. That way, I can teach that kid surnamed Wen a lesson without fear of being accused of insubordination."

Yun Ran was stunned for a moment and was about to refuse when Qi Mo gently tugged at her sleeve and said with a smile, "Congratulations, Miss Yun, on not only becoming the head of the Jade Sword Sect, but also becoming the disciple of the number one swordsman in the world."

Huo Qingfeng smiled and said, "Uncle's idea is excellent. After Miss Yun takes over as sect leader, please come to Muying Tower. I have been ordered to keep something for our sect, which can be handed over to the new sect leader at that time."

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After a moment's thought, Yun Ran stopped refusing and, guided by the disciples of the Jade Sword Sect, performed the apprenticeship ceremony to Shi Wei, officially assuming the position of sect leader.

Having witnessed the astonishing turn of events within the Jade Sword Sect and personally observed the prowess of the world's number one swordsman, the martial arts practitioners in the hall were all extremely satisfied. They stepped forward to congratulate Yun Ran before gradually dispersing.

Chu Yan said, "Please stay here at Shuangquan Manor for the night. Tomorrow morning, your disciples will respectfully welcome the sect leader and grandmaster back to the mountain."

Shi Wei smiled at Yun Ran and said, "You have just taken over as the sect leader and there are still many sect affairs you need to familiarize yourself with. I will take advantage of these few days back on the mountain to give you some pointers on the sword manual."

Yun Ran was worried about Wanwan and was feeling troubled when Sima Liuyun said from the side, "Ranmei, now that you are the head of the Jade Sword Sect, you should go back to the mountain with Hero Shi to handle the sect's affairs. I will go ahead and try to rescue Wanwan before the Kongtong Sect members go far."

Yun Ran assumed that Su Rang's martial arts and intelligence were not a concern, but the Kongtong Sect had a large number of disciples and Wen Huaifeng's followers were nearby. She couldn't help but feel uneasy about sending Sima Liuyun alone.

Qi Mo smiled and said, "Young Master Sima, it is quite risky for you to act alone. How about I arrange for a few men to accompany you?"

Sima Liuyun knew that the Juesha Sect was very skilled at tracking and finding people, and if he could get help from Qi Mo's men, he could find Su Rang and the others even faster, so he nodded in agreement.

That evening, Yun Ran couldn't sleep. She pushed open the door and went for a stroll in the courtyard of Shuangquan Villa. The villa was elegant and secluded, and after walking around for a while, the turmoil in her heart was largely relieved. Yun Ran walked to a pond in the northeast corner and looked up to see a lone figure standing quietly in the moonlight in the pavilion in the pond. She was slightly taken aback and stopped in her tracks.

Hearing the noise, the man turned around and looked at her across the shimmering water of the pool, asking, "It's so late, why isn't the sect leader resting yet?"

Yun Ran responded softly. She noticed that Huo Qingfeng was staring at the water, seemingly lost in thought. She wondered if she had disturbed him and was about to turn away when she heard Huo Qingyun say, "It's better to meet by chance than to invite someone. Since Sect Leader Qi has also come, would you two like to have a drink with me?"

Yun Ran was taken aback. Then she heard a soft cough, and Qi Moren appeared from a corner of the artificial hill.

It turned out that Qi Mo missed Yun Ran that night and couldn't help but go to check on her. When he saw Yun Ran strolling around in the courtyard, he was reluctant to leave and followed her to this pond, only to have his whereabouts exposed by Huo Qingfeng.

Yun Ran felt embarrassed when she thought about how Huo Qingfeng would think if he saw her secretly following her late at night. She glared at him angrily.

Qi Mo pretended not to see her and chuckled softly, "It's rare for Master Huo to have such an elegant interest, how could I not keep you company?" As he spoke, he reached out to pull Yun Ran. Yun Ran gave a light hum, lightly touched the ground with her toes, and her figure swept across the pond, landing in the pavilion. Qi Mo then leaped in after her.

On the stone table in the pavilion sat a wine pot, three wine cups, and several side dishes. Huo Qingfeng gestured to the stone benches, saying, "Please, both of you, have a seat."

Yun Ran and Qi Mo exchanged a glance. They both thought that it was already quite strange for Huo Qingfeng to be drinking alone here late at night, and then he set out three wine cups. Could it be that he had some kind of premonition and foreseen that the two of them would come here?

Seeing the expressions on their faces, Huo Qingfeng smiled slightly and said, "Tonight I recalled some old memories and drank to express my feelings. I hope you two will forgive my rudeness."

He reached for the wine pot and filled the cups in front of the two men, saying calmly, "These two wine cups were originally placed for my two senior brothers, Jing Ping and Wen Huaifeng, to commemorate the brotherhood we shared many years ago."