Wandering Swordsman |

The two entered the study, and Situ Dengfeng casually closed the door, seemingly shutting out all the noise from the outside world. He turned to face Jian Yihan, his gaze like a deep lake. "Young Master Jian," Situ Dengfeng's voice was low and cautious, ensuring the conversation inside wouldn't be overheard, "where did you learn about Qilin Village?"

Jian Yihan stood in the room, dressed in pristine white robes, his long sword slung across his back, appearing even more aloof and mysterious in the candlelight. He paused briefly before saying, "I only learned of this after receiving a message from the Valley Master."

The study was so quiet that only their breathing could be heard, the air filled with the faint scent of ink and paper. Situ Dengfeng frowned slightly and asked again, "Young Swordsman, what did Senior Guiguzi say in his letter?"

Jian Yihan's eyes showed a slight hesitation, but he quickly regained his composure and said solemnly, "The Valley Master mentioned in his letter that Qilin Village and Black Wind Gang have reached an agreement to form an alliance. He asked me to inform you, Senior."

Upon hearing this, Situ Dengfeng's expression changed drastically. His hands unconsciously gripped the edge of the table, as if he could feel an invisible pressure. "Damn it," he said in a low voice, his voice filled with obvious worry. "If Qilin Village really allies with the Black Wind Gang, rescuing Meng'er will become extremely difficult." His eyes darted around, as if he was thinking of a solution.

Jian Yihan gazed out the window; the morning light streamed into the room, adding a touch of chill to the tense atmosphere. Finally, unable to contain his doubts about Situ Dengfeng's attitude, Jian Yihan remained silent for a long time before asking, "If Qilin Village can truly influence the course of the battle, then it must have a certain reputation in the martial world. Yet, I've never heard the Valley Master mention it in Ghost Valley. I wonder if Senior Situ could tell me about Qilin Village?"

Situ Dengfeng waved his sleeve lightly, gesturing for Jian Yihan to sit down on the wooden chair opposite the desk.

"The person who founded Qilin Village," Situ Dengfeng sighed, his voice heavy with the weight of years, "was a man named Xie Ming. He shared the same master as Yu Tiancheng, and was even Yu Tiancheng's senior brother." He paused for a moment, his gaze seemingly piercing through the wall, looking into the depths of distant memories.

Jian Yihan leaned forward slightly, placed his hands on his knees, and listened attentively, waiting for what was to come.

"However, this person is completely different from 'Yu Tiancheng'," Situ Dengfeng continued, his tone filled with helplessness. "He has gone mad in his pursuit of martial arts. In order to master unparalleled martial arts, he did not hesitate to cultivate a set of evil skills." His eyes became serious, and his brows furrowed.

"Furthermore, this person traveled to various sects to challenge masters from all sides, and those who fought him either died or were injured. So in the martial arts world at that time, many people would stay far away when they heard his name." He paused for a moment, as if he could feel the fear in the hearts of those people back then.

Jian Yihan's expression also turned solemn. He imagined the chaos and bloodshed of that era, his fingers unconsciously clenching and unclenching.

"Soon afterward, his actions aroused public outrage in the martial arts world." Situ Dengfeng's voice was deep and powerful. "Many righteous people in the martial arts world also began to form an alliance to punish him, but Xie Ming's martial arts were too strong, and the righteous path of the martial arts world that went to punish him was utterly defeated." As he said this, a trace of regret flashed in his eyes, feeling sorry for those fallen heroes.

A silence fell over the room for a while, broken only by the occasional crackling of the candle wick. Finally, Situ Dengfeng slowly said, "In the end, a mysterious young man claiming to be Guiguzi appeared, defeated him, and drove him to the Daliang Mountains in western Sichuan. Later, Xie Ming founded a secluded sect in the Daliang Mountains, which became Qilin Village." His tone was filled with respect and emotion, as if he held a deep reverence for the Guiguzi of yesteryear.

Upon hearing the name "Guiguzi," Jian Yihan took a deep breath, as if to etch this history into his heart.

"That's all I know," Situ Dengfeng added, his voice gradually calming down, as if he had just recounted not a hearsay story, but a battle he had personally experienced.

After listening to Situ Dengfeng's account, Jian Yihan's doubts remained unresolved, and his curiosity drove him to press further: "How did Senior Situ learn all this?"

Situ Dengfeng's gaze seemed to traverse the long river of time, recalling the past once again: "When I was young, I visited Qilin Village. I heard about it from the previous chieftain." His voice carried a hint of distant nostalgia.

Jian Yihan frowned slightly and continued to ask, "Senior Situ, so it seems that Qilin Village and Jingtian Pavilion have some connection. Why do you need to worry that Qilin Village and Black Wind Gang joining forces will be detrimental to rescuing Situ Meng?"

Situ Dengfeng shook his head, his eyes deepening as if concealing countless untold stories. "I did indeed have some connection with Xie Feng, the second leader of Qilin Village," he said softly, "but Xie Feng was killed by the current leader, Fu Sheng. And my eldest disciple, Situ Changkong, is Xie Feng's grandson, Xie Changkong!"

The air in the room seemed to freeze at these heavy words. Situ Dengfeng paused for a moment, as if sorting through painful memories, then sighed deeply, his voice filled with endless emotion: "That 'Fu Sheng' was ambitious. In order to obtain the sealed 'Xie Ming's' peerless martial arts, he didn't hesitate to kill the old chieftain Xie Feng. Fortunately, Madam Xie, despite her serious injuries, entrusted someone to bring Xie Changkong, who was only a month old, to me, thus saving the Xie family from extinction. It's just a pity that I later learned that Xie Changkong had an older sister who disappeared during the turmoil in Qilin Village."

Jian Yihan listened quietly, a hint of sympathy and respect flashing in his eyes. He imagined that harrowing night, the baby's cries piercing through the bloody massacre, and the old woman's eyes filled with a mixture of despair and hope. He realized that Situ Dengfeng before him was not only a senior figure in the martial arts world, but also an elder burdened with many secrets and responsibilities.

Upon hearing this, Jian Yihan remained expressionless, but a barely concealed flame of anger ignited in his eyes: "If that 'Fu Sheng' has truly mastered all of 'Xie Ming's' martial arts, then we will have no choice but to ask the Valley Master to come out of seclusion for this trip to Yunnan."

Situ Dengfeng waved his hand, trying to soothe the young swordsman's emotions. "Young Swordsman," his voice was gentle yet firm, "this matter arose because of Jingtian Pavilion, and you have already helped enough. Jingtian Pavilion should bear all the responsibility for the martial arts tournament, and we must not trouble Guigu any further." His words were full of gratitude and a sense of responsibility.

Just as Jian Yihan was about to respond, a rapid knocking sound came from outside the door, interrupting his words. The sudden noise made both of them turn their gazes to the door, and a tense atmosphere seemed to freeze in the air.

"What's the matter with the knocking?" Situ Dengfeng raised his voice and called out to the outside, a hint of alertness in his tone.

The person outside was clearly panting, having rushed over to deliver a message. "Sect Master, something terrible has happened! Someone has broken into the mountain gate!" the man replied breathlessly, his voice filled with urgency.