Wandering Swordsman |

"What?!" Xie Changkong's pupils constricted sharply, his body jolting violently as if struck by lightning. He stepped forward, almost grabbing Wei Honglian's sleeve, his voice trembling, "What did you say? I... I have a sister?"

Xie Changkong showed an unusual panic at this moment: "What's her name? Where is she? Tell me quickly!" His voice was urgent, almost pleading.

Seeing the rare vulnerability and agitation in his eyes, Wei Honglian felt a slight stirring in her heart, but still calmly said, "Your sister's name is Xie Xin. On the night of the bloody upheaval at Qilin Village, Fu Sheng did not kill her, but secretly raised her in the village as his own daughter—in reality, she was a puppet."

"He...he plans to have her marry Fu Jiang after she comes of age," she said, her tone growing colder, "to whitewash his crime of murdering his master and usurping the throne, and to solidify the 'legitimacy' of his position as the leader of Qilin Village."

"Beast!" Xie Changkong clenched his fists, his knuckles white, his eyes blazing with fury. "Fu Sheng is already dead, that's one thing! But Fu Jiang actually dares to...dare to lay a finger on my Xie family's bloodline?!"

He whirled around, his black robes billowing like raging waves: "Tomorrow, drag Fu Jiang to the ancestral hall and execute him by slow slicing, to appease the ancestors of my Xie clan!"

But before he could finish speaking, he turned back abruptly, his voice softening slightly, tinged with an almost humble urgency: "My sister Xie Xin...where is she now?...Is she still alive?"

Wei Honglian remained silent for a moment, her brows furrowing slightly as she looked at him with a complex expression: "Are you sure you want to hear this?"

Xie Changkong was taken aback, his heart tightening inexplicably, but he still forced himself to remain calm: "Speak! Whatever it is, I can bear it."

Wei Honglian took a deep breath, her gaze sharp as a blade, and slowly said, "Fu Jiang said... your sister didn't stay at Qilin Village back then. She was taken away on her wedding day—Shen Mo left with her."

"Shen Mo?!" Xie Changkong was struck dumb, frozen in place. Before he could think further, a surge of anger welled up inside him.

It's Shen Mo again!

Unexpectedly, Shen Mo was involved with his own sister, whom he had never known before!

In an instant, countless emotions exploded in his chest: shock, doubt, anger, and a trace of fear that he himself was unwilling to admit—was his sister alright? Was she being controlled by Shen Mo? Had she... already become someone else's pawn?

"Shen Mo..." he growled through gritted teeth, his eyes flashing with a cold light, his killing intent rising again, "He dares to interfere in the affairs of my Xie family?! If my sister suffers even the slightest harm, I will make him pay for his crimes in blood!"

Inside the ancestral hall, the incense still burned brightly, and the candlelight flickered like tears, illuminating the ancestral tablets of the Xie family, creating a solemn and dignified atmosphere.

But the wisps of smoke were no longer peaceful; instead, they seemed to lament and linger among the beams and pillars, as if the spirits of the ancestors were also sighing over this unfinished mystery of the bloodline.

Xie Changkong stood before the incense table. He had thought that once the blood feud was avenged, he could go overseas with Wei Honglian and completely sever his ties with the Central Plains.

But fate, at this very moment, throws out an even deeper and more painful mystery: his own sister is entangled with Shen Mo—the "Sword God" whom he hates to the bone but is powerless to challenge!

He looked up abruptly, his voice sharp and urgent: "Has Fu Jiang given any explanation? Where did my sister go?"

Wei Honglian stood at the edge of the shadows, her blood-red dress like flames, yet her expression was solemn.

She slowly shook her head, her voice low and helpless: "No. Fu Jiang said that when Xie Xin was taken away, only Fu Sheng knew where she was. Everyone else, including himself, was kept in the dark. Now... Fu Sheng is dead, and no one in this world knows where she is anymore."

"No one knows anymore..." Xie Changkong murmured repeatedly, his voice fading like a candle flickering in the wind.

In an instant, my heart felt as if it had fallen into an abyss.

Is it possible that I and my sister will eventually be separated forever?

Is it possible that the only surviving close relative will forever pass by in the vast sea of ​​people?

He closed his eyes, and a blurry image of a girl appeared in his mind—perhaps gentle, perhaps stubborn, perhaps wandering alone in the storms of the world, while he, as her younger brother, didn't even know what she looked like!

An indescribable sorrow welled up in his heart, almost suffocating him.

But just in this moment of despair, he suddenly opened his eyes, his gaze sharp as lightning: "No! There's one more person who knows!"

Wei Honglian was taken aback, then her pupils contracted slightly, and she blurted out, "Shen Mo!"

"Yes!" Xie Changkong gritted his teeth, a burning obsession igniting in his eyes. "Since Fu Jiang said himself that Shen Mo and my sister were taken away together back then, then Shen Mo must know my sister's whereabouts!"

"No!" Wei Honglian stepped forward, her voice suddenly rising in intensity, carrying an unprecedented severity. "Brother Changkong, calm down! Shen Mo is now the 'Sword God' of the Central Plains, and he's with the Nanjing Martial Arts Alliance. It's too dangerous for you to go find him."

Xie Changkong remained silent, his chest heaving violently.

He knew she was right.

But the word "sister" is branded on my heart, burning hot.

How could he sit idly by and watch his own sister wander in a foreign land, her fate unknown?

"If I don't go to him and find out where my sister is," he said in a low voice, hoarse but firm, "I will truly be all alone in this world."

Wei Honglian stared at the almost obsessive light in his eyes for a long time before letting out a soft sigh.

She knew that Xie Changkong's heart had long been locked by blood ties and obsession, and there was no turning back.

"...If you insist on going," Wei Honglian finally spoke, her voice as low as a whisper. "Then take advantage of the Martial Alliance's wedding banquet for Shen Mo, disguise yourself as a wandering martial artist, and infiltrate Nanjing. At that time, the guests will be numerous and diverse, and the righteous people will be busy offering their congratulations and will not have time to carefully examine your identity. You can quietly approach Shen Mo and inquire about Xie Xin's whereabouts."

Xie Changkong remained silent for a moment, then slowly nodded, his gaze passing over the towering lintel of the ancestral hall and casting into the distance—the night was as dark as ink, the Milky Way hung low, as if heaven and earth had laid out a solitary path for him.

"You're right." His voice was low but decisive. "A wedding banquet with many people and eyes is actually the best cover."

He turned around, the cold glint in his eyes slightly diminished, replaced by a long-lost solemnity: "I promise you, this trip will only involve inquiring about my sister's whereabouts. I will not cause trouble, nor will I reveal my identity. If things become unbearable, I will withdraw immediately and not linger."

Wei Honglian gazed at him for a long time before gently nodding, "Alright. Then I'll go with you."

Xie Changkong was taken aback: "You're going too?"

"Of course." A slight smile played on her lips, her allure radiating an undeniable firmness. "If your identity is exposed, having another person around will provide more protection. Besides..."

Xie Changkong didn't say anything more, only nodded slightly, which was taken as his agreement.

However, deep in his heart, there was a thought that he had never voiced—a thought that flickered quietly in the darkness like a glimmer of light.

If I could visit Situ Meng at the Martial Alliance one last time before leaving the Central Plains... that would be good.

It's not about old feelings, nor is it a wishful thought to rekindle a past relationship.

But—she was the only gentle light in his youth.

Under Situ Dengfeng's tutelage, she was the junior sister who would secretly leave him a bowl of hot soup, and the girl who would silently hand him wound medicine when he was injured while practicing swordsmanship.

Now, he is no longer "Situ Changkong", but she may still remember the senior brother who once called her "Junior Sister Meng".

If he could catch a glimpse of her from afar amidst the sea of ​​people in the martial arts alliance city, and see her safe and sound, smiling radiantly, he would be able to truly let go of the last trace of the past and completely sever his ties with the Central Plains.

This departure is for my sister, and also a farewell.

The night breeze swept through the hall, stirring the incense smoke from the burner and dispelling the last trace of hesitation in his eyes.

Although going to the Martial Alliance was dangerous, he had no way out.

For my sister Xie Xin, and for that version of myself that I can never go back to.