Chapter 29: The Famous Sword Rings in Its Case

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Pei Yunqu had merely been momentarily bewitched.

Once she had calmed down, she was still capable of sorting out her thoughts in an instant.

As long as they seized Xu Tuibei, they would naturally be able to flush out that bastard Gu Fifteen.

Yet everything turned out differently from what she had expected.

Not long after stepping out of the relay station, the pupils of both Pei Yunqu and Li Xizhi, who was leading the way ahead of her, involuntarily contracted.

A very tall woman emerged from a narrow lane, as though she had simply happened to encounter them, and appeared right in their path.

Yin Shiniang had altered her figure before entering the city, but now she had once again become as she had been at Mingbai Slope—tall and impossible to overlook.

She wore nothing more than an ordinary gray robe, dressed much like the Uyghur women of this region. Yet her indescribable, singular aura instantly made Li Xizhi, with his thick brows and large eyes, feel a powerful sense of danger.

Three colleagues still stood behind Pei Yunqu. If anything happened here, at least fifty men could arrive within ten breaths. But if the entire Yinshan faction had already been deployed nearby with the intention of harming Pei Yunqu…

Li Xizhi did not even dare consider the possibility.

Pei Yunqu frowned slightly.

At that moment, a filthy-looking boy, dirty enough to stand out even in the night, also emerged from the same alley. He glanced at her. Just as she began to feel provoked, the boy bowed to her.

Pei Yunqu did not return the greeting, but at least the unpleasant feeling in her heart faded.

Li Xizhi, however, frowned deeply.

The filthy boy was walking straight toward them.

“I am Gu Fifteen.”

Gu Liubai stopped five or six paces in front of Li Xizhi. Then he looked at Pei Yunqu and said softly, with sincere earnestness, “There is something rather thrilling going on. I wonder whether you would care to have a look.”

“Something thrilling?” Pei Yunqu had never encountered a boy who approached matters in such a manner, and for a moment her mind failed to function properly.

She, Pei Yunqu, loved thrilling things more than anything.

Yet although that was what she was thinking, she answered naturally, “What thrilling thing could I possibly not have seen? I’m not interested.”

Gu Liubai wore a disappointed expression and said in a voice only the two people standing nearest could hear, “I knew it. Sword duels in a frontier settlement like ours are never very interesting.”

“A sword duel?” Pei Yunqu was startled. She promptly put on a reserved expression and, after a moment’s hesitation, said reluctantly, “Forget it. I have nothing else to do anyway. I may as well go.”

Li Xizhi turned his head in disbelief. He felt that the second young lady he served had somehow been maneuvered into a corner without realizing it.

“It is merely that the matter is somewhat secretive, and only a very few people can be present.” Gu Liubai’s gaze soon shifted to him.

“Secretive?” Pei Yunqu snorted. She had originally intended to reprimand Gu Liubai, but when her eyes fell upon Yin Shiniang at the mouth of the alley, she unconsciously changed her question. “Is she the one dueling someone?”

Gu Liubai grinned. “Second Young Lady Pei is brilliant indeed. You guessed it at once.”

By then, Pei Yunqu’s mind was filled with questions.

The Master of the Frost Sword was going to duel someone tonight?

Here in Heishawa, whom would she fight?

Whether it was a sword duel or simply a one-sided slaughter, watching a swordmaster take action right before her eyes—was that not thrilling beyond belief?

Her feet had already begun moving of their own accord.

Li Xizhi tried desperately to stop her with his eyes, but she did not notice at all. She walked straight up to Gu Liubai, then asked in a mosquito-like whisper, audible only to herself and Gu Liubai, “Are you certain she is going to duel someone?”

Gu Liubai whispered back, “Indeed.”

Pei Yunqu’s eyes lit up. “Whom?”

“A swordmaster from the Xie clan.”

“Now?”

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“Yes. We are going at once, only…”

“Only what?”

Gu Liubai glanced at Yin Shiniang. “Only, apart from you and me, she does not want anyone else present to watch her duel.”

Pei Yunqu lifted her chin proudly. “Naturally. Who in Heishawa is worthy of watching alongside me? Besides, is a swordmaster someone just anyone can watch whenever they please?”

Gu Liubai said, “Ideally, no one else can be allowed to know that she has already fought that person once.”

“Do you truly take me for a fool?” Pei Yunqu came to her senses at once and gave a cold laugh. “Gu Fifteen, are you using me to suppress the news?”

Gu Fifteen said solemnly, “How could that be? Even when you wanted to help me obtain a travel permit, I refused. The fact is, within Heishawa, this would be a trivial matter for you, but who else possesses the ability to do it? If you find it troublesome, I can think of another way myself, though I probably would not manage it until tomorrow.”

Pei Yunqu gave him a faintly mocking smile.

Still, Gu Fifteen was not wrong. Concealing this from the Xie clan’s eyes and ears was hardly a trivial matter for her.

Thinking of Xie Wan’s proud and foolish appearance, she decided to take care of the matter while she was at it.

“Where is that person from the Xie clan?” she asked Gu Liubai, too impatient for further nonsense.

“Green Bamboo Lodge.”

“Li Xizhi, come here.” Pei Yunqu called Li Xizhi over from where he stood a short distance behind her. She nodded toward Yin Shiniang and lowered her voice. “She is going to fight the Xie clan’s swordmaster at Green Bamboo Lodge tonight. Apart from those of us who will be there to watch, no one else can be allowed to learn of this. Can you manage it?”

“Green Bamboo Lodge?”

Li Xizhi thought for a moment, then answered seriously, “We should be able to. Green Bamboo Lodge is near the granary of Heishawa. Apart from the soldiers guarding the granary, there is usually little traffic in the area. However, to prevent even the slightest bit of information from getting out, we will probably have to seal off the three surrounding streets.”

Pei Yunqu had been afraid that Li Xizhi would say it could not be done. Hearing this, her expression immediately brightened.

“Then go and take care of it. There will be a reward if you do it well.”

Li Xizhi swallowed, then said with some difficulty, “To be safe, should we put our other affairs on hold for the time being?”

Pei Yunqu understood that he meant they were short of manpower. She immediately nodded. “Of course. Do you really need me to make such an obvious decision for you?”

Gu Liubai asked cautiously, “Then will you come with us first?”

Pei Yunqu nodded arrogantly. “Lead the way.”

“Old Li, is the second young lady very familiar with that man?”

Several breaths later, the three trusted aides who had hurried over to Li Xizhi’s side were all covered in cold sweat.

She had actually followed Gu Liubai and the Master of the Frost Sword away. If anything went wrong, even their heads would not be enough to save them.

Li Xizhi was also drenched in sweat.

Gu Liubai had clearly never met Pei Yunqu before, yet his manner was so familiar with her temperament that it was almost as if he knew her as well as they did. With only a few words, he had lured her away like an innocent young girl and gotten her to join them.

Pei Yunqu was indeed reckless, and possessed certain unusual tastes that could not be spoken of openly, but she had always acted cautiously and with restraint.

What was her identity?

And what was the identity of this filthy boy?

Most crucially, when she met the boy, she seemed not to feel the slightest unfamiliarity.

How had he managed that?

Yin Shiniang’s state of mind had remained calm throughout.

When Gu Liubai had said they should proceed in this way, she too had thought it impossible.

But Gu Liubai had patiently explained the reasoning to her. First, from certain military reports, he knew that Pei Yunqu was highly contrary by nature.

If you told her something could not be done, she would insist on doing it just to prove you wrong.

Second, her identity caused people to overlook her age.

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She was in fact only a year older than Gu Liubai.

But unlike most scions of the great clans, she had spent half of the past several years roaming wild beyond the family’s supervision.

She was exceptionally fond of playing.

Yet she was deeply doted upon at home, so the elders of the Pei family had always treated her with indulgence, allowing her to amuse herself as she pleased.

This was her first time beyond the Pass. Although she had come to handle certain matters between the Pei family and the frontier army, in truth, the elders of the Pei family had merely sent her out to have some fun and broaden her horizons.

Since she had come to such a lawless place to play, the more thrilling and outrageous something was, the more entertaining it would be.

A battle between swordmasters… How could she possibly refuse such an amusing spectacle?

The privileged youths her age in Chang’an and Luoyang had no opportunity whatsoever to watch swordmasters fight.

Someone like her could never tolerate Xie Wan appearing more impressive than her here. How could she possibly let slip an opportunity she could boast about after returning home?

Moreover, Gu Liubai had previously refused her offer to arrange a travel permit for him. Even the elders of the Pei family indulged her; who ordinarily dared to refuse her?

In her eyes, if she did not help Gu Liubai resolve a problem more difficult than the one he had declined to let her solve, she would likely feel she had lost face.

As it turned out, Gu Liubai had Pei Yunqu completely in the palm of his hand.

Yin Shiniang also discovered two traits in Gu Liubai.

First, he seemed to possess an uncanny ability to see through the human heart. Second, his methods generally consisted of satisfying a person’s innermost desire first, then taking advantage of the momentum to accomplish other things.

It was as though people already wanted to try many things themselves; he merely gave them a gentle push.

Pei Yunqu was now helping him despite having to shoulder considerable risks, yet she was clearly enjoying herself immensely.

“Thrilling!”

Pei Yunqu strode along with the wind beneath her feet, her jade-like face flushed.

She was feeling extremely pleased with herself.

“Gu Fifteen, you bastard. Do you really think those petty tricks of yours can deceive me? The truth is, I want to watch a battle between swordmasters! If Li Nuer and my sister find out that I personally witnessed the Master of the Frost Sword duel the formidable figure chosen by the Xie clan, they will be so envious they will drool.”

What use was careful planning and the analysis of military intelligence?

Nothing could be more interesting than a real clash of blades.

It was just a pity that the fat bastard Xu Tuibei had apparently felt nothing toward that female corpse. How utterly boring!

Pei Yunqu’s men had already begun moving as quickly as possible.

Li Xizhi and his trusted aides understood Pei Yunqu’s temperament far too well. If everything was not settled before she reached Green Bamboo Lodge, and she had to wait even a little while, they could forget about receiving any reward. They might even find themselves punished when they returned.

The first to suffer were the two officials from the Astronomical Bureau.

These two officials had insisted on clinging to Pei Yunqu. When they heard that she had gone out for a stroll, they hurried out as well, hoping to accompany her.

The moment they each stepped across the threshold, however, someone struck them on the neck and knocked them unconscious. They were then thrown into the tent that had just been prepared.

Inside Green Bamboo Lodge, an old man in a crimson robe sat motionless upon a thick fur cushion. Before him rested a yellow wooden sword case.

The sword remained within its case, yet as he breathed in and out, the energy flowing through his entire body seemed already to have merged with the sword inside.

His vital essence, spirit, and soul had all been cultivated to their peak.

Suddenly, he sensed something. The sword within the case began to vibrate incessantly, as though it had discovered one of its own kind.