Chapter 89
Chapter 89
“…I believe I know why they’ve come.”
“Why?” Ying Wei demanded. Shorter even than Chen Shu, jumping barely let him grip the parapet, let alone glimpse distant racing steeds. “What ‘visitors’ did you two even see?”
Chen Shu generously yielded He Yu’s side of the low city wall and stood back by Yun Shen’s side. “They all rode horses to Fangcheng; seemed like they came from the northwest.” Then she tilted her body toward Yun Shen. “How’d you know why they’re here?”
“I… just speculated.” Xuan Qin paused, choosing his words carefully before continuing slowly, “Remember what we told Miss Chen the day we arrived? News about that Valley of Villains finding an unrivalled divine sword already spread to the Central Plains… Our faction happened to be nearest, so we got the news first. But it’s not like we’re the only recipients—other Members of the Wulin Community, those who joined or skipped the Sword Discussion Tournament, all…”
“Oh… Makes sense.” Chen Shu turned back, stood on tiptoe, and peered at the figures now galloping to the city’s base. “They do seem martial—at least their horsemanship is polished.”
“Martial skills only mean they’re from the Wulin Community; it doesn’t confirm they’re after this rumored sword,” Yun Shen said. He subtly shifted right, blocking the gap left when Chen Shu turned to face Xuan Qin. “If they really sought the sword, they wouldn’t just come from one direction… These people look like Members of the Wulin Community, but I suspect they’re here for another purpose.”
“Then why did arrivals suddenly increase these past two to three days after we entered the city?” Chen Shu argued before Xuan Qin could respond. Turning fully to Yun Shen, hugging her arms and tilting her chin up, she pressed, “By your logic, why now—why not earlier or later—”
“What happened recently isn’t limited to the Valley finding a sword.”
Yun Shen’s gaze settled on Chen Shu. Her movement brought them close again; he stared a moment too long before catching himself. He looked away, pursed his lips, artificially paused his speech, and then walked to the battlement as if releasing a breath.
But Chen Shu thought he was just teasing. She leaned close with an arm propped on the wall by Yun Shen, head tilted, demanding, “Then say it! What other matter?”
“…That’s for these brothers from Qin Xin Bluff to answer.” Yun Shen replied. When he turned back, all traces of discomposure had vanished, replaced with his usual lightly faint smile. His slightly curved eyes flicked toward Xuan Qin’s direction, and Chen Shu’s gaze followed his.
“Wait—what does this have to do with Qin Xin Bluff?” He Yu asked, detecting an undercurrent, turning toward them.
“You hesitated earlier—probably wondering whether to tell the truth.” Yun Shen said unhurriedly. “At our first meeting at the inn, you told them Xu Qiong had ‘accompanied the Martial World Alliance north.’ Not returning to your faction nor joining you in Fangcheng; surely it indicates a critical Alliance matter? Pardon my curiosity—you needn’t divulge all—just answer one thing:”
“Is this ‘northern affair’ related to these martial artists rushing to Fangcheng?”
The blazing sun finally pierced the clouds, beating down upon Fangcheng. Nearby, patrolling guards hummed songs and gulped wine as they staggered toward the group at the wall perch. Yet despite the sun’s intensity, a chill seemed to seep from the ancient stonework, cooled by nightly—perhaps yearly—depths of cold. As silence fell, a creeping frostiness seemed to penetrate their skin.
Chen Shu retreated half a step, straightening her leaning posture. Helplessly watching Yun Shen and Xuan Qin lock stares nearby, she seemed uncertain how to intervene. Even He Yu blinked, removed his palm from the wall, and opened his mouth to mediate.
Xuan Qin, however, showed no trace of irritation. He gazed silently at Yun Shen, seeming stalemated—but anyone familiar could tell this wasn’t Yun Shen’s brand of reserved, tactical silence.
He was merely thinking deeply, weighing Yun Shen’s words.
“…Yes.” He concluded after consideration, beating He Yu to utterance. “Likely yes. But this matter is significant; I cannot fully disclose it.”
“—What? How does that Demon King relate? What ‘significant’ matter? Why am I clueless?!” Ying Wei’s astonished voice broke the silence, loud enough to dislodge dust motes from the wall.
Standing beside him, Chen Shu mumbled, “…Me neither.”
The youths voiced their complaints freely, but He Yu couldn’t voice his frustration. Floundering amid the cryptic exchange, he forced an awkward smile to diffuse tension: “Since it’s Qin Xin Bluff business, ignorance is excusable.”
“…It’s not factional.” Xuan Qin clarified, weighing his words painfully. “Though inconvenient… I’d planned to advise you either way…”
“I know.” Yun Shen shifted his gaze, flicked the map straight, folded it neatly, then looked back at Xuan Qin intently.
“…This map—I’d planned to entrust it to you too.”
“—What on what?!” protested Ying Wei loudly. “What are you both saying?!”
Yun Shen finally turned back. Unconsciously, his eyes met Chen Shu’s first—a paused breath followed—then moved to Ying Wei. He smiled. “Don’t rush… Fangcheng is about to witness something momentous.”
—
What riddles Yun Shen and Xuan Qin exchanged remained unclear. Regardless, the innkeeper remained missing two more days. Whether he genuinely searched for Chen Shu’s sword or tangled with the recent wave of martial visitors, none knew.
Since spotting the newcomers during their wall-top survey, Chen Shu readily noticed their inexplicable surge these days, sprouting like bamboo shoots after rain. Spotting them amidst the crowd proved simple.
—These perennial travellers bore a distinct warrior swagger. Their differences were manifest: Ying Wei’s brash naivety, Li Chou’s arrogant pride, Shen Jie’s capable decisiveness—yet all differed starkly from the Valley of Villains minions, making them easily distinguishable.
Inspired by Yun Shen and Xuan Qin’s conversation, Chen Shu eavesdropped later: they indeed probed Fangcheng, inquiring about the sword.
Without their guide, the city regressed to its initial disorder. Yet these purpose-ambiguous newcomers created a bizarre equilibrium: the Vicious Bandits reined in, lurking instead of flaunting street presence, seemingly plotting something too.
Just as Yun Shen predicted, this century-shadowed city now roiled with undercurrents.
But it had naught to do with her. Though these others were also “seeking the sword,” they buzzed about like headless flies, nowhere near as well-informed as Chen Shu.
What truly weighed on her mind was another matter—
After two uneventful days, the following morning, while she was peacefully awaiting news from “Zhong Xiao,” Xuan Qin and Ying Wei vanished without a trace from the very inn itself.
In the morning, Chen Shu wandered idly around the town until she grew bored enough to head back to the inn. It was only during lunch with Yun Shen and He Yu that she noticed the pair’s absence and thought to run upstairs to check; Yun Shen stopped her right away.
He merely raised a hand and placed it gently on her shoulder, easily halting her movements. “There’s no need to look for them,” he said. “They’ve left.”
“I know, but just now I—” Chen Shu was taken aback, then quickly realised what he meant. She turned back and asked, “Have they returned to Qin Xin Bluff?”
“That, I couldn’t say, but they have indeed gone back,” Yun Shen replied, withdrawing his hand. “They set off early this morning.”
Seeing he seemed reluctant to elaborate, Chen Shu refused to drop it. She propped herself up with one hand before Yun Shen, pressing him: “But why didn’t they tell anyone when they left Fangcheng? Didn’t they even say goodbye? How could their departure be this rushed?”
“Perhaps they realised the rumours about the sword were false,” He Yu ventured hesitantly.
Yun Shen chuckled, neither confirming nor denying, and simply said, “It wasn’t without farewells. They bid me farewell and left behind a letter.” As he spoke, he retrieved a simple sheet of paper, the ink still fresh, from his sleeve.
Indeed, it conveyed the pair’s apologies for leaving abruptly and expressed their goodbyes to everyone. The words were sparse, only a few brief sentences. Though addressed to Yun Shen, they were unmistakably meant for Chen Shu and He Yu.
Chen Shu stared at that note for a good while in bewilderment, head tilted to one side. Finally, she asked:
“—Was it about that thing again? Your secret affair with Xuan Qin with all that speaking in riddles?”
But this time, Yun Shen didn’t answer. He raised his hand, seemingly about to smooth out the stray wisps of hair sticking up from her tilted head, then abruptly stopped himself and withdrew it. He controlled his gaze, avoiding Chen Shu and instead turning to He Yu with a smile. “And you, Brother He? When do you plan to depart?”
“—Cough, cough!” The sip of hot tea caught in He Yu’s throat. He coughed fiercely before finally catching his breath. He looked at Yun Shen, then at Chen Shu. This time, he couldn’t hold back either: “…What exactly is about to happen in Fangcheng? If I leave, what will happen to you two? One entirely unversed in the ways of the world, the other… What will you do?”
“Brother Zhong ought to return very soon,” Yun Shen stated plainly, finally speaking openly. “He might have taken a little longer originally, but with these Members of the Wulin Community arriving in Fangcheng, his impatience would surely get the better of him. No later than this very night, he will likely appear at this inn to ‘invite’ Chen Shu to seek the sword in the Valley of Villains.”
That very night, just as Yun Shen predicted, scarcely had He Yu left his seat than the busy “Zhong Xiao,” absent for several days, seemed to find a moment of leisure. He returned to the inn, and the first words upon meeting Chen Shu were to inform her—
The master of the Valley of Villains had agreed to let her take a look at the sword.