Chapter 164: Confrontation

Things like sunlight are only truly scorching at high noon. Of course, compared to the bustling, fiery martial arts tournament in Jinjiang City, the Blue Lotus Sect was noticeably much more relaxed. Even so, the sultry air within the mountain forest still made one feel somewhat restless. The maids and servants had long since finished their chores and sought out shady spots to rest early on. Even old man Su was fast asleep under the covers, still not awake by this hour. If there was anyone whose behavior and movements appeared rather peculiar at this moment, it was perhaps the face hidden beneath the purple gauze.

"What on earth did he mean by those words?" Beneath the pavilion, Shui Linglong rested her chin in her hand, gazing at the two fish swimming leisurely in the stream—one red, one patterned. They moved forward and back, occasionally brushing past each other and kicking up tiny splashes, looking exceptionally joyful. Passing back and forth like lovers playfully teasing one another, her gaze gradually grew somewhat hazy as she watched, as if those two fish were none other than herself and Han Tanyi. Yet, the more she pondered, the less of an answer she could find in her heart, and the more bewildered she became. Suddenly, an unprompted cold wind swept through, causing her figure to shudder involuntarily, which snapped her back to a slight sense of sobriety. The corners of her lips twitched upward in a trace of self-mockery, and her gaze nervously shifted toward the sky, as if by escaping the sight of the fish, she could avoid having to think about these things. Yet stubbornly, everything seemed to be conspiring against her; in the blink of an eye, a man's face materialized within the clouds.

"What has come over me? Shui Linglong, now is not the time to be dwelling on such things. With that old scoundrel Dao about to strike, you should be considering how to deal with them instead! Entangling oneself in romantic matters is always the most ruinous. They say a fall into the pit is a gain in your wit; have you still not awakened?" Although this voice was merely talking to herself, it was laden with the posture of a strict warning. Yet, what good was such an action? Human nature was stubbornly base: the more one wished to let go of something, the tighter it clung; the more one wanted to break free, the deeper the entanglements became. When her anguish reached its absolute limit, she felt as though tiny heat rashes were about to burst across her entire body, itching with unbearable discomfort. Her hands uncontrollably seized her hair and clawed through it in disarray, turning it into a frizzy mess within moments.

Though it had little real effect, she eventually managed to steady herself somewhat. Shui Linglong slowly shifted her figure closer to the edge of the stream. Through the reflection in the water, she could clearly see her own flustered expression, one she had rarely ever displayed, and even her eyes overflowed with panic. Hesitating for a moment, she scooped up a handful of water and splashed it directly onto her face, ignoring the veil entirely. Although the air was thick with heat, the water carried a measure of coolness. Under this chilling stimulus, she finally felt a fraction of comfort return to her.

"This subordinate has never seen the Cult Leader so agitated before. This hardly seems like your style!" A voice suddenly broke the silence from an unwanted corner. Though not loud, it was enough to startle Shui Linglong. Given her cultivation, let alone this distance, she would normally have been able to perceive the faint vibration of a butterfly's wings from several yards away. Yet today, she had detected nothing whatsoever. This was a dangerous state of affairs, especially for someone of her standing. As her eyes swept across the space, she instantly recognized the newcomer: her face obscured by a white veil, her voice carrying a trace of age. Aside from Shui Lianhua, there was not a second person in the Blue Lotus Sect who fit this description.

"Weren't you sent on an errand to Jinjiang? Why have you returned so soon?" Instead of directly answering the other's remark, Shui Linglong paused slightly and deftly steered the conversation elsewhere. Shui Lianhua did not rush to reply; instead, she slowly poured a cup of hot tea. Rather than bringing it to her own lips, she extended it toward Shui Linglong. "Jinjiang City is not far to begin with, and this subordinate was anxious to return, so I did not linger long in the city. Thus, the trip did not take much time. However, that old ghost Dao has put in considerable effort, actually arranging some martial arts tournament to select four individuals who will lead the various orthodox martial sects into four distinct divisions. I reckon they will likely assail our Blue Lotus Sect very soon!"

"He has harbored this ambition for twenty years. Be it the Heart-Lotus Scripture or the secrets hidden within the forbidden grounds, they are simply too alluring;恐怕 no one could ever let them go. He who obtains the former can dominate the martial world, and he who acquires the latter can conquer the realm. Driven by these two points, he is bound to come. There is nothing strange about that!" When the conversation turned to official matters, Shui Linglong's expression instantly reverted to its usual state—cold and exuding a haughty, aloof aura. She slowly accepted the proffered teacup without drinking from it. The rising steam curled before her like a thin mist, blending with the lingering droplets of water on her cheeks to give her an air of absolute poise and certainty. "Who are the four chosen individuals? Even if you do not say it, I can likely guess a few: Xia Wuhua and Ye Hanguang of Qilian Mountain, and Shen Chengbi of Bright Moon Manor. Who is the fourth?"

"Shen Chengbi is indeed among them. Ever since Shen Wanzan died at the Cult Leader's hands, he has acted like a madman, endlessly clamoring to avenge his master, even willing to subjugate Bright Moon Manor beneath Qilian Mountain. Because of this, he has suffered no small amount of harassment from the lords of the other pavilions. As for Xia Wuhua and Ye Hanguang, because old ghost Dao forbade Qilian disciples from participating in the tournament, neither of them is among the final four." Shui Lianhua did not speak particularly fast. Although she could have delivered the report concisely, wouldn't that have been terribly dull? The secluded days of the Blue Lotus Sect lacked any real amusement, so naturally, she had to seize such an opportunity to toy with the situation a little. Shui Linglong understood this well; thus, aside from maintaining her chilly expression, she cooperatively responded, "Neither of them is participating? What kind of medicine is old ghost Dao selling in his gourd? Logically speaking, having more of his own people would make control much easier. Furthermore, in terms of martial arts, Ye Hanguang might fall slightly short, but Xia Wuhua easily ranks in the top five. Even if he claimed the top title, it would be entirely well-deserved, and no one would object. Since those two are abstaining, I doubt the vacant spots could be filled by anyone of genuine capability."

"That is not necessarily true. Over the span of twenty years, a few capable figures have inevitably emerged. At the very least, East China Gate completely stole the spotlight in this tournament. The Gong siblings suddenly claimed two spots; paired with Shen Chengbi and Big Boss Xin of the Xin Family Gang, it precisely makes up the count of four!" There was nothing inherently unusual about these words, but Shui Lianhua's voice noticeably deepened when she pronounced the three words "East China Gate." Leaving aside the historical ties from twenty years ago, merely four years prior, Shui Linglong had still borrowed the identity of Shao Changchun. Their relationship was inextricably intertwined and exceedingly peculiar. Therefore, when speaking of this, Shui Lianhua naturally had to exercise extreme caution, terrified lest she misjudge the boundary and trigger the other's temper—a prospect hardly worth the risk. Yet her worries seemed largely unfounded. Setting aside what Shui Linglong might be thinking inwardly, at least not a flicker of displeasure showed on her face. Observing this, Shui Lianhua's slightly taut nerves finally relaxed a little. "Those four might not amount to much by themselves, but this subordinate spotted someone whom the Cult Leader might find hard to let go of!"

"Who?" Despite the buildup, Shui Linglong did not appear overly swayed by the remark. She raised the teacup to her lips, took a delicate sip, and then gently returned it to the stone table before speaking in a calm, measured tone. Her entire movement was soft and elegant, giving the impression of two elderly lifelong friends discussing trivial matters of daily life. Anyone else might have found such composure hard to accept, but in Shui Lianhua's eyes, it was entirely normal. Given her temperament, no one in the entire Blue Lotus Sect over all these years understood her better than she did. "Dugu Meng, that little girl from the Southern Border's Dugu family. This subordinate saw her step onto the arena today!"

At these words, Shui Linglong's posture finally trembled. She could remain indifferent to almost anything else, but the surname Dugu was impossible to ignore. Even her expression betrayed a trace of unnatural stiffness. The teapot she had been holding, preparing to refill her cup, froze mid-air. A thin stream of tea leaked from the tilted spout, hanging suspended like a slender thread of silk. And rightly so—back then, Dugu Xinyang had taken advantage of her fierce battle against the Four Great Sects to stealthily steal half of the Heart-Lotus Scripture. Be it the stolen artifact or the treacherous deed itself, both were utterly intolerable in Shui Linglong's eyes. Over the years, she had spared no effort in tracking down the thief. Initially, they were impossible to find; within a vast sea of people, trying to locate someone obscure who was deliberately hiding was akin to searching for a needle in an ocean, hardly an easy task. Later, by the time the Dugu family's reputation rose to prominence in the Southern Border, Dugu Xinyang's cultivation had already reached a level comparable to the Four Masters of the Central Plains. Even had she wished to settle accounts, she lacked absolute certainty of victory, and secondly, she had to guard against the relentless hunt of orthodox martial artists. Trapped in this dilemma, the situation had naturally evolved into one of frustrated impotence, dragging on until this very day!