FIMA Ch117: Debt of Life

The Xie Family Manor was located twenty li outside Jinling City.

Emerging from the temporary palace, the four people rode three horses, galloping along the quiet official road outside the city.

About two quarters of an hour later, they could already make out the faint glow of firelight in the distance, as well as the looming outline of the manor.

Xie Chenyun sniffed the air, his expression changing slightly. “The smell of blood…”

The group immediately quickened their pace.

Sure enough, as they approached the manor’s main gates, Xie Chenyun saw at a glance that the usually tightly shut vermilion doors with copper rings were currently thrown wide open.

Of the two giant lanterns that originally hung on either side of the eaves, one had fallen to the ground and was burning on its own without any wind.

And around the gates and on the threshold, several guards wearing the Xie family uniform lay permanently fallen in pools of blood.

Xie Chenyun’s face instantly turned pale. He leaped directly off his horse and charged into the manor. “Mingkong…”

“Miss Shen!” Tang Sheng and Situ Feng exchanged a glance and also dashed inside quickly.

Gu Siyuan sat alone high on horseback, lingering at the pitch-black manor entrance alongside the ground littered with corpses.

This scene was practically enough to shoot a horror movie.

However…

He slightly raised his eyes and clapped his hands lightly.

From the dense treetops around him, several dark figures instantly leaped down with extreme lightness. Like ghosts, they knelt directly at Gu Siyuan’s feet.

These people were uniformly dressed in black; they were the shadow guards and deathsworn of the Great Zhou imperial family.

From the original owner’s memories, he knew that although he was a muddle-headed, incompetent ruler, his ancestors had been wealthy, and the glorious legacy left to him by the late emperor was actually quite substantial. This group of shadow guards was one such asset.

The shadow guards were specially trained and selected. Each one was an expert capable of taking on ten or a hundred men, and they only obeyed the orders of the Great Zhou’s Son of Heaven.

Since he had left the temporary palace alone tonight, these shadow guards would inevitably follow to provide close protection.

Gu Siyuan gave them a faint command: “Hide around the perimeter of the courtyard first. Later, follow my hand signals to either save people… or kill them.”

“Yes,” the shadow guards complied in unison.

Returning to Xie Chenyun, after leaping through the manor gates, he saw the courtyard was brightly lit and crammed with nearly a hundred people.

A grand armchair was placed right in the middle of the path, and sitting in it was a beautiful but wicked-looking young girl.

Standing on either side were several martial artists wearing Purging Court uniforms. Furthermore, a pair of young men and women were tied up, sharp swords resting against their necks—it was none other than Xie Mingkong and Shen Luoshuang, who had been left behind at the Xie Family Manor.

Seeing his older brother, Xie Mingkong immediately called out with a bitter face, “Big brother, I’ve implicated the family…”

If he hadn’t brought these friends here, the Xie Family Manor would have been perfectly fine and never gotten dragged into this turmoil.

Xie Chenyun said nothing. His gaze narrowed slightly, sweeping toward the person in the middle of the courtyard who was clearly the instigator.

Although he had no relationship with Sun Yanyan, she was, after all, a friend his brother had brought back, and she had stayed at the manor for a few days, so he naturally recognized her easily.

He asked coldly, “Miss Sun, what is the meaning of this? Why are you running wild in my Xie Family Manor?!”

Sun Yanyan glanced at him. “This has nothing to do with your Xie family.”

Tang Sheng, who hurried in right after, saw Sun Yanyan, and his expression changed. “Yanyan?”

Sun Yanyan immediately stood up from the chair, her face full of smiles. “Big Brother Tang, you’ve returned?”

Facing her joyous and jumping smile, Tang Sheng’s original shock and fury unconsciously dissipated by more than half. He only asked helplessly, “Yanyan, what are you trying to do?”

Sun Yanyan idly twirled the black hair hanging over her chest around her finger, complaining angrily to Tang Sheng, “I came to find you, but these people insisted on stopping me, so I had no choice but to kill them.”

“Yanyan…” Tang Sheng sighed quite helplessly. After focusing his mind for a moment, he added, “Then why did you capture Brother Xie and Miss Shen? Hurry and let them go.”

“If I let them go, Big Brother Tang, will you still listen to me?” Sun Yanyan shook her head, her eyes already brimming with tears. Looking at the man before her with boundless affection, she said, “Big Brother Tang, I admit it was wrong of me to deceive you before, but I know I was wrong now. Since we truly love each other, why must we torture each other like this?”

Tang Sheng looked at her beautiful, pale face. They hadn’t seen each other for just a day, yet Sun Yanyan had actually grown quite haggard.

For a moment, his heart was filled with sighs, thinking to himself: Even if Yanyan has done many wrong things, her heart toward me is true. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have eagerly returned to the Xie Family Manor right now, and she even specifically spared the lives of Miss Shen and Brother Xie.

Sun Yanyan called out again softly, “Big Brother Tang…”

Tang Sheng also subconsciously stepped forward a few paces, extending his arms as if to embrace her. “Yanyan.”

Seeing this scene, Xie Chenyun’s face instantly turned as cold as ice. “So you two are treating my Xie Family Manor as a place to flirt? Whispering sweet nothings amidst a pile of corpses, this hobby of yours truly commands admiration.”

At this time, the hostage Shen Luoshuang also urgently called out to Tang Sheng. “Big Brother Tang, you cannot believe this demoness’s words anymore.”

Tang Sheng’s mind buzzed, and his footsteps halted, as if only just realizing that they were currently in a life-or-death standoff. He immediately glanced at everyone with some embarrassment.

Seeing Tang Sheng act like this, Sun Yanyan immediately shot a dark look at Shen Luoshuang, turning her head to coldly command her subordinates. “Go cut out that woman surnamed Shen’s tongue for me.”

Hearing this, Tang Sheng’s expression instantly changed.

Although he couldn’t forget his past feelings for Sun Yanyan, Shen Luoshuang was also a woman he cared about. He hurriedly stopped them. “Hold it, Yanyan, you mustn’t.”

Sun Yanyan grew even more displeased in her heart. She glared at Tang Sheng with her beautiful eyes. “Big Brother Tang, as long as you’re willing to leave with me today, and then personally disfigure this woman’s face, today’s matters will end here.”

Tang Sheng’s eyes suddenly widened in disbelief. “Yanyan, Miss Shen hasn’t done anything. Why do you want to treat her like this?”

Sun Yanyan stomped her foot, saying coquettishly, “She likes you. I don’t like that.”

Tang Sheng breathed a sigh of relief, advising her, not knowing whether to laugh or cry, “Yanyan, don’t be willful. Quickly tell your men to release Miss Shen and Brother Xie! Whatever it is, we can sit down and talk it over properly.”

Sun Yanyan shook her head resolutely. “I won’t.”

On the side, Xie Chenyun had seen enough of their flirting. He had originally thought that since Tang Sheng had feelings for this demoness, if he could persuade her to release his younger brother, it would prevent any further accidents or meaningless casualties. But looking at it now, it was a complete waste of effort; instead, he got a free show of a pair of brainless dogs putting on an act.

He raised the longsword in his hand, pointing it unsteadily at Sun Yanyan, and said coldly, “It just so happens I don’t want to talk either. How can today’s matters be settled so lightly?”

“Fine, very fine! You’re all acting so tough, huh?” Sun Yanyan was furious that Tang Sheng wasn’t listening to her. Seeing that Xie Chenyun also wouldn’t be threatened, she grew extremely enraged and commanded her subordinates. “Listen to my orders. In a moment, butcher those two guys directly for me.”

After saying this, she burst into smug laughter, as if she could already foresee Xie Chenyun and Tang Sheng’s grief-stricken agony later.

“Matters of life and death are spoken of so casually from your mouth.”

A cold male voice sounded at the courtyard entrance.

Xie Chenyun looked over. He saw Gu Siyuan standing there, tall and elegant. Not far above his head was a massive lantern illuminating his body; in a daze, it looked like a blazing sun illuminating the night, his radiance compelling.

Only then did he remember that he seemed to have left this exalted emperor outside all alone just now.

“Who might you be? Does this lady need you to mind her business?” Seeing that Gu Siyuan looked presentable, Sun Yanyan actually had the rare interest to say an extra sentence. Pointing at the corpses of the Xie family guards on the ground, she sneered, “They wanted to mind my business earlier, so I killed them all. Looking at your appearance and attire, you shouldn’t be an ordinary person. Your life is naturally much more precious than these guards; you should cherish it more and stop meddling in others’ affairs.”

Gu Siyuan stood with his hands behind his back, his expression apathetic. “In this world, there are no matters that I cannot meddle in.”

The moment his voice faded, two consecutive soft thwips were heard in the courtyard.

The two Purging Court martial artists holding Xie Mingkong and Shen Luoshuang hostage cried out in alarm simultaneously. Then, their entire bodies fell uncontrollably backward, revealing two feathered arrows that had pierced them from behind.

The people nearby cried out in alarm.

Only then did they realize that, at some unknown point, several men in black were standing soundlessly atop the Xie Family Manor’s walls, each holding a longbow and sharp arrows.

Xie Mingkong and Shen Luoshuang were naturally smart people as well. Having lost their restraints, they immediately rushed toward Xie Chenyun’s side.

Xie Chenyun flicked the longsword in his hand. A silver-white sword glare slashed straight across the night sky, cutting toward the remaining Purging Court martial artists who wanted to give chase.

Tang Sheng and Situ Feng didn’t say any more either. They each channeled their internal energy and began to join the fray to assist.

The martial skills of these warriors from the Purging Court were naturally not as exquisite as Xie Chenyun and the others. Now that Xie Chenyun’s group had no hostages holding them back, they fought without any reservations.

Moreover, there were also the several men in black on the wall assisting with long-range arrow attacks. In no time at all, a victor was decided in the courtyard. The dozens of Purging Court martial artists were either captured or killed outright.

Sun Yanyan stood there, her face deathly pale, her slender body trembling slightly.

Tang Sheng couldn’t bear seeing her like this. He stroked her hair, sighed softly, and advised, “Now the hostages are no longer in your hands, and the people you brought have been caught. Don’t be so willful in the future. Go, leave this place.”

Tears brimming in her eyes, Sun Yanyan gave Tang Sheng a deep look. Then, like a child who had made a mistake, she lowered her head slightly, turned around, and took a step, intending to walk out of the manor.

The crowd watched her back, their expressions subtle. Shen Luoshuang looked like she wanted to say something but stopped herself. Situ Feng simply closed his eyes.

“Wait!” A voice rang out, carrying boundless chill.

Xie Chenyun stared straight at Sun Yanyan. “You think you’re just going to leave like this?”

“Brother Xie…” Tang Sheng furrowed his brow slightly, looking at Xie Chenyun. “This time, Yanyan was just momentarily muddle-headed. And at the end of the day, it’s also because of me. Brother Xie, on account of my face, let’s turn this big matter into a small one.”

“Your face is face, but other people’s lives aren’t lives?!” Xie Chenyun’s face was extremely cold. “Laying a murderous hand on my younger brother, and killing so many people up and down my Xie Family Manor, yet you want to just walk away so freely? What kind of place do you take my Xie family for? What kind of person do you take me, Xie Chenyun, for?”

Hearing these uncompromising words, Tang Sheng’s expression turned a bit ugly.

He took a breath, turning to look at Xie Mingkong, who had just taken the antidote and was currently sitting in a chair recovering. “Brother Mingkong, on account of our friendship, forgive Yanyan one more time. She just has the temperament of a little girl; she won’t be like this in the future.”

Xie Mingkong raised his head, looking calmly at Tang Sheng. “Brother Tang, before you said those words, we did indeed still have a friendship.”

Tang Sheng’s eyes flickered. “Brother Mingkong, what do you mean by this?”

Xie Mingkong said softly, “Because we were friends, even knowing full well that Sun Yanyan brought people into the Xie Family Manor to commit evil today because of you, I never once blamed you. I only hated myself. Yesterday, when you wanted to let her go, I should have stopped you more forcefully. That way, the Xie Family Manor wouldn’t have suffered today’s disaster.”

“Brother Tang, previously when you were deceived by Sun Yanyan, unilaterally pestered by her, and even yesterday when you let her go out of nostalgia for old feelings, I didn’t think you were greatly at fault. Because being soft-hearted isn’t considered too great a mistake, and being unlucky enough to run into this kind of evil person is even less your fault. Since I truly treated you as a friend, I absolutely shouldn’t have casually blamed you, but rather actively supported you.”

As soon as these words came out, everyone present was momentarily deeply moved. In this world, there are plenty of people who shirk responsibility and look for others’ faults when problems arise.

And when encountering danger, even husbands and wives will fly their separate ways, let alone friends who had only known each other for two months.

For Xie Mingkong, a youth of merely seventeen or eighteen, to be able to say such things truly made people look at him in a new light.

“Brother Mingkong…” Tang Sheng’s expression, however, was quite subtle.

He had absolutely no idea that Xie Mingkong, who in his eyes had always only known how to spend money lavishly, was actually so eloquent.

He felt as if he had been hoisted high up in an instant. If he said the wrong thing or did the wrong thing next, he might be spat upon by everyone present.

“But now, seeing your reaction and response, Brother Tang, I think I was wrong. Sun Yanyan isn’t actually unilaterally pestering you; Brother Tang, you thoroughly enjoy her pestering, don’t you? Otherwise, how could you tolerate her time and time again? Even after she killed so many people, after she inflicted lethal poison on Miss Shen and me, and even after she just personally ordered her subordinates to kill us a moment ago—you can still so calmly believe she was just ‘momentarily impulsive’, not requiring her to pay any price, and easily letting her go once again.”

Xie Mingkong stared straight at him, his tone suddenly becoming incomparably freezing: “You and her are truly a perfect match of a broken pot and a cracked lid. A pair of absolute scumbags made in heaven.”

The courtyard became even quieter, as if a play had ended and the crowd had gone cold.

Clap, clap… A crisp round of applause broke this silence.

Gu Siyuan stood by the door with his hands behind his back. He gave Xie Mingkong a slight nod and said, “You child, you have a bit of wisdom. Well said.”

“…” Xie Mingkong. What kind of praise is this?

“…” Xie Chenyun. You’re a person who’s only twenty yourself, calling his twin brother a ‘child’, what’s that about?

Tang Sheng’s expression, however, was ugly to the extreme, his fists tightly clenched.

That emotional speech Xie Mingkong just gave turned out to merely be to elevate himself in order to insult and belittle him. To think he was actually touched for a moment just now.

However, this was even better. This way, he would have no psychological barriers left whatsoever.

Sun Yanyan also gave a coquettish hmph. Tugging at Tang Sheng’s sleeve, she pouted: “See? In the end, I’m the only one who treats you wholeheartedly. These so-called friends, the moment it involves their own affairs, they turn hostile and refuse to acknowledge anyone.”

She was beautiful. Even acting spoiled and saying such things inappropriately at a time like this didn’t annoy Tang Sheng; instead, he found it comforting.

Tang Sheng grabbed her small hand, rubbing it gently to comfort her. “Don’t worry. With me here today, no one can touch you.”

He naturally had confidence in saying this. Although he had only obtained half the volume of the Innate Heaven and Earth Cultivation Arts a few months ago, the growth of his internal energy was unimaginable.

Among so many people present, only Xie Chenyun could exchange blows with him. But as it happened, after coming out of the Jinling temporary palace earlier, Xie Chenyun had been heavily injured by Wei Feng. Now, he had even less to worry about.

It could be said that he was currently the one with the highest martial arts skills present.

Tang Sheng took a deep breath, looking at Xie Mingkong. “Brother Mingkong, since you’re pressing me so hard, then I have nothing left to explain. Regarding everything that happened to the Xie Family Manor, I am truly sorry in my heart. But Yanyan is my beloved woman, and I can’t just watch helplessly as something happens to her.”

“Can’t watch helplessly? What’s lying on the ground before you right now isn’t a pile of rocks. Were they not all vibrant, living lives originally?”

Gu Siyuan walked out from the light, stepping into the middle of the courtyard. His gaze as he looked at Tang Sheng was profound to the extreme. “Toward these lives murdered by your lover, your tone and behavior should be more solemn, more sincere. Making excuses and then airily offering an apology—this is absolutely insufficient.”

“Since it is blood, then it must be washed away with blood. Since it is a life, then it must be paid for with a life.”

As his voice fell, a dead silence swept the courtyard.

But the longsword in Xie Chenyun’s hand had already been raised. Xie Mingkong, his face pale, also stood up from his chair.

“Today, we brothers shall ask Brother Tang for guidance.”

Support me on Ko-fi