SS CH44

“You…”

Lu Mingyuan was supporting Ruan Feiyu as they hurriedly broke into the secret chamber. He had not expected anyone else to be inside. Fortunately, his memory was excellent; within a fraction of a second, he managed to dredge up the man’s name from his recollection and said: “Young Master Ye?”

Hearing that the voice sounded reasonably familiar, Ye Fusheng looked at the elderly man being supported—it was none other than the Southern Scholar, the very center of this entire storm. With a quick turn of his mind, he said: “It’s Young Master Lu, isn’t it? What a coincidence.”

At the sound of his voice, the Southern Scholar lifted his eyes to look at him. He remained silent, merely twitching the corners of his mouth and gently patting Lu Mingyuan’s forearm.

This signified that the person was trustworthy. Lu Mingyuan breathed a sigh of relief and asked: “Why is Young Master Ye here?”

“Entrusted by someone to look for a little girl who ran away from home. I wonder if you two have seen her?” Ye Fusheng hesitated for a brief moment, but still bent down to pick up the longsword from the rack. Tapping his foot against the ground, he leapt down to land in front of Lu Mingyuan, maintaining a distance that allowed both sides to feel secure.

Back at Duanshui Villa, Lu Mingyuan had witnessed him fighting fiercely against Bu Xueyao without suffering defeat. Not knowing what kind of formidable figure this man truly was, and seeing that he was currently neither blind nor crippled, he did not dare treat him with the slightest disrespect. Thus, he replied vaguely: “We saw her a little less than an hour ago.”

Ye Fusheng calculated the timing in his mind. The little brat must have run into him shortly after splitting ways with this scholar. However, while he had blundered his way into a meeting with these two, Qin Lanchang had vanished once more into parts unknown.

Ruan Feiyu, however, said: “Let us leave first. This is no place to linger.”

His words were spoken in a highly blunt and unceremonious manner. If an ordinary person heard someone state their fear of death so openly and righteously, they would undoubtedly feel a sense of displeasure. However, Ye Fusheng had dealt with him multiple times in his earlier years, and Lu Mingyuan had been raised and educated by him; neither of them would misinterpret his meaning.

Right now, the entire underground palace was a chaotic mess. While it was a perfect environment to fish in troubled waters, it was also a time when unexpected complications could easily arise. Given the current state of the three of them, it was entirely unsuitable to wade into these murky waters; otherwise, not only would they fail to find anyone, but they might also end up losing their own lives.

With this thought in mind, Ye Fusheng asked: “What exactly is this secret chamber?”

He had arrived here purely due to a stroke of wretched luck, so how could he possibly know whose dwelling or sanctuary this was? Yet the scabbard in his hand felt as cold as ice, sending a wave of chill through his entire being that brooked not the slightest negligence. This was precisely why he asked.

Lu Mingyuan cast a worried glance at Ruan Feiyu and said: “I am not entirely certain either. I merely pried some information out of the guards earlier, who mentioned there was a secret room here where idle personnel were forbidden from entering. Just now, in order to evade the guards, we rushed in this direction.”

Ye Fusheng could not help but admire his audacity: “What if this was a dead end with an entrance but no exit? Or what if there was an old monster inside undergoing secluded cultivation?”

Lu Mingyuan: “…”

Ruan Feiyu coughed twice, a flush appearing on his pale face. He looked somewhat short of breath, his body resembling a candle flickering in the remnants of a wind.

Yet his voice remained reasonably steady as he said: “If this old man has not guessed incorrectly, this is a martial cultivation room.”

As he spoke, he looked toward the walls with meaningful intent. Ye Fusheng’s mind stirred. He pried out one of the night-luminescent pearls and saw that the hole left behind was roughly half a finger deep. Furthermore, the holes on the wall were clustered in groups of five, looking exactly as though someone had driven their five fingers straight into the stone before filling the cavities with the pearls. Remarkably, there was not a single trace of cracking or fracturing around the finger holes, as if they had merely been plunged into a pile of cotton.

Such finger strength was rare to behold in this world.

The Southern Scholar was a man of vast knowledge and profound experience; his depth of understanding in these matters far surpassed Ye Fusheng’s. He spoke eloquently on the matter: “Xiao Yangu’s mastery of hidden weapons can be considered peerless, but her martial arts are by no means first-rate. Someone capable of exerting this kind of finger strength must possess supreme martial arts, profound internal energy, and ruthless methods… Therefore, the person undergoing secluded cultivation here is definitely not Xiao Yangu.”

Ye Fusheng understood immediately with a single hint: “She designated this place as a restricted area and forbade anyone from approaching to prevent any leak of information. In other words, the identity of the person cultivating here is extremely critical and requires strict secrecy. If that is the case, the person inside would certainly not enter or exit through ordinary routes. There must be a secret passage in this chamber that leads directly outside the underground palace.”

Upon hearing this, Lu Mingyuan hurriedly surveyed their surroundings. However, this secret room had been constructed with extreme precision; apart from the finger holes on the walls and the opening of the chute Ye Fusheng had tumbled from, there was no other exit. Furthermore, that chute was not only smooth and narrow, but its upper end still lay within the underground palace—going back that way meant they might run straight into Xiao Yangu and her cohorts.

“I don’t see any hidden door.”

Ye Fusheng narrowed his eyes. Suddenly, he tore off a strip of cloth, strapped the blade and sword across his back, and leapt straight into the water pool—moving so fast that Lu Mingyuan had no time to stop him.

The pool water was piercingly cold, and the further down he went, the more he could feel the dark undercurrents surging violently. Having formed an assessment in his mind, he floated back up to the surface and said: “This is flowing water. There is an exit down below.”

Lu Mingyuan was overjoyed, but then he hesitated. Gnashing his teeth, he said to Ye Fusheng: “Young Master, could I trouble you to help me escort my Master out of here? I… Miss Qin must still be trapped in some corner of the underground palace. This place is fraught with peril, and she has aided me immensely; I cannot simply abandon her.”

Ye Fusheng smiled slightly: “Prioritizing the young lady over your Master—scholar, you have a very bright future ahead of you.”

Lu Mingyuan’s face turned awkward as he hurriedly clarified: “No, no, no, it is not like that… It is just that I am entirely ignorant of the art of swimming; taking this path would only make me a burden to Master and Young Master. Furthermore, leaving a young girl behind in such a place is truly not the conduct of a gentleman.”

Ye Fusheng neither agreed nor disagreed. His gaze inadvertently locked with Ruan Feiyu’s, and after a brief calculation in his mind, he responded: “Since that is the case, you entrust your Master’s safety to me, and I shall place that girl’s life in your hands. I hope that both of us can honor this pact.”

Lu Mingyuan said solemnly: “I dare not break it.”

Ye Fusheng then asked: “Does this old gentleman know how to swim?”

“A man of the southern lands—how could I not be a white stripe rippling through the waves?” Ruan Feiyu smiled faintly. “It is just that my physical strength is currently lacking, so I will need the Young Master to assist me a fair bit.”

“Easy enough.”

Ruan Feiyu took a deep breath and leapt into the water. Ye Fusheng caught him with one hand, and the two immediately dived down. Lu Mingyuan stood by the edge for a brief moment to ensure there was no danger beneath the surface before carefully climbing up through the chute Ye Fusheng had fallen from.

The pool water was exceedingly peculiar; its surface was tranquil and devoid of ripples, yet beneath it lay dark undercurrents that rushed with terrifying, deafening force. Two grown men falling into it were like withered grass being broken by a violent gale. Fortunately, neither of them was poor at swimming. Holding his breath, Ye Fusheng dragged Ruan Feiyu along as they followed the current downward, until the suffocating pressure in his chest felt as though it would explode, at which point he finally felt the force of the water begin to slacken.

Estimating that they had reached the outflow point, he pulled Ruan Feiyu and swam toward the surface. When they finally broke through the water, they discovered that after a night of such exhausting exertion, the previously dark sky was already beginning to clear, and a pale white hue had appeared on the horizon.

Their surroundings consisted of a desolate clearing overgrown with wild grass, where the water current had slowed significantly. Ye Fusheng and Ruan Feiyu dragged themselves onto the bank. Their physical strength was almost entirely depleted, and they lay paralyzed on the ground to rest for a while. Turning his head to survey the area, Ye Fusheng realized that this was a remote, secluded spot on the lower reaches of the Hero River—a place where one could see neither a soul ahead nor a ghost behind.

Presumably, the water in that pool had been drawn directly from the Hero River, with a watercourse constructed according to the terrain.

Ye Fusheng sat up and gently patted the Southern Scholar’s back, helping him spit out the water he had inadvertently swallowed. The elderly man’s body was frail, and it took quite a while for him to recover, coughing repeatedly. Watching him, Ye Fusheng could not help but worry that the illustrious Southern Scholar might simply kick his legs and depart this world to debate scriptures with Heaven itself.

Fortunately, Ruan Feiyu managed to pull through. He spat out a few more mouthfuls of water, caught his breath, and offered Ye Fusheng a smile, saying: “This time, my profound thanks to the Commander.”

This old fellow had lived long enough to become an absolute spirit, possessing more schemes and thoughts than raindrops hitting a sandy beach. Furthermore, Ye Fusheng had dealt with him multiple times over the past ten years; hence, he was not in the least surprised that his identity had been seen through. He merely felt grateful that Chu Xiwei was not present; otherwise, the young man would undoubtedly seize upon these old, rotted accounts to throw another tantrum.

He waved his hand and said: “Think nothing of it, it was a mere trifle. On the contrary, Chancellor Ruan remains hale and hearty despite his advanced age, full of vigor and vitality.”

Ruan Feiyu: “…”

He let out a cough and said: “Previously, I heard that the Commander had met his demise at Jinghan Pass, and this old man deeply lamented how Heaven envies brilliant talents. Meeting you again today, I finally know that Heaven possesses eyes. However, since the Commander managed to escape danger, why have you not returned to the Capital to report your safety to His Majesty?”

By the time he reached the end of his sentence, his tone had taken on a faint trace of severity. Ye Fusheng smiled and asked: “Does Chancellor Ruan truly believe that His Majesty would be unaware of the fact that I am alive?”

Ruan Feiyu stared deeply at him for a long while before finally speaking: “Retreating at the height of your career, escaping from the jaws of death—the Commander is indeed a clever man blessed by Heaven’s favor.”

Ye Fusheng smiled: “I thank the old gentleman for his auspicious words. This underling is named Ye Fusheng.”

Having said their piece, both of them dropped the subject. Ye Fusheng pondered that although Lu Mingyuan was somewhat long-winded, he was nonetheless a reliable fellow, and Qin Lanchang was a clever, crafty little spirit; it should not be difficult for them to preserve their own lives amidst the chaos.

The only matter that weighed heavily on his mind was that Chu Xiwei had left absolutely no trace up to this point. He did not know whether the young man had encountered a formidable opponent within the underground palace, or if he had been lured away mid-journey by something outside.

Though his heart was filled with worry, he had no clues to follow, and he could not simply abandon Ruan Feiyu here. Consequently, he escorted him back to General Town.

The two trudged along, and by the time they returned to the town, daylight had fully broken. Considering that the Southern Scholar enjoyed a formidable reputation in this region, Ye Fusheng removed his own outer robe to cover Ruan Feiyu’s head. He then went to the inn he had previously agreed upon with Chu Xiwei, rented a room, and waited for him to return on his own.

This wait lasted until the sun began to sink into the west. Lu Mingyuan and Qin Lanchang did not return, and neither did Chu Xiwei.

Ye Fusheng had always been a highly patient man, but now he was beginning to find it difficult to sit still.

Ruan Feiyu poured a cup of hot tea. Ye Fusheng accepted it mindlessly and drank it in a single gulp, giving a sudden shudder as the scalding liquid burned his throat. Only then did he deign to bestow his gaze upon the old man.

“Com… Young Master Ye never used to lose his composure in such a manner before,” Ruan Feiyu remarked casually.

Ye Fusheng countered: “Your gentleman disciple has not returned either, yet you do not seem worried in the slightest, Sir?”

“Concern breeds chaos,” Ruan Feiyu shook his head. “Since the current situation remains unclear anyway, why do we not speak of other matters instead?”

Ye Fusheng raised an eyebrow: “Matters related to this?”

Ruan Feiyu’s gaze fell upon the table: “This sword that you brought out from the secret chamber—is it related or unrelated?”

Ye Fusheng frowned slightly. He slowly drew the sword from its scabbard; the blade was as bright and clear as water, reflecting his features like a mirror.

However, this sword was far too new.

When he had seen this weapon more than a decade ago, even though it had not left its scabbard, a sense of ancient, simple grandeur had already hovered over it. It was clearly an ancient sword passed down through many generations; no matter how well it was preserved, it could not possibly be this pristine and brilliant.

Therefore, the moment he drew the blade, a sense of disappointment washed over him.

He lifted his eyes: “Does this sword possess any particular origin?”

Ruan Feiyu’s fingers brushed along the cloud patterns carved into the hilt, inch by inch, as he spoke: “This sword was crafted by a master artisan; it is sharp and rigid, making it a fine weapon. However, that still does not change the fact that it is a replica.”

Ye Fusheng pressed further: “Then where is the authentic one?”

“Young Master Ye, you have only just passed your thirtieth year, so it is entirely understandable that you do not recognize it. However, to old fellows like us… that sword is something we can never forget.” A look of reminiscence flickered within Ruan Feiyu’s eyes. “A single strike sunders the clouds to open heaven and earth… This peerless ‘Cloud-Sundering Sword,’ the number one under heaven, has already vanished from the martial world for over thirty years.”

Ye Fusheng’s heart gave a sudden thud. Before he could speak, the sound of hurried footsteps echoed from outside the door, followed immediately by a rapid knocking. A voice spoke from outside, lowered significantly, yet distinctly recognizable as Qin Lanchang’s: “Is anyone there?! Open up quickly!”