Chapter Twenty-One: Goal

“Do not worry, even if it is death, the one to die will be me, and not your Xia Family.”

When returning to the carriage, Wen Guanyue said coldly to the Xia family members next to the carriage. “This is a matter between me and the Ba Mountain Sword Field, and has nothing to do with you.”

“Understood,” simply said the person in charge for the Xia Family. He knew the present Xia Family was just a residence for Wen Guanyue right now. What was in front of Ding Ning and Ba Mountain Sword Field was not the private armies of the Nanquan Commanderies, not the forces that the Xia Family possessed, but a proper reason.

They needed a reason.

This was not just the problem of whether the remnant armies led by Consort Zhao Xiang and Xiang Yan could pass through Nanquan Commanderies. This was a problem if some matters were not dealt with, did Ding Ning and the Ba Mountain Sword Field qualify to lead the resistance against Yuanwu and Zheng Xiu.

**

“No one can be alone.”

In the moonlit night, a woman said softly to the old person behind her.

“Senior Sect Brother has his opinions, but the Shang Family has other people, he cannot completely represent our Shang Family.”

This woman was dressed in red robes, and spoke gently, her soft voice containing sorrow and helplessness.

She was on a small boat. The small boat was anchored at a wild wharf with other small boats which mostly contained the rich family members who were fleeing from the Chu capital during the war.

The Nine Death Silkworm was reborn. That person and Ba Mountain Sword Field had publicly appeared in the Nanquan Commanderies in such a manner. The news passed so quickly that even a wharf like this learned what was happening in the Nanquan Commanderies at this moment.

Discussing the Shang Family and using “our Shang Family” was naturally the eldest miss of the Shang Family who had once hid in the Fish Market.

Hearing her words, the old servant behind her sighed, and started to row the boat. The small boat quickly moved on the black water, moving before the sun came out, and reached a wharf very close to the Xia Family.

The Nanquan Commanderies had more trouble than at any other time. The arrival of such a boat naturally could not escape the attention of the Xia Family.

Sensing the faint presences of cultivators around the wharf in the darkness before sunrise, the eldest miss of the Shang Family said in her usual gentle tone, “Wen Guanyue is my senior sect brother, my surname is Shang, I want to meet him.”

Urgent inhales sounded in the darkness followed by the sound of the air breaking. After a dozen breaths, a Xia Family butler came with a carriage to the wharf and respectfully invited her onto the carriage.

The eldest miss of the Shang Family picked up the zither she kept by her side and boarded the carriage together with the old servant.

The carriage quickly entered the Xia Family compound, and stopped by the silent pond filled with blooming lotus flowers. There was a man dressed in indigo robes standing by the pond.

“Eldest Miss.”

He bowed slightly, his expression like usual, but when he bowed, the lotus flowers moved in the breeze and rustled.

“Senior Sect Brother.” The eldest miss of the Shang Family bowed gracefully. “I did not know you were alive.”

“I was not in Changling, but I could occasionally hear news of you. I heard that you seemed to have gone overseas, and did not expect you to come here, and so quickly.” Wen Guanyue stood with his hands behind his back, his tone full of emotion.

The eldest miss of the Shang Family said in a measured pace, “In such a world, it is impossible to stay out of things in a quiet place. I left the Fish Market, going along the river to the ocean, wanting to leave behind the conflict. But I coincidentally discovered the traces of the Nether Floats, felt that something was wrong, and when I came to the Chu, I was too late to give a warning before the Chu capital was taken.”

“You managed to coincidentally find the traces of the Nether Floats even when going away overseas, but it is no wonder. Teacher had been the only cultivator killed in the ghostly path back in Changling. Junior Sect Sister, you received his true teaching, and it is nothing for you to discover the tracks of the fleet.” Wen Guanyue nodded.

The eldest miss of the Shang Family looked at his bright eyes in the darkness, thought for a moment, and said slowly and softly, “Each person should have a chance to correct their mistakes. Also, these mistakes were because he trusted the wrong person.”

“We finally come to the true topic.” Wen Guanyue took a deep breath, looked at her and said, “So this is your goal in coming to meet me.”

“Our Shang Family matter caused a split between him and Yuanwu and Zheng Xiu. I was able to survive in Changling, living long term in Changling, not because of Zheng Xiu’s kindness. It must have been because of an agreement between him and some old people of Changling. He owes the Shang Family an explanation, but I owe him a life.” The eldest miss of the Shang Family nodded and said, “You do not have to forgive him, but I do not want you to block him at this time.”

“This is your goal, but my goal is not to block him.” Wen Guanyue suddenly smiled. His smile came from his heart, but it was exceptionally cold.

The eldest miss of the Shang Family frowned slightly, and the old servant behind her suddenly had a bad feeling.

“My goal is you, Junior Sect Sister.”

Wen Guanyue looked deeply at her, smiled sincerely and said emotionally. “In reality, much of what you say is correct. Including your survival in Changling was because of an agreement between him and some people in Changling. Even you do not know your life was one of the bargaining chips to force him to enter Changling.”

“Keeping you was to keep a bargaining chip, just in case the Nine Death Silkworm appeared again… Now, the Nine Death Silkworm has appeared, and it is him reborn. This way, Junior Sect Sister has a more important meaning. You are one of the chips used against him back then, I do not know what kind of use you will have now?”

Wen Guanyue’s voice grew gentler. “You are too innocent. Have you ever thought, everyone in the Shang Family died, so why was I able to survive?”

“You …”

The old servant with the eldest miss of the Shang Family shouted.

He wanted to say “you are Zheng Xiu’s person.” But when he said the first word, he sensed a presence so cold it made his blood freeze. He suddenly turned around.

A man in black robes appeared out of the darkness. There were many white bone adornments hanging from his black robes.

“Qi Siren.”

The eldest miss of the Shang Family shouted this cultivator’s name and her heart sank.

“Miss, quick, leave.”

Dozens of black bamboo grew from around her and the old servant, forming a wood, and rising like they were charging into the sky.

“Since you have come, can you leave?”

The black-robed man just shook his head in scorn, pulled a while bone hanging from his waist and threw it on the ground.

There was a soft sound. Immediately, cracks formed on the white bone, pale white flames appearing through the cracks and silently spreading around the world. The black energy of the black bamboo forest quickly twisted, being pulled away in strands and consumed by the white energy flames.

The figures of the old servant and the eldest miss of the Shang Family appeared. Blood seeped out of the lips of the old servant.