Volume One: Autumn Festival Chapter Twenty-Eight: His Highness of the Fish Tally

The sounds of fighting in the front courtyard were crystal clear.

Tan Laoliu tossed his empty wine flask aside, looked at Xiaoyu, and said, "I searched for you for so long, only to find you were hiding in Hun City. Since that’s the case, why reveal yourself? Are you looking for revenge?"

Xiaoyu’s face was cold. She gripped her sword tightly and asked, "Was it you who sent those 'Departed' to hunt me down?"

Tan Laoliu raised an eyebrow slightly. "Why would I associate with the Departed? Perhaps those others were just being unscrupulous in their attempt to root out the Yu clan."

"But you were there when the Yu clan met its end," Xiaoyu countered.

Tan Laoliu nodded. "One can only blame His Highness Yu Fu for getting entangled with demons. The late Emperor had bestowed upon him such immense honors; wouldn't it have been better to simply enjoy that wealth and glory? Instead, he brought demons to slaughter his own people. He brought this fate upon himself."

Xiaoyu said bitterly, "Is that really the truth? It’s all just stories from your own mouths, using the guise of 'slaying demons' to cover your tracks. How did the Yu clan ever wrong you to deserve such a vicious strike?"

Tan Laoliu replied calmly, "Little girl, you may not be aware of what His Highness Yu Fu did in the shadows, but you must not speak nonsense. That matter was proven with concrete evidence. We were merely upholding justice; how can you call it a vicious strike?"

Xiaoyu pointed her sword at Tan Laoliu. "It’s laughable. If my father truly did something wrong and kept it from me, why, after you had already slaughtered the entire Yu clan, would you refuse to spare even a little girl who knew nothing?"

Tan Laoliu remained silent.

Seeing that A-Kong was gaining the upper hand in the front yard, he laughed. "This is boring. It’s all ancient history. If you had just stayed hidden, it would have been fine, but now that you’ve come to my door to kill me, I can’t exactly just wait to be slaughtered."

Xiaoyu sneered, "Don't know how to justify yourself? That face of yours is truly nauseating."

Tan Laoliu stood up. "Say what you will. If you back down now, I can pretend I never saw you. Otherwise, the Yu clan will be completely extinguished today."

Xiaoyu took a step forward, her warrior’s aura surging. She said in a low voice, "You certainly have a way with words. But with the blood feud of my entire family, how could I ever retreat? You know the outcome; who are you saying these things for?"

Tan Laoliu stood with his hands behind his back and said softly, "Then don't blame me."

No sooner had the words left his lips than a flying sword streaked toward Xiaoyu.

Xiaoyu gripped the hilt with both hands and swung. She had repeated this motion countless times, and even against a cultivator’s flying sword, she did not retreat a single step. She struck the incoming blade, knocking it aside.

Tan Laoliu raised his eyebrows in surprise.

As she deflected the sword, Xiaoyu did not pause. She slid forward on one knee, her blade tracing a crescent arc as it slashed fiercely toward Tan Laoliu’s midsection. But with a light tap of his foot, Tan Laoliu vaulted into the air and landed on the roof.

Xiaoyu’s strike hit nothing but air. She pressed her left palm to the ground and leaped upward; the height of the roof was well within the reach of a warrior. But while she was in mid-air, the flying sword struck again. Even though she twisted her waist with all her might, she had no leverage in the air. She avoided a fatal wound but was pierced through the shoulder and fell to the ground.

Tan Laoliu, still with his hands behind his back, looked down at her. "Your courage is indeed impressive. A mere warrior daring to clash with a cultivator. But even if you risk your life, you cannot touch even the hem of my garment."

The flying sword pinned Xiaoyu to the ground, leaving her unable to move. She didn't say a word. She simply gritted her teeth, grabbed the flying sword, and yanked it out. Her shoulder and palm were drenched in blood.

Tan Laoliu watched the scene with a hint of shock. It wasn't that he hadn't seen such things before, but he hadn't expected Xiaoyu to be this resilient; she hadn't made a single sound while pulling out the blade.

"You really are like His Highness Yu Fu," he said in a low voice. "When he was killed, the scene was truly gruesome, yet his knees never buckled. Even in death, he remained standing."

Xiaoyu stood up shakily, blood dripping from her. "You are not worthy to speak his name..."

*Boom!*

A dull thud suddenly echoed. The green-robed cultivator flew in from the front courtyard, crashing into the long pavilion. A-Kong followed closely behind, raising a large scythe, ready to strike.

But a hand shot out from the ruins, grabbing A-Kong’s ankle. The green-robed cultivator vaulted up and began a flurry of chaotic strikes. When the smoke cleared, A-Kong grabbed the green-robed man’s cheeks and pulled hard, while the man pinched A-Kong’s chubby face in return. It was quite a spectacle; they were nearly biting each other.

"Xiaoyu... run! Go find Mr. Jiang!" the green-robed cultivator shouted, his words slurred and frantic.

Tan Laoliu raised an eyebrow. "I thought it was a coincidence, but you’re also from the Marquis’s estate. His Highness Yu Fu associated with demons, and Princess Qingping hangs out with one too. Truly, like father, like daughter. The facts are right before our eyes—what else do you have to say?"

Xiaoyu said coldly, "My father was framed by you, and the Young Master is innocent. You are so practiced at such things—a hypocrite who dares to commit evil but lacks the courage to admit it!"

She had come alone to seek revenge specifically to avoid bringing trouble to the Young Master, but in the face of such hatred, she couldn't hold back. The presence of the green-robed cultivator meant the Young Master could no longer stay out of this. Xiaoyu felt a pang of guilt, and her hatred for Tan Laoliu deepened.

*Swish!*

The flying sword was pressed directly against Xiaoyu’s neck.

Tan Laoliu smiled. "I have no interest in arguing with you. If you want the truth, go ask His Highness Yu Fu in the underworld."

As he spoke, the sword pierced Xiaoyu’s neck. She was severely wounded, and no matter how she dodged, the sword remained locked onto her. Even her attempts to strike it away were futile. Tan Laoliu had poured all his Huangting Qi into the blade, making it as heavy as a mountain.

*Is this how it ends?* she thought. *I am so unwilling.*

Xiaoyu closed her eyes. She had exhausted every trick she knew; there was no way to turn the tide.

Just as she awaited the end, a voice rang out: "Old dog, are you tired of living!"

It was the Young Master’s voice!

Xiaoyu’s eyes snapped open. Jiang Wang stood atop the wall. The white-robed cultivator leaped down.

...

Du Yanruo, watching from the shadows, bit her lip as she saw Jiang Wang jump from the wall. The white-robed cultivator rushed toward the green-robed one, who was still brawling with A-Kong, knowing that Xiaoyu needed Mr. Jiang’s rescue.

"It’s you again!" Tan Laoliu recalled the time at the Marquis’s estate when he was nearly killed by Jiang Wang’s blade, and he instinctively recoiled. He had intended to finish off Xiaoyu, but the flying sword was no longer under his control.

"Young Master..." Xiaoyu said apologetically, "I’ve brought trouble to you after all."

Jiang Wang looked at her and smiled faintly. "You are my maidservant; it is only natural that you bring trouble to your master. I will handle it all."

He extended a finger. The sword that had been piercing Xiaoyu’s neck drifted away, turned slowly, and streaked toward Tan Laoliu.

"How can you command my flying sword!" Tan Laoliu was stunned. If the gap in power were vast, suppressing a sword was one thing, but directly seizing control of another’s weapon was beyond his comprehension. He scrambled to dodge, trying to reclaim his blade, but it was in vain.

Jiang Wang wielded Tan Laoliu’s own weapon, toying with him. Within moments, Tan Laoliu was covered in blood, his new clothes from the Du family shredded once again.

Pressed against a wall, Tan Laoliu cried out, "There’s a misunderstanding here! It was the Du family who told me there was a demon hidden in the Marquis’s estate! I had no intention of being your enemy, sir!"

Du Yanruo, watching from the dark, felt a surge of bitterness. *Is this the kind of person a bigwig from the Qingxuan Bureau is? Is he a fraud?*

She was even more shocked by Jiang Wang’s strength. It had only been two years since he left Hun City for the Yuyuan Academy and returned. How could someone who was once a good-for-nothing become so powerful that even a peak Dongming cultivator had to beg for mercy?

She had dismissed the rumors of Jiang Wang defeating Cai Tanggu as a fabrication. Even though it was true that Cai Tanggu had fled, she had never believed Jiang Wang was the reason. If she had known he was no longer the weakling he once was, she would never have chosen this path.

But it was too late for regrets. She took one last look at Jiang Wang and turned to leave without hesitation. She had to take her father and brother and flee. As long as they lived, the Du family would not be fully extinguished.

...

Jiang Wang had already guessed as much when he learned Tan Laoliu was staying with the Du family. He looked at the wailing, pleading man and said coldly, "Whatever the Du family does or whatever you were thinking, it doesn't matter. But you hurt Xiaoyu, and that I cannot forgive."

Jiang Wang handed the Changye blade to Xiaoyu. "Whatever you want to do, you must consult with me first. I’ll let it slide this time—with me here, if you want to kill him, then kill him."

Since he suspected Tan Laoliu was involved in the persecution of the Yu clan, he wanted Xiaoyu to take her own revenge. Since she had come to the estate, she had practiced the sword day and night. Jiang Wang understood the weight of her hatred. He used to think it was absurd for her to train to kill cultivators, but now, he realized it was only right.

Xiaoyu gripped the Changye blade and walked toward Tan Laoliu step by step.

"Her affair was also a misunderstanding!" Tan Laoliu gulped, trying to explain, but Xiaoyu was already upon him, raising the blade high.

Though she had dreamed of this moment, this was her first time taking a life. Whether from fear or her injuries, her hand trembled as she held the sword.

Jiang Wang watched the scene, when suddenly, a wave of weakness washed over him. The flying sword, which he had been using to keep Tan Laoliu pinned, lost its control and clattered to the ground.

"Night Wanderer! What is happening?!"