Chapter 98 A chilling killing intent

About thirty miles east of the city, far from the hustle and bustle, beside the mountains and rivers, there is an inconspicuous little cemetery surrounded by a fence and wooden boardwalk. It is not large in area and is obviously not a family cemetery. Looking around, there are only two stone tablets, standing side by side, accompanying each other.

Ning Jue, mounted on his horse, glanced around, his expression stern.

He ordered the prince's men to form a perimeter around the perimeter, and not to let anyone out without his orders. Then, he dismounted with his sword and, along with his trusted men including Zang Fan and Chen Fu, cautiously advanced into the cemetery.

How could Ning Jue not be familiar with this place?

Once upon a time, his master died of poisoning at a banquet, and his wife followed him to her death by crashing into his coffin. Duan Yi arranged for their remains to be placed in the capital, where they were buried together.

Every year during the Qingming and Zhongyuan Festivals, Ningjue would come here to burn paper money and offer sacrifices.

It had been quite some time since his last visit to sweep the graves, and many places in the cemetery had changed. The most obvious change was that many new plum trees had been planted on the right side of the cemetery.

Ning Jue stood still, lost in thought.

If he's right, if it's really as he suspects, then the Left Chancellor Ji Fukun must be nearby, waiting for his chance to strike, and Hua'er's confinement must be not far from there.

Ning Jue pressed his tiger's mouth tightly against the sword hilt, his body slightly bent, his posture defensive, his eyes sharp as a hawk, vigilantly observing all directions, not missing a single sound or movement.

The cemetery was deserted, still showing signs of desolation in early spring. With no giant trees to block the view, the view was almost completely unobstructed.

It was obvious that no one was inside.

Ning Jue remained vigilant, his brow furrowed, as he slowly drew his sword.

Chen Fu and Zang Fan stood back to back, both holding darts and knives, their eyes blazing with anger. Several brothers who had followed from Ye City trusted Ning Jue, and even though nothing unusual was happening, they followed Ning Jue's example, drawing half of their swords from their sheaths.

Suddenly, a gust of wind came.

At that time, the sky was gradually darkening, with dark clouds covering the ground. Fine rain fell from the sky like silk threads. In the hazy light, a dark figure held an umbrella in one hand and slowly walked from afar, unhurried and relaxed.

He arrived alone, slender in stature, with half-white hair, yet still remarkably vigorous.

Despite being outnumbered, he remained calm and showed no surprise, as if he had been waiting for them all along, ready to trap them.

Who else could it be but Ji Fukun?

More accurately, he is Dou Wei, a true master of the martial arts world, and also the senior disciple of his master and mistress.

Ning Jue's gaze was unfriendly, and he showed no politeness to this so-called senior master, pointing his sword directly forward.

The other person stopped, holding the umbrella gently, and smiled wryly: "I thought you would come alone, but I didn't expect such a large commotion. So many people have barged into the cemetery. Aren't you afraid of disturbing your master's rest?"

"Don't mention my master," Ning Jue retorted, then immediately asked, "Where is Hua'er? If you dare to hurt her, I'll make you pay a thousandfold in pain!"

Ji Fukun sighed, shook his head, and said, "Now even a mere brat dares to threaten me. The world has truly changed. Situ Kong, if you have a spirit in heaven, you should take a good look at the arrogant and conceited disciple you've raised, so disrespectful and lacking in respect for his elders..."

Ning Jue scoffed and tore off his hypocritical mask.

"You're my elder? Old man, tell me, should I respect you because you're a high-ranking official of the imperial court, the Left Prime Minister, or because you're one of the four great masters of the martial arts world, Mad Fist? Or perhaps... because you're my former senior martial uncle, Dou Wei?"

Upon hearing that name, Ji Fukun's expression changed.

He did not respond, but stared at Ning Jue, remaining silent for a long time.

It seemed he had prepared some words in advance, intending to answer Ning Jue's questions properly, but the other party spoke first, leaving him speechless.

Ji Fukun's smugness was not apparent, so he was naturally not very happy.

But he quickly regained his composure and praised Ning Jue, "You are indeed clever. No wonder Situ Kong chose you to succeed him back then. He was right. Over the years, your investigations and inquiries in various places seem to have been worthwhile. You have obtained quite a few clues, even the smallest ones."

Ning Jue replied, "It's because you gave yourself away too much."

Ji Fukun: "What do you mean?"

Ning Jue sneered: "How can a person's life record be easily erased? You practiced swordsmanship in the Ning family of Suizhou for many years, lived next to the Qingyue Painting Hall, and were featured in many paintings. Later, the Qingyue Painting Hall suffered a serious fire that destroyed many masterpieces. I think that was not a simple accident, but a man-made disaster that you deliberately caused to conceal your tracks."

Ji Fukun neither denied it nor denied it, clearly admitting that he was responsible for the fire, and then gestured for Ning Jue to continue.

Seeing his indifferent reaction, Ning Jue further provoked him, saying, "However, no matter how much you planned, you couldn't have predicted that Ning Changlin, the current head of Qingyue Painting Hall, could copy his father's old work from memory. Now that painting hangs in the most prominent position in the main hall of Qingyue Painting Hall. In addition to the figures of my master and mistress, there is another person in the painting. My grandmaster only had three disciples in his entire life. It's not hard to guess who the third person is."

“Back then, when you became a disciple to learn swordsmanship, you used your real name. The surname Dou is not common in Jiaozhou, and there is only one family and one clan. Dou Zheng, the ‘Mad Fist’, also comes from the Dou family of Jiaozhou. It’s a coincidence that you and he are from the same clan.”

Ning Jue's gaze was sharp, his tone aggressive, and all the clues formed a loop, all surrounding Ji Fukun.

He can't deny it.

Ji Fukun stroked his beard and smiled, the wrinkles around his eyes becoming even deeper: "To draw such a conclusion so arbitrarily based on just a surname, how many people in the world would believe you?"

Ning Jue didn't answer but asked instead: "Senior, do you still remember the cunning Song Tongsheng? A few months ago, I happened to run into him in Jiaozhou and heard him mention his old fight with Dou Zheng, where he won one and lost one. He described the feeling of those two fights, saying that the person in front of him didn't look different, but the feeling he gave was as if he had completely changed his soul, completely different. You are Dou Zheng's cousin, and your eyebrows and eyes are similar to his. If you were to disguise yourself with a human skin, it would be easy for others to confuse you. Therefore, you have two identities: one is a powerful official in the imperial court, and the other is a martial arts master. You come and go without a trace, and your whereabouts are the most mysterious."

Everything matched up perfectly, this young man…

A faint ripple stirred in Ji Fukun's heart, which had been as still as a deep pool. He had watched Ning Jue break through the illusion he had painstakingly built over the years, and for a moment he was slightly dazed.

Coming to his senses, he suppressed his mocking smile and said calmly, "The Deceptive Hand... I see. If I had known there would be such a troublesome consequence from his loose tongue, I shouldn't have shown mercy and spared his life back then."

Seeing that Ji Fukun did not refute and tacitly admitted that he was Dou Wei and Kuang Quan, Ning Jue unconsciously increased the force of his grip on the sword.

He continued, "Back then, you used two human skins to manipulate Song Tongsheng, causing him to suffer injustice and be ridiculed by the martial arts world. Instead of feeling any remorse, you thought he should have died sooner?"

Ji Fukun, slightly impatient, waved his hand and replied, "The life of an ant is nothing; if it dies, it dies. It's not worth you confronting me here today to discuss it."

“Dead is dead…” Ning Jue murmured, repeating Ji Fukun’s cold and indifferent words. After so much buildup, it was time to ask the question she really wanted to investigate. “In your heart, were the deaths of my master and mistress also—the lives of ants, just dead and gone? Can you absolve yourself of any responsibility for their deaths?”

Ji Fukun suddenly looked up, his expression changing slightly, but he did not give a direct response.

Ning Jue stared intently at him.

Ji Fukun finally spoke, but his words were a dismissive attempt: "What does it have to do with me?"

Ning Jue gradually dismantled the web of lies he had woven over the years: "Weren't you intentionally looking for someone who could use the Lone Goose Sword Technique? On the surface, it was the Grand General who set up the arena to recruit swordsmen, but in reality, it was you who first proposed this method of recruiting talented people to the Emperor."

"Rong Linyan used a scheme to glean the later moves of the Lone Goose Sword Technique, and I played along, sending someone to the arena to face him head-on, deliberately forcing him to use a few moves of the Lone Goose Sword Technique to attract attention, waiting to see who would take the bait. Afterwards, the Left Prime Minister's olive branch was extended at just the right time. The Grand General had not yet decided whether to appoint Rong Linyan, but you, having vaguely seen the shadow of the Lone Goose Sword Technique, couldn't wait and personally summoned Rong Linyan to your side. Unfortunately, Rong Linyan's joy was in vain; you were not a discerning patron who appreciated him, nor did you care about his martial arts skills."

"It was only later that I realized you were looking for me, and I was looking for you. Even now, I still don't know your purpose, but all I want is to kill you."

After listening, Ji Fukun laughed loudly twice, and when he looked at Ning Jue again, his eyes were even more complicated, as if he both hated and admired her.

Ji Fukun: "Ning Jue, not only does your master recognize talent, but I also think highly of you. You are undoubtedly the most suitable successor of the Lone Goose Sword Technique. I do not wish to call you master... The Lone Goose Sword Technique, which my master created, has been lost to the world, so I do not want to kill you. As long as you obediently hand over the Wild Goose Sword to me, I will return that Miss Bai to you unharmed."

Ning Jue figured out many things one by one through his own investigation, and all the clues were able to be connected.

Only right now.

Ning Jue didn't understand why Ji Fukun was so eager to expose himself and even kidnap Hua'er to negotiate with him. What exactly did he want?

"Going to such lengths, just for a sword?"

"yes."

Ning Jue, of course, did not believe it.

It's just an inanimate object; no matter how sharp or keen it is, what good is it?

Ning Jue was hesitating and pondering how to force the truth out of him when Jiu Qiu suddenly called out from behind.

Originally, to prevent Ji Fukun from having any other ambush plans, Chen Fu and Zang Fan were on either side of him while he was talking to Ning Jue, keeping a close watch on all sides. Jiu Qiu, on the other hand, was a little more relaxed and could stay in the back and move around and observe in a small area.

Her gaze fell on the loose soil near the grave, which she found rather strange. This was clearly an old grave, but the soil behind the stone tablet on the right seemed to be from newly planted pine trees. It was soft and damp, and the color was darker. The difference was even more obvious when comparing the two sides.

A bold guess popped into Jiuqiu's mind, and hesitantly broke the quiet standoff between Ning Jue and Ji Fukun.

“Young master, the grave on the right seems to have been disturbed. The marks are not obvious, but you can still see them if you look closely. What... what happened?”

Ning Jue was taken aback. The tip of his sword was still pointing at Ji Fukun. He took a step back and walked closer to take a look.

There were indeed signs; his wife was disturbed when he was away.

This isn't the tomb of royalty or court officials; there's no temptation of gold or silver treasures inside. Ordinary thieves wouldn't even notice this quiet cemetery, unless it's for money or personal grudges.

Ning Jue, ruthless and vicious, gritted his teeth, ready to get serious: "Ji Fukun, is it you who disturbed my master's wife?"

Despite Ning Jue's palpable hostility, Ji Fukun remained calm and composed: "Xu'er has stayed here with Situ for two years, that's enough. Wouldn't it be better if I gave her a more spacious and comfortable new home?"

These words not only made Ning Jue grit his teeth, but Chen Fu and Zang Fan also cursed the old man in their hearts as a pervert!

He really has no morals to move the grave of the dead without permission!

However, it was precisely because of these words that Ning Jue instantly understood everything.

He had previously pondered many conspiracy theories, such as Ji Fukun being jealous of his master's talent in swordsmanship, which led to resentment; or, because his grandmaster valued his master more, Ji Fukun resented the unfairness of the Dao and thus harbored resentment... and so on.

But I never imagined that Ji Fukun would have feelings for his master's wife...

"So you harbored such despicable thoughts, coveting another man's wife and plotting to kill my master. Ji Fukun, today is your death day."

Ning Jue's attacks were ruthless.

As expected, Ji Fukun had ambushed many people around. Upon hearing the fighting inside, the guards who had been hiding beforehand rushed out as if on command, buzzing and clamoring like a swarm of bees as they attacked the cemetery.

The soldiers that General Wang had assigned to Ning Jue were engaged in a fierce battle with these people. Among them, a few skilled soldiers managed to break through the encirclement and charge in. Chen Fu glared and drew his sword, immediately leading his brothers from Ye City to form a second line of defense. Zang Fan stayed behind to protect Jiu Qiu, fearing that the unscrupulous assassins would target the weak.

Within ten to a hundred moves, Ning Jue and Ji Fukun were locked in a fierce battle, with neither able to clearly distinguish the other's advantage or disadvantage.

Facing an equally formidable opponent, neither held back, both giving their all to seize the rare opportunity to deliver a fatal blow.

Ning Jue knew when to advance and when to retreat, responding with neither arrogance nor impatience.

He recognized that Ji Fukun hadn't used his fist techniques, but instead deliberately picked up the Lonely Moon Sword—the one he had given to Bai Hua.

The Couple Swords, the Couple Swords! Ji Fukun first took the Lonely Moon, and now he wants to take the Wild Goose from him. It turns out he just wants to make a pair.

Thinking of this, Ning Jue felt a wave of nausea. The force with which he slashed forward with his sword became even more ferocious, each strike aimed to kill.

"No wonder you inherited your master's true teachings."

"Enough with the nonsense!"

The fine rain continued to fall thickly and obliquely, washing over the branches of the plum trees around them, soaking the thick soil under their feet, and wetting the clothes of everyone present.

Ning Jue had stray hairs on his forehead, thick and sharp eyebrows, raindrops clinging to his eyelashes, but a raging fire burned beneath his pupils.

After Zang Fan arranged for Jiu Qiu to crouch and hide behind the mound of earth in the grave for safety, his clone stepped forward to help Ning Jue. When he looked up and saw Ning Jue's expression, he was stunned to realize that this was the long-lost chilling killing intent that Ning Jue had shown since he met Bai Hua and her temperament had become gentler.