secret passage
Nangong Ya pointed her slender finger directly at the young and handsome face in front of her, and exclaimed in disbelief, "You...you said he is Xu E? Xu E, the master of Biyue Manor?" Her voice was full of disbelief.
Upon hearing this, the three burly men sitting at the next table suddenly stood up, their faces turning deathly pale.
"Master Xu...Master Xu?!" The burly man with the thick beard at the head of the group trembled so badly that his legs went weak and he almost knelt down. "We...we were drunk and talking nonsense! That's why we were talking about you, Master...Please have mercy, Master! Spare our lives!" As he spoke, he slapped himself twice hard, the sound ringing out.
The other two hurriedly bowed and kowtowed, cold sweat pouring down their foreheads, pleading for mercy repeatedly.
Xu E gave an "Oh," finally shifting his gaze from Yun Wei's aloof face for a moment before sweeping it over the trembling, muscular men. A playful smile played on his lips. "It's alright. It's just a casual chat in the mountains. This manor lord isn't so petty. However... you all seemed quite disrespectful to this Miss Yun just now?" He casually gestured with his chin towards Yun Wei.
The three burly men, feeling both relieved and terrified, immediately turned to Yun Wei, bowed deeply, their heads almost touching their knees, and cried out in despair, "We were blind! We were out of our minds! We offended you, young lady! Please, young lady, have mercy on us! Please spare our lives!"
Yunwei remained aloof, ignoring the burly men's tearful apologies, and simply looked at Xu E indifferently.
She recognized that face. With its distinct features and heroic spirit, it was exactly how she remembered Xu E, the master of Biyue Manor.
In my memory, Xu E had eyes as open and honest as a clear sky and a blazing sun, and his whole being exuded the fortitude, passion, and magnanimity unique to a forger. Just standing there, he made people feel upright and honest, and warmed their hearts.
The person before them, though identical in appearance, possessed a completely different aura, exuding a chilling aura that sent shivers down one's spine.
Four years apart, how could a person's temperament undergo such a radical change from the inside out?
Xie Lanchen watched coldly from the side. Although he had never met the real Xu E, the way the man looked at Yun Wei was not how one should look at an old friend. There was an overwhelming excitement in his eyes, which made him extremely displeased.
This person is definitely not a good person; he must have some ulterior motive.
The boy secretly resolved to pay extra attention to this person's every move.
"Alright," Xu E seemed quite satisfied with the burly men's fear, and as if he hadn't noticed Xie Lanchen's wary movements, he casually waved his hand, a smile curving his lips. "To know one's mistakes and correct them is the greatest virtue. Please sit here for a moment, I have important matters to discuss with an old friend."
The three burly men felt as if they had been granted a pardon, repeatedly agreeing and trembling as they sat back down in their original seats, not daring to utter a sound.
Xu E turned to Yun Wei, his tone warm and familiar, as if reuniting with an old friend: "Miss Yun, I was deeply saddened by the rumors that you had met with misfortune. Now that you are safe and sound, and have even found your way here, you must have something important to ask of me?" He glanced at the burly man beside him, who was silent as a cicada in fear, then looked up at the sky. The sun was setting in the west, and his smile deepened. "This place is simple and noisy, with many eyes and ears; it is certainly not a place for conversation. Why don't the three of you follow me into the manor?"
Upon hearing this, Nangong Ya hurriedly replied, "Really? We can enter Biyue Manor now?"
Yunwei's heart was filled with doubt: Why would he, as the master of the manor, hide his identity here?
But at this moment, none of these matters are as important as the Lone Goose Sword. The sword has shattered, and only the "Quenching Pool" of Biyue Manor can reforge it; there is no time to waste.
Thinking of this, she finally nodded slowly and hummed in agreement.
"Then please." Xu E turned and left, his steps light and quick, seemingly in a very good mood.
Seeing her agree so readily, Xie Lanchen frowned almost imperceptibly, but followed closely behind without missing a step: "You actually believe him."
Xu E did not lead them through the main entrance, but instead went around to the back of the restaurant to a rugged and steep mountain wall.
He pressed a few times on some seemingly ordinary protrusions, and with a sound of a mechanism turning, the mountain wall silently slid open a narrow gap that could only accommodate two people.
A cold, damp wind, mixed with the smells of mildew and rust, suddenly rushed out from the crack and hit my face.
"This is a secret passage that was abandoned in the early days of the manor. It leads directly into the manor and can be kept out of sight." Xu E stepped aside and gestured for them to enter. "Please, everyone."
The passage was narrow and deep, with Yunwei and Xu E walking side by side ahead.
Half a step behind, the young man followed closely behind Yun Wei. If Xu E showed any inclination to get closer, the young man's grip on his sword would tighten, his knuckles turning white.
Nangong Ya squeezed to his side, shrinking her neck and following closely behind.
Yun glanced down and saw that the moss underfoot was slippery and the stone steps were uneven and pitted, and she would easily slip if she was not careful.
Was Xu E leading them through this secret passage truly to avoid being seen, or was he intentionally testing them?
Xu E led the way, casually saying as he walked, "Miss Yun, to be honest, I came down the mountain concealing my identity not just for leisure."
He continued, "A year ago, my parents met a tragic end. The murderer was incredibly cruel, and everyone in the manor lived in fear. As the manor owner, I... I couldn't sleep or eat in peace..."
Upon hearing this, Yunwei felt a heavy sense of regret. She had met Xu E's parents, who were indeed kind and wise elders. Due to their poor health, they had handed over the responsibility of Biyue Manor to Xu E at a young age.
Xu E's mother was especially gentle and kind. She once gave her a precious crescent-shaped jade pendant as a gift when they first met.
The jade pendant was warm to the touch, of superior quality, and had a left-side design.
She appreciated his sentiments, but knew the item was of great significance, so when she parted, she gave the jade pendant to Xu E and did not take it with her.
Hearing of this unexpected misfortune befalling the two elders, I can only feel the impermanence of life.
wrong.
Her gaze swept over Xu E's waist, where the crescent-shaped jade pendant gleamed faintly in the dim light.
I had only caught a glimpse of it at the restaurant before, and thought it looked like the one I remembered. But now, upon closer inspection, I realized that the shape was different. It was not the left petal that Xu E's mother had given me back then, but rather the right petal.
How could this be?
As she was pondering, Xu E seemed to notice where her gaze was directed, and he suddenly stopped and turned around.
Yun Wei's gaze was flat as she looked at the jade pendant at his waist. She said, "This jade pendant of Master Xu is different from what I remember. The left petal was given to me by my aunt back then. Why did you replace the right petal?"
Xu E glanced down at his waist, his fingertips casually fiddling with the jade pendant: "Miss Yun has a good memory. As for the left jade pendant... I lost it by accident before, and searched everywhere without success. Now I only have the right one left."
Yun Wei listened quietly, her expression remaining unchanged.
That jade pendant was an heirloom of Biyue Manor, which Xu E treasured back then. How could it have been lost so easily?
Seeing that she remained silent, Xu E didn't mind. Instead, he raised an eyebrow, a mischievous smile appearing in his eyes, and suddenly changed the subject: "Speaking of which, does Miss Yun know about this secret passage? Along with the dungeon deep inside, it was secretly dug out by my father over three years to prevent thieves from stealing it."
As he walked, he introduced the place as if it were a treasure trove, casually patting the stone wall with his hand: "Later, the villa expanded its territory, and this place was abandoned, only left as an escape route. But look at this mechanism, how many people tried to break in back then, and they all perished here. It's quite interesting."
His eagerness to change the subject only made him seem more suspicious. No matter how detailed his explanation of the secret passage's mechanisms, it couldn't hide the fact that he was suspicious. Yun Wei thought to herself.
She responded casually, but her eyes never left the crescent-shaped jade pendant at his waist, nor the weight of each step he took on the stone steps.
The man walked with a steady gait, and his inner strength was indeed quite solid, but compared to the open and enthusiastic Xu E of yesteryear, he ultimately lacked some of his forthrightness.
Just then, a very faint "whoosh...whoosh..." sound, accompanied by a dull dragging sound, came from deeper into the passage, as if a heavy iron chain was being dragged by something.
Yunwei paused slightly, listening intently.
Xie Lanchen also stopped, tightened his grip on his sword, glanced in the direction of the sound, and frowned, full of vigilance.
"Watch out!" Xu E shouted in a low voice.
He suddenly turned to the side and raised his hand to block Yun Wei.
She sensed something amiss above her, and with a slight tap of her toes, she shifted her body half a foot to the side.
A wet, sticky black shadow landed with a "plop" where it had just stood, making two "squeak" sounds, and then darted into a dark corner and disappeared without a trace.
Xu E's hand, which had been blocking the air, paused in mid-air. She pretended not to see it, her gaze sweeping over the few curled black rat hairs on the ground, and said indifferently, "It's a rat."
The footsteps of Xie Lanchen behind him also stopped, indicating that he had moved as well, but she had already moved aside on her own, so the young man had to abruptly withdraw his half-step forward.
A cold snort came from behind my ear.
She pretended not to hear.
Xu E withdrew his hand: "This place is damp and shady, infested with rats and ants. I'm sorry you were startled. Let's go, we'll be there soon."
Yunwei was filled with a myriad of thoughts: the sound of the iron chain just now was so clear, but when she listened carefully again, there was not a sound at all, as if it had never existed.
Did she mishear? Or was she simply masked by the noise of the mouse?
She glanced up at Xu E's back without making a sound. His steps were normal, as if the sound of the chains had nothing to do with him.
However, this "normality" seems a bit too deliberate.
at the same time.
The burly man with the thick beard wiped the cold sweat from his forehead with lingering fear and muttered in a rough voice, "That scared the hell out of me... That person was actually Master Xu? Strange, wasn't he supposed to be recuperating at Biyue Manor? How could he have time to hide in this desolate inn?"
Before he could finish speaking, his face changed drastically, instantly turning a terrifying bluish-black, his lips turned purple, and a dark line of blood slowly trickled down from the corner of his mouth.
"Ugh..." he groaned in pain, clutching his neck tightly with both hands, veins bulging.
Almost simultaneously, the other two also suddenly clutched their throats, their bodies convulsing violently, their faces turning an ominous bluish-black.
One of them struggled to stand up, but stumbled and knocked over a wooden table.
With a few sharp clangs, the wine bowls on the table fell to the ground and shattered into pieces.
The three collapsed to the ground one after another, black blood continuously spilling from the corners of their mouths, clearly indicating that they would not survive.
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