Chapter 43: The Art of Splitting
According to the invitations received by the major sects, the birthday banquet was held at Sixiantai on Baguan Mountain, located in the north of Shouchun City.
The name "Eight Lords" comes from the legendary story of the Han Dynasty King Huainan, who recruited talented individuals from all over the world. Legend has it that eight of these individuals, along with the king, refined an elixir here, achieving immortality. Even the chickens and dogs that licked the residue ascended to heaven. Later generations named the hilltop where this enlightenment took place Sixian Terrace and built a temple dedicated to the King of Huainan.
Regardless of whether the story of becoming an immortal is true or not, the fact that Yue Nancang, in his seventies, called on heroes from all over the world and received a hundred responses shows that this location is quite appropriate.
Bagong Mountain was already bustling with people that day. Countless martial artists of all stripes had set up tents of all shapes and sizes. Of course, most of these people hadn't been invited, but that didn't stop them from watching the grand event.
The tents erected on the Sixian Terrace were luxurious and grand, with flags of various sects fluttering in the breeze above, and tables and chairs set up below for tea and refreshments. Outside the terrace, two circles of warriors stood, seemingly not representing individual sects, but rather maintaining order within the inner circle. After all, Yue Nancang hadn't recruited disciples since his retirement, but his former disciples had long since dispersed and become founding masters of various sects. Now, if Yue Nancang wanted to hold a banquet, even if it was just a rumor, someone would arrange it for him.
Yun Yuan changed her clothes and hid among the idle onlookers. Looking up, she saw the King of Changshan approaching the entrance with his sword in hand. Still haunted by yesterday's events, she could not help but hide once more.
The King of Changshan was dressed in ordinary clothes. Guarding the entrance were followers of the Five Pecks of Rice Sect, who refused to let him in. As he turned to leave, Feng Yanhao stopped him. Yun Yuan couldn't hear what Feng Yanhao said, but she saw the two followers, who had just been mocking each other, suddenly exchanged glances and respectfully invited him in.
Yun Yuan watched the two of them go in, then looked around but still couldn't see Feng Yanyuan, so her brows furrowed again.
"Are you looking for me?"
Yun Yuan was startled when she heard this, and turned to see Feng Yanyuan standing behind her, tilting his head and smiling faintly. She had been panicking all night and searching all morning, yet he seemed so contented and inexplicably proud. Her heart went from surprise to joy and then anger.
"Since you have escaped, why didn't you tell me earlier?"
Feng Yanyuan saw the change in her expression clearly. He hadn't yet known that Lei Ting Manor was in danger yesterday, so he was overjoyed to hear her complaints. He looked at her and asked, "Are you worried about me?"
Yun Yuan was filled with inexplicable anger at this moment. She wanted to say more but felt that there were too many people around, so she turned around and didn't look at him.
Feng Yanyuan seemed to be furious, so he just laughed and said, "Calculate the distance. Shidu rode at full speed and it took him past noon to rescue me. By then, you must have already set off to Shouchun. If we go back to look for you, won't we be distracted?"
Yun Yuan was stunned and turned around to look at Feng Yanyuan's expression carefully. She saw that although he was smiling, he was also sincere.
She asked in surprise, "Was the King of Changshan really in Yuzhou yesterday afternoon?"
Feng Yanyuan hushed, looked around, and whispered, "Masters of Jianghu have gathered here. If princes and nobles get involved, things will be very unusual. Be careful with your words."
Seeing that he was still joking, Yun Yuan asked more seriously, "Was he really in Yuzhou yesterday at noon? Did he and Master part ways?"
Feng Yanyuan was taken aback by her expression. After a moment's thought, he continued, "When you meet me, it should be around 3:00 PM. After leaving the city, there is indeed a fork in the road about ten miles away. It should be around 3:00 PM. Why... do you ask this?"
Yun Yuan frowned and asked, "Sir, can you reunite with him later?"
Feng Yanyuan shook his head and said, "It was already late when I arrived in Shouchun. I figured we'd meet again today, so I didn't look for him. By the way, has Senior Yue arrived yet? Why did you stay here alone waiting for me?"
Yun Yuan frowned, feeling that he had been thinking in the wrong direction. He then tried to sort out this series of strange things, and did not listen to Feng Yanyuan's questions at all, until the crowd suddenly became agitated and a loud noise arose:
"Lei Zhentian! Lei Zhentian is really here!"
"It was definitely worth the trip! Lei Zhentian has been in retirement for twenty years! I never thought I'd get to meet this legendary hero in my lifetime!"
She was so frightened that her face turned pale. She looked up and saw the white-haired old man walking towards the Sixiantai with steady steps. All the martial arts heroes stood up to pay their respects and followed him with their eyes.
"Senior Yue is here. Come on, follow me." Feng Yanyuan was about to step forward, but her hand gripped him tightly. He turned around and saw her frowning, shaking her head in a serious and frightened manner.
Feng Yanyuan was startled by her expression. Although he didn't understand why she was acting this way, he guessed she had something important to tell him, and with so many experts gathered here, he couldn't speak directly. After a moment's deliberation, he pulled the stunned and somewhat stiff Yun Yuan out of the crowd and down from the Sixian Terrace.
Feng Yanyuan and Yun Yuan stopped at the canyon river. He glanced toward the peak of Sixiantai and said, "This place is very far away, and there's a gurgling stream. No one can hear what we're saying. Now tell me what happened."
After all this, Yun Yuan finally calmed down and sorted out her thoughts. She said, "Young Master, you may not know that yesterday afternoon, there were three assassins attacking Lei Ting Manor. One of them was Fei Bao, who was delivering a letter. Unfortunately, he really thought he was just delivering a letter, not knowing that the letter was poisoned. He died when he unfolded the letter for Senior Yue. The other two were the Four Evils of the Ghost Head Gang..."
"The Four Evils gathered together?" Feng Yanyuan was stunned.
Yun Yuan nodded and said, "The Four Evils gathering together to assassinate is unprecedented. They probably didn't realize that they were just ghosts being used to confuse the public."
"Death wish?"
Yun Yuan nodded and said, "Although the Four Evils are feared, they are no match for Elder Yue. Senior did not intend to kill them, but then someone came to their rescue and killed the four already seriously injured people in one go. After killing them, the person expressed regret and knelt on the ground begging for mercy. Senior Yue stepped forward to help them, but was unexpectedly ambushed by the person and both palms were hit by poison needles."
Feng Yanyuan was horrified. "How is the old man now?"
Yun Yuan said, "The poison needle caused blood loss, and the Qi quickly seeped into my entire body. Luckily, I had a poison mist with me, which held the man back for a moment, giving him a chance to escape. The old man took me into the secret room of Thunder Manor, and I took the elixir just in time. He's still bedridden. It's a pity that his palms are so withered, I'm afraid he won't be able to use Qi anymore."
"The Jade Blood Resurrection Pill." Feng Yanyuan pondered, "Back then, Mo Yun Tang's leader, Mo Chen, was famous for resurrecting the dead because he created this medicine."
Yun Yuan's heart trembled slightly when he heard this.
"After the Mo Yuntang was wiped out, the senior was devastated. He treasured the remaining Jade Blood Resurrection Pill and refused to take it even after facing death several times. He only hoped that a doctor would one day comprehend its profound meaning and ensure the survival of the elixir." Feng Yanyuan looked at Yun Yuan and said, "I'm sure you had to work hard to convince him to take it."
Yun Yuan was a little panicked and said, "The medicine is dead but the person is alive. Is it reasonable to keep the medicine but not the person?"
Feng Yanyuan paused and asked, "This chain of tactics is indeed unexpected, but Senior Yue has spent half his life in the military and is always cautious. Even if that person was close, he wouldn't be able to deliver the poison needle, unless... could it be someone he knows well?"
"Yes." Yun Yuan sighed and said, "That person is... King Changshan."
Feng Yanyuan was stunned for a long while, his thoughts in a mess, and he could only mutter: "No... Impossible..."
Yun Yuan said, "He fought the Four Evils for several rounds. Even though I only met King Changshan once, how could the old man not recognize his sword techniques?"
"Impossible." Feng Yanyuan finally calmed down and said firmly, "Regardless of whether he has ulterior motives or not, even if he runs as fast as he can, it will be nightfall before he reaches Thunder Manor, unless he has the ability to clone himself!"
Yun Yuan said, "He doesn't have the ability to clone himself, but someone has prepared clones for him."
Feng Yanyuan was stunned.
Yun Yuan continued, "Furthermore, this clone not only has his appearance, but has probably followed him for at least several years, learned his moves, and knows everything about him. Even his closest people can't recognize him at a glance."
Feng Yanyuan was stunned and suddenly asked, "You just said that Senior Yue's hands...are as weak as dead wood, and he's still unable to stand up?"
Yun Yuan nodded solemnly.
Feng Yanyuan thought about the white-haired old man who had just stepped onto Bagong Mountain. He was calm and at ease. How could he be poisoned? It turned out to be a substitute! He pondered for a while before saying, "So this birthday banquet is not to force Senior Yue out of the mountain, but to replace him!"
"What a vicious game of chess." Yun Yuan said.
"The Five Pecks of Rice Sect, which maintains the overall situation today, is a sect that King Zhao relies on. They must be trying to use Senior Yue's reputation to win over the sect and form an alliance with King Zhao... Not good..." Feng Yanyuan suddenly said, "Shidu is in danger!"
"King of Changshan?"
"He is a man of upright and decisive character, and has long held grievances against the Prince of Zhao's rebellion. He and Senior Yue must have discussed this matter before. If Senior suddenly changed his mind at the banquet, he would have been furious. Moreover, if someone could replace him, wouldn't it be a great benefit to the Prince of Zhao to have another vassal king swear allegiance to him?"
Yun Yuan pondered, "Besides, Senior Yue has been in seclusion for many years and I heard he doesn't see outsiders. It's easy to deceive the people in the martial arts world with this substitute, but they will definitely be a little wary of King Changshan..." Yun Yuan suddenly saw him stand up and asked, "Sir, are you going to the birthday banquet?"
Feng Yanyuan said, "If that person is really the King of Changshan, I must first calm him down. If he is fake, I will also capture him, and then find out what this clone is all about."
Yun Yuan knew that he was determined to leave, and there was no point in saying more. She could only watch him leave and think about the matter carefully.
The Five Pecks of Rice Sect had the widest following, spread across the country, which could explain why the "birthday banquet" invitation spread so quickly to the various sects. However, creating a body double wasn't easy. To deceive Yue Nancang and the various sect leaders, it required not only disguise but also years of imitation. This meant that today's change must have been planned for years—years. How many people were already body doubles?
Yun Yuan sat on the sun-baked rocks and looked at the gurgling stream.
She remembered that Feng Xiaoming had used a substitute before, but that person was only about halfway similar, and was a far cry from the Changshan King substitute from yesterday. But she also remembered that the poison Yue Nancang had been poisoned with was also very similar to Feng Xiaoming's.
It's not impossible that Feng Xiaoming is working for the King of Zhao. After all, Feng Xiaoming only dared to leave the valley after the Queen was eliminated. With a powerful prince and a scheming worm, this birthday banquet might not be just a simple attempt to win over the king.
Thinking of this, Yun Yuan couldn't help but shudder.
She leaned over, picked a green leaf, put it to her lips and blew it gently. Three sharp bird calls echoed across the quiet canyon, from bottom to top, piercing the clouds and echoing between the peaks and valleys of Bagong Mountain.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com