Chapter 164 Remnants of the Xiaoyao Sect
Chapter 164 Remnants of the Carefree Sect
Although He Huai'an's usual temperament was unhurried and gentle, he was out of step with everyone else in the martial arts world.
He bears a striking resemblance to the old man, but the old man is a gentleman swordsman, while He Huai'an is more like a scholarly scion who is weak and powerless.
Like a junior without ambition.
Otherwise, why would he have lied to the old man and him for so long?
One by one, case by case...
Let alone at this age, even the Xiaoyao Sect back then might not have dared to do these things.
He had already said so much, yet the other party could still respond so calmly and gently. This composure and indifference, along with the gentle and refined tone, made him feel a chill and a sense of unfamiliarity.
He slowly turned around.
He looked at He Huai'an, who had been by his side for more than ten years and whom he had watched grow up, as if he were looking at a stranger.
It was clearly the same person, with the same expression, but at this moment, there was an unfathomable calm and indifference between their brows.
Even his usual tendency to be slightly impatient for quick success and instant benefits has not shown a trace of it at present.
It was as if the eagerness for quick success and instant benefits shown by those young people in the past was all meant for him to see.
The person standing before him now was someone even he couldn't see through completely...
He Huai'an stepped forward generously and said gently, "Uncle, why don't you tell me?"
They were completely fearless, yet humble and gentle.
Huo Lianchi frowned: "Disaster relief grain."
"Oh." He Huai'an smiled.
Huo Lianchi frowned, but the other party only smiled faintly and occasionally uttered an "oh".
Huo Lianchi was disappointed.
He Ping had already become aware of the matter of the disaster relief grain before Wang Sumo told him.
This is not the first time.
Coincidentally, each of these incidents seems to be more or less related to Qingyun Manor, or rather, to He Huai'an.
Others won't notice, but when you personally set the bait for the other party, they'll see it clearly...
Huo Lianchi said in a deep voice, "It was four or five years ago at the earliest. You were still young then. When I first noticed it, I thought it was impossible. It must be a coincidence. At fourteen or fifteen years old, you couldn't have done such a thing."
"But the second and third time, I couldn't help but suspect you. But each time you remained calm and composed, which made me wonder if something had gone wrong. If it were you, you wouldn't be so indifferent."
“You are the old man’s grand-nephew. You came to Qingyun Manor with Lingyun when you were young after going through many hardships. Although you seem more composed than Lingyun, you are just as sensitive. I’m afraid I’ll misunderstand you and cause you to feel uncomfortable.”
"Later, I became certain it was you for the first time. I thought that since you and Lingyun were young, the fact that you were able to come to Qingyun Manor at such a young age might have been due to someone's instructions. Later, the person who instructed you was like a dark hand manipulating you to do these things. I tested you and tried to tell you that once you're at Qingyun Manor, you don't need to worry about anyone or anything else..."
Huo Lianchi was angry at his lack of ambition.
"Huo Ling is sensitive, and Ling Yun is unruly, but what I'm really worried about is you. The old man finally found the two of you, and you are his only remaining close relatives. The old man has a chronic illness, and I was afraid he would worry if he knew, so I protected you more and entrusted you with all the affairs inside and outside Qingyun Manor, just to help you settle down."
"Of all the children in Qingyun Manor, you are the most composed and reliable. You should know what you are doing, so why are you so stubborn?"
Huo Lianchi frowned: "Who ordered you to do those heinous things in Bewitching Town? Who were you an accomplice for? I've sent the old man and Ling Yun away. Huai'an, it's not too late to turn back now."
Huo Lianchi's eyes showed anger at their lack of ambition.
Compared to Huo Ling and Ling Yun, He Huai'an is clearly the most reassuring one!
He didn't want to clean house.
But what if the other party remains obstinate?
He Huai'an said calmly, "Compared to the people I've met before, Uncle, you're quite smart."
He recalled the scene when he left the Kunlun Sect, carrying him on his back despite being seriously injured and afraid of implicating Pang Jiuyun. He sent Pang Jiuyun away and carried him down the mountain alone.
In the torrential rain, kneeling in the mud, I dug a burial place for him with my bare hands...
Compared to his senior brother, the one who unfollowed him, and his great-uncle, Huo Lianchi was indeed the smartest and most rational one.
Huo Lianchi looked surprised; he never expected him to give such a reply.
The calm and composed tone of his words felt like a blunt instrument slicing through Huo Lianchi's heart.
He Huai'an continued to slowly ascend the steps: "There's more than just this one, isn't there?"
He Huai'an looked at him: "Uncle knows."
His words carried a calm yet confident quality that allowed him to lead the other person along.
“I looked for the people who came and went between Ling’er and Lingyun’s courtyard during that period. All the people who caused the two of them to harbor resentment and misunderstandings were arranged by you.” Huo Lianchi continued to look at him.
He Huai'an smiled gently again: "Uncle is indeed smarter than Grand Uncle. As expected of the orphan of the Xiaoyao Sect, he has more courage. Grand Uncle is too kind."
After He Huai'an finished speaking, Huo Lianchi froze. Quickly, Huo Lianchi calmed herself down and asked, "Where did you know that?"
It couldn't have been the old man who told him, and it certainly couldn't have been Wang Sumo who said it.
He Huai'an laughed and said, "I know more than you do, Uncle. Which one do you want to know?"
This rhetorical question, though tinged with a smile, is unsettling.
Huo Lianchi pondered this in his heart.
He Huai'an sighed softly, "Then let me tell you, Uncle. My great-uncle was a disciple of Wuyou Mountain. The 'Sword Wuyou,' who retired from the martial world at the height of his power decades ago, was my great-uncle's master. There has always been a rumor in the martial world that whoever can inherit the 'Wuyou Sword' can dominate the martial world, but 'Sword Wuyou' disappeared from the martial world as if he had vanished into thin air. My great-uncle was his last disciple."
He Huai'an spoke slowly and confidently.
She also looked at him: "Did your great-uncle tell your uncle?"
Even Huo Lianchi, with his composure, couldn't help but be shocked when he heard these things, especially when they came from He Huai'an's mouth.
He Huai'an continued gently, "I also know that your uncle's identity is not actually that of the orphan of your great-uncle's best friend, but rather a child that your great-uncle saved at the Xiaoyao Sect. The child was innocent, and your great-uncle concealed the truth, telling everyone that you were the orphan of his best friend, and that he went to the Xiaoyao Sect to save you. So everything was reasonable, and no one would investigate your identity anymore."
"After that, your great-uncle kept you by his side to personally teach and raise you, passing on the Longevity Gentleman Sword to you, and also entrusting you with all his life's learning and the Qingyun Manor. Your great-uncle was truly magnanimous, and your uncle also lived up to his expectations..."
Huo Lianchi's eyes were already filled with wariness: "Where did you know that?"
"Oh." He Huai'an sighed, then changed the subject: "There was another person who ventured into the Xiaoyao Sect with my great-uncle back then, Uncle should still remember him, right?"
"Cen Wenting, the third-ranked scholar in the imperial examination back then. It's a pity that such a talented man, skilled in both literature and martial arts, died while controlling floods and evacuating people."
A hint of murderous intent was already visible in Huo Lianchi's eyes: "You are not He Huai'an."
He Huai'an continued, "Speaking of which, thank you for taking care of us all these years, Uncle. You have been very good to us and have never treated Lingyun and me as outsiders."
Huo Lianchi gripped his longsword tightly: "Who exactly are you?!"
"He Huai'an"
Huo Lianchi said firmly, "You are not."
He Huai'an looked at him.
Huo Lianchi said in a deep voice, "I had someone investigate. When He Huai'an was a child, his physique was stronger than other children. Like Ling Yun, he had the natural talent for martial arts. You are not like that."
But they carry the He family's nameplate.
Lingyun and the old man's portraits are visible to the naked eye.
He Lingyun insisted that He Huai'an was his older brother.
So even though He Huai'an was different when he was a child than when he grew up, he never suspected anything until He Huai'an's behavior became increasingly suspicious...
But he only just confirmed his suspicions.
Upon hearing this, He Huai'an sighed softly and said leisurely, "It's a pity that I didn't adjust well this time."
this time?
Huo Lianchi frowned even more deeply.
He Huai'an smiled and said calmly, "Next time, it should be better next time, but..."
He Huai'an then changed the subject, saying gently, "That's enough to deal with Uncle."
Huo Lianchi went from frowning to being surprised by his words.
He Huai'an said softly, "My uncle invited me to Qingyun Peak alone, without bringing anyone else, and probably without telling anyone else. He probably wanted to clean house quietly and leave me a way out."
Huo Lianchi looked at him.
He Huai'an sighed softly, saying regretfully, "Why didn't you leave yourself a way out?"
Before Huo Lianchi could react to what he said, He Huai'an had already reached out. With almost no big movement, he used the Water-Taking Palm to bring Huo Lianchi directly from a distance to his side.
Her movements were so fast that Huo Lianchi had no chance to react at all.
Moreover, this powerful internal force was too much for him to handle even if he reacted...
Huo Lianchi looked at He Huai'an in surprise: "You! How could this be!!!"
He Huai'an said, "Last night when you and Ling Yun were sparring, you still haven't mastered the essence of the final move of the Longevity Gentleman Sword, 'Sword Pointing to the Azure Clouds,' even after practicing it for so many years."
Huo Lianchi paused.
He Huai'an gently pushed his palm, and Huo Lianchi was pushed away heavily.
He Huai'an then used his elegant Water-Fetching Palm technique to draw the sword from Huo Lianchi's hand as Huo Lianchi was pushed away.
A flowing, unpredictable, and powerful "Sword Pointing to the Clouds" move!
Huo Lianchi was completely absorbed in watching.
The Gentleman's Sword was a move created by the old man himself, but He Huai'an wielded the sword in a different and more vivid way!
Even more imposing than the old man!
How could someone this age be?!
Huo Lianchi's understanding was overturned!
"You originally intended to kill me, didn't you?" He Huai'an slowly sheathed his sword. "No, you are your great-uncle's disciple. Given his mercy, shouldn't he have imprisoned me in the lowest level of the dungeon?"
Huo Lianchi then realized what kind of person he was facing.
But whoever this person is, it can't be the real He Huai'an!
Huo Lianchi gritted her teeth.
He Huai'an: "Since one of us must go today, then Uncle, you can go."
After He Huai'an finished speaking, he returned the sword to him.
The Sword of Immortality is like a broken wing without the sword.
He Huai'an disdained such a thing.
I casually picked up a twig and made a simple floral arrangement.
Huo Lianchi was shocked: "The Free and Unfettered Sect?"
Huo Lianchi's mind exploded: "You're from the Xiaoyao Sect!"
He Huai'an said in a deep voice, "Those fools from the Xiaoyao Sect left a lot of traces with every little thing they did. Too many clues will make them easy targets. It's better to just let them go."
Huo Lianchi realized something, and He Huai'an laughed, "What a pity, Huo Lianchi. You are a good person, but being too smart and serious is not a good thing."
Without moving, He Huai'an used his Water Palm to pull the person forward again. Huo Lianchi swung his sword, but the tree branch in He Huai'an's hand became like an even sharper sword, making Huo Lianchi's sword tremble.
Huo Lianchi truly realized that the other party possessed unfathomable internal strength. Not to mention him, even the old man, or both of the old men, could not have such strength!
How did he...
Within three moves, Huo Lianchi's sword was knocked from his hand.
Like a nail driven into the top of Qingyun Mountain.
He Huai'an casually tossed the branch aside, his palm landing on Huo Lianchi's chest. Although he didn't actually touch him, Huo Lianchi heard the sound of his ribs breaking.
"The Cloud-Piercing Mountain-Severing Hand?" Huo Lianchi exclaimed in surprise.
He Huai'an chuckled, his fingertips landing on his left shoulder. He felt a sharp pain in his shoulder, as if the meridians in his left shoulder had been pierced.
The Finger of the Sky?!
Huo Lianchi was surprised.
He Huai'an gently patted his shoulder with his left hand and said in a gentle voice, "Martial arts are vast and profound, Huo Lianchi, you are still far from mastering them."
The next moment, as He Huai'an's palm struck, Huo Lianchi felt the earth-shattering internal force shatter his meridians, spit out a mouthful of blood, and lose consciousness.
If He Huai'an hadn't still had his hand on his shoulder, he would have fallen to the ground.
"Send it to the bottom of the dungeon and keep it there," He Huai'an said softly.
His trusted confidant appeared earlier, but hesitated as he looked at him: "Young Master, shouldn't we kill him?"
He Huai'an let go, and his confidant took it.
He Huai'an said slowly, "Someone has to clean up the mess in Bewitching Town. My great-uncle was kind, but he was taken advantage of by the remnants of the Carefree Sect. What's the point of leaving such a good scapegoat around?"
The confidants understood.
Another trusted aide approached: "Young Master, He Zhen is back."
He Zhen?
"Isn't he with Huo Ling and Ding Bo?" He Huai'an asked calmly.
The confidant said, "They said they encountered people from the Eight Treasures Pavilion. Doctor Fang brought a letter and asked him to deliver it to the manor lord personally."
Bazhenlou? He Huai'an frowned.
There was also Fang Rushi, and a letter that he wanted to personally deliver to Huo Lianchi.
He Huai'an wiped the blood Huo Lianchi had left on his hands with a handkerchief and threw it toward the cliff in front of Qingyun Peak.
[Author's Note]
The main story will conclude in the next couple of days, and you'll see non-stop updates all day long, lots and lots of updates, [pity]
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