Chapter 26 — Luck
劍問蒼天 · Page 3 of 6
Zhang Qingyue glanced at the tall fellow and thought privately that his surname suited him perfectly. He heard Senior Brother Gao say: "I heard it from Master."
Zeng said: "My father?"
Senior Brother Gao said: "Yes. When you weren't here just now, Master was watching too, and at the end he muttered something—that this girl must have cultivated the Taiji Xuanqing Dao to at least the eighth level of the Yuqing Realm, and who knows but she may have reached the ninth."
Zeng Shuyan's expression changed. He stood frozen where he was, speechless for a moment. Zhang Qingyue found it strange; from the very first moment they had met, Zeng Shuyan had declared that he cared nothing for the outcome of the matches—and yet by every sign he cared a great deal indeed.
Just then the sound of bell and cauldron came from afar. The Fenghui Peak group, with Senior Brother Gao at their head, seemed to have someone fighting; they all began moving toward the sound. Zhang Qingyue saw that Zeng Shuyan was still standing there dumbstruck and went over to tug at him.
Zeng said: "It's over, it's all over. Now we've got absolutely no hope left."
Zhang Qingyue, for his part, truly did not much care. "Over is over," he said. "By the way—haven't you still got your own match?"
Zeng said: "I haven't started yet, but I ought to be getting over there. What about you—where are you headed?"
Zhang Qingyue thought it over. "I'm going to report to Master and Mistress. Even if it was only by a fluke that I won."
Zeng said: "Then come find me when you have time."
Zhang Qingyue nodded and answered, and the two parted ways.
Zhang Qingyue turned and made his way toward the other side of the crowd, hearing the Qingyun disciples around him for the most part discussing the duel just fought between Lu Xueqi and Duan Lei. After searching a long while, he finally found the Dazhu Peak group to the west—but even from a distance he could see that Tian Buhui's face was dark with anger, his expression livid. Zhang Qingyue had always stood in great awe of Tian Buhui; he crept over stealthily now. Tian Buhui glanced at him once and then looked away, not even bothering to ask the result.
Su Wan was there, and Tian Lingsu, and several other Dazhu Peak disciples—only the eldest senior brother, Song Dayi, was missing. Zhang Qingyue stole a look at the assembled company: Tian Lingsu seemed all right, but the senior brothers' faces were full of dejection. He quietly asked Du Biyan beside him: "Sixth Senior Brother, what's happened?"
Du Biyan glanced at Tian Buhui, saw that he did not seem to be looking their way, and whispered: "Just now, everyone but eldest senior brother had a match, and in the end only little junior sister won. Master is furious."
Zhang Qingyue was taken aback, and for a moment did not know what to say.
Su Wan stood to one side, watching the disciples all trembling with fear and Tian Buhui's face livid as iron. She shook her head and sighed, then said gently to Zhang Qingyue, who had just returned: "Xiaofan, you're back. How did it go?"
Zhang Qingyue hesitated, then said in a low voice: "Mistress, I—I won, by a fluke."
Su Wan said: "Oh, never mind. Lost is lost; think of it as having gained some experience—" Her voice suddenly dropped. She looked at Zhang Qingyue in astonishment. "What did you just say?"
Everyone, Tian Buhui included, turned at once to look at Zhang Qingyue. His face flushed red, but for the first time in his life, under the gaze of so many eyes—and above all under the astonished eyes of Tian Lingsu beside Su Wan—he felt a thrill of vain excitement. Raising his voice a little, he looked at Tian Buhui and said: "Master, Mistress, I just now—I won, by a fluke."
An uproar swept through the company.