Chapter 29 — The Final Four
劍問蒼天 · Page 1 of 6
The next day the sun rose as it always did. When the Dazhu Peak party arrived at the square, they found that four of the eight platforms had already been dismantled and the remaining four arranged to face east, south, west, and north.
Tian Buhui and Su Wan walked in front. Zhang Qingyue's injuries seemed to have healed overnight; walking among the crowd, he who had never received such attention wore a look of flattered surprise. Glancing back, he whispered to Du Bi beside him: "Sixth Senior Brother, is Eldest Senior Brother badly hurt? How is it he can't even walk?"
Du Bi said: "Master examined him this morning. He says that in yesterday's bout with Senior Brother Chang Jian of the Changmen faction the fighting was too fierce—one all attack, the other all defense, and they battered each other into a draw that left both wounded. His meridians are damaged; I fear his cultivation has suffered no small harm."
Zhang Qingyue was greatly startled. "Even Eldest Senior Brother couldn't beat him—then today, when I face Senior Brother Chang Jian, won't I—won't I be scattered like windblown blossoms and running water?"
Du Bi said: "By common sense, yes. But by that same common sense, when you fought the last two days, most of your senior brothers wagered on you to lose!"
Zhang Qingyue was left speechless and could only shut his mouth.
Beneath the largest platform in the north, the crowd was a mountain and a sea. It went without saying that Lu Xueqi was fighting there today. Tian Buhui cast a glance that way and gave a snort; for the one who had defeated his daughter he naturally had no fondness. Then he led his disciples toward the western platform.
They had gone only a few steps when Zhang Qingyue's body jolted. He saw a group approaching from an angle ahead, headed by an old man with an aged face; walking shoulder to shoulder beside him was none other than Zeng Shuyan, and behind the two of them came a full hundred or more disciples of the Fenghui Peak. Zhang Qingyue spotted Senior Brother Gao and his group, but Pang Chang was nowhere to be seen.
As though he had noticed Zhang Qingyue's searching gaze, Zeng Shuyan said as the two parties passed each other: "Senior Brother Pang didn't come. He's resting at his quarters, nursing his wounds."
Zhang Qingyue managed a strained smile, but saw that Zeng Shuyan's face was stern, and the look he cast over seemed cold as ice.
The aged old man at their head was, of course, Zeng Shuchang, the seat-holder of Fenghui Peak. He glanced at Zhang Qingyue, and Zhang Qingyue felt that though the old man's gaze held no sharp edge, it was profoundly deep, as if in a single glance he had seen straight into the depths of his heart.
He shrank back involuntarily. Just then he heard Tian Buhui say: "Good day to you, Senior Brother Zeng."
Zeng Shuchang returned the courtesy: "Good day, Senior Brother Tian. I hear a prodigy named Zhang Qingyue has emerged from your faction, wondrous in his arts. Yesterday he had a bout with my unworthy disciple Pang Chang and left him gravely wounded, hovering at death's door."
Zhang Qingyue's expression changed and he blurted out: "What? Senior Brother Pang is hurt that badly?"
At these words the Fenghui Peak disciples broke into an uproar, thinking this fellow truly venomous—having wounded the man, he now feigned surprise, whether to show he had meant no harm or to mock Pang Chang.
A flash of anger passed through Zeng Shuchang's eyes, but against a junior of the younger generation he could do nothing; he only gave a cold laugh and said to Tian Buhui: "Senior Brother Tian, a fine disciple you've raised!"