Chapter 29 — The Final Four
The Sword Questions the Heavens · Page 2 of 6
Tian Buhui had been frowning deeply, thinking this wretched boy Zhang Qingyue had no notion how to speak; but hearing Zeng Shuchang's tone, which seemed to carry a note of mockery, his temper—ever proud and ever ready to shield his own—flared at once, and he smiled back: "Not at all, not at all. Senior Brother Zeng flatters us. Xiaofan, come and pay your respects to Uncle Zeng."
Zhang Qingyue froze. Zeng Shuchang's face changed; he flicked his sleeve and said coldly, "That won't be necessary." With that he turned and swept away.
Zeng Shuyan said: "I never saw that you kept your depths so well hidden. And to think I begged Senior Brother Peng to go easy on you—I only did him harm."
Zhang Qingyue said in sudden alarm: "I didn't—"
He had gotten half the words out when Zeng Shuyan had already turned and gone, the Fenghui Peak party following after, every glance cast his way cold as frost. Zhang Qingyue's heart ached—and just then he caught sight, all at once, of Senior Brother Gao passing before him through the crowd, who suddenly winked at him.
Zhang Qingyue stared blankly, but Senior Brother Gao had already walked on.
Tian Buhui stole a glance at the Fenghui Peak crowd, smiled coldly, and with a wave of his hand led his people on toward the western platform where today's bouts were held. Drawing near, they saw that this place too was ringed with two hundred people or more, a milling press of heads; by the look of it, apart from Lu Xueqi's platform, this was the busiest spot on Yunhai Plaza.
Zhang Qingyue drew a sharp breath and whispered to the senior brother beside him: "So many people—this Senior Brother Chang Jian must be formidable indeed?"
They all laughed. He Dachuan said with a perfectly straight face: "That Senior Brother Chang's cultivation runs deep goes without saying. But I'd say most of this crowd have come to look at you, little junior brother!"
Zhang Qingyue was aghast. "How—how could that be?"
He Dachuan gave a chuckle. "As of today, only eight are left in the Seven Branches Martial Contest, and the darkest horse of them all is none other than you. Who wouldn't want to come see whether you've grown a few extra mouths, or a few extra arms?"
Zhang Qingyue was struck dumb.
Tian Buhui led them to the foot of the platform. All along the way, when the crowd saw that they were of the Dazhu Peak line, they parted and opened a path. Tian Buhui looked about him: among the onlookers there were no few disciples of the Changmen branch—no doubt because Chang Jian of the Changmen was fighting today, and so more of his fellow disciples had come to watch. But he saw scarcely any elders of the Changmen, nor was Daoyan Zhenren, sect leader of the Canglan Sect, anywhere here.
Tian Buhui frowned and said low to Su Wan beside him: "Why hasn't the sect leader come? Are there other disciples of the Changmen still to fight?"
Su Wan shook her head. "None. I don't know why, but this year the Changmen disciples' endowments have all been poor. Only Chang Jian is left."
Tian Buhui pondered a moment, then walked to the center of the ground before the platform, where five or six chairs had been set out—but only one white-bearded old man sat there. Seeing Tian Buhui and the others arrive, the old man rose to his feet.
Zhang Qingyue started, then recognized him: this was the white-bearded old man who had sat below the platform the day before yesterday, when he fought Chu Yuhong.
The white-bearded old man clearly remembered Zhang Qingyue as well. His gaze drifted over him once, then he said to Tian Buhui: "Senior Brother Tian, I never thought your school would turn up a talent this year."
Tian Buhui seemed on good terms with the old man. He gave a chuckle. "Senior Brother Fan flatters me. Sit, sit."
Just then the bell and cauldron sounded from behind the platform. Tian Buhui turned and said to Zhang Qingyue: "Old Seven, up you go."