Chapter 31 — Suspicion
劍問蒼天 · Page 4 of 7
Zhang Qingyue nodded slowly, unsure what he felt. He supposed there should be no problem—and yet, for the first time in two years, the dark iron staff had left him, and he could not shake a faint sense of loss.
Su Wan glanced at him; something strange seemed to flicker in her eyes, but she said, "You've only just woken—don't tire yourself, rest as much as you can. I've given orders that no one is to disturb you; Bishu will bring your meals."
Zhang Qingyue said, "Thank you, Mistress."
Su Wan nodded. "Then rest. I'll have Bishu bring your food in a while." She turned and walked out; just as she was about to pass through the door, she suddenly heard Zhang Qingyue call from behind:
"Mistress."
Su Wan turned. "What is it?"
Zhang Qingyue looked at her, seemed to hesitate, then said, "Mistress, I wanted to ask—do you know how Lin Jinghong of Long Peak fared in the matches? I was up on Receiving Heaven Peak at the time and truly had no chance to go ask him."
Su Wan looked at him again. "He made the final eight, but lost to his fellow disciple Qi Hao."
Zhang Qingyue was taken aback. "So he too—thank you, Mistress."
Su Wan shook her head slightly. "Rest now." She turned and went out.
Zhang Qingyue slowly lay back and gazed at the ceiling, saying nothing.
On Receiving Heaven Peak of Mount Canglan, within the Hall of Jade Balance.
Master Daoyan sat at the center, and the heads of the other six branches were all present as well; apart from them, there was no one else in the great hall.
All were silent. Master Daoyan, eyes lowered, was looking at a black iron staff he turned over in his hands.
"Brother Tian," Master Daoyan said, breaking the silence, "what do you make of it?"
Tian Buhui was silent a moment. "When Zhang Qingyue first came up the mountain, he had no such thing. Most likely in these years, by some stroke of fortune, he came upon such a treasure somewhere."
Cangyan Daoren said coldly from one side, "This staff can stand against Tianxuan—it is already of the rank of divine weapons. Yet search all the world, and I have never heard of such a treasure."
Tian Buhui's face darkened. "The lands of Shenzhou are vast beyond measure," he said coldly. "Who knows how many rare and wondrous treasures never seen by the world remain? You and I are, at best, frogs at the bottom of a well."
A flash of anger crossed Cangyan Daoren's face, and before he could speak, Master Shuijing of Xiaozhu Peak said icily, "We are frogs at the bottom of a well, certainly—but that black staff seethes with demonic aura when it works its arts. It is plainly an evil thing. I wonder why Brother Tian cannot see it?"
Tian Buhui gave a snort. "So a little black vapor makes it demonic? A few red threads make it evil? If that's the measure, then when I go back and blacken my face, will you all take me for a demon cultist and cut me down too?"
Master Daoyan frowned. "Brother Tian, don't talk like that. How does it become you to call yourself a demon cultist for no reason?"
Tian Buhui gave a cold humph, turned his head away, and said no more.
Master Daoyan sighed, set the dark iron staff on the tea table beside him, and said, "I asked you all here today to deliberate. First, in this Seven Branches Martial Gathering, the Dazhu Peak disciple Zhang Qingyue has come into possession of this strange treasure—of unknown origin, and of immense power. Second, we previously agreed to send the top four disciples to investigate the Ten Thousand Bats Grotto on Kongsang Mountain; the other three met with no objection from anyone. Only this Zhang Qingyue—"