Chapter 59 — Malice
劍問蒼天 · Page 4 of 8
Lin Jinghong's feelings slowly steadied, and his expression calmed. Looking at Zhang Qingyue's face, now a little weathered by travel, a shadow of gloom suddenly crossed his brow. "When I heard you'd gone down the mountain, I was happy for you and hated myself at the same time. To think that after all these years, all the master's high hopes for me were wasted, and my achievements fall short of yours."
Zhang Qingyue was startled and shook his head. "Jingyu, you mustn't say that. Everyone knows your aptitude is ten times mine. If I'd met you in the last tournament, I'd certainly have lost. I've only been a little luckier, that's all."
Lin Jinghong let out a breath and laughed heartily. "You're right, I suppose. I'll train harder in the days to come—I refuse to believe I can't surpass you. But you mustn't slack off either."
Zhang Qingyue laughed aloud and nodded vigorously.
As the two of them caught up here, Tian Lingsu was still pouting and wheedling her mother, while Su Wan smiled and soothed her.
After talking with Lin Jinghong a while, Zhang Qingyue glanced toward his sect and seized Lin Jinghong's hand. "Come, let me introduce you to my master and senior brothers."
To his surprise, Lin Jinghong gave a sniff and said in a low voice, "That short, squat master of yours? Forget it!"
Zhang Qingyue glared at him. "Don't talk nonsense." And he dragged him over by force.
Lin Jinghong looked helpless and had no choice but to follow. As they drew near, Zhang Qingyue was about to speak when he suddenly noticed that beside the place where Tian Lingsu was talking with his mistress Su Wan, a man had appeared from somewhere—elegant as a jade tree in the wind, handsome and dashing. It was Qi Hao.
Qi Hao said a few words to Tian Lingsu in a gentle voice, and she broke into a smile at once, not a trace of anger left in her. Her smile was like a flower, and there before everyone she actually took Qi Hao's hand and walked with him toward Tian Buhui.
Zhang Qingyue felt a buzz in his head, a blank whiteness, and in an instant there was no other sight left in the world—only his senior sister leading Qi Hao by the hand, walking toward them. Dimly he heard Lin Jinghong beside him, a note of amusement in his low voice: "Your short, squat master was dead set against Senior Brother Qi and Senior Sister Tian being together, but Senior Brother Qi went and begged the master. The master has always thought highly of him, and then he asked the sect leader to put in a word, so your master had to agree. Heh, look at them now, out in the open..."
Lin Jinghong broke off abruptly, his mouth slightly open, staring at Zhang Qingyue beside him.
At this moment Zhang Qingyue seemed to have become another person entirely. Deep in his heart a frenzied fire of rage had suddenly flared up, hot enough to burn his own body to ashes.
He felt as though he were being roasted alive in the evil fires of the nine underworlds, while ahead of him that man and the beautiful woman he loved most in the world were walking toward him, their hands clasped together.
The Dark Iron Staff that always hung at his waist now rose with a familiar chill, coursing through his whole body—yet far from cooling that blazing fire, it was like oil poured on flames. A murderous malice, a bloodthirsty fervor—and so it was that Zhang Qingyue's face was twisted.
In that instant everyone on the field was suddenly struck dumb, and the harmony of the moment froze solid. Then they saw the little junior brother who had always been so mild and courteous suddenly give off a killing aura and baleful air such as even the demon cultists had not shown before. Those around him could not help but step back, watching this man who had turned in an instant into a fiend, and as he glared murderously at Qi Hao—and at Tian Lingsu too—he took a step forward.
The blue sky over Liubo Mountain seemed to darken.