Chapter 72 — Desperate Straits
劍問蒼天 · Page 7 of 11
Song Dayi's expression changed; instinctively he stepped forward to support him, but his hand had no sooner reached out than it suddenly drew back.
Zhang Qingyue froze, staring at him—this eldest senior brother who had doted on him and loved him since childhood, his face as pale as paper.
Song Dayi's lips moved, and at last he said slowly, "Little junior brother, you're injured. You'd best rest well in your room for now, and not go wandering about."
Zhang Qingyue slowly drew himself back. Just as he was about to turn away, he seemed unable to restrain himself and suddenly said, "Eldest senior brother, where is my black iron staff?"
Song Dayi and Du Biyan both changed color. After quite a while, Song Dayi said flatly, "Little junior brother, that magical treasure of yours has been put away by our master for the time being. You—you needn't worry about it."
Zhang Qingyue said no more. He turned around and softly closed the door.
In another corner of the inn, in a secluded room, Cangyan Daoren, Tian Buzhu, and Xiao Yichen sat together.
On the small round table between the three of them lay, quietly, that green-black black iron staff.
Suddenly a hand reached over and took up the iron staff—it was Cangyan Daoren. He laid the staff before him and stroked it gently with his hand. When his fingers touched the Blood-Devouring Orb at the very tip, a flicker of light seemed to glimmer in his eyes as well. After a long while he said flatly, "So this is the Blood-Devouring Orb?"
Tian Buzhu gave a sudden cold snort.
Xiao Yichen glanced at Tian Buzhu, then at Cangyan Daoren, and said, "Uncles, what should be done now? I beg your guidance."
Cangyan Daoren glanced at Xiao Yichen and said mildly, "Nephew Xiao, you have always been full of stratagems and decisive judgment. Why not let us hear your thoughts?"
Xiao Yichen shook his head and said, "This matter is too grave. I don't know what to say either!"
Cangyan Daoren glanced at Tian Buzhu's ashen face and said, "The most troublesome thing now is those friends from the Brahma Sound Temple. They keep pressing us, demanding to know how Zhang Qingyue came to cultivate the Great Brahma Prajna True Art. Their manner is fierce; if not for that Fa Cheng at their head, who still understands reason and has done his best to restrain them, I fear they would long since have demanded we hand him over!"
Tian Buzhu said coldly, "They want to take him? They'll have to wait until we've questioned him thoroughly. When a disciple of my own household is in trouble, it's not for them to interfere."
Cangyan Daoren frowned and was about to say more, but Xiao Yichen had already spoken: "Speaking of which, Uncle Tian, this morning I ran into Senior Brother Li of the Burning Cloud Valley, and he—he too demanded we hand him over!"
Cangyan Daoren started. Tian Buzhu rolled his strange eyes and said furiously, "What business is this of the Burning Cloud Valley's?"
Xiao Yichen said in a low voice, "Uncle Tian, calm your anger. In truth I too think the Burning Cloud Valley is making trouble without cause. Senior Brother Li Xun said that on that day he and Junior Brother Zhang entered the Black Stone Cave, the den of a pack of fox demons, to investigate a treasure of the Burning Cloud Valley. In the end Junior Brother Zhang arrived first, and when they got there they found the fox demons dead but the treasure gone without a trace—and Junior Brother Zhang said he had never seen such a treasure. They thought it strange at the time, and now it seems most likely that Junior Brother Zhang stole—"
"Bang!" A loud crash—Tian Buzhu, in a towering rage, brought his palm down heavily on the table. With a few sharp cracks the table wobbled and toppled, its legs shattered by the blow.
Xiao Yichen looked somewhat embarrassed. Cangyan Daoren frowned, gave a cold snort, and said, "These Burning Cloud Valley people clearly mean no good. This is a matter of groundless accusation—pay them no heed."