劍問蒼天 - 第228章 血兆 - 清風書屋

Abbess Shuijing nodded. "Indeed. There is in fact a matter here. It is not grave, yet it seems very strange, and after turning it over in my mind, I still think only you are suited to it."

Lu Xueling asked, "What matter?"

Abbess Shuijing glanced at her. "It is in fact still about that secret. By the way, you said that day that after the calamity occurred, you personally delivered the remains of Ming Li and Tian Buhui to Dazhu Peak, did you not?"

At the two words "Ming Li," Lu Xueling's expression shifted slightly, but then she nodded and said with certainty, "Yes. That day he... that man was gravely wounded. Though his life was not in danger, carrying Uncle-Master Tian's remains back to the mountain alone would truly have been too much for him, and the matter could not be delayed. So this disciple escorted them part of the way. But I only saw them as far as Dazhu Peak; once they had landed, I left."

Abbess Shuijing nodded. "Indeed. And that is precisely where the strangeness lies."

Lu Xueling was somewhat surprised. "What is it, Master?"

Abbess Shuijing said mildly, "As you say, Tian Buhui's remains returned to Dazhu Peak two days ago. Yet to this day, not a single word of mourning has come from Dazhu Peak."

Lu Xueling was startled, and she could not help frowning.

Abbess Shuijing clasped her hands behind her back and walked to one side, gazing far into the distance. There, in the direction where the clouds and mist lay, Dazhu Peak loomed faint and indistinct. She looked for a long while, then said, "Tian Buhui was the head of the Dazhu Peak lineage; his standing was no small matter. The moment word got out, even the Sect Leader himself would have to go and pay his respects. Yet Dazhu Peak keeps it secret and says nothing—is that not a very strange thing?"

She paused, turned to look at Lu Xueling, and said, "Beyond that, this morning I quietly sent someone to Longji Peak under some pretext, and found that Tian Lingsu is still there at Longji Peak—and that she is, astonishingly, wholly ignorant of her own father's death."

Lu Xueling was silent for a long while. "This disciple understands."

Abbess Shuijing nodded. "You are quick and clever; I need say no more. In truth I do not suspect anything. Su Wan is my junior sister; the two of us are as close as sisters. It is not for anyone else's sake—I am chiefly worried that, in the depth of her love for her husband, she may have done something foolish in a moment of despair. But as long as Dazhu Peak issues no mourning notice, I, as the head of Xiaozhu Peak, am in no position to go and visit. And there are many hidden twists and turns in this matter; it is not convenient for others either. So I have no choice but to ask you to go once more."

Lu Xueling nodded. "This disciple understands. In that case, if there is nothing else, I shall go at once."

Master Shuijing gave a slight nod. "Very well. Be careful on the road, and if anything unexpected happens, come back early and tell me."

Lu Xueling answered, bowed to Master Shuijing, then turned. As her hand rose, the divine sword Tianxuan blazed with light, and she moved with the blade. A sharp whistle tore through the air, and she was already a streak of blue light shooting up into the heavens.

Watching Lu Xueling's somewhat hurried figure—so unlike her usual calm—Master Shuijing knew that though this stubborn, lovesick disciple might put on a brave face and say she had let go, in her heart there were ten thousand things she could not let go of.

She was silent for a long while. In the end she only gave a low sigh, shook her head, turned, and walked down from the Moon-Watching Terrace, going straight on her way.

A thousand li away, in the Huqi Mountains.

In the cold-ice stone chamber, the frosty vapor still rose in curling wisps, and the serene woman in green lay quietly upon the cold-ice stone platform as always.