Chapter 85: Clues

Drizzling rain fell from the heavens, misting the world in a veil of gray.

Its cold seeped through in threadlike strands, chilling for no reason at all.

Fan Si struck without mercy; with the Six-Disc Sword Array, every blow found its mark. In an instant, death’s noose tightened.

At that very moment, Huai Yin suddenly launched his attack: Silver Bridge, Flying Rainbow.

A blade-light tunneled into the earth and burst up in a sudden strike behind the two men.

Forced to turn back and defend, they left an opening for Bai He to seize Zuo Jiren and, from afar, send a palm strike that slammed into the Six-Disc Sword Array.

The strike came too late to evade. Six-Disc Sword Array took the full force in his organs, and at once a bright spray of blood erupted from his mouth.

“Go.” Fan Si hurriedly closed in, feinted once, then seized Six-Disc Sword Array and vanished in a blink.

“Tch, they sure run fast.” Huai Yin withdrew his hand with a disdainful curl of the lip.

With a few light bounds, he caught up to Bai He and Zuo Jiren.

...

Willow Heart Cottage

Lin Mao waited in the courtyard, unable to settle himself into sleep.

Tonight, he must see Zuo Jiren’s head. Otherwise, trouble would be endless in the days to come.

“Master.”

“And where is he? You botched it?”

Fan Si supported the wounded Six-Disc Sword Array to the steps and said, “Reporting to Master, Zuo Jiren truly went to take refuge with Bai He. We were no match for them and have failed the Master’s trust. We beg you to punish us.”

“Please punish us, Master.”

“What did you say? Say it again.” Lin Mao stiffened at once, almost thinking he had heard wrong. What had he heard? That Zuo Jiren really had gone to find Bai He. Ha... ha ha, Zuo Jiren, so in the end you still betrayed me.

Fan Si cast a furtive glance at Lin Mao and said tremulously, “Jiren, he has sided with Bai He. Six-Disc Sword Array was injured by his palm.”

At mention of Six-Disc Sword Array’s injury, Lin Mao only then came back to himself and noticed that something was wrong with his expression.

Watching the night rain grow heavier, everything seemed dreamlike. Only after a long moment did he speak again. “Take Six-Disc Sword Array away to tend his wounds. Call Willow Wood White and the others here.”

“Yes.” Fan Si supported Six-Disc Sword Array and departed carefully.

Soon after, Willow Wood White and the others came to the courtyard.

“Master, what are your orders?”

Lin Mao said, “Take the others at once to Dark Mountain Lake and make sure the matter is handled cleanly.”

“Why?” Willow Wood White asked in confusion. Had they not said that burying the corpses in Dark Mountain Lake was safe?

“Do not ask so much. Do as I say. The sooner the better. Delay, and things may change.”

“Yes.”

Though puzzled, Willow Wood White still took the order and led the others toward Dark Mountain Lake.

Whether it was only their imagination or not, the night seemed especially cold, especially long.

They waited and waited, yet dawn would not appear.

The group galloped to the outer edge of Dark Mountain Lake, dug up the bodies buried there, and carried them away.

On the other side, Bai He helped Zuo Jiren stabilize his injuries first. After waiting for half an hour, they saw that his wounds were for the time being no longer a danger.

Huai Yin leaned against a tree and said sideways, “Oh? Awake now? Then talk.”

Zuo Jiren knew full well that he was unwelcome, but for one who had died once already, did such things still matter?

He slowly exhaled a turbid breath. “The clue you want is at Dark Mountain Lake.

“If I have not guessed wrong, if you want to go, you must be quick.”

“Why didn’t you say so sooner?” Huai Yin nearly cursed aloud.

With that, he went first toward Dark Mountain Lake.

Bai He said nothing, merely gave him a push and then caught him by the back of the collar to go along.

The moment they landed, they saw Huai Yin hurry into the woods.

But they were too late.

The corpse buried in the earth had already been taken away; to search for it now would be like casting a needle into the sea, with no trace to be found.

“Damn it, they were one step ahead.”

“Fury is useless. Steward Zuo, what was the purpose of burying the corpses at Dark Mountain Lake?” He did not believe it was merely a matter of geography. If one wished to hide a corpse, there were too many methods and too many places.

Why choose Dark Mountain Lake alone?

Zuo Jiren, panting heavily, leaned against a tree and said with a smile that was not quite a smile, “Heh heh heh, of course there was a clever use for it.”

“Speak properly. Stop with the damned riddles. Believe I won’t beat you to death?” Huai Yin turned and shoved him.

The more he looked, the more displeased he became, the more irritated.

“Beat me to death? Fine, go on.” Zuo Jiren collapsed to the ground, chuckling as he pointed at Bai He and Huai Yin, then at himself, and said in a voice already weak with exhaustion, “If I die, you can forget ever learning the truth.

“Come on, heh heh heh...”

Huai Yin grew more furious by the breath, but Zuo Jiren had indeed seized the vital point, and there was nothing to be done.

This only made Zuo Jiren more brazen, three parts humble where seven had once been unruly. He had been driven hard by Lin Mao this time, and now he had all but adopted a take-it-or-leave-it attitude.

“Come on, then? Why don’t you strike?”

“You...”

“Hmph, what about me? Was I wrong? It’s your own incompetence. Who can you blame?

“If you didn’t need something from me, would you have bothered to save me so kindly?”

Bai He suddenly knelt into a half squat beside him and said, “True enough. Since you already know what we seek, you should also understand this: since we can save you, we can kill you just as easily.”

“You’re threatening me? You people truly think too little of Zuo.”

“I pity you. You have only just passed through upheaval, and your mind is still in turmoil, so I will not bother with you this time.

“But there are some things you should understand: what I say I can do, I certainly can do.”

“Ugh...” Zuo Jiren suddenly clutched his chest. Cold sweat instantly drenched him, and he looked up at Bai He in terror. “You’re serious?”

“To tell you the truth, I do not like being threatened.”

“Stop. Let go, and I’ll tell you the reason. But I have one condition.”

Zuo Jiren lay on the ground, gasping for breath. Whatever pride or unwillingness he once had was now worth nothing.

“What condition?”

“Take me in. Accept me. Use me. Do not doubt me.”

“And if I refuse?”

“Then please, do it.”

“Very well. I agree.” Bai He withdrew the force of the restraint and reached out to pull him up.

Zuo Jiren looked down at his own wretched state. “This is no place to speak. Do you have somewhere safe?”

“Of course there is. I only fear some people may have other designs.”

“Is that so?” Zuo Jiren ignored Huai Yin’s mockery and waited only for Bai He to speak.

“Mm.” Bai He nodded, then said to Huai Yin, “Let’s go.”

Huai Yin came over, draped an arm over his shoulder, and the two of them drifted away from Dark Mountain Lake like loose feathers. “You got off easy.”

Bai He looked around to make sure nothing was amiss, then rode the clouds to catch up with them.

When they returned to the Twelve-Month Wind Pavilion, they had barely met face to face before the Jade-Splintered Maiden drew her twin swords and was ready to kill Zuo Jiren on the spot.

Her pretty face flared with a sharp cry. “Don’t stop me. I’m going to flay this bastard alive.”

How could Huai Yin dare let go? He could only soothe her with soft words. “My ancestor, what are you making such a scene for now?”

They had kept this man because he was of great use. If she stabbed him now, would all their earlier efforts not have been wasted?

The Jade-Splintered Maiden cared nothing for any of that. She thrust her sword at Zuo Jiren’s nose and cursed, “If not for him, how would I have been seized and made a sacrifice?

“If not for him, how could I have nearly lost my life?”

“He?”

“Yes, him. While I was out playing and not paying attention, he had people restrain me and drag me away.”

“Oh—” Huai Yin gave the Jade-Splintered Maiden a sudden sidelong glance. “He grabbed you like that, without even masking himself?” Wasn’t that far too direct? If so, it made no sense that everyone had been kept in the dark and had no idea who the real culprit was.

“What are you on about? Whose side are you on?” The Jade-Splintered Maiden rolled her eyes, instantly guessing what Huai Yin was thinking. She stamped her foot and gave him a hard kick. “You suspect me?”

“No, no, you misunderstand. I mean, since you could recognize them, why did no one in the Little Autumn Stream know it was their doing?”

“Of course that’s because I’m clever and quick-witted. Otherwise, how could we have escaped from their fiendish grasp?”

“Uh...” What was that even supposed to mean? Not a shred of seriousness in it.

Huai Yin looked embarrassed, and Zuo Jiren fared no better. Having desperately attached himself to Bai He’s boat, he had not expected that there would still be a sacrificed victim here who knew him.

At once, his face also reddened slightly.

He said, “I have offended you many times before. I am sorry.”

“Bah. What good is an apology? Then should I stab you with seventeen or eighteen swords and say sorry afterward?”

“All right, all right, we still have matters to attend to. You go rest first, all right? Be good.”

With that, regardless of resistance, he shoved her back into the room and closed the door.

The Jade-Splintered Maiden followed too closely and nearly got her nose clipped by the door. She quickly pulled back, glanced at the shut door, and sat down sulkily on the embroidered bed.

She kicked at the footstool. “Bad person. Bad person...”

After settling her, Huai Yin returned to the main room.

Bai He asked, “How is she?”

“She’s fine. She just needs to calm down. We should talk about the real matter now. These things must always be resolved.”

Bai He first laid down a barrier around the Twelve-Month Wind Pavilion to prevent anyone from eavesdropping, then said, “Steward Zuo, can you speak now?”

Zuo Jiren gloomily found a seat and sat down. “What I’m about to say, you’d best be prepared for.”

Ku Yunzi suddenly sat upright, clutching his wine jar, and said to Bai He and Huai Yin, “You two went out and took so long to return just for him?”

“Yes, though not entirely.

“There is much to say about this matter. I ask you to allow this boy to explain it properly to you another day.”

“Indeed, this fellow has been hiding a bellyful of bad intentions. I was just waiting for him to clear things up.” Huai Yin shrugged as he sat down, flicking his sleeve. The muddy shoes on his feet were instantly clean as new.

At once, they looked much more comfortable.

“Oh? From what you say, this old man has a little interest too. What was it now... the steward? Hurry and tell us.”

Zuo Jiren weakly clasped his hands and turned his face aside. “Please do not mention the word steward again.

“My surname is Zuo. My humble name is Jiren. I ask that from now on, everyone refrain from bringing up the past.”

“Hm?” Huai Yin raised a brow and looked around. “So you do have a name? I thought you were just called Steward Zuo.”

“Steward was a title from long ago, when I followed him into the path of the immortals. Over the years I grew used to it, and so did he, and thus that is how I was always addressed.” Only he had not expected that such ties would one day collapse.

“Ha... You really don’t look like someone so sentimental.”

“Affection is a debt. When it grows too heavy, it becomes a blade that kills.”

“That’s true enough. Anyway, we’ve wandered too far. Back to business: what secret is Dark Mountain Lake hiding?”

Zuo Jiren was silent for a moment before saying softly, “Dark Mountain Lake is in fact both real and false.

“What we saw today was false. The true Dark Mountain Lake lies beyond Lone Yin Bridge.

“But that bridge is no ordinary road. On that point, I believe Bai He, you know this very well.”

Bai He nodded. “Indeed.”

If not for fortunate coincidence that day, obtaining the Wind-Calming Pearl would likely have led to a near-impossible escape from death.

“But you do not know who lives in the true Dark Mountain Lake, do you?”

“What do you mean?” Hearing this, Huai Yin could not help but shed his roguish air. While studying Zuo Jiren, his heart sank with a thud to the very bottom.

He turned woodenly toward Bai He: What does that mean? Are we in trouble?

Bai He lowered his eyes in reply, more or less the same.

Then he asked, “May I ask who exactly they are?”

Zuo Jiren’s gaze swept over them, with a trace of satisfaction hidden within. “You should have heard of them, though I do not know the details myself very clearly.

“But I have heard there are three people inside, all from the Island of Eight Winds.”

After hearing this, Ku Yunzi cried out in shock, “What?”

Bai He also looked troubled. After all the calculations and all the caution, he had never expected that this place too would be entangled with the mortal world. If this were true, then everything would become even more complex and unpredictable.

Even more frightening, this may only be the beginning of the calamity.

Seeing the two of them like this, Huai Yin was somewhat at a loss. Though the situation was not optimistic, should it really be this serious?

Truth be told, it was not Huai Yin’s fault for thinking so. He lacked Ku Yunzi’s experience and Bai He’s background. Though he knew of the Island of Eight Winds, he knew little else.

In addition, in recent years the Island of Eight Winds had nearly vanished from the sight of the world.

As the old saying goes, seas become mulberry fields. The past is not spoken of, and the later generations know nothing. Those born in later ages simply do not know that there was once a hidden darkness in the Vast Sea Heaven.

Only by paying an almost annihilating price did they purchase the peace of the present day.

“Who are they?”

The End