Chapter 14
Book 2 Chap 1 – Marquis Zhao Mu
Xiang Shaolong and Lady Ya who was dressed as a commoner walked towards the guesthouse, talking and laughing along the way happily.
Lady Ya replied, "I’ve heard much about the guesthouses for warriors, but everyone advised me not to go, saying that the people in those places are complicated. The Wu guesthouse and Guo guesthouse are the most superior, warriors without some status are not even qualified to stay in there,"
Xiang Shaolong’s interest was a little stirred and he said, "So the guesthouse I am staying in is so superior? I don’t even know that, I’m not even sure how many warriors are staying there and who they are."
Lady Ya asked, "Don’t tell me you don’t even know that Lian Jin is staying there!"
Xiang Shaolong was stunned, "Really?" No wonder he brought Wu Tingwei there the other day.
He went back in a fury last night, would he do something to Shu’er? Once he thought of that, he wished that he could sprout wings and fly back to the guesthouse.
Lady Ya was about to speak when the expression on her face suddenly turned awkward.
Xiang Shaolong followed the direction of her gaze and saw that among the pa.s.sers-by at the opposite street, there’s a group of 10 odd warriors surrounding aggressive looking burly man with a scarred who stood tall and straight, wearing brocade robes. He had just turned his head around and was staring at them.
Lady Ya lowered her head and told him quietly, "Go quickly!"
She walked quickly forward with Shaolong running along behind her, full of questions.
From the corner of his eyes, he saw 2 of the warriors leaving the group and das.h.i.+ng across the busy streets filled with traveling horse carriages. They ran after them and one of them called out loudly, "Lady please hold!"
Lady Ya stopped and sighed helplessly. Xiang Shaolong can only stop together with her.
The two went up to them and gave an unfriendly stare to Xiang Shaolong first before bowing respectfully towards Lady Ya and said, "The Marquis invites Lady Ya over for a meeting."
Xiang Shaolong thought that Lady Ya would certainly refuse, but instead she sighed and said, "Go back first, and tell Marquis I will go and see him after leaving some instructions."
The two of them looked at Xiang Shaolong rudely before walking back to the street opposite.
Lady Ya looked at him in fright before lowering her head and said, "Shaolong! I’m sorry! I can’t accompany you today, can I look for you a little later?"
Xiang Shaolong felt fury rising him for no reason and asked, "Who is that Marquis? Why is it that he can take you away from me with just one word?"
Lady Ya pleaded, "Please don’t ask, I’m going!" and left.
Xiang Shaolong looked as Lady Ya walked towards the scar faced burley man dressed in finery among the group. He put his arms around her tiny waist and hugged her, and Xiang Shaolong felt as if someone has given him a punch to his chest.
He’s getting more and more confused about the relations.h.i.+ps among these people. With Lady Ya’s status, why does she seem afraid of this Marquis, and allowed him to hug and embrace her in front of him, obviously making him lose face in the process.
He stood there stunned for a moment, with difficulty breathing, feeling extremely humiliated but with nowhere to vent his frustration.
It’s really bad to get involved with a s.lut, you’d never know how many other men she has. He didn’t even want to know anything about this Marquis, and don’t even want to see Lady Ya ever again.
Sounds of hooves beat were heard.
Xiang Shaolong was jolted from his thought and looking up, saw Li Shan and a few warriors rus.h.i.+ng towards him in a frenzy, calling, "Brother Xiang! We just went to Lady Ya’s place to look for you and were told you just left with Lady Ya."
Xiang Shaolong had a bad feeling and asked, "What is the matter?"
Li Shan cried out sadly, "Shu’er has been raped and killed!"
These words sounds like lightning striking from heaven, and he retreated several steps in shock, knocking into a wall behind him, the blood totally gone from his face.
He flipped the blanket open, Shu’er’s naked and wounded lifeless body laid coldly on the ground, the fresh blood flowing out from her eyes already coagulated into a dark black.
The thing that killed her was the red road twined around her neck, and it had cut deep into the neck. Her lower body was in a mess.
Shu’er is dead! Murdered in the most humiliating and cruel way.
Xiang Shaolong felt his body turn icy, unable to accept this reality in front of him at all.
Su Bu’s death happened away from him, he did not see with his own eyes. Besides, coming to this era 2000 years ago, everything seemed surreal, and even death seems like a joke. He may have been sad but he was not overwrought, so when he was busy with other matters, he could easily put aside the matter of Su Nu’s suicide, or even forget about it. But Shu’er is another matter altogether!
His heart is bleeding!
The voice of Tao Fang, who was standing next to him seems to be coming from some place far away, saying, "When Chunying went into the room this morning, Shu’er is already like this. Hai! I really don’t know what to say either, the murderer must be someone in this guesthouse."
Xiang Shaolong has no wish to ask anything at all.
The only people who would dare to touch Shu’er would be Wu Tingwei and Lian Jin. He doesn’t believe that Wu Tingwei will have the guts, so the murderer must be Lian Jin He knows that there’s nothing he can do to him, at least he dare not touch him before the duel.
So he will try to deal blows to him unscrupulously.
And no one would speak up for a gift from Yan, including Tao Fang and Wu Yingyuan.
He has never felt like killing a person so much.
Tao Fang added, "Why don’t you move in and stay with me! My wife and daughters all want to meet you very much."
Xiang Shaolong calmly covered Shu’er totally with the blanket, shook his head and said, "No! I am going to sleep here, but from this moment on I won’t need anyone to serve me, and don’t let anyone come here. Let me help Shu’er prepare for her last rites! I want to be alone with my thoughts."
Tao Fang said worriedly, "Shaolong! Don’t torture yourself, tomorrow night is the crucial night where you will have your duel with Lian Jin, now the whole city is waiting to find out the outcome."
Xiang Shaolong became as calm and cold as ice and said calmly, "Don’t worry! No one places more importance to the appointment tomorrow night as much as I do."
After going through so many cruel setbacks, he finally kept his blithe behavior aside and turned back into the killing machine that his era has trained him to be, a cold warrior who will use any methods in order to complete a mission.
Xiang Shaolong stayed in the room where Shu’er was murdered for the whole afternoon.
He did not wail, nor did he weep.
Only the weak will feel sadness.
In this warring states period, in this period that most people will do anything, even evil, if it can benefit themselves, only the strong will survive. When he took a look at Shu’er’s body again, he deeply felt the cold heartlessness of reality, felt that this is a lawless society where the strong will rule.
If he wants revenge, he’ll have to become the strongest.
When Tao Fang and the rest left the courtyard, he picked up the wooden sword and concentrated hard on practicing his swordplay, studying the intricacies of the Mozi Swordplay.
After his heart melded with his soul, he repeatedly practiced the most intricate 10 moves in the swordplay.
Mozi Swordplay places more importance in defense rather than offense, but each defensive move also hides an opportunity to attack.
If he can improve on the attacks, then the swordplay that only defends will be able to turn into something that can attack and defend at the same time. Once he thought of this, he felt an overwhelming joy. He waved the sword and for a moment the movements were unpredictable, powerful and unconstrained.
He was getting into the swordplay and he jumped out into the hall, using the wider area to practice and at the same time incorporating his knowledge of anatomy and mechanics into the swordplay.
The sword swished, one moment it’s unpredictable and formless, another moment it’s powerful and free.
Every attack is an evolution from the defensive moves in the Mozi swordplay.
He roared and struck continuously over a hundred times, none of the moves using any form of defense.
He retracted his sword, moving the wooden sword to between his brows, staring straight at the sword.
A pet.i.te person ran into the hall, crying out in alarm, "Shaolong!"
Xiang Shaolong put his wooden sword down and Wu Tingfang has already thrown herself into his arms, crying piteously, "Shaolong, Shaolong!"
On one hand Xiang Shaolong pointed the sword to the floor, and with the other hand held the beauty in his arms. Once again he thought of thought of Shu’er’s horrible death and felt as if all his innards are twisted together. He said sadly, "You know about Shu’er."
Wu Tingfang nodded her head, sobbing uncontrollably, feeling