Chapter 11: Where Did the Bright Moon Go?

The night was deep. The world was covered in darkness.

Because tonight, there was no bright moon.

Was tonight’s bright moon already dead?

Yan Nanfei whipped the horse into a mad gallop, while Fu Hongxue sat next to him, unmoving.

What a beautiful horse-carriage. What a somber carriage interior.

“Why must we ride the carriage?”

“Because we have a carriage!”

“The horse is already tired. An exhausted horse can’t carry two people, but it can pull a carriage!”

“Because the carriage has wheels?”

“Correct. We have legs as well. Why can’t we walk?”

“Because we are tired as well. We need to conserve our energy.”

“Conserve it for killing?”

“As long as they are people to kill, as long as there are people who should be killed.”

The peacock was dead.

The Peacock Manor was no longer the Peacock Manor.

There were a few spots of light in the darkness. The faint light of the stars shined down upon the ruins, making the scene appear even more desolate.

The horse which had galloped to and fro for hundreds of li finally collapsed.

Nobody was in the underground cellar. There was nothing at all in there. Everything which could be removed had been removed!

The torch light was flickering, because the hand with which Yan Nanfei was holding the torch was shaking.

It is said that when the peacock dies, the bright moon would go down with it as well.

Yan Nanfei gnashed his teeth forcefully. “How did they know? How did they know that there would be people here?”

The hand with which Fu Hongxue was gripping his sabre did not tremble, but the muscles on his face were twitching. His pallid face had already begun to turn red, a bizarre red, a frightening red.

Yan Nanfei said, “When we came, there was definitely nobody following us. Who was it...”

Fu Hongxue suddenly howled, “Get out!”

Yan Nanfei was startled. “Are you telling me to get out?”

Fu Hongxue did not speak again. His lips were already closed tightly.

Astonished, Yan Nanfei looked at him. One step at a time, he retreated from the cellar. Before he had fully exited, Fu Hongxue suddenly collapsed, as though an invisible whip had struck him.

As soon as he collapsed, he started to go into convulsions.

That invisible whip seemed to continue to strike him, lashing him without end.

Fu Honxue’s entire body was contorted and twisted in his agony. Low growls constantly emanated from his throat, sounding like the dying growls of a wild animal. “I was wrong, I was wrong...”

With one hand, he scratched and clawed at the floor, appearing as though he were a man about to drown to death who was trying to grab an invisible wooden log to hold on to.

The ground was strewn with stone rubble. His fingernails disintegrated. His hand was starting to bleed.

His other hand continued to tightly clench his sabre.

The sabre was still the sabre!

The sabre is heartless, and so it endures perpetually.

Yan Nanfei knew that he definitely did not want anyone to see his current agony and his chronic illness.

But Yan Nanfei did not leave, because he knew that although the sabre was still the sabre, Fu Hongxue was no longer Fu Hongxue.

Right now, anyone who walked in could kill Fu Hongxue.

Why must heaven torment him so? Why must a man like this suffer an illness such as this?

Yan Nanfei was just barely able to control himself, preventing himself from shedding tears.

He extinguished the torch. He no longer could bear to watch any more.

But his hand was already gripping the hilt of his sword, hidden under his clothes.

In the middle of the darkness, the hole in the middle of the stone cliff appeared as though it were the mythical evil eye of some vile beast.

He swore an oath. If anyone wanted to charge into that hole right now, that person would immediately die underneath his sword!

He was certain of himself.

No one entered from the hole. But suddenly, the darkness was split by torch light.

Where did the torch light come from?

The torch light entered from the door. The door was opened. Five people came out.

Two of them held torches high. They stood at the entranceway. The other three strode inside.

The first person’s right wrist was wrapped in white cloth. He wore a ribbon around his neck. His left hand was carrying a scimitar. His eyes were filled with hatred and enmity.

The man by his side was wearing a pitch-black Daoist robe. His footsteps were very sure and stable. He gave the appearance of being fully prepared for anything.

The last person’s face was criss-crossed with scars. Although a hint of a smile played about his lips, it only made him look all the more insidious and cruel.

Yan Nanfei’s heart sunk, while bile rose from his stomach. It tasted both sour and bitter.

He should have realized that although others might not be able to open those thirteen locks, Gongsun Tu was able to open them. The hole in the wall wasn’t the only way by which one might enter or depart from this cellar.

None of them thought of this. All of them had been too certain of themselves. Thus, they had committed a fatal error.

Gongsun Tu suddenly stretched his hand out. He opened his palm, revealing a golden object sparkling in it. It was the awe-inspiring Peacock Plume.

The Peacock Plume was in his hands. What about Mingyue Xin?

Yan Nanfei was barely able to restrain himself and prevent himself from vomiting.

Gongsun Tu laughed. “You shouldn’t have let her use this hidden projectile weapon to guard the hole. We are men, not mice. We don’t know how to burrow through the ground or dig holes.”

His laughter was extremely joyful. “If it hadn’t been for the fact that she whole-heartedly focused on guarding that hole, it wouldn’t have been easy for us to enter.”

Yan Nanfei was unable to prevent himself from letting out a long sigh. “I was wrong.”

Gongsun Tu said, “You really were wrong. You should have killed me!”

Yang Wuji lightly said, “Thus, in the future, you must remember my words. If you want to kill somebody, you should abstain from nothing at all.”

Gongsun Tu said, “You shouldn’t remind him. If he has a second chance, I’m a dead man for sure.”

Yang Wuji said, “Will he have a second chance?”

Gongsun Tu said, “No.”

Yang Wuji shook his head. He leisurely said, “The only person he is now capable of killing is himself.”

Gongsun Tu said, “He could kill Fu Hongxue at least.”

Yang Wuji said, “Fu Hongxue belongs to Zhao Ping. He isn’t even able to move.”

Yan Nanfei looked at them. He suddenly felt as though their words were coming from far away!

He should have concentrated all of his energy to defend against them.

He should have known that this was a critical, life-and-death point for him. They definitely wouldn’t let him off, nor could he cower back.

Even if there were a place he could retreat to, he would not.

But he suddenly felt very weary.

Was it because, in his heart, he had already admitted that he wasn’t a match for these two?

The bright moon had sunk and vanished. The undefeatable god of sabres had fallen. What hope could he still have?

Gongsun Tu was asking Zhao Ping, “Who cut off your hand?”

Zhao Ping said, “Fu Hongxue.”

Gongsun Tu said, “Do you want to gain revenge?”

Zhao Ping said, “I do.”

Gongsun Tu said, “How do you plan to handle him?”

Zhao Ping said, “I have a way.”

Gongsun Tu said, “Why haven’t you made your move yet? Can’t you tell that this is your best chance?”

Yang Wuji said, “When a good opportunity is missed, it never comes again. If you wait for Fu Hongxue to wake up, it’ll be too late.”

Gongsun Tu said, “At this moment, you no longer need to worry about Yan Nanfei.”

Zhao Ping couldn’t help but ask, “Why not?”

Gongsun Tu said, “Because if he moves, Fu Hongxue will immediately turn into a peacock.”

Zhao Ping said, “A peacock?”

Gongsun Tu said, “No matter who is struck by this Peacock Plume, that person will turn into a peacock. A dead peacock.”

Zhao Ping laughed. “But I don’t want for him to die so quickly.”

Gongsun Tu laughed as well. “Neither do I.”

Zhao Ping suddenly set down his scimitar, then charged in. He grabbed Fu Hongxue by his hair, lifted up his knee, then slammed it against his jaw. Next, he launched a chopping attack against his neck.

Just as Fu Hongxue’s head was drooping down, Zhao Ping sent out a kick. It sent Fu Hongxue flying into the stone wall.

Next, he rushed over and put his right elbow across Fu Hongxue’s throat. In a fierce voice he said, “Open your eyes and see who I am!”

The blue veins on Fu Hongxue’s forehead were bulging out. He could neither resist nor breathe.

Zhao Ping sneered, “You chopped my right hand off, but I intend to use my left arm to break your neck.”

The blue veins on Yan Nanfei’s forehead were beginning to bulge out as well, as though he was unable to breathe as well.

Gongsun Tu grinned hideously. “Why don’t you go rescue your friend? Can it be that you are just going to stand here and watch him die?”

Yan Nanfei couldn’t move.

He knew that if he moved, Fu Hongxue would die even more quickly.

But he couldn’t be still either.

Zhao Ping was using his other hand to ferociously slap Fu Hongxue’s face. It seemed that he didn’t intend to immediately take Fu Hongxue’s life.

But this sort of humiliation was even worse than death.

Yan Nanfei tightly grasped the handle of his sword. Sweat dripped down from his head like rain. He suddenly said, “Even if you can kill him, you won’t necessarily be able to kill me.”

Gongsun Tu said, “What do you propose?”

Yan Nanfei said, “I want you to release him.”

Gongsun Tu said, “What about you?”

Yan Nanfei said, “I am willing to die!”

Gongsun Tu laughed. “Not only do we intend for you to die, we do not intend to allow him to live.”

Yang Wuji coldly said, “If you wish to kill someone, abstain from nothing at all.”

Gongsun Tu’s laughter stopped. He loudly shouted, “Zhao Ping, kill him! Kill him immediately!”

Zhao Ping gritted his teeth, then exerted strength with his elbow.

Just at this moment, there was a flash of sabre light.

It was Fu Hongxue’s sabre!

In heaven or on the earth, it was a sabre without equal!

They all thought that this battle was practically a guaranteed victory, because they had all forgotten something.

Fu Hongxue’s hand remained tightly clenched around his sabre.

Just at this moment, Yan Nanfei suddenly swept his sword about. Scarlet points of sword light sprayed about the room like rain, surrounding Gongsun Tu.

Yang Wuji’s sword appeared as well.

His sword-drawing technique was skilled and ingenious, and his strike was accurate and efficient. His sword stabbed out at precisely the point which would be fatal for Yan Nanfei.

Even if Yan Nanfei was able to kill Gongsun Tu with his attack, he himself would definitely die to Yang Wuji’s sword.

He had no choice but to retract his assault and defend himself.

Gongsun Tu’s body immediately emerged from the ring of blood red light. He immediately flipped away and out past the door.

With a flourish of his sword, Yang Wuji retreated as well.

Naturally, there was no way Yan Nanfei would let them off. Just as he was about to chase them out, he suddenly heard a frightened cry and a loud shout. “Catch!”

A human shadow flew towards him. Her hair disheveled and her face bloody, it was Zhuo Yuzhen.

Fortunately, although Yan Nanfei’s sword was quick, his eyes were even quicker. Just as his sword was about to pierce her, he pulled back at the last moment.

With a miserable cry, Zhuo Yuzhen fell against his body. At this moment, with a clanking sound, the steel door swung shut!

From behind the door, a series of clanging sounds could immediately be heard as all thirteen locks were once again locked. Aside from Gongsun Tu, no one else in the world could reopen this door.

Yan Nanfei stamped his feet. Not paying any attention to Zhuo Yuzhen, who was leaning against him, he turned around and immediately charged out from the hole in the wall.

“You take care of Miss Zhuo. I will come back and meet you with Gongsun Tu’s head!”

Fu Hongxue’s sabre had already left his scabbard. What misgivings might he have?

Now, the only thing he wanted to do was kill a person!

Kill a person who killed other persons!

TWO

The tip of his sabre was still dripping with blood.

Zhao Ping had fallen beneath his sabre. Zhuo Yuzhen had fallen by his side. All she needed to do was to lift her head, and she would see blood dripping from that blade.

Blood dripped onto the stone floor, then splattered, breaking apart into a bloody mist.