WJ Chapter 33

Beating the Drums (5)

In the blink of an eye, several disciples stepped along the formation’s pattern and lunged forward to attack.

Guan Wujue had anticipated that Gu Jinxi would ultimately order an attack. He had just kicked over the long table precisely to prevent being hindered by the table in front and chairs behind when combat suddenly broke out between him and the Sect Leader. Now seeing enemies charging with raised swords, Guan Wujue neither dodged nor evaded, but held his long sword horizontally and pressed it straight forward. Hearing several clanging sounds of blades clashing, several swords struck successively against the body of Daiyue.

The Protector only felt his hands grow heavy. Yet he showed no fear, merely channeling his vast internal energy into the blade. Daiyue let out a clear, resonant ring, forcing those several disciples to stagger back several steps.

Guan Wujue sneered coldly, “The Eight Meridians Sword Formation is nothing special.”

Without allowing even a moment’s respite, Guan Wujue gave his sword a light shake and switched to offense as defense, charging straight toward the center of the sword formation with bold, sweeping movements!

“Ahhh!!”

Almost simultaneously, a scream came from behind.

A manor disciple wielding a sword attempted to stab Yun Changliu, but the Sect Leader lightly and deftly intercepted his wrist. Yun Changliu’s expression remained indifferent as he applied force with his fingers. With a crack, the disciple’s wrist bone was immediately dislocated and his sword fell from his grasp!

Yun Changliu reached out and seized the weapon, casually flourishing it before blocking a sword attacking from the side with a clear ring.

His gaze swept backward, knowing that Guan Wujue intended to attack forcefully. His feet touched the ground lightly, and his snow-white robes billowed as he retreated. With an elegant sweep of his long sword, he intercepted one by one the weapons aimed at the opening behind Guan Wujue’s back.

In that split second, the two men’s gazes met in wordless understanding.

Guan Wujue seemed to gain confidence, his lips curling slightly as his sword techniques and movements became even bolder. He had completely abandoned defense, his entire body now full of openings—yet Yun Changliu protected him from behind without the slightest gap. Not only could sword blades not approach his body, even the slightest sword qi couldn’t penetrate!

The two moved as if they shared one mind. Regardless of how sword qi crisscrossed around them, when one advanced the other retreated, always maintaining a back-to-back posture. Even the Eight Meridians Sword Formation could do nothing against them.

The hundred or so people present had long since been stunned into silence.

Wanci Manor’s Eight Meridians Sword Formation was already rare to witness, but what was even more rare was the scene before their eyes—could there truly exist such a pair in this world who could break the legendary Eight Meridians Sword Formation with only their combined strength!?

Gu Jinxi’s expression grew increasingly ugly.

This wasn’t at all what he had anticipated…

Beside Gu Jinxi, Lin Wuyue’s face was dark as water, his withered palm stroking his dragon-head cane, his eyes flickering uncertainly.

Yulin Hall had always been renowned in the jianghu for hidden weapons, mechanisms, and lightness skills. Lin Wuyue’s dragon-head cane concealed mysteries within—it held no fewer than five different types of hidden weapons, located in the pair of dragon horns, the pair of dragon eyes, and inside the dragon’s mouth. When unleashed, they were completely undetectable, taking lives from the shadows.

At this moment, Lin Wuyue stared coldly at Yun Changliu’s white-robed, sword-wielding figure and suddenly gripped his dragon-head cane tightly.

If he gambled now and struck while taking advantage of the chaos…

Not many knew that Yun Changliu had been poisoned with Fengchun Sheng, but Lin Wuyue was one of them. Though the old master of the Lin family was already aged, his eye remained as vicious as in his youth.

He knew that Yun Changliu’s internal energy was profound, and ordinary hidden weapons, even if they truly struck home, would find it difficult to kill him. However, now was different. With Yun Changliu poisoned by Fengchun Sheng, perhaps just one small injury could trigger the poison’s outbreak.

—If Yun Changliu were to die from the poison at this moment, the Zhuyin Sect would only be inherited by the naive Yun Chanjuan, and Lin Wanxia would have the opportunity to seize power by controlling the daughter.

The century-long fate of Yulin Hall’s prosperity or decline might hinge on his single decision at this moment!

However, just as Lin Wuyue hesitated internally, he suddenly sensed an extremely subtle yet extremely dangerous killing intent that made his spine suddenly turn cold.

What person dared to pressure him with killing intent!?

Lin Wuyue looked up in both shock and anger, and met a pair of pitch-black, ice-cold eyes.

—It was actually Guan Wujue.

The red-robed Protector held his long sword with sharp intensity, his calm gaze passing through the chaotic figures in the sword formation, through the crowd at the banquet who had long since been stunned, and landing on Yulin Hall’s old hall master.

He had calmly entrusted every inch of his surroundings’ defense to his Sect Leader, yet remained alert in one direction. And in that direction was neither the disciples executing the Eight Meridians Sword Formation nor Gu Jinxi who had given the order—but Lin Wuyue sitting far away at the head seat.

“Old Hall Master Lin.”

A low, hoarse male voice suddenly rang out.

Yu Kun, the young Fort Lord of Yu Family Fort dressed in a black long robe, walked to Lin Wuyue’s side with his arms crossed, seemingly casually blocking the dragon head aimed at Yun Changliu.

“Look at that—these young people nowadays are truly remarkable… Just take these two from the Zhuyin Sect, their future prospects are limitless…”

Yu Kun narrowed his eyes and said with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes, “The Yangtze River’s waves behind push the waves ahead—wouldn’t you say that’s the principle, old sir?”

“…” Lin Wuyue finally withdrew his gaze.

…The other side was already on guard, and Yu Kun was watching here. The chance of success was less than thirty percent.

Under such circumstances, Old Hall Master Lin could only suppress the restlessness in his heart and glanced coldly at Yu Kun. “Young Lord Yu speaks truly.”

Guan Wujue…

The old man turned around leaning on his dragon-head cane, silently repeating that name in his heart once more.

The Four Directions Protector of the Zhuyin Sect, second only to one and above ten thousand, the sharpest blade in Yun Changliu’s hand.

An obstacle to Yulin Hall, and also… the murderer who killed his own grandson Yun Danjing.

Lin Wuyue narrowed his eyes.

…..

Just then, a sudden cry of alarm rang out from the field.

Under the seamless coordination of Yun Changliu and Guan Wujue, the Eight Meridians Sword Formation finally showed its first gap.

One disciple’s footwork faltered, and he staggered back a step.

How could Guan Wujue let such a golden opportunity slip by? His red robes danced wildly as his lightness skill carried him swiftly forward. The Daiyue long sword traced a line of shimmering, water-like cold light, its tip pointed directly at that disciple.

This strike was flat and straight, steady and precise.

Without any flourish, it pushed the single word “swift” to its extreme, making it impossible for anyone in the sword formation to rescue in time.

It looked as though blood would be spilled at the banquet!

Gu Jinxi’s eyes turned red with urgency as he roared, “Stop!!”

However, no one expected that at this critical moment, Guan Wujue suddenly reversed the sword in his hand, pressing the blade against his forearm and striking out with the pommel forward and the tip pointing backward.

Thud!

That strike that should have directly shaved off half the manor disciple’s scalp ultimately only had the pommel strike the temple acupoint, knocking the person unconscious.

This move shocked everyone present!

—In a disadvantageous position, facing many with few, yet still unwilling to take a life.

If what Guan Wujue had said earlier was just empty words, that non-lethal strike just now had truly occurred before everyone’s eyes.

This made the crowd wonder—could it be that the two from the Zhuyin Sect had truly come with sincere intentions to help Wanci Manor? Could it really be that Gu Jinxi was being aggressive and unreasonable?

Just as some were unable to restrain themselves from speaking out, another change occurred!

A loud shout came from the garden gate:

“Disciples of Wanci Manor, all of you stand down!”

As soon as this voice rang out, Gu Jinxi’s expression changed. The Wanci Manor disciples in the Eight Meridians Sword Formation, hearing this, withdrew their swords without the slightest hesitation and retreated a great distance with a whoosh.

A middle-aged man in a dark cyan long robe quickly walked into the peach garden that had already descended into chaos.

This cyan-robed middle-aged man had upright and handsome features, with sharp eyes and brows. One could still vaguely see that in his youth he must have been a handsome young gentleman. However, there was a melancholic air between his brows, making his entire person appear rigid and solemn, with a somewhat bitter and hateful appearance that made outsiders hesitant to provoke him lightly.

At this moment, the middle-aged man’s brows were deeply furrowed as he said in a low voice, “Visitors are guests… I said that this time Wanci Manor would not pursue vengeance, only repay kindness. How have you forgotten this, Jinxi?”

This middle-aged man with a stern face and lifeless air was the current Manor Lord of Wanci Manor, Duanmu Nanting.

“Manor Lord Duanmu.” Yun Changliu elegantly flourished the sword in his hand and held it pointing downward, bowing to Duanmu Nanting. “Coming uninvited, I have been discourteous.”

Guan Wujue sheathed the Daiyue sword and likewise bowed.

Duanmu Nanting took two more steps forward, cupping his hands and bowing. “Sect Leader Yun is too kind. This time it was our manor that was reckless.”

He then turned to cup his hands toward everyone around, sighing, “I have alarmed all the heroes present, which is truly unforgivable. Please, serve some fresh wine to calm everyone’s nerves.”

In just a few words, though not elaborate, they were sincere.

Servants from Wanci Manor came forward to clear away the shattered bowls and dishes and right the tables and chairs. More than ten maidservants filed in, serving good wine and dishes anew.

The tense atmosphere seemed to ease in an instant. The laughter and conversation that had been absent for so long gradually returned to the seats once more.

However, out of consideration for Wanci Manor’s dignity, few people dared to openly discuss what had just occurred. There was inevitably some deliberate awkwardness in their words.

Yun Changliu also led Guan Wujue to sit down in their original seats. The Protector took the opportunity to move closer to the Sect Leader, asking in a low voice, “Are you all right?”

Yun Changliu turned his head away coolly. “You’re the one who charged forward recklessly without regard, yet you’re asking if I’m all right?”

Thinking back to earlier, the Sect Leader complained with some displeasure, “…Where is there anyone who fights like you? Next time I won’t indulge you anymore.”

“Isn’t it because you’re here?” Guan Wujue laughed. “Wasn’t it you who insisted on running out with Wujue and said you would protect me… Wasn’t that giving you the opportunity to protect me?”

Yun Changliu shot him a glare.

The two exchanged a few more inconsequential words. A young Wanci Manor disciple came down from the head seats and respectfully bowed to Yun and Guan, then gestured with one hand toward the head seats. “Honored guests, our master invites you both to take the seats of honor.”

Yun Changliu and Guan Wujue suddenly looked at each other.

Their thoughts flowed in silence. Without need for words, they understood each other’s meaning.

Yun Changliu shook his head. “Manor Lord Duanmu is thoughtful, but there’s no need to trouble yourselves. Here is fine.”

“But… but how can this be acceptable?” The disciple looked troubled. “You two are of noble status, and our manor has already offended you both earlier. How can we be remiss in our hospitality again…”

Guan Wujue waved his hand with a smile. “It doesn’t matter. Our Sect Leader prefers secluded and quiet places. This time when leaving the sect, he also concealed his name and identity without any fanfare. If the Sect Leader says he finds this seat good, then he truly finds it good. Just report this to your manor lord.”

“But…”

The disciple still wanted to persuade them further. However, Guan Wujue paid him no more attention, instead rising to take a wine pot from the table and attentively pouring wine for the Sect Leader.

The pleasant sound of water accompanied the clear wine liquid falling into the cup. Guan Wujue pushed it toward Yun Changliu with a smile. “Wanci Manor’s Golden Apricot Fen Wine is very famous. Sect Leader, please try it…”

Yun Changliu stated decisively, “I don’t drink alcohol.”

Guan Wujue sighed with considerable regret, then turned to serve Yun Changliu food instead. “Then do you like this? Wujue has tried this dish before.”

The two exchanged words back and forth, acting as if no one else was present, making it impossible for the disciple beside them to get a word in. Awkwardly sweating, after standing there for quite a while, he could only turn back to consult with Duanmu Nanting.

As soon as the disciple’s figure disappeared, Guan Wujue stopped making a fuss.

He tossed down his chopsticks and sat back beside Yun Changliu. Taking a sip of the small cup of wine that the Sect Leader had just refused, he lowered his voice and said to the person beside him, “Sect Leader….have you noticed anything amiss?”