WJ Chapter 31

Beating the Drums (3)

As soon as this middle-aged man with slender eyebrows and narrow eyes emerged from the crowd, Guan Wujue regretfully whispered to Yun Changliu, “It seems the Sect Leader’s luck is truly not good this time. This banquet is actually not being hosted by someone surnamed Duanmu… Wujue was originally thinking that if Duanmu Nanting came in person, we could intercept him directly when the banquet dispersed.”

It turned out this middle-aged man was not a member of the Duanmu clan. This person was surnamed Gu, named Jinxi, and was the younger brother of Family Head Duanmu Nanting’s legitimate wife Gu Duanxi—Duanmu Nanting’s brother-in-law.

Speaking of Gu Jinxi, there was quite an interesting tale from the jianghu. In his youth, he had risen to his position through his sister’s influence, attracting many unpleasant rumors. However, though Gu Jinxi did not share the Duanmu family bloodline, he had a clever and perceptive mind with considerable strategic ability, earning him great favor from Duanmu Nanting.

As the current Manor Lord of Wanci Manor and head of the Duanmu family, Duanmu Nanting had a rigid and serious personality. With advancing age, he had become increasingly stern and unsmiling, even earning the unflattering nickname “Old Black Wood Face” throughout the jianghu.

What he most detested in life was flattery and false smiles. Whenever there were tasks requiring him to lower his dignity and mingle among various jianghu guests, he would delegate them to this smooth-talking brother-in-law, which could be considered making the best use of available talent.

Through such accumulated years, Gu Jinxi’s position in Wanci Manor had steadily risen. And as time passed, Gu Duanxi’s youth faded and her appearance aged. With her rather poor temper, she gradually fell out of Duanmu Nanting’s favor. Now it was actually the younger brother supporting the elder sister more often…

At this moment, Yun and Guan were seated in an inconspicuous corner of the lower seats, with no one nearby.

Seeing it was Gu Jinxi who came to preside, Guan Wujue’s interest immediately vanished, and he sullenly began pouring and drinking wine by himself. In contrast, Yun Changliu was still properly listening to Gu Jinxi’s customary pleasantries without showing any impatience.

As for pleasantries, they were nothing more than first praising the assembled heroes for their righteousness and chivalrous spirit, showering random flattery; then speaking of how deep Wanci Manor’s foundation was, how they had always saved lives and healed the sick with noble medical virtue since ancient times, heaping praise on themselves; finally concluding that Wanci Manor was so honored to have all these heroes gathered together, and now in these troubled times, they hoped everyone would lend their full assistance, for which the Manor would be eternally grateful…

Protector Guan had seen such scenes countless times. As soon as Gu Jinxi began, he knew the wisest course of action was to treat all these words as wind passing by his ears.

However, seeing that Yun Changliu was actually listening to such drivel, he felt extremely uncomfortable… With the Sect Leader’s level, no matter how carefully he listened, he would never learn Gu Jinxi’s methods in this lifetime.

The Protector drifted in thought while drinking, contemplating what to do next and whether there was any possibility of making progress through Gu Jinxi.

Suddenly, two slender fingers reached out from beside him, lightly pressing on the rim of his wine cup, stopping Guan Wujue’s movement. Yun Changliu didn’t speak, only calmly indicating with his gaze.

Following where the Sect Leader pointed, Guan Wujue looked toward the front seats, and his heart couldn’t help but be secretly startled.

The person who had just taken the seat of honor was an old man with white hair and beard, wearing a wide-sleeved purple robe over a lean and wiry frame. The old man’s withered hand gripped a slender dragon-headed walking stick, his gaze sharp as a blade, naturally commanding respect without anger—this was none other than the current Hall Master of Yulin Hall, the father of Madam Lin Wanxia, Lin Wuyue himself.

Years ago, it was he who had insisted against all opposition on marrying his youngest daughter into the Zhuyin Sect. By seniority, Yun Changliu should even call him grandfather—provided that Sect Leader Yun was willing to acknowledge Lady Lin as his nominal mother.

However, in reality, Yun Changliu had only ever addressed Lin Wanxia with an indifferent “Madam.” This address of “grandfather” was even more impossible to utter.

Guan Wujue’s expression suddenly darkened… With Lin Wuyue’s status, why would he personally attend such an appointment?

However, the next moment, his gaze immediately froze again on the second seat at the front—ha, another important figure!

Yu Kun, the eldest son of the current Fort Lord of Yu Family Fort. Having studied literature and practiced martial arts since childhood, he was the undisputed second-in-command of Yu Family Fort and the designated successor.

Core figures from the three great martial arts families had actually gathered together at such a banquet…!

Guan Wujue closed his eyes and silently exhaled.

With just a moment’s thought, he understood. Currently, the jianghu was at a turning point between old and new powers. The three great families were gradually showing signs of decline, while new forces represented by the Zhuyin Sect were on the rise.

And at such a time, when Wanci Manor—the first among the three great martial arts families—had a conflict with the Zhuyin Sect, naturally the other two families couldn’t sit still.

Over there, Gu Jinxi’s pleasantries finally came to an end, just getting to the main point: “To speak frankly, we have invited all you heroes here today for a family scandal from eighteen years ago…”

“Young Master,” Guan Wujue opened his eyes and said softly, “The situation has changed. This trip isn’t looking good. You should leave first.”

Yun Changliu raised his hand to stop him, his voice calm. “Precisely because there’s been a change, I cannot leave.”

With the three great martial arts families gathered together on a matter concerning the Zhuyin Sect, who knew how many treacherous changes would occur throughout this banquet. Running into them was a heaven-sent opportunity—how could they retreat now?

The Sect Leader’s gaze turned forward. Gu Jinxi was pacing about, shaking his head while sighing deeply. “Eighteen years ago, our Wanci Manor’s Young Master Lin fell from a cliff while admiring snow in the mountains during early winter, meeting with disaster, his life or death unknown. The Family Head, believing his youngest son had died young, grieved for many years…”

Guan Wujue urged. “Young Master cannot stay, it’s too easy to be exposed. You leave first, Wujue will stay behind to observe the situation…”

Yun Changliu shook his head. “At this moment, even exposure is worthwhile.”

Guan Wujue paused, asking in a low voice, “Young Master wants to take the opportunity to disrupt their plans?”

Just then, Gu Jinxi’s tone at the front shifted abruptly from sorrow to indignation:

“However, just last month, the Manor received guidance from a mysterious master, and we discovered this matter actually held strange secrets! After investigating for many days, we learned that what happened back then… was not a natural disaster, but a man-made calamity!”

Yun Changliu didn’t answer Guan Wujue’s question.

He imperceptibly furrowed his brow, his long lashes concealing the ceaselessly churning undercurrents in his eyes.

“The disaster was false, the death was false. Young Master Lin actually fell into the hands of the Zhuyin Sect of Mount Shenlie… According to information, the young master was still languishing among the Zhuyin Sect’s branch halls a year ago…”

Gu Jinxi’s voice began to sound distant and near alternately.

Yun Changliu began thinking about his own death again.

Fengchun Sheng had left him little time. If in the future Lin Wanxia truly could successfully seize power by controlling Yun Chanjuan, then Yulin Hall would maintain its prosperity for at least another hundred years.

At a time when such ancient families were declining, it might even use this opportunity to dominate the jianghu from then on.

His own life and death were connected to the power of the Zhuyin Sect, and changes in the Zhuyin Sect’s power would affect the balance of forces throughout the entire jianghu…

In such a situation where one move affected the entire situation, the young Sect Leader of the Zhuyin Sect didn’t know how many people in the world hoped he would live, and how many hoped he would die.

But one thing was certain: Yulin Hall’s dominance was definitely something Wanci Manor did not want to see. And this layer of conflict of interests was also Yun Changliu’s final trump card in agreeing to come south with Guan Wujue to try their luck.

How laughable—this time he actually had to play the scoundrel, using the poison that had tormented him for years as leverage for this southern journey to seek medicine, threatening his enemies with his own life.

At this moment, Yun Changliu’s heart was filled with mixed emotions. Once again he felt an immense and heavy darkness pressing down with overwhelming force.

Before walking out of this darkness, even his own life and death were not his own.

….

“To this day, Young Master Lin may have been wandering outside for a full eighteen years. That child has been without father or mother, alone and helpless, suffering humiliation day and night with nowhere to escape…”

At some point, Gu Jinxi’s lengthy discourse had reached its conclusion.

He appropriately put on a sorrowful and compassionate expression, even showing moisture at the corners of his eyes as he choked up. “Just thinking of this, Gu’s heart feels like it’s being cut by knives, my tears soaking my clothes… That was the child Gu held in his arms eighteen years ago!”

At the lower seats, the corner of Guan Wujue’s lips curved into a mocking arc as he twirled an empty wine cup between his fingers and murmured, “What an act… Duanmu Lin was Duanmu Nanting’s illegitimate son, not born of Gu Duanxi. As if Gu Jinxi would genuinely worry about him.”

However, Yun Changliu keenly noticed another point. He turned and asked the Protector softly, “This Young Master Lin was in our sect’s branch hall a year ago?”

“Not very likely. That child should have died long ago.” Guan Wujue shrugged, looking back at the Sect Leader quite innocently. “The Zhuyin Sect has thirteen branch halls. Each branch hall receives dozens of medicine people every year. How could we verify everyone’s identity one by one? Who knows where they got this false information from…”

Yun Changliu asked again, “What do you make of this mysterious master who exposed this matter?”

He didn’t care whether they were mysterious or not, as long as there wasn’t a traitor within the sect.

Guan Wujue shook his head and sighed. “This I truly cannot guess. What happened back then, logically speaking, not many people should know… Perhaps only the old Sect Leader would have some clues.”

The two’s whispered conversation ended there, and both turned their attention back to the front again. They saw Gu Jinxi holding up his wine cup, gesturing to both sides, and calling out loudly:

“Our Manor Lord misses his son desperately. This time, Wanci Manor will not pursue vengeance, only repay kindness. Whichever hero can bring news of Young Master Lin and help our Manor Lord find his beloved son, Wanci Manor will surely reward handsomely.”

“Gu will first toast all you heroes with this cup.”

With that, Gu Jinxi tilted back his neck and drained his cup in one gulp.

Immediately, a chorus of agreement and exclamations arose all around, with impassioned heroes standing up one after another, speaking over each other.

“For Hero Gu and Manor Lord Duanmu, we drain this cup!”

“The Zhuyin Sect committing such vile deeds is intolerable by heaven’s law. Hero Gu, rest assured, I, Feng Mao of the Flying Swallow Blade, will certainly assist with all my strength!”

“The Celestial Pivot Sword Alliance is willing to dedicate full effort to help the Manor Lord find the young master…”

“We of the Thunderfire Sect also…”

For a moment, the sounds of clinking wine bowls mixed with clamor. Gu Jinxi smiled broadly, repeatedly expressing thanks, the atmosphere heated.

However, just then, an aged voice penetrated layers of sound waves, echoing with absolute clarity in the ears of everyone present.

“Not pursue vengeance, only repay kindness?”

“——Hah, this old man finds that hilarious!”

A dull thud.

The dragon-headed walking stick struck heavily against the ground, its end silently embedding several inches deep into the hard stone slabs. It looked exactly like chopsticks being inserted into a soft block of tofu.

The purple-robed old man in the seat of honor, under everyone’s astonished gazes, stood up tremblingly while leaning on his walking stick.

Lin Wuyue laughed coldly, squinting his murky old eyes. “Hero Gu, you’ve been crying and wailing for quite some time now. But as the old saying goes… grievances have their perpetrators, debts have their debtors.”

“Right now, the perpetrator of the grievance and the debtor is right under your nose! What, does the great Wanci Manor not even dare to let out a fart?”

With a sharp sound, the old Hall Master of Yulin Hall’s withered hand, thin as a chicken’s claw, lightly lifted, effortlessly pulling the dragon-headed walking stick from the stone slab, causing gasps all around.

Lin Wuyue snorted coldly. The next moment, his walking stick suddenly whipped up a forceful wind as it turned in a large circle, changing from vertical to horizontal in the old man’s hand.

The dragon’s mouth at the head of the stick, agape in fury, pointed directly toward an utterly inconspicuous corner of the lower seats——