Mayfly (4)
Another wave of energy surged and rolled. Without the Qing Ku qin to block it, Yun Guyan and Yun Changliu, father and son, finally met palm to palm, each exerting their power.
This had completely become a contest of internal energy. Only the sound of roaring could be heard as a terrifying whirlwind formed within Yanyun Palace with the two figures in black and white at its center. The shattered remnants of the wooden qin were swept up, rubbing against the air and emitting faint, sharp whistling sounds.
The stalemate lasted only a moment before Yun Changliu began to feel the strain. After all, Yun Guyan’s cultivation was much stronger than his. Being forced into this kind of head-on clash was already thoroughly disadvantageous for him.
A bead of cold sweat slid down Yun Changliu’s elegantly lined jaw. The floor beneath his feet cracked with soft sounds as he was continuously pushed back by his father’s pressure.
“Liu’er,” Yun Guyan’s lips curved upward, his gaze profound, “Understanding when to concede defeat is also great wisdom. Do you think this match still has any need to continue?”
Yun Changliu ignored his father’s words, only continuing to increase his internal energy output. However, the old Sect Leader seemed to be doing it deliberately—for every increment of force he added, he could feel the other side pushing back with double the power.
Seeing the clash of internal energy becoming increasingly intense, Guan Wujue could no longer watch and involuntarily stepped forward several paces.
Wen Huan was greatly alarmed and grabbed his wrist. “Protector, what are you doing?”
Guan Wujue, anxious and distressed, said urgently to Wen Huan, “Consuming internal energy like this, how can the Sect Leader withstand it!”
“Why are you so uncalm?” Wen Huan’s complexion was also poor, but he still held onto him. “The vortex from the internal energy collision has already formed. Right now, none of us can help. Rushing forward rashly will only result in injury from their energy forces.”
Guan Wujue stared fixedly at Yun Changliu without speaking. Naturally, he understood very clearly… Now that the two’s internal energies were entangled and fighting to this degree, it was absolutely impossible for an outsider to interrupt—unless that person’s internal energy was deeper than Yun Guyan and Yun Changliu’s combined. But what level of masters were these father and son? Not to mention that Guan Wujue couldn’t do it, even searching the entire jianghu, one likely couldn’t find a master of that caliber!
However, before Guan Wujue could do anything, Yun Changliu panicked first. Though all his concentration was currently devoted to resisting his father’s internal energy, he wasn’t so far gone that he couldn’t hear the sounds behind him, and his heart immediately tightened.
—He understood Wujue’s temperament. When the Protector acted impulsively, there was no crazy thing he wouldn’t do… But in the current situation, he was caught in a dilemma and couldn’t disengage. If something really happened to Wujue, he wouldn’t be able to save him even if he wanted to!
“Wujue, stand back!” Yun Changliu forced out the words, but because he had released this breath, he was pushed back several more steps by Yun Guyan. His voice grew colder, but his heart grew more anxious. “This is an order. This lord commands you to retreat!”
“Sect Leader…” Guan Wujue called out in distress. He had originally wanted to urge Yun Changliu to give up, but he knew clearly that saying so would be useless.
Yun Changliu was both anxious and angry. Why did this person always refuse to listen at times like this? Had he really figured out that right now he couldn’t bear to truly punish him?
Across from him, Yun Guyan suddenly laughed. “Oh my, Liu’er still has the leisure to let his mind wander?”
—This is bad!
When Yun Changliu realized his thoughts had loosened, he knew something was wrong. Sure enough, immediately after, he felt the pressure transmitted through his palms increase exponentially.
The enormous pushing force caused his feet to involuntarily slide backward again. And the speed was getting faster and faster!
Yun Changliu fiercely clenched his teeth, his gaze suddenly freezing.
—No, I can’t retreat any further!
Wujue was right behind him. If this continued, the clashing energy forces would definitely affect him…
This person’s body was already severely damaged—how could he withstand new injuries!
Almost at the same moment this thought flashed through his mind, the scene from that day on the cliff of Guan Wujue collapsing covered in blood rushed into his mind. The terror from that time awakened again in every inch of bone and blood, and in just an instant, it swept through his entire body with sharp, painful tremors.
In that split second, a blank whiteness flashed through Yun Changliu’s mind. In his desperation, he almost unthinkingly drained the internal energy from his dantian, unleashing it all at a single point without reservation!
BOOM!!
A thunderous roar shook throughout Yanyun Palace. Immediately, a whirlwind howled violently upward. Yun Guyan’s desk was overturned with a crash, and even Wen Huan and Guan Wujue to the side were forced to retreat repeatedly.
However, the terrifying fierce wind stopped in the blink of an eye.
The swept-up remnants of the Qing Ku qin had already been ground into countless fine wood splinters that rustled down to the ground.
Yun Changliu hung his head, breathing raggedly. He only felt his internal energy surging uncontrollably through his meridians, his entire body waves of weakness.
His vision blurred for a moment, and even standing was difficult. With great effort, he recovered from this bout, and his vision and consciousness slowly cleared. Only then did he realize in a daze that there was no longer any resistance against his palms.
Yun Guyan’s palm had already separated from his. The old Sect Leader’s face showed a trace of surprise, as if he hadn’t expected his eldest son to actually be able to force him back at the last moment.
This move was over.
And the tip of Yun Changliu’s back foot was precisely on the line Yun Guyan had drawn.
Twenty moves had passed, without crossing the line.
This round, he had won.
Yun Changliu suddenly felt relieved, but his expression remained impassive as he raised his hand to wipe away a trace of blood that seeped from the corner of his lips, saying calmly. “Thank you, Father, for holding back. I’ve won. The person belongs to me.”
With that, he flicked his sleeves and turned, slowly walking toward the Protector.
Guan Wujue was also stunned, watching the Sect Leader walk toward him step by step, momentarily not knowing what to do. Perhaps some wire had crossed in his mind, or perhaps it was because he felt guilty, but the Protector was dazed for a moment or two, then slowly knelt down.
“You…” Yun Changliu had originally wanted to scold him angrily for a few sentences, but seeing him like this, he softened as usual. His elegant brows softened slightly. “What’s this all about? If you want to apologize, it’s not too late to do so when we return. Get up quickly. Were you injured just now?”
Yun Guyan suddenly said in a low voice, “Stop.”
Yun Changliu frowned and turned back. “Father, Liu’er has already won.”
Yun Guyan stared at his eldest son with a dark expression for a long time, as if finally making a decision at a certain moment. The old Sect Leader suddenly raised his hand, and a letter paper floated before Yun Changliu’s eyes, silently falling down.
Yun Changliu caught it with puzzlement.
He heard Yun Guyan say, “This lord won’t go back on his word, but before you take him away, you’d better look at this.”
Yun Changliu looked at his father uncomprehendingly, slowly unfolding the paper to look.
—The Sect Leader didn’t see that several steps behind him, the red-robed Protector’s pupils suddenly contracted, his face lifting in disbelief, his complexion turning deathly pale.
That paper was unmistakably the one Yun Guyan had held earlier to show Guan Wujue—Gu Jinxi’s secret letter.
As if something had suddenly drained away his strength, and as if struck by some irresistible pain, Guan Wujue’s entire body swayed, unable to even maintain his kneeling posture.
—Ah, the Sect Leader now knows.
Only this one sentence echoed in the chaos of his mind.
At this moment, Guan Wujue only felt it laughable. Only now did he understand why Yun Guyan had been so unhurried and leisurely all along, even having the mood to play this gambling game.
Heh, so the old Sect Leader had been waiting here to sell him out.
There were barely any words on that paper—one glance and everything was crystal clear: regarding the Four Directions Protector’s secret schemes and dealings, regarding Duanmu Lin, also known as Ah Ku, and the dead end he was about to rush toward, one matter after another, clear as day.
But even though it was such a simple, easy-to-understand secret letter, Yun Changliu remained silent the entire time. His dark eyes flickered slightly as he read it from beginning to end, then returned to read it again.
He read it over and over.
Yanyun Palace was completely silent, with only the sound of Yun Changliu lightly turning the paper.
Yun Guyan sneered, his voice like cold ice:
“Liu’er, didn’t you want to know what he was hiding from you? Look carefully at what your good Protector has done… Behind your back as Sect Leader, betraying your childhood benefactor and lover.”
“…” Yun Changliu remained silent, slowly closing the letter paper and carefully folding it up.
“Think again about a year ago—he secretly deployed the Yin Ghosts, burned Jiaoyang Palace, overstepped the Punishment Hall’s laws, killed your brother without reporting first. After Yuxi, a year later, he returned to the sect against orders again.”
The Sect Leader closed his eyes, his thin lips pressed into a line.
His hands wouldn’t stop trembling, crumpling the letter into a pitiful small ball.
“You let all of these things go, wanting to forgive him, keeping him in Yangxin Hall, cherishing and indulging him. But what was the result?”
Guan Wujue only wished he could die on the spot.
Dead, clean and pure. Dead, once and for all.
But at this moment, he only felt the sky and earth spinning, his lips trembling, unable to catch his breath. What Yun Guyan said was right, the secret letter was real—he couldn’t refute a single word.
He just couldn’t understand—could the old Sect Leader truly distrust him so much that he would rather cut off the path to Ye Ru than use such a cruel method to sever the Sect Leader’s affection for him?
“Guan Wujue is too dangerous. He has deceived you, defied you, schemed against you, used you… What is there that he can’t do!? How laughable that you’ve always believed the Four Directions Protector was loyal and devoted!”
Guan Wujue heard the Sect Leader sigh very, very softly.
It was so soft, yet it made his heart break completely, wishing he were dead.
“Right now, your Fengchun Sheng poison is at its most dangerous stage. You absolutely cannot keep such a traitor by your side. That’s why this lord must take him away!”
Yun Changliu suddenly turned around, his face showing neither grief nor joy.
He appeared extremely calm.
He said slowly, “Explain.”
Guan Wujue didn’t dare look at him, only bowing his head deeply in a posture of accepting guilt and punishment.
Explain?
He didn’t know whether to be grateful that the Sect Leader was still willing to hear his explanation at this time, but what was there for him to explain?
“Speak…” Yun Changliu’s voice was clearly struggling to restrain some emotion. “Why won’t you speak!”
He continued walking two more steps toward Guan Wujue, but his footsteps were abnormally unsteady.
The Sect Leader’s voice came out hoarse and trembling. “Why do you always…”
His words seemed like a sigh, but he couldn’t finish.
The next moment, Yun Changliu collapsed without warning, his body crashing straight onto the cold ground with a painful, muffled thud.
At the same moment he fell, Yun Changliu’s entire body shook and convulsed violently. In an instant, his long hair was soaked through. He finally couldn’t endure it anymore, and a suppressed scream tore from his throat!