flstandardbreds Chapter 175 There is no free lunch in the world
Chapter 175 There is no free lunch in the world
"Master, how did your hand get injured? This... was it bitten by an undead? Sister Fei, come quickly and let my master take a look."
The maid's voice suddenly rose, filled with anxiety, drawing the attention of everyone, whether they were resting or whispering, to Bian Yuan.
Under the faint pearly light, it would be difficult to notice, without careful observation, a row of teeth marks with blood seeping out on the web of his right hand.
With a tug on the cuff, the exposed wound was immediately covered up again.
The aloof swordsman spoke in a chilling tone, shouting "Shut up!" He then closed his eyes tightly, adopting a meditative posture as if he did not want to be disturbed by anyone or anything.
The maid, who wanted to say something more, quickly covered her mouth, shrank her head, leaned against the rock wall, and obediently sat down.
Fei Xi glanced up, pretended not to hear, curled up, and closed her eyes.
After venting their emotions, the exhausted body and mind just want to rest and don't want to deal with anyone or anything anymore.
Just as her consciousness was about to sink into darkness, she suddenly felt a warmth on her body. When Fei Xi opened her eyes, the cloud-patterned brocade cloak, still warm, had been taken off by its owner and draped over her.
The owner of the cloak didn't speak, but gave Fei Xi a smile with his eyes, as if to tell her to continue sleeping.
The old man's eyes darted around, scanning everyone present from head to toe. When they finally landed on Fei Xi, he shook his head slightly and sighed.
Fei Xi didn't sleep well. In her dreams, one moment someone would be close to her, whispering flirtatious things in her ear; the next moment someone would grab her foot and wouldn't let go. No matter how she kicked away, this person would come back, looking at her with pitiful eyes as they knelt on the ground.
Startled awake, Fei Xi looked up to find herself in complete silence, so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Everyone else was asleep, except for the gaze fixed on her from across the room, which seemed to freeze time, cold and profound.
Fei Xi felt inexplicably uneasy under their gaze, as if she had been caught doing something shameful behind someone's back.
But in less than a second, she straightened her back and confidently dispelled the inexplicable sense of guilt.
As soon as she stood up, Tang Huaiyi beside her immediately opened his eyes. To avoid waking others, he lowered his voice and asked:
"Xiao Xi, what's wrong?"
"It's almost time to get ready to go out. I'll go wake up that Tianshan guy first."
After responding softly to Tang Huaiyi, Fei Xi walked past him as if he hadn't seen her. She stepped forward and gently patted him, instantly waking Shi Mo, who was half-embracing Lian Duhan, and he almost cried out.
"Shh, Sister Shimo, I'm going to help Young Hero Lian restore his five senses now. We're going out now, let the others get some more sleep, don't disturb them."
With her silver needles flying, even in poor lighting, Fei Xi's needles were precise and without the slightest hesitation.
Before the time it takes to drink a cup of tea has passed, the person on the ground moved their fingers first, then suddenly jumped up and reached for their side.
But there was no one beside him. Shi Mo, carrying his luggage and holding his sword, stepped forward with a worried expression and tugged at his sleeve.
"Brother Han, quickly pay your respects to the master."
Lian Duhan knelt down instinctively and called out, "Master."
Bian Yuan had already stood guard at the cave entrance when Fei Xi arrived. Seeing that the person was awake, his expression sharp and arrogant, he stepped forward, flicked his finger, and the sword Shi Mo was holding flew directly from its sheath, landing in front of Lian Duhan.
"The affairs of Tianshan must not be interfered with by outsiders; we must settle them ourselves."
"Master... Master, please spare Brother Han and give him a chance. He has been deceived..." Shi Mo was so frightened that his face turned pale. He knelt down on the ground almost as soon as Bian Yuan finished speaking, kowtowing and begging repeatedly.
"Don't beg him!" Lian Duhan shouted these three words with almost all his might, then, like a giant boulder weighing a thousand pounds, he lay on the ground, panting heavily.
"Master, I can atone with my death, why... why did you kill her? It was my own fault, she didn't provoke you!" The tough man choked up as he said the last sentence.
"Do I need to report to you who I kill?" Bian Yuan's cold voice revealed no emotion. He didn't look at the traitor lying on the ground, but instead stared intently at Fei Xi with an ambiguous gaze.
"...No...I dare not..."
Fei Xi, the real murderer, felt no remorse whatsoever for making others take the blame. Looking at the tough guy who had been gritting his teeth and uttering threats earlier, now behaving like a meek lamb in front of the real culprit, she tilted her head, looking at Lian Duhan with a puzzled expression.
"You guys are really strange. Is this betraying Tianshan or betraying Peak Master Bian? Young hero, if we're talking about betraying Tianshan, you've betrayed it a thousand times since you sold the Tianshan manuals, and I've never seen you repent. What's there to cry about? But why are you talking like you've let Peak Master Bian down? Could it be that you ran away from Tianshan and fooled around with other people, and that would be letting Peak Master Bian down?"
The information-packed statement successfully heightened the hatred levels of the three from Tianshan. Ignoring the angry glares directed at her, Fei Xi waved her hand dismissively and continued,
"I'm an outsider, and I don't understand your Tianshan's standards for judging traitors. I just want to say, do you still want to leave? More people mean more strength. How do you Tianshan plan to deal with traitors? Can't you wait until we leave to make a decision? Also, there needs to be an explanation for kidnapping me here, for injuring my junior brother, and for the medical bills you owe me."
While everyone was enjoying the gossip, the thought that "there's no such thing as a free lunch" arose in their minds.
"Sister Fei, please don't..." Shi Mo never expected that this despicable woman who dared to publicly slander and berate their Tianshan sect would actually be treating them for free.
Besides, what's this about owing money? When have they ever owed anyone money?
"Shut up!" To stop the little maid's foolish behavior, Bian Yuan ignored Fei Xi's unreasonable nagging and directly asked Lian Duhan in a cold voice:
"Who gave you permission to arrest her?"
The chilling murderous aura made even Du Han break out in a cold sweat. After carefully considering his words for a moment, he finally answered truthfully:
"...It was Qiu Shuying. Qiu Shuying found me and said that if I could help her capture someone, she would tell me how to lure you here, Master."
"Why did Qiu Shuying arrest her? Explain yourself!"
"I don't know, but I guess it's because after her death, Qiu Shuying, who dared not leave the Peach Blossom Sect, gradually lost control of 'Cloud Top'. Not long ago, the assassination attempt on Emperor Hua's birthday occurred."
"Emperor Hua ordered the destruction of 'Cloud Peak,' and Qiu Shuying, the current owner of Cloud Peak, naturally became a wanted criminal of the court. Furthermore, the fact that the ship leaked the secret techniques of various martial arts sects made Qiu Shuying an unforgivable sinner in the entire martial arts world. This Miss Fei is said to be able to modify the secret manuals of various sects, and she was even personally bestowed the title of Princess by Emperor Hua in gratitude for saving her life. I suspect that Qiu Shuying wants to use Miss Fei as a shield."
"You asked for trouble." With those four words, which no one knew who he was cursing, Bian Yuan turned and walked into the passageway alone without looking back.
"After the passage is opened, don't touch my stones!"
After shouting those words, Fei Xi turned around and, regardless of the feelings of the two Tianshan people left behind, began to explain how to get out of the naturally formed "Thousand-Layer Stone Shadow Array".