Chapter 29 — The Final Four
The Sword Questions the Heavens · Page 5 of 6
Cangyan Daoren nodded, turned to the crowd, and announced in a ringing voice: "In tomorrow's bouts, Qi Hao of Long Peak will face Zeng Shuyan of Fenghui Peak; Lu Xueqi of Xiaozhu Peak will face Zhang Qingyue of Dazhu Peak."
Cangyan was still speaking, and every eye below had fixed on him. Only now did Zhang Qingyue breathe a sigh of relief; under the countless stares just now he had scarcely been able to draw breath.
"Why are you sweating so much?" Suddenly, Zeng...
Zhang Qingyue started. Ever since his unexpected victory over Peng Chang the day before, Zeng Shuyan had been cold toward him before others; he had not expected him to speak first. Though they had known each other only three days, Zhang Qingyue already counted him among his good friends.
He stole a glance at Zeng Shuyan, and saw him standing primly at his side, eyes front, smiling at the crowd below, as though he had not spoken at all.
"Idiot, don't turn your head." Zeng Shuyan's expression did not change in the least; only his lips moved. "Isn't it enough that I got half-killed by my father's scolding because of you?"
Filled with remorse, Zhang Qingyue quickly shifted his eyes away and lowered his voice as well: "I'm sorry. At the time—at the time—ah. Senior Brother Peng, is he all right?"
"Senior Brother Peng was badly hurt, but there's no danger in it; a few days' rest will mend him. Otherwise do you think I'd let you off? Still, I never imagined you were one to keep your light so well hidden."
"That's not it—ah, I don't even know what happened then. Most likely Senior Brother Peng was being generous with me, and I got carried away for a moment and—"
"I asked Senior Brother Peng. He lost, but he had much good to say of you; he said he used his full strength and gave you no quarter, so you needn't brood over it."
Zhang Qingyue was startled again, then said: "Then that business of your father scolding you—"
"Hmph. It was nothing but those fools around Senior Brother Gao and their loose tongues; they told the whole story of how I once pleaded with Senior Brother Peng on your behalf. Senior Brother Peng spoke up for me, but I still got an earful from my father—otherwise I wouldn't have had to put on that face toward you in public."
"Shushu, I really am sorry."
"A trifle, not worth mentioning. I'm used to being scolded by him since I was small, anyway. But you, boy—your luck is truly—well, you'd best watch yourself. In the next bout, against that frost beauty of Xiaozhu Peak, mind you don't lose your head to a single stroke of Tianxuan!"
Zhang Qingyue's face fell, and he said in a low voice: "I know. If only I were matched against you—" He broke off halfway, for both he and Zeng Shuyan felt a sudden chill and could not help looking to the side, where Lu Xueqi, standing nearby, had at some point fixed her ice-cold eyes upon the two of them.
Zhang Qingyue fell instantly mute as a winter cicada; Zeng Shuyan too drew a sharp breath. Neither dared speak further; both put on the manner of attentive listeners and attended to Cangyan Daoren's admonitions from the platform.
At last Cangyan Daoren finished, and the assembly dispersed to prepare for the morrow, when the contest would only grow fiercer. Zhang Qingyue and Zeng Shuyan came down from the platform still feeling a chill at their backs, and clicked their tongues inwardly: whether or not this Lu Xueqi hailed from the far northern ice plains, a single look from her froze a man to the heart.
He meant to take his leave of Zeng—turned to look at him—and found that Zeng Shuyan had suddenly set his face hard, was regarding him with utter contempt, and with a great disdainful "Hmph!" tossed his head and walked off proud and aloof. Not far away, surrounded by a cluster of Fenghui Peak disciples, his father stood watching them.