Chapter 47 — The Scholar
劍問蒼天 · Page 6 of 6
Wan Rengui glanced at him and said slowly, "Might I ask, young Master Zhang, whether this treasure is two things joined into one?"
One of the secrets hidden deepest in Zhang Qingyue's heart had now been spoken aloud by this man. His shock was no small matter. He felt a buzzing in his head and could not find words.
Watching Zhang Qingyue's astonished face, Wan Rengui well understood that his guess had been right. He seemed to lower his head slightly, as though recalling something, and gave a faint sigh. "You did not know, did you? The bead on this staff was originally a holy relic of the demon cult."
Zhang Qingyue grew more and more alarmed, until he could scarcely breathe. Yet deep in his heart there was a voice that seemed to laugh coldly: You knew already, you knew already. This staff is so sinister — of course it is a demon-cult artifact.
"You — what did you say?" Zhang Qingyue gasped, staring at him, word by word.
"This bead is a relic of the demon cult's patriarch, the Blackheart Old Man, from eight hundred years ago." Wan Rengui's words drove in like nails, one by one, into the tip of Zhang Qingyue's heart. "Its name is the Blood-devouring Bead."
Zhang Qingyue was struck wholly dumb, holding his breath. Yet a thousand thoughts turned and turned again in his mind, and always one image would not be driven away: that skeleton in the secret cave in the belly of Mount Kongsang!
Wan Rengui watched his shocked face, paused a moment, then said calmly, "Young Master Zhang, now that you know the origin of this bead, I wonder whether you would also care to know the origin of this short black staff?"
Zhang Qingyue's body gave a great shudder. He could not speak, but only stared straight at Wan Rengui.