Chapter 65 — The Past
劍問蒼天 · Page 5 of 6
Tian Buhui snorted, looked up at the sky, and gave a start: "Strange—how does the sky over the East Sea change so fast?"
Su Wan looked around, and her brows knit slightly as she answered: "Yes! It was bright just now, and in the blink of an eye dark clouds cover all." But she did not take it to heart, and turned to another matter: "Buyi, there is something I have never understood, from just now until this moment."
Tian Buhui looked at her and said: "What?"
Su Wan said: "If Xiaofan truly does know the Nether King and his daughter, as Xiao Yichen says, then by both feeling and reason he ought to have told Senior Brother Cangsong—he should be very clear on that. Yet he told you privately instead, and kept it from Senior Brother Cangsong. And in daily life he is hardly close to our Dazhu Peak. I keep feeling something is not quite right."
Tian Buhui was silent a moment, then said mildly: "This man is not simple."
Su Wan's brows knit slightly: "How so?"
Tian Buhui did not answer her directly. He mused for a moment, then said: "From what I know, our senior brother the sect master has devoted himself to cultivating the Dao these years, and has gradually stopped concerning himself with the affairs of the sect. The tedious daily matters are for the most part handed over to the elders, with Cangsong at their head." Here he paused, gave a cold laugh, and said: "Now there are those in the sect whispering among themselves that Cangsong is already the sect master who resides on Dragon Ridge Peak."
Su Wan's body gave a start. Worry showed on her face, and she tugged at Tian Buhui's sleeve, saying in a low voice: "Whatever you do, you must never say such things outside."
Tian Buhui nodded and said: "I understand well enough. Set your mind at ease."
That said, he mused a while, then spoke again: "You know as well as I do that in the two thousand years of our Canglan Sect, and especially since Patriarch Qingye founded the Seven Veins of Qingyun, the seat of sect master has always passed to a disciple of the eldest branch on Jietian Peak. But now..."
Su Wan smiled and took up his words: "But now our senior brother Cangsong enjoys great prestige in the sect, his cultivation is powerful, and his renown is second only to senior brother Daoyan. Originally it seemed there could be no dispute that Xiao Yichen would succeed as sect master, yet now it appears there is some doubt."
Tian Buhui said mildly: "And for these two hundred years Cangsong has held the sect's power of punishment. In ordinary times his word is law, and save for senior brother Daoyan, he has long since ceased to regard anyone as worth his notice. That our nephew Xiao should harbor some misgivings is only natural."
Su Wan lowered her head, and only after a long while said: "Buyi, this struggle over the sect master's seat involves a great deal. Do not sink too deep into it."
Tian Buhui shook his head and said: "Do you think I do not know it? But I am the head of a vein; how could I stand aside? Today Xiao Yichen has shown me favor, most likely to leave a shred of goodwill for the contests to come. In any case, we can only take one step and see the next."
Su Wan sighed and nodded: "That is all we can do."
With a "wu" sound, from some nameless depth of the forest, a gust of sinister wind suddenly blew over.
Zhang Qingyue felt a chill at the nape of his neck. He raised his head and looked at the sky full of tree shadows, swaying and dancing like so many demons. His brows knitted slightly; tonight the forest seemed to him thick with ghostly air, greatly unlike other days. But then he thought again: he had lodged here many days and had never seen any evil thing. Could it be that a darker sky had brought one out?
At this thought he found himself rather amusing, and was about to stride quickly onward.