劍問蒼天 - 第90章 螳螂 - 翰墨軒

They were the finest young disciples of the Canglan Sect—a dozen or so at first, but by the scouts' reports their number had now swelled to several dozen, and among them were even monks and men in the garb of the Burning Cloud Valley. Yuyang Zi knitted his brows, drew a deep breath, and gazed into the distance as though waiting for something.

After a long while, light footsteps suddenly sounded from the darkness behind him. A lean, sharp-eyed middle-aged man stepped out and came to Yuyang Zi's side. Yuyang Zi turned at once to face him—clearly this man was no ordinary figure.

This middle-aged man was named Meng Ji. He was one of the two or three foremost masters of the Longevity Hall beneath Yuyang Zi himself, and one of the few Longevity Hall masters to survive the battle at Canglan Mountain those years ago, and so he enjoyed Yuyang Zi's deepest trust. Yuyang Zi's long hesitation now was in part because he was waiting for this man to return.

Meng Ji bowed to Yuyang Zi. Yuyang Zi shook his head slightly and said, "Enough, no need for ceremony. How did it go?"

The question was abrupt, but Meng Ji plainly knew what he meant. He said in a low voice, "I have already taken men to search along the Blackwater Ditch and White Horse River on the far side of the Dead Marsh. We found no large incursion by the Hades King Sect, the Ten Thousand Poisons Sect, or the Soul-Charming Faction—only a few stragglers from minor factions, whom I dealt with on the spot."

Yuyang Zi's spirits rose, and for the first time a smile appeared on his face. He nodded and said, "Good! Then we have nothing to fear from behind. Tonight we strike with all our strength at those callow youths of the Canglan Sect, the Brahma Sound Temple, and the Burning Cloud Valley. Once we've removed them, the righteous path will have no strength left to contest the treasure with us!"

Yet Meng Ji showed little joy; instead he looked troubled. After a moment's hesitation, he said at last, "Sect Master, three days ago a hidden watch near King's Village sent word back that Ming Li and Qin Wujiu seem to have already reached the vicinity of the Dead Marsh. And the Soul-Charming Faction's Jin Pingyue is ever elusive—we must guard against them."

The muscles in Yuyang Zi's face twitched, and hatred showed plainly. He said through gritted teeth, "You think I don't know that? Those righteous folk only want the treasure—but the Ten Thousand Poisons Sect and the Hades King Sect and their kind want my life!"

Meng Ji started. What passed through his mind was impossible to tell; his face shifted uncertainly. He said in a low voice, "Sect Master, then what are we to do?"

Yuyang Zi gave a cold snort, drew a deep breath, and relaxed his bearing. "As things stand, there is no turning back for us. While the Ten Thousand Poisons Sect, the Hades King Sect, and the Soul-Charming Faction have not yet arrived, we will first finish off those righteous whelps, then search with all our strength for the treasure. Once it is in hand—judging by the omens of these past days, it must be a treasure the likes of which the world has never seen—we need not fear the other three factions!"

Meng Ji bowed his head and said, "The Sect Master sees far."

Yuyang Zi nodded slightly, then turned, steadied himself, and raised his one remaining right hand, sweeping it heavily forward through the night. At once shadows stirred in the darkness, and moments later a great host of Longevity Hall disciples appeared, setting off at a run along the paths they knew by heart, in the direction Yuyang Zi's hand had pointed.

The night was vast and dim, desolate and steeped in murderous intent.

The Dead Marsh. The Bottomless Pit.