劍問蒼天 - 第140章 殺機 - 翰墨軒

With that, she set the matter aside and walked a few steps off, but suddenly stopped again; when she turned back, her delicate brows were faintly knit, as though something had occurred to her, and she said to Tian Buhui, "By the way, when you saw that Li Xun of the Fenxia Valley today, didn't you feel something was off about it afterward?"

Tian Buhui said mildly, "You mean the Sect Master Brother having Lu Xueling of Little Bamboo Peak receive him?"

Su Wan nodded. "You saw it was off too?"

Tian Buhui gave a snort. "There's nothing off about it. If there were really a problem, that senior sister of yours would have refused him coldly and cuttingly long ago. But you saw that she made not a sound—so it's clear the Sect Master Brother spoke with her about this beforehand, and that senior sister of yours agreed to it too."

Su Wan was taken aback, then nodded. "Mm, you're right. I hadn't thought of that. But Senior Sister has always doted on that disciple Lu Xueling above all. How could she..."

Tian Buhui said coldly, "Is that Li Xun so unworthy? In her eyes, I daresay he is far better than any disciple of ours."

Su Wan said in surprise, "What are you talking about? Why drag that into it?"

The corner of Tian Buhui's mouth twitched, and he said casually, "That year on Liubo Mountain in the East Sea, on that stormy night, when I punished the seventh one, was she not..." Here he suddenly caught himself, broke off, and said no more; but for some reason he shook his head and gave a sigh.

Su Wan frowned. "The more you talk, the stranger you get. Now you're bringing Xiaofan into it. What is going on?"

Tian Buhui seemed to have suddenly lost all appetite for the talk and had no spirit left for it. He shook his head. "Don't ask."

Su Wan knew her husband's temper and said no more; but something had been stirred in her heart this time, and she could not help sighing as well. "Ten years now. I wonder how Xiaofan is doing these days?"

Tian Buhui was silent a long while, then slowly rose and said coldly, "Haven't you heard? He is now the vice sect master of the Hades Sect, and has changed his name to Mingli. They call him the Blood Young Master, and a formidable figure he is!"

Su Wan lowered her head and slowly sat down in the chair beside her. After a long while she said in a low voice, "Ah. When he first came to our sect, he did seem a little slow and simple, but..." She did not go on. After a long silence she said softly again, "He was such a good boy, so filial and respectful to you and to me alike. And now... to end up cast out of the sect like that!"

A flash of anger crossed Tian Buhui's face, and he suddenly said loudly, "If they wanted to expel him, they expelled him. I never said I wanted to expel the boy from..."

Su Wan stood up at once, cutting off her husband's words. "Buhui!"

Tian Buhui glanced at his wife, swallowed the rest of his words, and said no more; but his face showed even more indignation than before. Suddenly he stamped his foot, gave a heavy "Ai!", and strode off into the rear of the Hall of Quiet Keeping.

Su Wan watched her husband's retreating back in silence, then quietly sighed, turned, and looked out.

Looking out through the great doors of the Hall of Quiet Keeping, the warm, gentle sunlight shone down upon Great Bamboo Peak. In the distance, faintly visible, was the secluded kitchen, a corner of its eaves showing behind the shadows of the trees.

The house still stood, but the one who belonged to it was gone.

Su Wan watched for a while in silence, shook her head, turned, and went into the rear hall of the Hall of Quiet Keeping as well.

Night was closing in. Layer upon layer of dark clouds filled the sky, pressing low, and the sight was somewhat suffocating.

On a night like this, with no stars and no moon, on the desolate ground at the foot of the mountain, there was only a single bonfire burning on a slope sheltered from the wind.