劍問蒼天 - 第189章 鮮血 - 翰墨軒

Yun Yifeng's gaze was sharp, as though it would pierce into a man's very heart, and fixed upon Shangguan Lue, he said, "And another thing, Shangguan, my junior brother: in those days this Mystic Fire Altar was a place of great importance to our sect, and it was you who stood guard over it. Yet it was at your hands, was it not, that today's disastrous state came about? Do you understand that?"

Shangguan Lue's whole body shook violently, and he jerked his head up, only to meet Yun Yifeng's gaze, cold as ice, fixed on him like a blade. Shangguan Lue's face was agitated and his body trembled slightly, as though he had words to speak; yet somehow, beneath Yun Yifeng's gaze, he at last slowly shrank back. After a long while, his face fallen, he said in a low voice, "I understand."

Yun Yifeng nodded. "Since that is so, this matter shall still be handled under your direction. In addition—Xun'er," he turned his head toward Li Xun.

Li Xun's expression was strange at that moment; suddenly hearing his master's call, his whole body gave a start, and he hastily said, "Your disciple is here."

Yun Yifeng glanced at him. "You will follow your Uncle-Master Shangguan and learn well from him. In passing, lend him a hand as well."

Li Xun's face went white, and his voice, for some reason, suddenly grew hoarse; yet he still said in a low voice, "Yes."

Yun Yifeng cast one last look at the stone-carved images on the floor, frowned, turned, and without another backward glance walked out. Amid the creak of the heavy door, he left behind only Shangguan Lue and Li Xun, standing face to face in wooden silence.

For a long time not a word was spoken, and then the two of them too walked slowly out.

The Mystic Fire Altar sank once more into silence.

In midair, faint sounds arose, and two figures drifted lightly down from the top. Xiao Hui gave two chirps of "zhi zhi," hopped twice on the ground, and then ran off to one side to play. In the first few days it had seemed rather interested in those stone carvings on the floor, but after several days of the same thing, the monkey lost interest as well.

After Ming Li and Jin Pingyue landed on the ground and steadied themselves, for a time neither of them spoke. The air around them was still faintly cold, as if that strange aura which had risen from Yun Yifeng's body a moment ago had not yet dispersed.

After a long while, Jin Pingyue suddenly said, "That 'him' they were just talking about—what sort of person do you think he is?"

Ming Li glanced at her, and instead of answering asked, "What do you think?"

Jin Pingyue smiled faintly and said, "I am nine parts certain that they meant the Beast Lord. Only, from what they said just now, I cannot be sure whether they know where that Beast Lord is."

Ming Li nodded silently and said, "There is one other thing. The Eight Fiends Mystic Fire Formation is right here in this Mystic Fire Altar, and from the sound of them they mean to use this formation against the Beast Lord as well. Could it be that they expect the Beast Lord will surely come to this Mystic Fire Altar—or is this formation somehow movable?"

Jin Pingyue's slender brows knitted slightly. Plainly there were many points in this she could not work out either, and for a moment she sank into thought.

Ming Li's gaze drifted slowly and came to rest on the stone carvings of the snarling evil gods upon the ground. He looked at them for a long while, then suddenly gave a cold laugh and said, "So this is what they call the righteous path—offering the blood of the living to evil gods. Heh. Even among the demon cult, I have never seen the like..."

Before he had finished speaking, Jin Pingyue's clear laughter suddenly sounded at his side, and within it lurked faintly a strange note—something like a cold laugh, something like mockery, and something, too, like a thread of fear hidden deep and dim. "And how," she said, "do you know that such things do not happen among our Holy Cult as well?"