Book 14: Chapter 54
Tang Ye Gradually Getting Used to Pretending Nobody is Around (Part 1)
“Listen to me properly!”𝘧𝔯𝑒𝒆𝓌𝘦𝘣𝓷𝘰ѵ𝑒𝘭. 𝐜oｍ
“Yes, Ma’am…”
I ate more shots as I expected.
Have I been taking a few too many beatings lately?
Despite all the attempts on my life, I took more damage from my own teammates than the assassins.
Tang Ye switched out his sheet music for his notebook faster than I picked people’s pockets! His Majesty gave him a fitting nickname!
Watch your back, you traitor! Just you wait for me to recover!
To avoid another beating, I imitated Tang Ye down to the most precise details.
“You’re distracted again! Your face itchy again?!”
Why does Tang Ye get to wear this look, but I don’t?!
Thankfully, Boss didn’t hit me a second time because I became a good boy. Plus, there were more important things.
“Word in the pugilistic world is that Swordless Deity only came out of seclusion due to losing Sword Deity Junior, Jian Changzai, and Third Grandpa Bai getting injured. Brilliant Broadsworder also returned from overseas for revenge. Most people believe Brilliant Broadsworder raided Fiends’ Genesis out of rage, but beliefs are mixed in regards to Swordless Deity’s story. Brilliant Broadsworder is rumoured to be protective of family and have a fiery temper, so his supposed reaction is reasonable. On the other hand, Grasshouse members are mostly obsessed with refining their swordplay and researching heaven’s workings. Wordless Sword Deity coming out of seclusion back then would be the first time in decades, which was why people argue that he never actually came out of seclusion. On top of that, the two of them are virtually described as mythical beings when hardly anyone has personally seen them in action. To claim that two people of their standing would team up against one opponent sounds unbelievable.”
Indeed, Shang Bieshi was basically Swordless Sword Deity and Elder Brilliant Broadsworder’s junior going by age. Their reputations would be tainted if they teamed up to pick on someone younger than them. Besides, there was no need for them to team up given their individual prowess. One person fought while the other kept enemies at bay didn’t make sense, either. They came from different groups, after all. If they arrived together, then people would accuse them of bullying Shang Bieshi no matter what they said. Even if they didn’t fight him simultaneously, they’d still be accused of taking turns. It was the same as my shifu and grandmaster going to fight someone younger; their opponent would have to be an idiot to believe my shifu if he told them he was just going to spectate. Of course, that was putting aside my shifu’s personality. The only way it’d be believable was either Wordless Sword Deity or Elder Brilliant Broadsworder swore to stay out. However, considering the enmity they harboured towards Shang Bieshi for hurting their family members, the likelihood of them fighting amongst each other first was considerably possible.
“What do you think, Boss?”
“I don’t believe it.” Boss shook her head. “The pugilistic world is a cesspool for falsehoods being disseminated and becoming more exaggerated versions. The story could almost qualify for a storyteller to tell as a fiction novel. Many of the details wouldn’t hold up against scrutiny. Jian Changzai perished in Fiends’ Genesis’ waters, while Third Master Bai escaped. Wordless Sword Deity has a much more compelling reason to take revenge than Elder Brilliant Broadsworder, yet the stories claim the exact opposite. If what’s being told now was what was spread then, I suspect someone manipulated the information.”
I cracked a smile. “Manipulating news is a specialty of the Seven Champion White Princes.”
“That’s why I suspected foul play, prompting me to focus on looking into the activities of Wordless Sword Deity and Elder Brilliant Broadsworder.”
“What did you find?”
“Swordless Sword Deity seldom steps into the pugilistic world. The only time he’s been said to have set foot into the pugilistic world come from rumours; nobody I know of has actually seen him, and there’s no proof to any of the claims. As for Elder Brilliant Broadsworder, we can confirm he returned from overseas in July twenty-one years ago. Whether it was to remind people of his dominance or some other reason, he beheaded a strong martial artist upon returning in the presence of a large crowd on the 4th July. He returned to Valley of Yearning thereafter. Although his whereabouts were a mystery afterwards, nobody questioned if he actually raided Fiends’ Genesis’ base.”
“Doesn’t that corroborate with what is claimed?”
“And that’s what’s important. We are possibly the only outsiders who know for certain that Wordless Sword Deity was present at the battle.”
“… ‘Normal’?”
Boss grinned. “Exactly. Had he not been there, the sword would still be at Grasshouse, not the underground palace Gongsun Chu kept it. Surely you wouldn’t argue Gongsun Chu stole it from him.”
“Haha, if he could’ve infiltrated Sword Immortal Grasshouse to steal the sword, I’d be dead sixteen thousand times already.”
Boss smiled. “Exactly. Therefore, we have concrete proof that Swordless Sword Deity did go there. On the other hand, despite the rumours of Elder Brilliant Broadsworder and his activities corresponding, I couldn’t find anything on him before and after the battle to support the claims that he participated in the raid.”
I folded my arms. “In other words, you suspect Elder Brilliant Broadsworder didn’t actually participate? While it’s a bold assumption… there’s no evidence to back it up.”
“The lack of evidence isn’t why I have my reserves. Suspicions without evidence are nothing more than wild guesses; I don’t have time for that. Since there were no mentions in the official records, I switched sources. I went over the martial world’s events twenty-one years ago that my grandpa recorded.”
I wrinkled my nose. “Are you talking about the diary that your grandpa recorded anything that piqued his interest, including how many dishes there were at a wedding?”
Boss curled her lips. “It’s still sometimes really handy. Plus, my grandpa has never been wrong in any of his notes. I deduced Gongsun Chu’s identity based off his notes.”
“I wish you could see how smug you look right now.”
“Hmph.” Boss wrinkled her nose as she prepared to boast as per usual, but she stopped herself and looked to Tang Ye, who was scribbling something.
You were still here?!
Boss asked, “Why… aren’t you speaking up?”
Like it was supposed to be taken for granted, Tang Ye rhetorically questioned, “Is this not how I always am?”
Neither boss nor I had a valid counterargument.
“… Is there something odd about you two?” queried Tang Ye.
Boss and I shook our heads in synchrony.
Boss cleared her throat and then returned to the topic at hand. “I didn’t find anything useful in my grandpa’s notebook until I found an anecdote of an event in Jiangnan. Numerous people knew about the event owing to the magnitude of the impact, but those involved made strong efforts to suppress its spread, eventually culminating in a situation where nobody dared to mention it.”
“The involved parties have to have a serious amount of authority if they could pull that off.”
“Indeed. How about… Yan Ling, how about you have a guess?”
Tang Ye slowly and silently raised his head, looked at Boss, who appeared uncomfortable, and then me. “Big Bro, aren’t you going to guess?”
“I-I don’t have a clue.”
“I’ll tell you!” announced Boss. “Mount Lu Sword Sanctuary’s patriarch, Ling Hanzhong, took a beating.”
Tang Ye and I looked to each other.
Tang Ye was shocked since “Took a beating” meant that it wasn’t an ambush or assassination; it was the result of a fair fight. Whoever was responsible clearly didn’t fear Mount Lu seeking revenge. I thought it was me for a second, but that was twenty-one years ago.
“While Ling Hanzhong didn’t establish himself via his martial prowess, even if he’s worse, he’s still the head of the Seven Champion White Princes, not to mention all the capable swordsmen of Mount Lu. My grandpa suspected it was Elder Brilliant Broadsword who beat him. Coincidentally, the fight took place on 3rd August.”
“Doesn’t that land on the last day that you said they should’ve raided Fiends’ Genesis.”
“In other words, either Elder Brilliant Broadsworder raided Fiends’ Genesis, then immediately had the energy to beat Ling Hanzhong, or he never raided Fiends’ Genesis’ headquarters.”
“If he didn’t raid Fiends’ Genesis’ headquarters, then… only Wordless Sword Deity raided their base?”
I still couldn’t understand how all this led to Boss concluding that Mount Lu assassinated Elder Yu.
“Do you remember telling me your second brother heard Third Master Bai and Hai Yecha’s dialogue at Valley of Yearning? Hai Yecha stated he personally saw Elder Brilliant Broadsworder cut his way through their forces.”
Second said that? Ah, right, I think I did. I only mentioned it in passing. How did Boss remember something I forgot? I must’ve been too busy… Yeah, that must be it!
“Doesn’t that mean both of them went to Fiends’ Genesis’ base and then returned to Mount Lu?” I mumbled to myself before realising it didn’t add up. “Oh! But…”
“But that would remove any motivations for Elder Brilliant Broadsworder to assault Ling Hanzhong. Mount Lu didn’t seek payback for the assault, indicating that Mount Lu was in the wrong to begin with. Furthermore, it’s hard to imagine Elder Brilliant Broadsworder had the energy to defeat Fiends’ Genesis and then immediately rush over and defeat a force of Mount Lu’s calibre.”
That was what I was going to say. Why did you have to steal my moment, Tang Ye?!
Boss looked to Tang Ye proudly when I thought of it, too!
“Don’t we have a contradiction, then?” I asked.
Boss nodded. “That was my initial thought, too. However, try putting the two together. We are assuming Hai Yecha knows Elder Brilliant Broadsworder.”
“You’re saying… Someone from Mount Lu posed as Elder Brilliant Broadsworder to accompany Wordless Sword Deity? That would make it all logical. Elder Brilliant Broadsworder and Wordless Sword Deity certainly wouldn’t team up against someone younger. So, Wordless Sword Deity took a disciple with him? Elder Brilliant Broadsworder got angry over the fact, so he assaulted Wordless Sword Deity!”
Boss beamed. “Exactly!”