"Fire Lin Eclipses the Sun."
Having made up his mind to retrieve the letters Fan Qinghui had written to Xie Hui, Duan Lang wasted no time. He unleashed the final move of the Eclipsing Sun Sword Technique. In an instant, countless crimson sword rays materialized in front of him, fanning out and enveloping the seven men charging toward him. The next moment, all seven were caught in the barrage.
Amidst several agonized screams, the sword rays dissipated, revealing the seven men lying on the ground, their bodies riddled with sword wounds. Without sparing them a glance, Duan Lang's figure flickered like a ghost as he dashed toward Xie Hui.
"Master, be careful!"
The guards stationed at the gate immediately shouted and charged at Duan Lang, attempting to intercept him. At the same time, the massive gates began to slowly close.
Duzun Fort was a miniature imperial city—a small fortress with thick, towering walls and heavy, sturdy bronze gates. Once the gates were shut and the defenders inside were prepared, it would be nearly impossible to breach under normal circumstances.
Xie Hui's earlier mistake was that he hadn't treated Duan Lang as a military-level threat. Combined with his rage, he had rushed out without preparation. If he had been prepared, Duan Lang would have had to reveal his true strength to stand a chance against him.
But this was understandable. After all, Duan Lang wasn't a grandmaster, and the suddenness of the attack meant Xie Hui couldn't have prepared in advance unless he had foreseen it.
This was similar to when Daniel Davis led the Yin Kuai Sect, including Zhu Yuyan, in a surprise assault on the Dugu Clan. Except for the imperial palace and military garrisons, even powerful families and clans didn't maintain a state of constant readiness with weapons drawn.
"Stop!" Just as Duan Lang, using his extraordinary lightness skill, slipped past the guards and charged toward the gate, a composed and dignified young man appeared at the entrance. It was Xie Hui's son, Xie Wenlong, who had finally reacted. Regardless of whether Duan Lang's accusations were true or false, this was still Duzun Fort, and Xie Hui was still his father.
"Sorry."
Seeing Xie Wenlong blocking his path, Duan Lang silently muttered these words in his heart. Then, flames erupted from the Fire Lin Sword as it clashed repeatedly with Xie Wenlong's Judge's Brush. Each collision left Xie Wenlong's face paler, a result of Duan Lang's fiery sword qi invading his body.
After severing Xie Wenlong's Judge's Brush with a single strike, Duan Lang thrust the Fire Lin Sword through his chest. Without a second glance at Xie Wenlong, Duan Lang pulled out the sword and continued his pursuit of Xie Hui.
Duan Lang's earlier apology wasn't directed at Xie Wenlong—they had no personal connection. It was meant for Song Yuhua. If it had been someone else, Duan Lang might have spared them, but Xie Hui's son? That was out of the question.
"Young Master!"
As Xie Wenlong fell, the people of Duzun Fort cried out in panic. The commotion reached Xie Hui's ears, but he only hesitated for a moment before continuing his desperate flight.
"Fire the arrows!"
Thanks to Xie Wenlong's brief delay, Xie Hui had already made it deep into Duzun Fort. Meanwhile, guards from other parts of the fort had arrived, and a barrage of arrows and bolts rained down on Duan Lang. However, Duan Lang paid no attention to the projectiles. His figure blurred, and in the next moment, he appeared dozens of meters away in the fort's square. A few more blurs, and he was inside one of the fort's rooms, from which intense flames soon erupted.
"The more I look at this design, the more I suspect Xie Hui. Is this just confirmation bias?"
When not under suspicion, everything about Duzun Fort seemed normal. But once suspicion arose, every aspect of the fort appeared questionable. The tall, thick walls, the square resembling a military training ground—it all seemed designed for war.
Duan Lang didn't immediately chase after Xie Hui. Instead, he set several fires throughout the fort before continuing his pursuit.
"All this effort."
In a hidden underground chamber deep within the mountain behind Duzun Fort, Xie Hui, having fled here, hurriedly retrieved a few exquisitely written letters from an iron box. The letters still carried a faint, pleasant fragrance. As Xie Hui looked at them, his expression softened, but his eyes soon hardened with resolve. He was about to burn the letters with a nearby candle when a voice filled with malice echoed in the chamber.
"Didn't expect you to actually keep these letters. I suppose you wanted to cherish the memories, huh?"
Seeing the handwriting on the letters, Duan Lang couldn't help but laugh. Xie Hui truly was the ultimate simp. Normally, such letters should have been destroyed after reading. But perhaps Xie Hui wanted to keep them, to savor the lingering scent of Fan Qinghui. The thought of Xie Hui alone in this underground chamber, sniffing the letters, sent a shiver of disgust down Duan Lang's spine.
"You actually followed me here. Then let's die together!" With both hands now gone, Xie Hui suddenly burst into maniacal laughter. As his laughter echoed, a loud rumbling sound came from behind. Duan Lang turned to see a massive stone slab crashing down, sealing the underground passage.
"Oh, a Dragon-Slaying Stone?" Duan Lang glanced at the stone blocking the passage and was about to speak when black smoke began pouring out from vents in the walls. At the same time, violent explosions erupted above, causing the stone ceiling to crack and threaten to collapse.
"Poison gas and explosives? Not bad. I underestimated you. Was this trap meant for Song Que?"
Despite the imminent danger of the collapsing ceiling, Duan Lang remained completely calm. After all, this was just a shadow clone. Even if it weren't, such a trap wouldn't be enough to kill him.
But this trap would have been a different story for Song Que. Even with his immense strength, Song Que would have struggled to break through the Dragon-Slaying Stone in a short time. Combined with the poison gas and the deadly falling rocks, it might have been enough to kill him.
This was only possible because it was Song Que, whose attack power was unmatched among grandmasters. If it were Bi Xuan or Fu Cailin, they would have been doomed. In a fight between grandmasters, it was a matter of who landed the fatal blow first. But against a trap like this, the outcome was different.
"Too bad the explosives aren't powerful enough."
In this era, explosives existed, but their power was limited. Unless used in a confined space like this, they were largely ineffective. Against masters with formidable strength, explosives only had a significant impact in large-scale warfare.
The explosives of this time were mainly used for fire attacks or as poison gas weapons. The Sha Family in Luoyang had some expertise in this area.
"No matter who you are, you're dead today. This is the last thing I can do for her. How hateful." With both arms gone and knowing death was inevitable, Xie Hui slumped against the stone wall, glaring at Duan Lang with hatred. Because of Duan Lang, not only had his years of meticulous planning been ruined, but he had also failed to achieve his ultimate goal.
"To think you'd go this far to take Song Que down with you. Fan Qinghui must be something special. Tell me, did you ever actually sleep with her?"
At this moment, Duan Lang was genuinely curious. Under normal circumstances, the likelihood of Song Que falling into this trap wasn't small. Considering that Xie Hui was related to the Song Clan by marriage, his sudden betrayal during the clan's campaign to conquer the world, combined with Duzun Fort's defensibility, would have made it difficult for Song Que to ignore. If Song Que didn't personally intervene, Duzun Fort could have held out for a long time.
If Song Que had taken the bait and Xie Hui had lured him here, the trap—assuming the explosives had been more powerful—might have succeeded in killing Song Que.
Grandmasters were incredibly powerful and possessed a kind of sixth sense for danger, but this had its limits. Otherwise, Xu Ziling wouldn't have found himself in so many perilous situations. In terms of intuition, Xu Ziling surpassed even grandmasters.
"Shut up! Don't you dare insult her!" Hearing Duan Lang's slander against Fan Qinghui, Xie Hui, who had been quietly awaiting death, suddenly flared with rage. If not for his severe injuries and the poison coursing through his veins, he might have tried to attack Duan Lang.
"Insult? That woman isn't even worth insulting. She's no better than a prostitute." The mere mention of Fan Qinghui ignited Duan Lang's anger. If not for the bigger picture, he would have stormed Cihang Jingzhai and wiped them out.
"That simping look on your face is disgusting. Did you really think this shoddy trap could kill me? You're so petty. If you were going to set a trap, why not blow the whole place up?"
Seeing Xie Hui, in what seemed like a final burst of energy, smiling creepily as if recalling some happy memory, Duan Lang couldn't help but feel exasperated.
If Xie Hui had been truly ruthless, he would have blown up the entire passage. That way, even if someone broke through the Dragon-Slaying Stone, they wouldn't have been able to escape.
"Don't think dying will be that easy." As the cracks in the ceiling above grew larger, Duan Lang decided not to waste any more time. Although this was just a shadow clone and its loss wouldn't be a big deal, he was still carrying some valuable items, such as the Fire Lin Sword and a considerable amount of wealth.
With a wave of his left hand, Duan Lang and Xie Hui vanished from the chamber. At the same moment, the massive stone slab finally gave way, crashing down with a thunderous roar. The chamber, and the passage leading to it, were buried under the rubble.
"Surprised that I made it out alive? Since you're about to die, I'll tell you one more thing. This time, no one can save Cihang Jingzhai. They've offended the Heavenly Emperor. 'Choosing the Emperor on behalf of Heaven'—what a bold claim. Too bad they didn't know that the Heavenly Emperor truly exists in this world. I was sent by the Heavenly Emperor to deal with her. His punishment for Fan Qinghui is to be sold into a brothel, where she and her descendants will serve as prostitutes for generations." As he spoke, Duan Lang probed Xie Hui's memories.
"You died from anger? Really? I was just joking."
Seeing Xie Hui, who had died from sheer rage, his eyes still wide with disbelief, Duan Lang couldn't help but shake his head.
While he had indeed considered such a punishment, it was only a passing thought. He would never actually carry it out.
"What a simp. But some of my guesses weren't far off. Jealousy really is a sin."
Through Xie Hui's memories, Duan Lang learned about some events from the past. First, Fan Qinghui and Xie Hui didn't have the special relationship people imagined. However, Xie Hui was indeed a pawn—or rather, a sacrificial piece—placed in Sichuan by Fan Qinghui. But Xie Hui had been more than willing to play his part.
It all stemmed from jealousy toward Song Que. Song Que was a man of near perfection—noble birth, unparalleled martial prowess, and a reputation as one of the most handsome men of his time. He had defeated the then-top swordsman, Yue Shan, at the age of twenty. But what truly gnawed at Xie Hui was Song Que's looks.
Appearance mattered greatly, whether for men or women. If Cihang Jingzhai had chosen a group of unattractive women to represent them, no matter how noble their intentions, they would have been dismissed as delusional. But with a group of beauties, the result was entirely different.
Xie Hui had met Fan Qinghui first, but she had always been cold toward him. However, when she met Song Que, her attitude changed completely.
Back then, Song Que and Shi Zhixuan were the two most handsome men in the martial world, one representing righteousness and the other evil. They had captivated the two most beautiful women of Cihang Jingzhai, creating a legendary tale of their time.
Strictly speaking, if Song Que had wanted to, he could have been with Fan Qinghui. They were a perfect match in terms of birth, talent, and martial prowess.
The reason they didn't end up together was due to a fundamental difference in their beliefs. At the time, the Northern and Southern Dynasties were in their final years, and the world was even more chaotic than it was now. Fan Qinghui believed in unifying the south under the north, while Song Que insisted on Han Chinese supremacy, advocating for unification under the south.
Both were strong-willed individuals, and such a significant divergence in ideology made a relationship impossible. This wasn't just a personal disagreement like the one between Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling. Both Song Que and Fan Qinghui represented powerful factions, and their split was inevitable.
After parting ways with Fan Qinghui, Song Que reportedly married a plain-looking woman and devoted himself to his swordsmanship and the Song Clan's affairs. It wasn't until Emperor Wen of Sui had consolidated power that Song Que pledged allegiance to the Sui Dynasty.
The notion that Song Que married an "ugly" woman was somewhat misleading. Compared to Fan Qinghui and other top beauties, Song Que's wife might have been plain, but by ordinary standards, she was still quite attractive. It was only in comparison to the likes of Fan Qinghui, who were at least a nine out of ten, that she seemed lacking.
Xie Hui's jealousy stemmed from this. He had pursued Fan Qinghui relentlessly without even earning a smile, while Song Que had turned her down when she offered herself to him. This was a blow Xie Hui couldn't bear.
What followed was simple. After Song Que rejected Fan Qinghui, Xie Hui saw an opportunity to win her over, only to be used by her instead.
"Women in politics are truly terrifying. She's completely different from Bi Xiuxin."
Bi Xiuxin, after falling for Shi Zhixuan, had been willing to abandon everything to be with him. Fan Qinghui, on the other hand, could never do the same.
(End of Chapter)
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