Chapter 33: An Assassination?
Wu Qianhuan still returned to the City Lord's Mansion.
Chu Qing was right—between the crisis at Falling Rain Hall and the possible upheaval within the Chu family, she had no time to linger or argue with him further.
Especially now, with Falling Rain Hall in disarray, such an opportunity would not come again.
Before leaving, she cast one long, unreadable glance at Chu Qing.
After she was gone, Chu Qing did not return to the inn.
Circling through the rain-soaked streets, he finally arrived outside the Chu family estate.
Under the shroud of night, the manor was in complete turmoil. Servants and guards hurried about, while men in blue uniforms rushed in and out of the main gate.
Their expressions were grim—and tinged with sorrow.
A faint sense of dread rose in Chu Qing's chest. Then, from a passing group of blue-clad men, he caught the words "the lord was assassinated."
In that instant, his mind buzzed, as memories surged like lightning.
"Assassinated… Chu Yunfei was assassinated?"
He looked sharply toward the family estate, instinctively stepping forward—only to halt after two steps.
"No… something's wrong."
Taking a slow breath, Chu Qing muttered to himself, "This reeks of deceit.
"I know Bai Qi's methods—every step of his plan was already played out during the day.
"The two assassins have been dealt with. How could Chu Yunfei possibly die now?
"Moreover, Bai Qi already withdrew from Tianwu City, meaning the assassination failed completely.
"If so… could this so-called assassination be—"
He slapped his own cheek lightly. "Yes. The Myriad Night Valley hired Nie Jing Tai to kill Chu Yunfei, but the attempt failed.
"So now Chu Yunfei's faking his death—to lure Myriad Night Valley into a trap."
That was the only logical explanation.
Reasonable, yes—but still speculation. It needed proof.
And the best way to verify it was—
Chu Qing suddenly turned his head. Not far away, a black-clad figure stood silently in the rain.
Their eyes met—and the man turned and fled.
Chu Qing's gaze sharpened, and he gathered his inner force, giving chase.
The man's speed was astonishing. His entire body glimmered faintly with a cyan light, weaving through the rain like a shadow chasing the moon.
Chu Qing narrowed his eyes, violet light flickering within.
In the next instant, his speed surged explosively. Within moments, he was already behind the fleeing figure.
The man glanced back, momentarily stunned, then grinned. "Excellent lightness skill!"
They had reached the city wall. The man spread his arms wide, soaring upward like a snow goose. With a few swift steps along the wall, he scaled it effortlessly.
When he turned again, Chu Qing was already upon him, feet stepping on air, closing in rapidly.
Startled, the black-clad man twisted his body and leapt over the wall, vanishing toward the wilderness beyond the city.
Chu Qing followed, stepping across the air in thirty quick strides, close on his tail.
Only now did the Tianwu Guards atop the wall realize what had happened.
"Who goes there!?" they shouted.
But by the time they reacted, both figures were gone, far beyond their reach.
After racing three to five li beyond the city, the chase ended at the edge of a dense forest.
The black-clad man turned abruptly, sneering. "Impressive lightness skill. Now let's see how your fists measure up!"
He thrust out a palm.
A wave of force rippled outward, gathering the rain into a shimmering wall of energy. Trees bent under the surge, and a massive hand of condensed rain took form.
Chu Qing's eyes flickered. He turned his palm, violet energy glinting from his skin.
The rain answered his call, the trees swayed again, and a second enormous palm—identical in shape and force—rose to meet the first.
Anyone watching could see it clearly.
They were using the same martial art.
Azure Void Palm!
Two thunderous crashes erupted. The black-clad man staggered back a step, while Chu Qing stood firm, completely unmoved.
"What kind of martial art is that? How can it be so powerful?"
The man's voice carried pure astonishment.
"What do you think?"
Chu Qing sighed helplessly. "Big brother, stop joking around."
That movement technique—Chasing Stars, Catching the Moon. That palm technique—Azure Void Palm.
Both were the Chu family's secret arts, passed down only through the direct line. Aside from Chu Yunfei, only the three Chu brothers had been taught them.
No one else would appear masked in the night to face him like this. The man before him could only be Chu Tian.
Chu Tian pulled down his mask and gave a faint smile. "You don't seem surprised at all."
"After I saved the old man earlier today and left the Chu estate, you were following behind me and Wu Qianhuan the entire time.
"She didn't notice—but you couldn't hide from me."
Chu Qing spoke calmly. "I thought you'd appear once she left. Didn't expect that after I killed Xin Youhen, you vanished too."
Chu Tian exhaled. "Your second brother was nearby. I was afraid he'd act rashly and start a fight with you again.
"So I had to draw him away first."
He gave a quiet sigh. "When did you realize I'd already recognized you?"
"Just now."
Chu Tian blinked. "Just now?"
Chu Qing smiled faintly. "Wasn't it the same for you? Only after I used the Azure Void Palm did you finally confirm who I was, right?"
Chu Tian froze for a heartbeat—then burst into laughter, warm and genuine. "Good, good! Third brother, seven years apart… you've truly grown."
Grown? Perhaps not.
If he'd truly grown, he wouldn't have been deceived by the Mirror of Retribution back then, ending in mutual destruction.
Chu Qing drew a steady breath. "Since you're here, that means the supposed assassination was fake."
Chu Tian nodded. "The Ten Thousand Nights Valley hired the Mirror of Retribution to kill Father out of fear for his strength.
"Father's Ethereal Sutra is nearly complete—he's only one step away. And that final step… it was delayed because of you. His thoughts lingered on your absence, keeping him from full enlightenment.
"Now that you've returned, his Ethereal Sutra will soon reach perfection.
"Ten Thousand Nights Valley fears that—so they wished him dead. So Father decided to grant their wish… by dying."
He paused, then continued, "Before this, we couldn't be certain of your identity. But once the news of Father's assassination spread, I feared you might lose control.
"If you believed that Ten Thousand Nights Valley and the Mirror of Retribution had truly succeeded, you might have rushed out to take revenge without knowing the truth.
"I came to find you, at least to leave you a message.
"But from the look of it, you'd already guessed everything long before."
Chu Qing nodded slightly. "I only dared be certain after seeing your face."
Hearing that, Chu Tian subconsciously touched his own cheek, then chuckled in realization.
"So I thought I was testing you… turns out, you were testing me instead."
(End of chapter)
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