Chapter 19: Standoff in the Ruined Temple

Zhao Lan's guard shot up. Just as he was about to steal a glance through the window, a sharp gust of wind swept past — and then a sword was already pressed against his throat.

Who's there?!

"You little brat, you've given this old woman quite the chase! Lucky I kept an eye on you..."

A hoarse, aged voice reached his ears. Zhao Lan looked closely and saw the masked figure pull away the black cloth covering her face, revealing the visage of an old woman.

"You're... the old woman from the valley earlier...?!"

"Don't try to get cozy with me!"

The old woman pressed the sword another inch closer, her voice ice-cold.

"I'll hand you over to that Heir of the Northern Marquis sooner rather than later, so he'll keep his promise and release Her Highness!"

"Granny, what are you talking about?! I have no grudge against any of you, and I swear I never breathed a word about your whereabouts."

Zhao Lan swallowed hard and hurried to placate her.

"It's all because of you, you jinx!"

The old woman's voice turned sharp.

"You led that Heir of the Northern Marquis straight to us, and he forcibly abducted Her Highness. Tell me — don't you deserve to die?"

"What? The fairy sister... was taken by Pei Su?!"

Zhao Lan froze, a surge of furious rage rising in his chest.

"That Pei clan heir! I swear I'll tear him to pieces!"

"Ha!"

The old woman suddenly let out a cold laugh, as though she had just heard the funniest joke in the world.

"You? In talent, strength, and background — in every single way, Pei Su would grind you into the dirt. Don't talk big. You've been reading too many stories about trash turning the tables!"

With that, the old woman twisted the sword, forcing Zhao Lan to stand up.

"Stop wasting words. Come with me to see the Heir of the Northern Marquis. At least what he does with you is his business. I only hope he keeps his promise..."

Those last words came out in a slightly lower, heavier tone — and Zhao Lan felt a flicker of hope.

"Granny! Granny! Don't believe a word Pei Su says. He's a demon wearing the skin of a refined gentleman. He must have his eye on the fairy sister's beauty. Even if you hand me over, there's no way he'll let her go..."

Seeing that the old woman, unusually, did not refute him, Zhao Lan's heart leapt with joy, and he pressed on:

"Granny, you have to help me! The Pei clan, top to bottom, are all treacherous ministers. I now carry the greatest secret in the world — I cannot die here. If I do, all the people under heaven will suffer!"

"A secret?"

The old woman's brow furrowed. She pressed the sword harder against him, sending cold sweat streaming down Zhao Lan's back.

"What secret? Speak!"

"It's... it's..."

Zhao Lan gritted his teeth and said with bitter fury, "Granny, you may not believe me, but it's the truth! The Pei clan conspired with the Empress to murder the current Emperor! This so-called seclusion at Kongtong Mountain is nothing but a lie to deceive the whole world!"

When Zhao Lan finished, he saw the old woman go blank for a moment.

He wasn't surprised. This secret was enough to shake anyone to their very soul, enough to ignite the righteous fury of every hero and swordsman under heaven.

But in the next instant, Zhao Lan began to doubt his own ears.

He watched as a flash of fierce satisfaction crossed the old woman's eyes, and her lips trembled.

"That dog Emperor is dead? Good riddance!!"

Zhao Lan's eyes went as wide as they could go. His mouth fell open, but no words came out.

What?!

What was this old crone saying?!

Dog Emperor?

All lands under heaven belonged to the sovereign. The Great Jin Dynasty had stood for four hundred years, its roots sunk deep into the hearts of the people. Even those with treacherous intentions would never dare call the reigning Emperor a "dog Emperor."

What kind of hatred ran this deep?

Could it be... that all those people in the valley were actually a nest of rebels?!

The old woman's gaze returned to Zhao Lan, and she let out a cold, contemptuous laugh.

"Surprised? This is just standard practice for the Pei clan. Over all these years, how many emperors have fallen into their hands, openly or in secret? And yet the Pei clan just keeps getting enfeoffed and promoted, dominating the court. Has any ruler in any generation ever dared to move against them?"

Zhao Lan's legs nearly gave out beneath him. He almost collapsed to his knees, his guts nearly shattered by those words.

How could this be?

How could such an ancient and tyrannical clan exist in this world?

Murdering emperors — not just one or two.

"Do you know about the former dynasty, the Xia Dynasty?"

Zhao Lan nodded numbly.

"Do you think the Xia Dynasty would have fallen so quickly without the Pei clan secretly pushing things along? That the Li Clan of Luozhou could have stormed the Imperial Capital so swiftly, forcing the Last Emperor Jiang Gen to take his own life in the Golden Hall?"

The old woman let the blood drip from the sword tip and spoke slowly.

"I don't know what mission you think you're carrying, or what fantasy you have of becoming the Son of Destiny — but it truly strikes me as pitiful, laughable, and sad. You have no idea what you're up against."

Zhao Lan's expression had gone completely blank, unresponsive to the old woman's words.

Until the old woman suddenly turned her head toward the darkness in the distance and murmured in a low, grim tone —

"Pei Su..."

"Pei Su is here?!"

Zhao Lan cried out sharply, staring hard into the distance.

Faint footsteps drifted from the darkness, and then several figures emerged from the shadows.

A young gentleman, a black-robed elder, and two young women.

"Your Highness!"

Granny Ling looked at Jiang Suining and called out urgently.

"Granny Ling, I'm fine..."

As she said this, Jiang Suining stole a glance at Pei Su, and saw that his expression remained as composed as ever, his gaze sweeping calmly over the ruined temple.

"Ha. You were in quite a hurry — you got here before us."

"It seems I acted unnecessarily," the old woman said, sheathing her sword and casting a cold look at Zhao Lan. "In that case, this person is yours to deal with, Young Lord."

The old woman gave Zhao Lan a shove, and he stumbled out of the ruined temple. He stared at Pei Su, his face burning with rage.

But Pei Su's gaze was fixed on the ancient blade at Zhao Lan's back.

"Commander Xiao stole the divine blade for twenty years, hiding and fleeing all the while, only to leave it to a junior in the end."

Pei Su let out a quiet sigh.

"What do you suppose he was after?"

"Pei Su! Stop putting on airs. Yes — I, Zhao Lan, have lost today! The elder behind you is a Heavenly Palace Realm cultivator; there's no way I could escape no matter what..."

Zhao Lan clenched both fists, his eyes filled with unwillingness and regret.

"But I want to know — do you dare fight me? One on one! A duel to the death!"

The moment those words left his mouth, Banxia behind Pei Su couldn't help but let out a stifled laugh. Seeing Zhao Lan's reddened eyes swing toward her, Banxia waved her hand —

"Don't look at me. Ask the Young Lord if he's interested."

Pei Su glanced at Zhao Lan and noticed that his strength had indeed grown considerably — as though he had broken through some kind of shackle.

"Yuwen Jue, ranked fourth on the Imperial Capital's Hidden Dragon Rankings, has challenged me eleven times in the past six months. I haven't acknowledged a single one. As for you, Brother Zhao — well, since you're carrying Dragon-Sparrow, I suppose you barely qualify."

Pei Su smiled faintly, as though accepting Zhao Lan's challenge were some supreme honor being bestowed upon him.

Zhao Lan was nearly ready to explode with fury — but he kept himself calm, and said in a low, heavy voice:

"If I lose, I'll pay with my life. But if I win —"

Banxia stifled another laugh, then quickly covered her mouth.

Pei Su was perfectly gracious: "Go on."

Zhao Lan drew a deep breath, gazed up at the night sky — a glimmer of tears seemed to flash in his eyes — then looked directly at Pei Su.

"If I win, I won't ask for your life, Heir of the Northern Marquis."

"Let you off the hook?" Elder Wu rasped with a cold laugh.

But Zhao Lan shook his head.

"I've learned the greatest secret in the world. How could you possibly let me go? Saying so would only show how foolish and naive I am."

"Oh? Then what do you want?"

"If I win, you keep your promise — let that young woman go, and never trouble her again. As for me... I'll take my own life right here."

Zhao Lan slowly raised his finger, pointing — and the one he pointed to was none other than Jiang Suining.