The Tengyun Pavilion’s Young Lord Has Betrayed His Pavilion

Using the address provided by Gu Feidi, Xu Yunzhan arrived at Seventh Street, just in time to see Gu Ruohai’s back. He frowned deeply.

He immediately sped up to the inn and to the room where Su Yang stayed, only to find the room in a complete mess.

Que Shou, who was familiar with Xu Yunzhan, abruptly greeted, “Young Hero Xu!”

Xu Yunzhan stared at the unconscious Su Yang with a complicated expression. “What happened?”

Que Shou was also confused. “I’m not too sure. After the Pavilion Lord talked with Young Hero Su, he fainted…”

Mei Shisan, who was standing by the bed with his arms crossed, indifferently looked at Xu Yunzhan without saying a word.

Then Que Zhi entered the room with three small heated copper pots with handles. “Senior Shisan, do you think these would work?”

Mei Shisan took one pot and opened the lid to see hot charcoal and ashes inside. He nodded and wrapped it in a cloth towel until there was no metal visible, and stuffed one in Su Yang’s arms, one behind his back, and one between his legs. Then wrapped the young man from neck to toes in a large quilt.

Su Yang was still shivering in his sleep, and there was a cold hint of frost  on his eyebrows and hair tips.

“Why is he like this?” Xu Yunzhan stepped forward and touched Su Yang’s forehead. What he felt was a chilling cold, which increased his anxiety. “Mei Shisan!”

Mei Shisan said, “In order to assist Young Hero Gu, Su Yang practised a more domineering mental skill. Occasionally, he couldn’t suppress the Apparition inside of his body. He’ll wake up, there’s no need for Young Hero Xu to worry.”

Xu Yunzhan breathed a sigh of relief and asked, “We can only rely on keeping him warm physically?”

Mei Shisan shared, “Anyone who practised the righteous sun or intense sun mental skills could help as well.”

However, Mei Shisan’s skill was more toward pure cold, while Que Shou and Que Zhi practised the pure fundamentals. So none were suitable.

Xu Yunzhan followed the path of the ‘physical power’ technique, so he also chose the more versatile pure fundamentals for his mental skills. At the moment, he couldn’t help either. He could only stand aside and quietly watch the trembling young man curled up in the quilt.

But strangely, Su Yang’s slumber didn’t last for long, and the chill wasn’t as piercing to his bones as before.

He had many fragmentary dreams, but when he woke up in a daze, he didn’t remember any of them.

As soon as he opened his eyes, he saw Xu Yunzhan, who was sitting by his bed. Startled, Su Yang sat up straight.

The pot in his arms fell to the ground. Mei Shisan picked it up, took away the other two pots, and went out of the room with the two guards.

“How did you find this place?” Su Yang asked.

Xu Yunzhan answered with a smile, “Feidi asked me to check on you.”

On hearing this, Su Yang’s expression immediately changed. “Why can’t he come here himself? Did Alliance Leader Gu punish him?”

“Not really, he was retained in seclusion to reflect on his error.” Xu Yunzhan informed. “When I arrived at the inn just now, I saw him walking out. Did he give you a hard time?”

Su Yang was about to answer, when he suddenly realized something wasn’t right.

So he countered it with his own question, “Why do you think Alliance Leader Gu was giving me a hard time? What do you know?”

Seeing Su Yang’s alert expression, Xu Yunzhan sighed, “Feidi told me everything between you and him.”

Su Yang: “...”

He covered his face, thinking, Gu Feidi, why are you shouting our relationship to the world?

“He didn’t give you a hard time?” Xu Yunzhan had to confirm.

“No.” Su Yang mumbled. “He just didn’t approve of me being with Gu Feidi. He didn’t say any harsh words, or drive me away…Maybe he wanted to do that at the beginning, but I fainted. I don’t know what he would have done if I hadn’t.”

Then, he asked the question which had been haunting him for days, “How about Gu Feidi? Just seclusion to reflect on his mistake? No other punishments?”

Studying the worried expression on the other’s face, Xu Yunzhan chuckled. “You two only know how to worry about each other…”

Su Yang continued, “From Alliance Leader Gu’s perspective, this is something that isn’t so easy to accept.”

Xu Yunzhan comforted, “Don’t worry. He’s fine. But how about you? I was told that because of the Apparition in your body and your third cold nature mental skill, that you often get cold sickness?”

Su Yang didn’t want to go into detail on that.

In fact, he didn’t know everything about the effect of this double-edged sword. At present, it seemed that beside his occasional fainting spell, there was little effect on his body. It didn’t prevent him from using his internal energy, either. As for his shortened lifespan warning from Di Ling, he didn’t have the experience or knowledge of how much of a hindrance it would be.

So he just explained vaguely, “Yes…not very often actually.”

Xu Yunzhan nodded. “Feidi asked me to come to find you to take you out of this city, and to my village temporarily.”

Frowning without realizing it, Su Yang blurted, “What happened? Wasn’t he fine? Why do I need to leave the city?”

Xu Yunzhan explained, “He…intends to try his best to persuade his father. Therefore, he worried that Alliance Head Gu might direct his anger towards you.”

Su Yang cried in concern, “Alone? I-I have to help him…”

“You have to believe that he’ll solve the problem. Just stay in a safe place, so he doesn't have to worry about you. You can help him like this.” Xu Yunzhan patted Su Yang on the shoulder. “Pack your things and we’ll head out.”

Su Yang stayed silent for a moment, nodded and got up to pack up.

At nightfall, when the sky was dark...

Gu Feidi had been kneeling in front of his mother’s portrait for several hours.

The door was gently pushed open, and Feng Lin walked in. “Young Lord.”

Gu Feidi turned back and immediately saluted his father’s guard. “Uncle Lin.”

“The Lord asked me to inform the Young Lord that it’s time to return to the house and rest.” Feng Lin said. “Tomorrow at sunrise, the Lord will wait for you on the training ground.”

Gu Feidi’s eyes glowed, and he forced his emotions down. “Understood.”

After tossing and turning for half a night, troubling thoughts kept Gu Feidi from sleeping soundly. He counted the cracks on the ceiling, listened to the drops of the water clock, and got up before dawn. With his sword, he went to the training grounds.

At sunrise, Gu Ruohai made an appearance at the training ground with his sword.

Immediately, a servant ignited the torch stands beside the area and lit the whole place up.

“We haven’t had a practice match for a long time.” Gu Ruohai brought up. “Just one match and I’ll allow you out.”

Lifting his head, Gu Feidi stared at his father in surprise. “Really?!”

Gu Ruohai confirmed, “I stand behind my words.”

Then, he drew his sword out of his sheath slowly. The orange light reflected on the blade, displacing its sharpness.

Gu Feidi’s eyes locked on the edge of the sword and he wallowed. He flattened his lips and also drew out his sword, and bowed his head to his senior to start the duel.

Gu Ruohai didn’t return the bow. Instead, the moment Gu Feidi lowered his head, he seized the chance to rush forward.

His slashes were perfectly curved like a rainbow as it sliced the cold air of late autumn and straight at Gu Feidi’s face.

Taken by surprise, Gu Feidi immediately poured his internal energy into his sword as he raised his blade to block the incoming attack. However, he was forced several steps back by the powerful momentum.

“Jianghu is a cruel place, and not always like your perspective.” Gu Ruohai hammered out. “Expect sneak attacks from your enemies at any time, any place, especially when you let your guard down. So…there's a time when you shouldn’t handle things with morals, and be too rigid about etiquette.”

As he spoke, he threw out a series of sword dances at Gu Feidi.

His father, with thirty years of experience in the martial art world, was naturally someone who Gu Feidi couldn’t hold back on. He was pushed into only parrying, with no room to counter-attack.

Not able to gain ground with the Flying Kite Technique, he switched to the Returning of Waterfowl Technique that he had learned in the House of Jade, trying to find a chance to fight back.

Who knew that with a turn of his wrist, Gu Ruohai would change his technique that clearly countered the Returning of Waterfowl Technique in every shape and form. After trading several blows, Gu Feidi could hardly keep a grip on his blade from the difference in strength.

“One should not be complacent.” Gu Ruohai stated. “The person standing before you also trained within the walls of the House of Jade. Have you forgotten that?”

Gu Feidi managed to stop a move with Graceful Wings, but he couldn’t block his father’s Whirlwind that followed. He could only try his best to dodge, but the blade’s tip still touched his skin, creating a shallow cut.

“I defeated my seniors in the House of Jade the year I created the Flying Kite Technique.” Gu Ruohai recalled. “It’s time for you to think about how to alter your sword technique to optimize your strength.”

Gu Feidi took two steps back and breathed heavily.

His father promised, “If you retreat again, I’ll kill Su Yang today.”

His father’s sword came right at him.

If he couldn’t retreat, he would have to confront the attack. But with the force, he would end with an injury.

If he accumulated more injuries, or if he got a heavy injury, then he didn’t have the right to accompany Su Yang to the southwest.

For an instant, he felt everything slowed down, but the pressure and fear that should have increased infinitely...suddenly disappeared.

His entire being calmed down, as if he had escaped to a strange realm.

If he couldn't pull back.

Then there was only moving forward.

A red figure appeared in his mind. Under the beautiful scenery of falling red petals on the snow-white earth, the figure’s crimson outfit fluttered as every fierce slash from the thin blade was deadly and precise. Focusing on offence and never on defence. Moving forward and never back.

He didn’t know how to enhance the Drunkard’s Plum Wine Slash with his internal energy, but he knew that this was the technique that screamed with the most intuitive feeling.

Within his father’s piercing blow, he moved forward step by step. Each of his actions was like a dancing dragon, each attack aimed at an opportunity, making his opponent go on the defence.

Gu Ruohai had to withdraw his attack to block.

Taking advantage of his first breakthrough, Gu Feidi abandoned his other sword technique and all of his escape routes. Each of his forms and cuts were more ruthless, more desperate, and more direct than the ones before. Each one aimed to kill.

Gu Ruohai blocked his son’s series of attacks, and a smile finally appeared on his lips.

“Do you understand what you need?” He asked.

“I’ll protect him.” Gu Feidi declared. “Even at the cost of my life.”

Gu Ruohai returned his sword into its sheath and said with a smile, “You didn’t suddenly create this sword technique on the spot, did you?”

Gu Feidi didn’t conceal it. “Su Yang created this sword technique and named it ‘Drunkard’s Plum Wine Slash’, and I just used his creation.”

A hint of surprise flashed through Gu Ruohai’s eyes. Then he stilled, as if he was lost in his thoughts. Then, as though it dawned on him he said, “So he has a reckless nature. No wonder…”

Gu Feidi was puzzled. “Father?”

“You should carefully study this set of swordsmanship skills, knowing it would help you fight alongside him, or even adopt his technique into your own.” His father informed. “When you two join hands, your enemies can only retreat, with no way to stop you.”

Hearing this, Gu Feidi’s eyes lit up immediately. “Is father allowing me to see him?”

Gu Ruohai stared at his son and said in a serious tone, “Once you leave the Pavilion, I’ll announce to Jianghu that our Young Lord betrayed the Tengyun Pavilion and sided with the Evil Sect.”

The smile that was slowly blooming on Gu Feidi’s face instantly froze.

After a while, he questioned in a trembling voice, “...What’s the meaning of this, father?”

Studying the emotion on his son’s face, Gu Ruohai smiled reassuringly. “What’s wrong? Do you think I’m forcing you to choose between the Tengyun Pavilion and Su Yang?”

Gu Feidi flattened his lips, refusing to answer.

Gu Ruohai sighed, “You’re still too soft.”

Then, he added, “Since the faction targeted you with their Blood Gu, and saw you didn’t come to them for a cure, they naturally won’t stop this easily.”

“I have investigated the two men you had Fan Qi send over. If the Wujiang Sect is really colluding with the faction, with their ability it’s easy to get the news that you’re still alive. If they haven’t revealed your involvement with Su Yang, they must be waiting for an opportunity. Instead of letting them choose the right time to leak your relationship with the Evil Sect’s young master, why don’t we announce it first to disrupt their rhythm.”

As he said this, he looked at his son. “Everything would have been fine if you stayed here, but if you insist on staying with Su Yang…The Tengyun Pavilion can’t have any involvement with the Evil Sect. If you were to accompany him, you would have to represent yourself.”

“But, father,” Gu Feidi uttered with a frown, “If this happens, there will be more sects coming to plead for you to start a war with the Evil Sect…”

“Indeed. But I can probably guess what he is thinking…”

Moving his hands behind his back, Gu Ruohai watched the pale sky in the east and shared slowly, “I’m afraid that his invitation was related to the recent turbulence in Jianghu. You don’t have to worry about this. Just focus on taking Su Yang to the mountain.”

He paused, before continuing, “As a disguise, I’ll send the phoenix guards to arrest you. In reality, they will secretly escort you to the mountain.”

Gu Feidi speechlessly faced his father, whose figure was illuminated from the fire and faint sunlight.

After a moment’s silence, Gu Ruohai turned around and handed his sword to Gu Feidi.

“From today, Cherished HeartCherished Heart: 夙心 means 平素的心愿 or one’s usual cherished desire/ wish. I had it as something else but I changed it for reason that readers will learn in the future (❁´◡`❁) will be your sword.”

Gu Feidi accepted the sword in a daze.

He could still hear his father talking, “Anything you want to do in the future, just do it wholeheartedly. My only request is to have a clear conscience. Now go.”

Facing the sunrise, Gu Feidi cupped his hands and bowed deeply toward his father.

Then he turned and left the training ground, each footstep filled with confidence.