Chapter 140 — Killing Intent

Master Shuijing sighed inwardly and said mildly to Lu Xueling, "Since the Sect Master Uncle has given the order, and you are better acquainted with him than most, Qi'er, you may as well show him about."

Lu Xueling's lips moved slightly, and she slowly lowered her head. After a moment she said in a low voice, "Yes. This disciple respectfully obeys her master's command."

Li Xun was overjoyed beyond measure, though he kept a smile on his face as he said to Lu Xueling, "Then I must trouble you, Junior Sister."

Lu Xueling nodded slightly, and no other expression showed on her face.

From his seat, Daoist Daoyan nodded with a smile. Nearby, Zeng Shuchang and Tian Buhui glanced over but said nothing. It was Tian Buhui's wife, Su Wan, who, amid her talk with her daughter Tian Lingsu, cast a look in that direction, and her brows drew faintly together.

The gathering did not break up until much later. Tian Buhui led his wife Su Wan and his eldest disciple Song Dayi out of the Jade Balance Hall on Receiving-Heaven Peak. Song Dayi followed his master out, but could not resist secretly turning to look back.

The gesture fell into the eyes of Tian Lingsu, who had come out together with them to see her father and mother off, and she suddenly burst into a fit of giggles.

Hearing the laughter, both Tian Buhui and Su Wan turned around. Su Wan glanced at her daughter and smiled. "What are you laughing at?"

Tian Lingsu walked to her mother's side, took Su Wan's hand, and shot a glance at her eldest senior brother. Song Dayi, with a guilty conscience, instantly flushed red to the ears.

Tian Buhui gave a snort. "Playing at mysteries. What's going on?"

Tian Lingsu laughed. "Father, Mother, you had better hurry and go to Little Bamboo Peak on Eldest Senior Brother's behalf to ask for the hand of Master Uncle Shuiyue's disciple, or he really will die of anxiety."

Tian Buhui was stunned, but Su Wan was far quicker of mind than her husband and had understood at once. She said to Song Dayi with a smile, "What, so you already have a sweetheart, and she is a disciple of my senior sister Shuiyue of Little Bamboo Peak? Come, tell your master's wife all about it, and I will decide the matter for you."

Song Dayi opened his mouth to speak, but then he glanced at Tian Buhui, and nothing would come out; he could only hang his head. Su Wan was taken aback. "What's the matter, Daren?"

Tian Lingsu giggled. "Eldest Senior Brother is just afraid Father will scold him. I will speak for him..."

Song Dayi grew nervous and opened his mouth. "Little Junior Sister, you..."

Tian Lingsu paid him no mind and said to Su Wan of her own accord, "The one Eldest Senior Brother has his eye on is Senior Sister Wen Pei, Master Uncle Shuiyue's disciple."

Tian Buhui gave another snort at the side, his face wearing an odd, unreadable expression, but Su Wan laughed aloud. "Good lad, you have some eye in you after all. That girl Wen Pei is truly not bad. But we can't yet be sure what she herself is thinking, and it wouldn't do for me to just..."

Song Dayi grew anxious and raised his head. "She—she feels the same..."

Before the words were out, he saw that his master, his master's wife, and his little junior sister were all looking at him with ambiguous, knowing smiles, and he faltered and could not go on, and could only hang his head again.

Su Wan shook her head with a bitter smile. "Enough, enough. You learned your master's eye for a good woman, but why couldn't you learn his thick skin..."

Tian Buhui suddenly coughed beside them and shot a glare in their direction, but Su Wan ignored him and said to Song Dayi, "Set your mind at ease. Leave this matter to your master's wife. So long as the girl is willing, you shall have your wish in the end."

Song Dayi was beside himself with joy, and his face lit up at once. Tian Buhui gave a cold snort from the side. "Just look at that worth of yours!"

Song Dayi gave a start, hastily wiped the smile from his face, and took his place behind his master, though he still could not hide the delight in his eyes. Su Wan shook her head with a smile, drew her daughter aside, and gave her a good many more instructions before returning; then she, Tian Buhui, and Song Dayi rose on their swords together and flew back to Great Bamboo Peak.

The whole way they passed through clouds and mist, swift as the wind and lightning, and some half an hour later the three of them arrived back at Great Bamboo Peak.

Tian Buhui said not a word upon landing but walked straight toward the Hall of Quiet Keeping. Su Wan turned to Song Dayi and said, "Go and rest for now. As for that matter, set your mind at ease."

Song Dayi could not help grinning foolishly twice more, then hastily made his bow and strode off.

Su Wan shook her head with a smile and slowly walked back into the Hall of Quiet Keeping, where she saw Tian Buhui sitting. She went over and said with a smile, "Hey, when it comes to the marriage of that prized eldest disciple of yours, you will have to go and ask my senior sister Shuiyue for his hand yourself, you know."

Tian Buhui gave a snort and turned his head away. "Me, go humble myself and beg a favor of that senior sister of yours? I won't do it."

Su Wan was not angry. She only smiled and said, "Then your eldest disciple will stay a bachelor all his life. That's no concern of mine."

A trace of scorn appeared on Tian Buhui's face, and he looked up at the sky. "I can't be bothered either. It's not I who will be a bachelor all his life, anyway!"

Su Wan could not help bursting into laughter again, and she reached out and lightly smacked Tian Buhui. "Honestly! Have you no regard for your age? Still carrying on like an old rascal!"

Tian Buhui blinked, but still kept looking up at the sky, the very picture of a man with a heart of iron, who would not shed a tear until he saw the coffin, who would not turn back until he kicked against the southern mountain.

Su Wan had no choice. "All right, let's be serious. It wasn't easy for your disciple to find someone he cares for, and besides, that girl Wen Pei really is a fine one—I like her myself when I look at her. You need only go to Little Bamboo Peak and speak with my senior sister Shuiyue, and with me at your side to help, the worst you'll get is a few harmless jibes from her. What is that? Since Wen Pei clearly has some feeling for our Daren, my senior sister won't let a little ill feeling between you ruin her disciple's whole life."

Tian Buhui kept a sullen face for a long while, then said furiously, "I knew the eldest was good for nothing. Honestly! To go and fall for someone from Little Bamboo Peak, and land me, at my age, having to go and eat that woman Shuiyue's sour looks!"

Su Wan spat. "I am from Little Bamboo Peak too, you know. Why did you take a fancy to me back then, then? Just look at that worth of yours—and now you're dredging up old scores with me!"

Tian Buhui had spoken without thinking and was left speechless. He said sulkily, "Enough, enough. I've long since resigned myself to my fate, a pack of good-for-nothings. I'll just make the trip to Little Bamboo Peak."

Only then did Su Wan nod and smile. "That's more like it."

With that, she set the matter aside and walked a few steps off, but suddenly stopped again; when she turned back, her delicate brows were faintly knit, as though something had occurred to her, and she said to Tian Buhui, "By the way, when you saw that Li Xun of the Fenxia Valley today, didn't you feel something was off about it afterward?"

Tian Buhui said mildly, "You mean the Sect Master Brother having Lu Xueling of Little Bamboo Peak receive him?"

Su Wan nodded. "You saw it was off too?"