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Chapter 110: A Nighttime Infiltration into the Hall of the Divine Blade
Chapter 110: A Nighttime Infiltration into the Hall of the Divine Blade
Having chosen their horses from the Wan Ma Hall, You Longsheng, accompanied by Bai Tianyu and Bai Tianyong, took an exhilarating ride across the grasslands with Ding Baiyun and Lan Yueyi.
You Longsheng rode Chao Ye Bai, Ding Baiyun on Tian Qingkui, and Lan Yueyi on Sa Lu Zi, their hearts filled with joy as they galloped into the sunset.
Only as dusk fell did the group return to the Hall of the Divine Blade, where they dined together before retiring to their respective guest rooms.
As there were three of them, and it would be impolite to pry too deeply, Bai Tianyong arranged for them to stay in three separate rooms.
Subsequently, Ding Baiyun and Lan Yueyi joined You Longsheng in his chamber.
However, they did not immediately retire for the night but engaged in conversation.
"Who would have thought that Bai Tianyu, with his flamboyant personality, has a brother who is a literary scholar?" Ding Baiyun remarked.
"This literary gentleman is no pushover," You Longsheng replied. "Although I haven't witnessed his sword skills, his lightness skill is unparalleled in this world. When he came to find us earlier, he moved as gracefully as a cat, landing silently."
"Nevertheless, I believe the most formidable person in the Hall of the Divine Blade is still Madam Bai," Ding Baiyun said, her eyes reflecting her admiration.
Although they couldn't fathom Madam Bai's martial arts prowess, they knew it far surpassed Bai Tianyu's, and the respect he showed her today was undoubtedly genuine.
Outside, he might be the proud and romantic master of the Hall of the Divine Blade, but once he returned home, he was cautious even about raising his voice in Madam Bai's presence.
It was truly astonishing!
As Ding Baiyun speculated about how Madam Bai kept Bai Tianyu in check, her gaze involuntarily shifted to You Longsheng, a gleam of curiosity in her eyes.
You Longsheng rolled his eyes. "What are you looking at me for? Bai Tianyu just doesn't bring women home, that's all. Besides, it's been a while since I last visited Chunfeng Tower, okay?"
Ding Baiyun pouted but didn't refute him. After all, she had witnessed firsthand Bai Tianyu's flirtatious behavior with Tao Hua Niang.
However, when she thought about You Longsheng's attitude towards her and compared it to Bai Tianyu's demeanor in front of Madam Bai, she felt that seeking advice from Madam Bai might be a good idea.
Unlike the love-struck Ding Baiyun, whose attention was focused on Madam Bai, Lan Yueyi seemed more interested in Ma Kongqun.
"You little scoundrel, it seems like everything you said today was designed to dig a hole for that Ma Kongqun fellow. Did he offend you in some way?" Lan Yueyi asked, having met Bai Tianyu and Ma Kongqun for the first time today.
Ding Baiyun chuckled. "This guy didn't want to be outdone by Bai Tianyu in terms of aura, so he claimed that Ma Kongqun looked like Bai Tianyu's subordinate rather than his sworn little brother."
She then proceeded to recount the verbal sparring between You Longsheng and Bai Tianyu to Lan Yueyi.
"And so, Ma Kongqun started disliking him and has been rather uncooperative ever since," You Longsheng added.
"I see," Lan Yueyi nodded. "However, the relationship between the Wan Ma Hall and the Hall of the Divine Blade is a bit peculiar. They claim to be independent of each other, yet there seems to be a hierarchical relationship, as if they are part of the same force but bear different surnames."
"They used to be one family," Ding Baiyun said matter-of-factly. "Isn't Ma Kongqun Bai Tianyu's sworn little brother? And wasn't the Wan Ma Hall established with the help of Bai Tianyu?"
Lan Yueyi smiled. "Long Shiyun is also sworn brothers with Li Xunhuan."
Ding Baiyun shook her head. "But that's different. Without the Hall of the Divine Blade, how could Ma Kongqun maintain such a large Wan Ma Hall?"
You Longsheng nodded in agreement. Indeed, Ding Baiyun's doubts and skepticism were reasonable.
In the original Border Town Prodigal novel, although the Wan Ma Hall retained significant influence, it hadn't always been so vast. It was a reputation forged over two decades through the relentless efforts of its members.
In other words, after Ma Kongqun colluded with a group of people to kill Bai Tianyu, he inherited the assets of the Hall of the Divine Blade, but the power of Wan Ma Hall was also affected by the destruction of the Hall of the Divine Blade. After a series of subsequent battles, it was only with sufficient wealth and resources that they were able to regain their footing.
Therefore, Hua Mantian and Yun Tian felt resentful, but in Ma Kongqun's eyes, he might have just taken back what was rightfully his.
No wonder Bai Tianyu's family had let their guard down around Ma Kongqun; both emotionally and in terms of practical interests, Ma Kongqun had no reason to betray them.
Yet, he still did.
The sole reason being that, like Hua Mantian, he no longer wanted to live as a subordinate. He wanted to be the boss!
You Longsheng glanced at Ding Baiyun. She hadn't figured this out yet.
In the original novel, when did she realize Ma Kongqun's intentions? Was it during her interactions with Bai Tianyu or after they had fallen out? Nonetheless, her discovery of this fact, followed by her initiative to contact and find one of the people Bai Tianyu trusted the most, was commendable. Ding Baiyun, the young lady from a prominent martial arts family, indeed had exceptional wit and cunning.
However, Ding Baiyun's logical argument left both You Longsheng and Lan Yueyi unable to refute.
Even You Longsheng, who was well-versed in the plot, didn't know if Ma Kongqun would still dare to betray without the extensive connections that Ding Baiyun had in the Central Plains.
Thus, the topic was dropped, and the atmosphere turned ambiguous.
Just as You Longsheng was about to say something, a commotion erupted outside.
The sound of fluttering clothes cutting through the wind, and low, hushed voices.
"Someone is infiltrating the Hall of the Divine Blade at night?" Ding Baiyun immediately said.
"Who dares to be so bold?" Lan Yueyi asked involuntarily.
Having witnessed the might of the Hall of the Divine Blade and Bai Tianyu during the day, she knew that they held considerable influence in this area. With no apparent enemies around, who could this night intruder be?
"We'll know once we take a look," You Longsheng said, his eyes gleaming with excitement as he pushed open the door and climbed onto the roof with great interest.
"This is the Hall of the Divine Blade. We just arrived today, so be careful not to let others misunderstand and think that we're the ones snooping around," Ding Baiyun reminded him.
"Don't worry. With the way we're dressed, they can't possibly suspect us even if they want to," You Longsheng replied.
While Lan Yueyi was dressed in blue, both You Longsheng and Ding Baiyun wore white brocade robes, making them quite conspicuous in the night under the illumination of the torches.
The three of them then saw groups of disciples from the Hall of the Divine Blade rushing back and forth, but they didn't spot any enemies.
"Where are they?" You Longsheng asked.
"They've already fled," Bai Tianyong appeared beside the trio and explained, "They're from the Demon Sect."
You Longsheng's eyebrows rose, "I heard that the Demon Sect Leader beyond the border was defeated by your brother, and he vowed never to enter the Central Plains again."
Bai Tianyong nodded and frowned, "Yes, that's why I'm not sure why there are members of the Demon Sect here. Perhaps Hua Wuaiya can no longer suppress those ambitious disciples in the sect?"
(End of Chapter)
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