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Chapter 264: The Backup Plan Ho Tianqing Prepared for Su Shaoying
Chapter 264: The Backup Plan Ho Tianqing Prepared for Su Shaoying
Ma Xiuzhen and the other three departed.
Standing alone under the eaves, Dugu Yihe watched the pouring rain, silent for a moment before speaking softly, "You've changed a lot."
Su Shaoying blinked and smiled, "I rarely left Sichuan in the past and hadn't encountered any top experts. This time, I ventured out and almost ended up a stranger to my own master."
Dugu Yihe abruptly turned to face Su Shaoying.
"What else do you know?"
"How much I know depends on how much you tell me," Su Shaoying said. "I've witnessed Ximen Chuixue's swordsmanship."
Dugu Yihe's eyes flickered, "And?"
Su Shaoying spread his hands, "If you have a clear conscience, I suggest you avoid confronting him. Otherwise, you'll only play into the hands of the mastermind behind the scenes."
Dugu Yihe replied calmly, "And if I have a guilty conscience?"
"Then it's even more imperative that you don't face him. If you die, we siblings will have no one to back us up in the Emei Sect," Su Shaoying spoke frankly.
The truthfulness of He Xiu's words was uncertain, and Su Shaoying indeed knew little about Yan Tieshan and Dugu Yihe. However, based on his original body's two decades of interaction with them, Dugu Yihe, despite his stern and domineering demeanor, had treated them well and imparted his knowledge without reservation. Otherwise, the trio of heroes and quartet of beauties of the Emei Sect wouldn't have gained their renown throughout the world.
The reason they appeared mediocre in the original story was that they faced only the very best of their generation.
Moreover, a person with a stern and domineering demeanor was less likely to be a hypocrite. As Su Shaoying looked at Dugu Yihe, he felt like he was seeing a weakened version of Shangguan Jinhong.
He seemed more human than Shangguan Jinhong.
Hearing Su Shaoying's words, Dugu Yihe laughed again. The desolation and sadness in his eyes vanished, replaced by a calm and resolute expression, "I won't die."
He enunciated each of the four words, then turned towards the door, "Let's go to the Pearl and Gem Pavilion."
...
The rain stopped, and the night deepened.
When Dugu Yihe arrived at the Pearl and Gem Pavilion, Ho Tianqing was not there. The remaining martial artists in the pavilion didn't dare obstruct the Emei Sect leader, so he smoothly made his way to Yan Tieshan's funeral hall.
The wind howled, and the candlelight flickered.
The spring breeze of April brought no warmth, instead carrying a biting chill as it fluttered the flags and drapes in the funeral hall.
Dugu Yihe stood silently before the coffin.
Although Su Shaoying stood behind him, his gaze was fixed on the entrance.
Ho Tianqing would definitely come. But would He Xiu also be nearby?
"Yan Tieshan is Yan Liben, and my real name is Ping Duhuo," Dugu Yihe suddenly spoke.
Su Shaoying nodded, "That's a rare surname."
Dugu Yihe almost stumbled, having considered all of Su Shaoying's possible reactions except for his focus on his surname, "It is rare. It's said to be descended from Yan Pingzhong of the Qi Kingdom."
"So that Golden Roc Dynasty was also established by the Han people?" Su Shaoying asked.
"The royal family of the Golden Phoenix Dynasty had the compound surname of Shangguan, derived from the Mi surname, and they were indeed descendants of the royal family of the Chu Kingdom during the Spring and Autumn period," Dugu Yihe explained.
"Then why change your name to the Xianbei tribe's Duguhun surname just because it has the character 'du'?" Su Shaoying inquired.
Dugu Yihe couldn't help but explain, "That's not the point."
Su Shaoying quickly nodded, "Yes, yes, please continue."
Dugu Yihe momentarily forgot where he was in his story, but after a moment's thought, he realized he had only just begun.
"The Golden Roc Dynasty was originally a small southern barbarian country, lacking in military might. Over forty years ago, it was attacked by three neighboring countries."
Su Shaoying's eyes lit up as he heard this, and Dugu Yihe continued, "But we waited for three years, and the crown prince's summons never came."
"He's dead?" Su Shaoying asked, playing along.
"No," Dugu Yihe replied, "We even met with Shangguan Jin. His martial arts skills are not inferior to mine. He told me that the crown prince no longer wishes to restore the kingdom and only wants to live out his life in peace."
"What?!" Su Shaoying exclaimed in surprise, "So you've been in contact with them all this time?"
"Only with Shangguan Jin," Dugu Yihe said, "The crown prince couldn't bear to face us. I haven't seen him in over forty years, but..."
Dugu Yihe's eyes narrowed, "Just a few months ago, a fake Great Golden Phoenix King appeared and approached Yan Tieshan."
"How do you know he was a fake?" Su Shaoying asked.
"Because he didn't have the mark of the Great Golden Phoenix King, and through my secret investigations, I found out that the mastermind behind this incident was the Green Clothes Tower." Dugu Yihe explained, "That's why I asked you to deliver a message to Yan Tieshan."
"Was the content of the letter about this?" Su Shaoying asked.
Dugu Yihe nodded, "I never expected that I would still be too late."
"You don't suspect that Lu Xiaofeng and the others are people from the Green Clothes Tower, do you?" Su Shaoying asked, unable to hold back his curiosity.
"They..."
Before Dugu Yihe could finish his sentence, the sound of footsteps interrupted him. A young man dressed in black tight-fitting clothes and draped in yellow hemp mourning robes walked into the hall.
"Manager Huo," Su Shaoying greeted him.
Huo Tianqing completely ignored Su Shaoying and moved to stand behind Dugu Yihe. In a calm tone, he asked, "Has the Daoist Master never been here before?"
Dugu Yihe's voice was cold as he replied, "Yes."
Huo Tianqing said, "So even I didn't know that Mr. Yan and the Daoist Master were such good friends."
Dugu Yihe's gaze turned icy, "There's a lot you don't know."
Huo Tianqing took a step forward, positioning himself beside Dugu Yihe, "Then I assume the Daoist Master already knows why he died?"
Dugu Yihe spun around, his eyes fixed on Huo Tianqing, "He was killed by a conspiracy!"
Huo Tianqing nodded, "Indeed, he was killed by someone. And that someone is you!"
Dugu Yihe's pupils contracted as he saw Huo Tianqing twist his waist to the right, his arms slightly spread, executing the Phoenix Spreads its Wings technique. Huo Tianqing's left hand formed a phoenix peck, aiming for the Tianchu point on Dugu Yihe's neck.
Dugu Yihe and Huo Tianqing were now extremely close, leaving Dugu Yihe no time to draw his sword. He could only slash diagonally with his right palm, aiming for Huo Tianqing's wrist.
However, Huo Tianqing slid to the other side, appearing on Dugu Yihe's opposite side with another Phoenix Spreads its Wings. This time, his right hand aimed for the Dazhui point on the back of Dugu Yihe's neck.
"Phoenix Double Flight!"
Caught off guard, Dugu Yihe was startled. He twisted to the left, executing the Moon-Gazing technique with his left hand to counter Huo Tianqing's phoenix peck. Unexpectedly, Huo Tianqing flipped his palms, and the two men's palms met, their internal energies clashing.
Su Shaoying blinked, looking at the four people blocking his path, and he couldn't help but smile, "Huo Tianqing, is this the backup plan you prepared for me?"
(End of Chapter)
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