Chapter 50

Chapter 50

The tent was cleaned again, and the banquet reset, though this time with fewer attendees.

Hu Tiehua, Ji Bingyan, Li Chaofeng.

King of Kucha, Pipa Princess, "Queen of Kucha."

Wu Qingtian had already been taken away—his fate hinged entirely on the King of Kucha’s whim.

As for Sun Kong, after swearing he would never return to the rebel ranks, Hu Tiehua stepped aside, allowing him to leave the camp.

Now that the crisis had passed, the King of Kucha overflowed with gratitude toward Hu Tiehua, while Ji Bingyan whispered quietly with Li Chaofeng.

Ji Bingyan: "You’re so skilled—why hide your identity? Even if the King of Kucha isn’t trustworthy, surely Peng Yi Hu would’ve recognized your name."

Li Chaofeng chuckled awkwardly. "It’s complicated. Not for me, but for those fools chasing the Demon Sword Dragon Fang. They’d never stop hounding me."

Ji Bingyan frowned. "Huh?"

Li Chaofeng’s face hardened. "Baixiaosheng exaggerated my weakness so much that anyone who hears my name assumes I’m a pushover. Every time I appear, a swarm of idiots tries to replace me. That’s the trouble—I want to avoid."

Ji Bingyan blinked. "What kind of trouble?"

Li Chaofeng sighed. "I’m a chef. I love cooking, not killing. But to stop those fools from swarming me endlessly, I’d have to kill them all."

Glancing toward Stone Guanyin, he lowered his voice. "That’s why my reputation must surpass the Demon Sword Dragon Fang first. Only then can I walk freely through the martial world."

Hu Tiehua, seated before them, overheard their conversation. Pondering Li Chaofeng’s words, he found logic in them—yet something felt off.

Recalling past events, he fell silent. He realized Li Chaofeng genuinely didn’t care about fame.

In the martial world, people valued open renown, disdaining secrecy. They preferred direct paths to glory—clashing swords, earning fame in a single stroke.

Li Chaofeng’s calculated approach to reputation felt… un-martial.

But even the un-martial had their place in the martial world.

It was Li Chaofeng’s near-obsessive adherence to virtue that earned Hu Tiehua’s respect.

Though Li Chaofeng and Ji Bingyan whispered, their words reached both Hu Tiehua and Stone Guanyin, who listened with quiet disdain.

Martial renown? Martial renown? she mused. Without bloodshed, where’s the renown?

Even if Li Chaofeng’s fame didn’t stem from the Demon Sword Dragon Fang, his path to recognition would still be paved with corpses. Otherwise, how would the martial world fear him?

Yet Li Chaofeng’s secrecy about his origins suited her plans. She saw no reason to expose him.

Switching to Kuchean, Stone Guanyin subtly reminded the King of Kucha about Hu Tiehua and Ji Bingyan’s chivalric reputations in the martial world, noting their prolonged absence.

Though not a secret code, her pauses and tone implied something deeper: that Hu Tiehua and Ji Bingyan had vanished years ago because they’d become imperial guards.

The King of Kucha, catching her hint, beamed with forced admiration toward the two.

"Your Majesty’s wife has opened my eyes! I failed to recognize these heroes’ names earlier. How shameful!"

Turning to Li Chaofeng, he asked with feigned hope:

"But… will the esteemed Snake Xiaogui still refuse to share his name?"

With danger gone, Stone Guanyin no longer needed to protect the king. Fearing Li Chaofeng’s loose tongue, she suddenly coughed violently, interrupting.

"Esteemed heroes", she rasped, "my illness lingers. I must retire."

Her voice weakened further as she turned to the king. "Please treat them well… lest other nations claim Kucha lacks manners."

Though cunning, the king genuinely cared for his queen. Hearing her frailty, he rushed attendants to escort her to the royal tent, then redoubled his hospitality toward the guests.

Sun Kong had exposed Hu Tiehua and Ji Bingyan’s identities but missed Li Chaofeng’s. Between the king’s scheming and Stone Guanyin’s Kuchean deception, the king focused his reverence solely on Hu Tiehua and Ji Bingyan.

As for Li Chaofeng—the "royal noble"—the king decided he could do as he pleased. After all, Kucha couldn’t possibly satisfy him.

Fine food, exquisite wine, music… not even my most beautiful Pipa Princess impressed him. What else could I offer?

Gift him the entire Kucha Kingdom?

The king’s face darkened briefly, then brightened as he lavished praise on their martial prowess.

The next day’s banquet concluded with Hu Tiehua’s trio finally discussing the day’s events: Chu Liuxiang’s disappearance and the night’s ambush.

Hu Tiehua had missed the tent’s earlier conversation while chasing after Chu Liuxiang. Exchanging information with Ji Bingyan, Li Chaofeng finally issued a warning he’d long withheld.

"That Queen of Kucha… her martial arts are formidable."

Ji Bingyan and Hu Tiehua froze. They’d noted Pipa Princess’s skills but saw no evidence of the queen’s abilities.

"I heard it clearly", Li Chaofeng continued. "The sword strike came first—then the queen pulled the king aside, saving him. Yet none of the Wu Brothers noticed her hidden martial arts."

Ji Bingyan frowned. "The Wu Brothers stood so close to the king’s family and saw nothing. How did you notice? Weren’t you facing away from the king at the time?"

Hu Tiehua smirked, answering for Li Chaofeng. "Footsteps."

Li Chaofeng nodded. "The queen seemed frantic, but her steps never faltered. Even with panic, one’s footsteps naturally grow heavier as they seek balance. Hers remained steady—too steady for someone in chaos."

Hu Tiehua grinned. "You heard the difference."

"Exactly", Li Chaofeng said. "On thick carpets, no one notices subtle shifts in footfalls… except me."

Ji Bingyan’s eyes widened. If the queen hadn’t panicked during the attack, her act of saving the king had been deliberate—a split-second rescue executed with confidence.

Stone Guanyin.

Few martial masters roamed the desert, and even fewer women of such absurd skill. Like Chu Liuxiang deducing his captor’s identity, Ji Bingyan now saw the truth.

Yet this revelation brought no clarity.

"Stone Guanyin stole Paradise Star", Hu Tiehua muttered. "Captured Old Stinkbug too. Now we know she’s the queen… but what game are she and the king playing? Just a farce for our benefit?"

Ji Bingyan shook his head, stumped. Li Chaofeng rolled his eyes.

"I’ve never been to the desert before. How should I know their motives?"

If you can’t figure it out by now… he thought, helpless.

Hu Tiehua suddenly straightened. "Snake Xiaogui—can you track Old Stinkbug by scent?"

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end