Ugly Hero - Chapter 15

“…Second Brother, what do you think?”

Xia Qinyi returned to herself from her thoughts and saw that everyone’s gazes were focused on her.

The Third Branch Old Master slapped the armrest and objected. “Fourth Brother’s words are wrong. Although Qinyi is a girl, she is still the legitimate line of the main branch, proper and rightful. In the future, recruiting a good man to marry into the family would be the same. Moreover, Qinyi shone brilliantly at the Demon-Slaying Assembly, and for all these years, she has never made even the slightest mistake. I do not agree with this proposal.”

Although Xia Qinyi had not paid attention to the earlier words, hearing this, she already understood clearly.

From childhood until now, she could no longer remember how many times she had experienced such scenes. It was only that as she grew older day by day, the second and fourth branches had not often brought it up these past few years. In a few more years, she would take over the manor. It was only natural that they could no longer sit still.

The Second Branch Old Master pondered for a moment, then slowly said, “Third Brother’s words are not false, but this old man also feels that Old Fourth’s words are not entirely unreasonable. Huaxia Manor has a great family and great business. We must choose the most outstanding person to pass it down to in order to preserve this century-old foundation. How about this… among the younger generation, whoever can personally kill the Ugly Hero and obtain the Canglong Sword will also be given a chance to become a candidate for manor master. If Qinyi obtains it, this old man will have no further objection. If another disciple obtains it, then allow that person to hold the Canglong Sword and challenge Qinyi. The victor will become the next manor master.”

“Then if some other martial ally obtains the Canglong Sword, are we going to steal it from them? Moreover, if that Ugly Hero withdraws from the world and refuses to appear, does that mean Huaxia Manor will never choose a manor master? Are we to wait until all us old bones are gone, and then watch the tree fall and the monkeys scatter?”

“Eh, Third Brother, how can you say that? Do you not have confidence in Qinyi? The choice of manor master is an extremely important matter. Second Brother and I are also thinking for the sake of the manor. If some other righteous martial artist obtains it, then this matter will end there… As for the second point Third Brother mentioned, let us set Qinyi’s twentieth birthday as the deadline. What do you think?”

“This…” The Third Old Master looked at Xia Qinyi with difficulty, guilt in his eyes.

“Third Grandfather, Qinyi is willing to accept the test.”

“Qinyi…”

“Good! As expected of a descendant of my Xia family, you have courage. Qinyi, if you can personally kill that Demon Cult fiend and obtain the Canglong Sword, Second Grandfather will have no further objection. At that time, with saber and sword united, Huaxia Manor will surely shake the martial world with its might. You can also gift the Canglong Sword to your future husband or descendants. Second Grandfather believes in your ability.”

“Thank you for your trust, Second Grandfather.” Xia Qinyi dipped her body slightly and said calmly.

After the discussion ended, Xia Quan hurriedly found Xia Qinyi and said in bitter distress, “Young Miss! How could you agree? You are already sixteen now. You only needed to circle around them falsely for a few more years, and then you could smoothly inherit the position of manor master. Why give them hope?”

Xia Qinyi poured Xia Quan a cup of tea. “Uncle Quan, sit.”

Xia Quan sat opposite Xia Qinyi as told, but he did not drink the tea. Instead, he looked anxiously at Xia Qinyi, hoping to receive a satisfactory answer.

Xia Qinyi thought for a moment, then slowly said, “Uncle Quan, all these years, Qinyi has relied on Third Grandfather, you, and several uncles for protection. Otherwise, this heir position would not have been preserved until today. But Uncle Quan, over the years, the second and fourth branches have controlled many of the manor’s businesses. What I hold in my hands is less than thirty percent. If I push them too hard, trouble will inevitably arise. At that time, it will still be the manor’s interests that suffer. If they take the opportunity to propose dividing the family, leaving aside the manor’s losses, would that not make us a laughingstock under heaven? It is better to go along with their wishes. At that time, it will also shut their mouths.”

Xia Quan froze. He had watched the girl before him grow up, but in all these years, this was the first time he had heard her reveal her true thoughts.

Xia Quan had once followed beside Xia Qinyi’s father. Although his martial arts were not high, he was proficient in managing subordinates and strategy. After thinking carefully, he revealed a gratified smile.

“It is rare for Young Miss to have such foresight. If Master knows of this in the underworld, he should be at ease!”

Xia Qinyi smiled. “Uncle Quan, please help me prepare my luggage. Call Qingzhu and Piaoxue. I am going out for a while.”

Xia Quan hurriedly agreed. “Young Miss, I have already investigated clearly. After that Ugly Hero appeared in Mosu City, he hid his traces again. However, judging from the route, he should now be hiding somewhere in Jiangnan…”

“Uncle Quan, I plan to go to Tianqiong Mountain.”

“Young Miss? You are not going to find the Ugly Hero and seize the sword?”

“Now the Demon Cult is rampant, and the Tianqiong Sword Sect is struggling bitterly to hold on. Since the alliance agreement has already been signed, I naturally should do my part. Go prepare.”

Xia Quan opened his mouth. Seeing Xia Qinyi’s firm expression, he could only accept the order and leave.

After Xia Quan left, Xia Qinyi let out an almost inaudible sigh. Now, everyone said the Ugly Hero was a Demon Cult fiend, yet she had doubts in her heart. Since parting at Tianqiong Mountain, Xia Qinyi had used the power in her hands to gather a great deal of intelligence. From the Ugly Hero’s first appearance in the jianghu to his most recent movements, everything had been recorded.

It was precisely because she had read those files that Xia Qinyi could not connect the Ugly Hero with the Demon Cult. The Ugly Hero’s first action had been roughly one year ago, when he had visited Faguang Temple in Jizhou at night and stolen twenty taels of incense money…

Afterward, he would appear every once in a while. Each time he acted, he specifically targeted famous orthodox sects, but the amount stolen had never exceeded one hundred taels of silver. The most valuable thing he had ever stolen was her East Sea night pearl. Moreover, there had never been any news of the Ugly Hero taking anyone’s life.

If the Ugly Hero truly belonged to the Demon Cult, he absolutely would not be so soft-hearted. Xia Qinyi had exchanged blows with him herself, and she knew very clearly that with his ability, taking lives would be an easy thing.

Xia Qinyi felt the Ugly Hero was more like an ordinary little jianghu thief. She simply did not understand why, instead of going after safer targets, he insisted on touching reverse scales.

If he had not provoked major sects, he would not have fallen to the point of being placed under bounty…

No matter how Xia Qinyi thought about this point, she could not understand it. She could not help recalling that scene at Tianqiong Mountain again. At the critical moment, he had protected her with his own body, allowing the Phoenix Blood Saber to avoid being seized by the Demon Cult.

Although Third Grandfather and Uncle Xia Quan both said this was a malicious scheme by Demon Cult fiends to sow discord, intending to make Huaxia Manor seem to have some connection to the Demon Cult, going in such a huge circle to frame them weakly was far less practical than simply taking the Phoenix Blood Saber. Even with so many sect masters present at the time, the temptation of the Phoenix Blood Saber would have been worth the risk.

Xia Qinyi had been on the arena at the time. She had personally seen the Demon Cultist’s palm strike land heavily on the Ugly Hero’s shoulder without the slightest mercy.

He had been injured.

Thinking of this, Xia Qinyi felt a wave of irritation rise in her heart. In all sixteen years of her life, she had never had such a feeling before. She simply forced herself to stop thinking deeply about it.

Never before had a person made Xia Qinyi feel so conflicted. The Ugly Hero was the first.

“This time, I will take it as repaying this favor. You helped me protect the Phoenix Blood Saber, so I will not go seize your Canglong Sword. From now on, you and I owe each other nothing.”

Xia Qinyi held the blue-and-white porcelain teacup in both hands, her fingers stroking the patterns on it as she murmured.

If you truly are a Demon Cult fiend… then my father’s hatred cannot go unavenged, and my ancestor’s final words cannot go unheeded. This is the last time.

Early the next morning, the younger generation of Huaxia Manor all brought their most capable subordinates and poured out in full force. Each used the intelligence network in their hands for the sake of finding the Ugly Hero, seizing the Canglong Sword, and winning the chance to become a candidate for manor master.

Only Xia Qinyi brought her two attendants, Qingzhu and Piaoxue, and set off west toward Tianqiong Mountain.

The three traveled without stopping. Seven days later, they arrived at the small town below Tianqiong Mountain. Now, the town was extremely desolate. Almost all the townspeople had moved away with their families. Only the shop owners who had property here and could not bear to leave were still fearfully running their businesses. Jianghu figures could be seen everywhere in town, with disciples of the Tianqiong Sword Sect being the most numerous.

Noon had already passed. Xia Qinyi brought her two attendants to find an inn and settle down first. After resting a little, they would visit the mountain gate tomorrow.

“Pfft…” Just as Xia Qinyi stepped into the inn’s main hall, she heard the sound of someone spraying water. She turned to look.

In the corner of the hall sat a young woman in green. She wore a bamboo hat on her head. A sword lay on the table, its tassel hanging down over the edge, and behind her stood a long wooden box.

Xia Qinyi withdrew her gaze, chose a table by the window, sat down, and ordered several dishes. Yet she sharply sensed that the young woman from earlier seemed to have been staring at her the whole time. Xia Qinyi showed nothing on her face, but secretly split off part of her attention to keep watch on the young woman.

Lu Nanzhu wiped the water droplets from the corner of her mouth, her heart pounding wildly. No matter what, she had never expected to meet Xia Qinyi here!

Lu Nanzhu’s first reaction was to flee. But there were only her table and Xia Qinyi’s table in the hall. She had only eaten a few bites of the food before her. If she left just like this, it would certainly arouse Xia Qinyi’s suspicion. Moreover, her bundle was still on the second floor, and inside it were still more than fifty taels of silver. She could not bear to abandon it!

Lu Nanzhu pressed a hand to her chest and drew in a cold breath. How could she run into Xia Qinyi even here?

As it turned out, Lu Nanzhu had traveled south all the way. When she passed through Mosu City, she redeemed the jade hairpin she had previously pawned. As a result, the moment she left the pawnshop, she was watched. She shook off the people following her, changed back into women’s clothing, and left Mosu City.

According to her original route, the final destination of Lu Nanzhu’s journey south would have been Fanli City, where Huaxia Manor was located. But when Lu Nanzhu arrived at the entrance of Fanli City, an inexplicable timidity arose in her heart. Thinking of Xia Qinyi’s deep misunderstanding toward her and that posture of refusing to rest until one of them died, Lu Nanzhu felt a wave of helplessness.

In the end, Lu Nanzhu did not step through Fanli City’s gates. She changed direction overnight and headed west.

On the road, she happened to hear that the Demon Cult and the Tianqiong Sword Sect were fighting fiercely. Lu Nanzhu thought, That works too. In any case, this trip is all for experience. I can go broaden my horizons. Moreover, she still had some words she wanted to ask Gongsun Qing in person.

Along the way, Lu Nanzhu had felt rather pleased with herself. Xia Qinyi would definitely never imagine that she would go to Tianqiong Mountain, right?

And yet…

Lu Nanzhu had arrived at Tianqiong Mountain only yesterday. She had booked a room at this inn and even generously paid seven days of room fees in advance, preparing to first investigate the situation in the small town and gather some information before going to find Gongsun Qing.

She had never imagined that the dishes she ordered would have only just been served, and before she had eaten three bites, Xia Qinyi would enter!

Guiltily, Lu Nanzhu pulled down the face veil behind her bamboo hat. Looking at the four dishes and one soup before her, her heart faintly ached.

This was the first time she had ever been so extravagant…