Chapter 55 (2/2)
”…”
Fan JiJing chose to visit ShangGuan DingNing in the evening.
In fact, ShangGuan DingNing was also a descendent of one of the n.o.ble families. Her father, ShangGuan Hong, was the well-known Dongnan Daxia in the martial world, but unfortunately he was a.s.sa.s.sinated by the Xuetu Sect, leaving her as an orphan. She was then brought to the Jiuhua Sect and given to ShangGuan Hong's intimate friend, Bu LouLian, to raise her up.
Out of the five of them, only Fan JiJing and ShangGuan DingNing had lost both their parents, and because of this relations.h.i.+p as fellow sufferers, in his mind, she was always somewhat special.
As he walked to the door of ShangGuan DingNing's room, he heard some rattling sounds of cookwares from the kitchen next to it.
Since Song BoLin accidentally broke into her boudoir last time, ShangGuan DingNing moved to a room alongside the kitchen. Firstly, this room was more remote, thus harder to find, and secondly, it was more convenient for her to prepare meals in the future.
Later, Song BoLin sent another Jiuhua female chef here, claiming that she was only there to serve Hua HuaiXiu while in fact he let her cook meals for everyone.
Fan JiJing stopped in front of the door; just as he was going to knock on it, the door opened from the inside with a squeak.
ShangGuan DingNing stood inside with a smile on her face. She stepped aside and said, ”Third s.h.i.+xiong, come in.”
Fan JiJing slightly moved a step as he remembered her relations.h.i.+p with Zhu LiaoDa, then he returned to where he was and said, ”There's no need. I just want to ask you about something.”
”About whether second s.h.i.+xiong was with me that night when Master was killed?” ShangGuan DingNing had been expecting it earlier on.
Fan JiJing looked at her and slowly nodded.
”Yes, he was.” She raised her head. Her small and exquisite face exposed a resolute more determined than that of a man's.
Fan JiJing let out a sigh of relief: ”Why wouldn't second s.h.i.+xiong say it earlier?” In his opinion, the two of them being together was not a big deal.
”Because,” ShangGuan DingNing said slowly, ”we were sleeping on the same bed at the time.”
Long after Fan JiJing had left ShangGuan DingNing's room, one could still see the shock on his face.
Perhaps, he had left Mount Jiuhua for too long.
Perhaps, it took too much time to root out Lanyan League.
Perhaps…he was indeed too obtuse.
Hua HuaiXiu waved his hand in front of him. ”Is knowing your youngest s.h.i.+mei's heart belongs to someone else such a heavy blow for you that you have lost your wits?”
Fan JiJing slowly focused on him, and remained silent for a while before he spoke: ”On the night of the crime, eldest s.h.i.+xiong was with fifth s.h.i.+di, and second s.h.i.+xiong was with fourth s.h.i.+mei…then who else is still suspicious?”
Hua HuaiXiu said, ”Your s.h.i.+shu.”
”But they don't know how to use 'Wan Hai Kuang Chao'.”
”Wait two days for me. After two days, I'll show you something.” A glimpse of light flashed across Hua HuaiXiu's eyes.
Two days flew by.
Hua HuaiXiu was already waiting by the doors of Fan JiJing's room when it was still early in the morning. He kidnapped Fan JiJing and brought him to the kitchen immediately after he came out.
When the female chef saw Hua HuaiXiu, her face became so s.h.i.+ny as if she had smeared oil on it. ”Hua Gongzi, I have already finished preparing everything that you asked for.” She pointed at the pig in front of the stove.
Hua HuaiXiu nodded in satisfaction, smiled at her, and said, ”Thanks.”
As if she had drunk seventeen or eighteen jin [3] spirits, the female chef waltzed off as light as a feather.
Fan JiJing looked at the pig perplexedly: ”You want to eat pork?”
”I just want to show you something,” said Hua HuaiXiu as he took out a poorly forged weapon from his sleeve. It was probably forged too hastily, as its handle section was still untouched and was only wrapped up in a piece of cloth.
Fan JiJing looked at the sword that didn't seem like a sword. It was more like a weapon formed by inserting two sword blades perpendicularly into each other. ”Why did you forge the tip of the sword to be a cross?”
”You should watch from afar.” Hua HuaiXiu waited for him to step away, then slowly pierced the weapon into the pig. He applied internal power onto his hand and started to spiral the weapon rapidly.
Minced meat spattered everywhere. A moment later, a round-cut wound was created.
”…” Fan JiJing's eyes widened in disbelief.
Hua HuaiXiu said, ”Ever since I heard the unique points of 'Wan Hai Kuang Chao' from you, I've been thinking if there were other ways that could create the same kind of wound. Therefore, I drew a design earlier and asked that chef lady to go down the mountain and find a blacksmith to make it. I'd say it was pa.s.sable.”
Fan JiJing said numbly, ”It looks almost the same.”
Hua HuaiXiu replied sourly, ”That's why I said what he made was merely pa.s.sable.”
Fan JiJing said, ”But this way, everyone is suspicious.”
”That might not be the case.” Hua HuaiXiu stood up and slowly took off the outer robe that was stained with meat, uncloaking the other clean robe inside. ”First of all, that person must be familiar with the distinguis.h.i.+ng feature of 'Wan Hai Kuang Chao'. Since even you were not aware of it before, it's highly unlikely that the other disciples in the Jiuhua Sect would know. Secondly, that person must have the ability to restrain Bu LouLian. Thirdly, that person must have a motive to kill Bu LouLian.”
Fan JiJing said, ”Master was the number one martial artist in the Jiuhua Sect.”
Hua HuaiXiu responded, ”But two fists cannot contend against four hands. If your two s.h.i.+shu team up, do you think your master can still dodge it if he is taken by surprise?”
Fan JiJing's mouth moved, but nothing came out.
”As for motive… The death of Bu LouLian will surely bring that person enormous benefits so that he is willing to take such great risks.”
”Enormous benefits?” Fan JiJing blindly followed Hua HuaiXiu's train of thought.
Hua HuaiXiu enunciated each word carefully: ”For example, the position of zhangmen.”
Fan JiJing asked bemusedly, ”But Master didn't make a will about who would succeed him as zhangmen.”
”It's true that he didn't make a will, but the zhangmen position of the Jiuhua Sect has always been pa.s.sed to the mantle disciple.”
”But there are three this time…” Fan JiJing asked in surprise, ”You mean eldest s.h.i.+xiong?”
Although there were three mantle disciples, Guan Xing was certainly the most qualified one judging by no matter their credentials, martial skills, or prestige.
Hua HuaiXiu shook his head and said, ”Did you forget whom your s.h.i.+shu suspected to be the murderer?”
He certainly did not forget: ”Eldest s.h.i.+xiong, second s.h.i.+xiong, and fifth s.h.i.+di.”
Hua HuaiXiu said, ”After the elimination of the three accomplished disciples of Bu LouLian, the position of zhangmen can only fall to his s.h.i.+di.”
Fan JiJing stared at him in a daze.
At first, Hua HuaiXiu was delighted and thought Fan JiJing was just bowled over by his talents and cleverness. However, as time pa.s.sed by, he felt more and more strongly that the expression in his eyes did not seem like he was ”bowled over”, but more like he was going to…keel over.
”What's wrong?”
”If this is true,” Fan JiJing said, ”then the most suspicious one is not Song s.h.i.+shu.”
”Why?” Hua HuaiXiu thought his deduction was flawless, as if it was inspired by heaven.
”Because besides eldest s.h.i.+xiong, second s.h.i.+xiong, and fifth s.h.i.+xiong, the person who is most likely to succeed as zhangmen…” Fan JiJing said slowly, ”is me.”
Hua HuaiXiu was speechless. ”……” He had taken into consideration almost everyone in his reasoning, except for Fan JiJing.
Translation Notes
s.h.i.+jie: Sect Sister (Senior), also known as Senior Fellow Disciple (Female).
An action of attending an elder's birthday party and wish him/her longevity.
Jin: a unit of weight, equals to approximately 1/2 kilograms.
<script>