Chapter - 529 Refusing to Acknowledge Zhang As Husband (6) (1/2)

Zhang Wuji smiled and said, ”The sun is shining brightly, I can see everything clearly.” His voice turned gentle; ”Zhiruo,” he said, ”You have spent too much energy these past few days; you must be really tired. Perhaps you hallucinated and thought you saw something.”

”Can't be! Can't possibly be!” Zhou Zhiruo insisted, ”I saw it three times; three consecutive times.” Her voice trembled; obviously she was terrified.

”What is it that you saw three consecutive times?” Zhang Wuji asked.

With one hand on his shoulder, Zhou Zhiruo tried to stand up on her trembling feet. And then, mustering all her courage and strength she turned around to look back. Just an instant she quickly turned her eyes toward Zhang Wuji again and seeing his gentle and soft expression, full of concern, her heart ached; suddenly she felt weary and dropped down on the ground.

”Wuji Gege,” she said, ”I … I have deceived you. I was the one who took Yitian Sword and Tulong Saber, I was the one who killed … killed Yin … Miss Yin … I was the one who sealed Xie Da Xia's acupoint. I … I did not marry Song Qingshu. In my heart I always have only … only you alone.”

Zhang Wuji sighed. ”Actually, I have already known everything. But … but why did you do it?”

Crying, Zhou Zhiruo said, ”You don't know what my Shifu told me on the Wan An Temple Pagoda. She told me the secret of the Yitian Sword and the Tulong Saber. She wanted me to obtain the treasured Sword and Saber at all costs, to brighten the name of Emei Pai. She made me swear a heavy oath to pretend that I like you, but she would not allow me to fall in love with you …”

Zhang Wuji gently stroked her arm, remembering how he had witnessed Miejue Shitai struck Ji Xiaofu dead with her palm, how in the great desert Miejue Shitai swore to destroy the Ming Cult, how he saw her massacre the Cult disciples under the Rui Jin Flag with Yitian Sword in her hand. Afterwards, soaring down from the Wan An Temple Pagoda, she preferred death to being help by him. It all showed how deep her hatred toward the Ming Cult was. Since Zhou Zhiruo was appointed her successor and had received her last words, all kinds of malicious and cruel acts she did must be because of her Shifu's instructions.

By his nature, Zhang Wuji had always been very easy to forgive other people's offense. He had never held any grudge against anybody. Moreover, he remembered her kindness when they were little on the boat floating along the Hanshui River, how she helped him eat and took a good care of him. Also, during the fierce battle on the Brightness Peak, when he was fighting He Taichong, husband and wife, and the two tall and short elders of Huashan Pai, perhaps he would have been dead right then and there if she did not give him directions from the side. On top of that, he remembered that although she was malicious, cruel and crafty, all her actions were caused by her deep feelings toward him.

This moment, as her delicate and frail body was leaning against his bosom, Zhang Wuji could not help from having a tender feeling toward her. ”Zhiruo,” he called in a soft voice, ”What did you actually see, which made you that scared?”

Suddenly Zhou Zhiruo jumped up and said, ”I am not going to say. It must be one of those restless spirit came back to entangle me. I have done too much evil. I deserve this revenge. I have explained to you everything, I … I won't live long …” Covering her face, she scurried down the mountain.

Zhang Wuji felt as if his mind was enveloped in fog. ”What restless ghost entangled her? Was it the Beggar Clan's people seeking revenge on her and dressed up as a ghost to frighten her?” Slowly he turned around and walked back to the Temple.

He saw Zhou Zhiruo go toward the Emei Pai crowd. Bei Jinyi took a coat and wrapped it around her shoulder. Zhou Zhiruo said something in low voice and the Emei Pai disciples bowed together.