Ink Blade Chapter 33 (Part 1)
Translated by Sylver
Chapter 33.1 Unknown (part 1)
Unfortunately, his relationship with Mo Ren was now in a state where he could neither advance nor retreat...
Could only be next to each other. With the troubles coming, he didn't know how much longer this day of not knowing what to do would last.
Chu Yan forced a smile on his face while his heart couldn't help but feel heavy. He still couldn't let go of the idea of taking Mo Ren to a nearby pharmacy to have a doctor confirm that he was truly okay after the incident before giving up.
Such a delay actually caused Ying Yu to return to the inn first.
When the two of them entered the inn's main hall, they saw Ying Yu sitting at the entrance, looking around. Unexpectedly, there was also a girl dressed like a maid from the ShuijingTower behind.
"Palace Master, Elder Brother Mo!"
Ying Yu quickly stood up to greet them and whispered to Chu Yan as he stood behind him, "That person... is from the Shuijing Tower. She says she has something important to ask the Palace Master for help. Xiao Yu asked her to wait here."
Chu Yan raised an eyebrow slightly. While they were talking, the maid had already come to him and made a courteous gesture. She spoke urgently, "Palace Master Chu, our tower master has an urgent matter to discuss, and it is of great importance. Please, you must come and talk with her. The Young Hero Xu from the Xuyang Sword Sect has also arrived."
"Urgent matter?"
Chu Yan and Mo Ren exchanged a silent glance. Seeing sweat on the girl's forehead and her anxious demeanor, she didn't appear to be pretending.
The palace master nodded and gestured for Ying Yu to stay at the inn. He said to the girl, "Lead the way."
They walked in silence and entered the Shuijing Tower. The girl took them directly to the same inner hall where they had met yesterday.
The hall was spacious, and it seemed that they had already cleared out any unnecessary people. The seats were the same, and the people present were also the same.
However, the beautiful face of Shui Miao’er now wore a gloomy expression. Sitting next to her was Xu Fangchuan, the senior disciple of the Xuyang Sword Sect, and his expression was also filled with heavy clouds.
It wasn't until the guest came in that Shui Miao’er let down her heavy expression. She raised her eyes and smiled, then turned to gesture with her sleeve, saying, "Palace Master Chu has arrived. Please take a seat."
Chu Yan knew something was amiss, so he sat down first, and this time, the guard didn't refuse and instead silently took their seat beside their master.
Xu Fangchuan examined the two of them deeply and then spoke first, cupping his hands in greeting, "Apologies for the intrusion, Palace Master Chu. It's just that Miao’er's people delivered a message last night, and it appears that the Alliance Leader Mansion has issued a Jinwu Order in connection with the recent murder case. The envoys will arrive shortly...Palace Master Chu, something doesn't seem right about this."
Chu Yan's icy gaze shot up instantly, and he lowered his voice, "...The Alliance Leader Mansion?"
In that instant, he subtly exchanged a glance with Mo Ren, his eyes filled with coldness.
In his previous life... he had never experienced something like this.
The trajectory after his rebirth had deviated!
Although he had known that such a day would come, he had never imagined it would happen so soon...
The so-called Alliance Leader Mansion, also known as the Wulin Alliance Leader Jin Mansion, was patterned with gold and black. It appeared to be the commander of the Central Plains Jianghu forces, responsible for maintaining the stability of the Jianghu.
However, the Alliance Leader Mansion had been declining, and the current Alliance Leader, Huang Tianyou, was an opportunistic character, relying solely on being amiable and smiling among various Jianghu forces to secure his current position. As for the Jinwu Order, it was a token symbolizing the intervention of the Alliance Leader Mansion. Only when there were extremely widespread and serious events in the Jianghu, could this item be used.
This is strange. With the current position of the Alliance Leader Mansion, how could it suddenly have the confidence to issue a Jinwu Order and intervene in the case of Shuijing Tower?
They had only arrived in Changqing not long ago, and most of their actions after rebirth had been within the Jiuzhong Palace. How could their actions indirectly affect the Alliance Leader Mansion, which was so far away, and cause a change in the trajectory?
Shui Miao’er nodded beside them, her curled eyelashes drooping as she sighed softly, "Indeed, it is the Alliance Leader Mansion, and the Jinwu Order. At first, this girl couldn't believe it at first either. But this morning, someone was sent to confirm, and the Jinwu Order was already on its way."
She couldn't help but remain silent after speaking. Xu Fangchuan, by her side, furrowed his brows and shook his head, saying, "Although the Alliance Leader Mansion has long had little prestige, Huang Tianyou is skilled in human relations, and most forces will follow the trend and come here. When that happens, if the murder case remains unsolved, it could truly endanger the reputation of Miao’er and the Shuijing Tower."
He continued, "Furthermore," this senior disciple of Xuyang Sword Sect, known for his elegance, now displayed a rare trace of anger, "Evil doers are never absent, and good ones never appear. My Xuyang Sword Sect and Palace Master Chu have inexplicably fallen under suspicion. When the time comes, I'm not sure how they will manipulate us!"
(t/n: Evil doers are never absent, and good ones never appear-This saying emphasizes that negative or dishonest individuals may readily engage in questionable activities or take advantage of opportunities, while virtuous or honorable individuals are less inclined to do so.)
Chu Yan furrowed his brows slightly and asked, "Could it be, Young Hero Xu, that you think the Alliance Leader Mansion..."
“The intention of the wine drinker is not in the wine.” Xu Fangchuan interrupted with a sarcastic smile, "Just want to seize the opportunity to exploit something of it."
(t/n: The intention of the wine drinker is not in the wine- This phrase is often used to convey that a person's actions or behavior may not reflect their true intentions or desires.)
Chu Yan almost immediately understood what Xu Fangchuan meant.
The Xuyang Sword Sect was a centuries-old major sword sect known for its integrity and righteous actions. They never played along with the Alliance Leader Mansion. The Shuijing Tower’s information network was omnipotent, acknowledging money rather than people, and it was said to know even the details of when and where Huang Tianyou's concubines engaged in secret affairs. The Jiuzhong Palace was mysterious, unpredictable in its allegiance, and possessed formidable power, yet remained reclusive.
These three factions were all beyond the control of the Alliance Leader Mansion and were difficult to manipulate.
The Alliance Leader Mansion was empty with only the title of Alliance Leader, and for decades it had been suppressed to the point where Huang Tianyou, the Wulin Alliance Leader over half a century old, had to even squeeze a smile in front of a young talent like Chu Yan. Living such a life, it must have been extremely frustrating.
However...
Chu Yan shook his head lightly and said coldly, "For an old man who has been cowardly for so long to suddenly take action, there must be external forces at play."
"Ah Ren," he pondered, and casually asked, "What do you think?"
