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  Fu Hongxue’s grip tightened again, the roots of green veins stood out like a pattern on the back of his pale white hands.

  Mingyue Xin coldly stared at him and just as coldly mused, “Perhaps you had saved his life in the past, but he would have live longer if not for you.”

  The green veins at the back of Fu Hongxue’s hand stood out even more distinctly, and suddenly he asked a question that he knew he shouldn’t ask.

  “Do you really care for him?”

  Mingyue Xin, “Certainly.”

  She replied without thinking, replied immediately and replied very calmly.

  She seemed to bear no resemble at all with the person who had just dumped a spoon of life saving antidote into the sleeve of the Young Girl.

  Fu Hongxue didn’t check out the expression on her face. Even if he had looked, he could not see.

  On her face, she was still wearing that ever smiling mask.

  What kind of woman was hidden beneath this mask?

  After another long while, Fu Hongxue softly said, “Unless I shouldn’t go?”

  Mingyue Xin answered, “You certainly should go.”

  Fu Hongxue said, “But…”

  Mingyue Xin interrupted him, “But before you go, you should send him to a safe place.”

  Fu Hongxue said, “Which is a safe place?”

  Mingyue Xin chipped in, “Peacock Manor!”

  A hidden weapon that no beings under the heavens could evade.

  The radiance more gloriously beautiful than any rainbow.

  Fu Hongxue exhaled, “You had said that Peacock Plume is no longer in Peacock Manor.”

  Mingyue Xin acknowledged, “That’s right”

  Fu Hongxue, “Then, is Peacock Manor still standing?”

  Mingyue Xin, “There is still Qiu Shuiqing.”

  A big tall silent man.

  A prominent name.

  Mingyue Xin declared, “Although he is always very conservative, but he would not refuse the people you sent!”

  Fu Hongxue, “Oh?”

  Mingyue Xin said, “Because he owed you.”

  Fu Hongxue said, “Owed what?”

  Mingyue Xin supplied, “Owed you a life.”

  She did not give Fu Hongxue a chance to deny it and continued, “All the while, it is true that you seldom save people’s lives but you had saved him before. In fact, you had saved him twice. Once on the bank of River Wei, another at the foot of Mount Tai.

  Fu Hongxue could not deny it, because she really knew too much.

  Mingyue Xin added, “Presently, he is already the Master of Peacock Manor, and he now has enough strength to pay this debt.”

  Fu Hongxue said, “But he no longer has the Peacock Plume.”

  If the Peacock Plume is missing, Peacock Manor would face immediate destruction.

  Mingyue Xin explained, “Everyone had long believed that the reputation of Peacock Manor is all built upon the Peacock Plume. It is only now that they realised that Qiu Shuiqing, this person is far more fearsome than the Peacock Plume.”

  Fu Hongxue asked, “Why?”

  Mingyue Xin said, “News that the Peacock Plume had fallen into the hands of someone outside the family spread very fast in the martial world. The Peacock Manor had many enemies, in the last two years there were at least six expeditions to sack Peacock Manor.”

  Very slowly she continued, “These six expeditions had altogether 79 people, each of them highly skilled.”

  Fu Hongxue, “The outcome?”

  Mingxue Xin, “Once these 79 experts stepped into Peacock Manor, they disappeared like a pebble sunk into the vast ocean. No further news was ever heard of them again.”

  Mingyue Xin, “The last expedition set off at last year Double Ninth Festival. Since then, no one in the martial world dare to violate Peacock Manor.”

  Fu Hongxue had shut his mouth.

  Mingyue Xin glanced at him with the corner of her eye, “Peacock Manor isn’t far away. If we travel lightly with a fast carriage, we would certainly reach there before tomorrow noon.”

  But Fu Hongxue did not comply, neither did he refuse. After another long pause he suddenly said, “Don’t you fear that they would block our path?”

  Mingyue Xin said, “In the martial world, who could block your path?”

  Fu Hongxue said, “At least one.”

  Mingyue Xin asked, “Who?”

  Fu Hongxue replied, “Peacock with the Peacock Plume.”

  Mingyue Xin assured, “He certainly wouldn’t dare to.”

  Fu Hongxue, “Why?”

  Mingyue Xin, “Although the Peacock Plume is the matchless hidden weapon under the heavens, Peacock himself was however not an unrivaled master. He was afraid that your sabre might be faster than his hand.”

  No matter how fearsome the hidden weapon, it is as good as scrap metal if it couldn’t be released.

  Fu Hongxue again fell into silence.

  Mingyue Xin said, “If you really don’t wish that he died in the hands of others, you should bring us there now.”

  Fu Hongxue finally made up his mind, “I can bring both of you there, but I have something to ask you.”

  Mingyue Xin, “Go ahead.”

  Fu Hongxue coldly said, “If you really care about him, why did you pour his antidote on a sleeve?”

  With it, he turned and walked out without looking back, as though he knew that Mingyue Xin had no way to answer that question.

  Mingyue Xin was indeed speechlessly shocked.

  She indeed could not answer, neither was she willing to.

  She only could look on helplessly as Fu Hongxue made his way out. Although he walked slowly, but he never stop.

  Once he started to walk, he certainly would not stop.

  The setting sun had gradually turned pale, pale as the moon.

  The pale rays of setting sun, shined directly on Yan Nanfei’s face.

  The wind blowing from the mountains afar carried the light fragrance of the forest. From the spot Mingyue Xin stood, one could see the green of the mountains afar.

  But she was however looking at Yan Nanfei.

  The deeply poisoned and long unconscious Yan Nanfei, unexpectedly also opened his eyes and looked at her.

  She was unexpectedly again not surprised at all.

  Yan Nanfei smiled abruptly, “I had said, I had said long ago, to deceive him is not easy at all.”

  Mingyue Xin said, “I also know that it is not easy, but I must give it a try.”

  Yan Nanfei said, “Now, have you tried?”

  Mingyue Xin said, “I had tried.”

  Yan Nanfei said, “What do you think?”

  Mingyue Xin sighed gently, with a bitter smile, “I only feel that to deceive him is indeed not easy.”

  Yan Nanfei said, “But I must give it another try!”

  Mingyue Xin’s eyes has shone, Yan Nanfei’s eyes was also shinning brightly.

  Why did they want to deceive Fu Hongxue?

  What was their goal?

  The setting sun in the western sky.

  Fu Hongxue under the setting sun.

  Under the setting sun there was only him, in the entire world there was only him.

  He was completely alone.

  Chapter 6 - Before the Duel

  Fu Hongxue

  About 36-37 years old.

  Characterised by his maimed right foot and the sabre that never left his hand.

  His martial arts don’t seem to be from a particular school or teacher. His self learned sabre is extremely quick and widely acknowledged as the martial world’s number one sabre.

  His family background is unclear. He was said to be adopted from birth by the Devil Sect’s Princess Bai Feng, and thus well he is acquainted in all kinds of killing arts using poison. He had never married, and roamed the world without a home.

  His character is eccentric and callous, operating alone and associating with no one else.

  Du Lei slowly pushed the paper with these data to the Thumb without any expressi
ons.

  Thumb asked, “Have you read these?”

  Du Lei, “Hmm..”

  Thumb sighed, “I know that you would not be satisfied, but that’s all the data we could dig out. And that’s as much as anyone know about Fu Hongxue.”

  Du Lei, “Very good.”

  Thumb blinked and lightly probed, “Are these of any help to you?”

  Du Lei, “Not at all”

  Thumb, “Not even one bit?”

  Du Lei slowly nodded. He stood up, opened up a step and quickly sat down again. He said coldly, “Your data left out two things, the two most important points.”

  Thumb, “Oh..”

  Du Lei, “He was cheated by a woman before, very badly cheated.”

  Thumb, “Who was this woman?”

  Du Lei, “A whore called, Cui Nong”

  Thumb sighed again, “I had always wondered why intelligent men are so easily cheated by whores.”

  Peacock suddenly butted in and sneered, “That’s because intelligent men would only like intelligent women and clever women are mostly whores.”

  Thumb shook his head and laughed, “I knew you hate women but would never guess that you hated them that much.”

  Du Lei sneered, “Looks like he was also cheated by a woman.”

  Peacock’s face changed colour, unexpectedly smiled and changed the topic, “What’s the second point?”

  Du Lei, “He has a sickness”

  Thumb, “What sickness?”

  Du Lei, “Epilepsy.”

  Thumb’s eyes shone, “When his sickness acts up, he would foam in the mouth and roll on the ground?”

  Du Lei, “Epilepsy has only one kind of effect.”

  Thumb wondered, “How could an insane cripple like him mastered the unparalleled sabre under the heavens.”

  Du Lei, “He has worked hard. It was said that he practiced his sabre at least eight hours everyday, starting from the age four to five, drawing his sabre at least 12000 times a day.”

  Thumb laughed bitterly, “I can’t believe that you know more about him than us.”

  Du Lei softly said, “I know that much about each and every person in the Hall of Fame, because I had spent five whole months collecting their info and another five months researching their skills.”

  Thumb, “I am sure you had spent more time on Fu Hongxue than anyone else.”

  Du Lei acknowledged that.

  Thumb, “So what’s the result of your research?”

  Du Lei, “His sabre had never left his hands, for at least the last twenty years that sabre is all he ever used. By now, that sabre had practically become part of his body. He used that sabre, better and more easily than others used their own finger.”

  Thumb, “From what I know, that sabre isn’t really a good quality sabre.”

  Du Lei, “A sabre that can kill is a good sabre!”

  For Fu Hongxue, that sabre is no longer just a sabre. The man and sabre had developed a link that others would not be able understand. Although Du Lei did not say that aloud, but Thumb had understood what he had meant.

  Peacock was pondering all this time, and suddenly said, “If we can take away his sabre…”

  Du Lei, “Nobody can take away his sabre.”

  Peacock smiled, “There are always exceptions to every matter.”

  Du Lei, “There will be no exceptions in this case.”

  Peacock did not argue further but instead asked, “Usually, when would his sickness act up?”

  Du Lei, “His sickness surfaces when he is suffering from extreme anger or sorrow.”

  Peacock, “If you can strike when he is sick…”

  Du Lei’s face darkened and coldly said, “What kind of person do you think I am?”

  Peacock smiled again, “I also know you are not willing to do such things, but we could easily have others to do that. If we could get someone to anger him first, then…”

  Du lei suddenly shot up, and coldly declared, “I only hope you understand one thing.”

  Peacock is listening, and so is the Thumb!

  Du Lei, “This duel is between he and I alone, no matter who wins or loses, it has nothing do with anyone else.”

  Thumb suddenly injected, “Nothing to do with Gongzi as well?”

  Du Lei’s hand on the scabbard tightened suddenly.

  Thumb, “If you haven’t have forgotten Gongzi, then you should at least do one thing.”

  Du Lei could not help but to ask, “What is that?”

  Thumb, “Let him wait, let him wait longer, till he is anxious and bothered before you go.”

  He smiled and continued, “This battle you win or lose, live or die, we don’t really care. But we are also not keen to collect your body.”

  ….

  Noon, the abandoned Ni Family Garden.

  The sun’s rays are shinning on the hexagonal pavilion. Outside the pavilion, there is one man, one sabre!

  A pitch black sabre!

  Fu Hongxue slowly walked across the weeds-invaded alley, his hand clenching the sabre tightly.

  Although the red paint on the railings were already peeling off, the pavilion was still standing proud in the mist of the greenery . Under the sun’s rays, it looked every bit of its former glory.

  This place certainly used to be splendid, but why had it fallen to such a desolate state?

  A pair of swallows flew in and settled on the poplar tree outside the hexagonal pavilion, as though they were searching too for its former glory.

  It’s a pity that while the poplar tree was still the same, the local scenery was all gone.

  The swallows had flew back and fro, how many times had they came and how many times had they left?

  The poplar never asked.

  The poplar had no words!

  The poplar had no feelings.

  Fu Hongxue suddenly felt a stinging pain in his heart.

  He had long mastered the polar’s silence, but when could he ever mastered the polar’s ruthlessness!

  Fu Hongxue stood there foolishly, as if forgetting where he was and where he’s from.

  He did not think further, because he suddenly heard somebody’s laughter.

  Laughter, clear and sweet like a golden oriole.

  The sun had set and the grass had grown tall but there was no sign of the oriole.

  The sounds of the golden oriole was in the tall grass.

  From the tall grass, a girl suddenly stood up, looking at Fu Hongxue and laughing in a silly way.

  Her laughter was beautiful, but more so was her person, her long raven hair as soft as silk.

  She didn’t comb her hair and let her silky soft black hair fell free on her shoulders.

  She didn’t wear any make-up either, just a long gown that fitted easily on her. It is neither silk or satin, but it lustred like her hair.

  Fu Hongxue did not ask.

  “I was laughing at you.” She laughed even more sweetly. “You stood there, looking like a fool.”

  Fu Hongxue was silent.

  “You wouldn’t even ask who I am?”

  “Who are you?”

  Fu Hongxue had asked, as he had originally intended to!

  Who could have known that the moment he opened his mouth, that long-haired girl leaped up with a yell.

  “I was waiting for you to ask just that.” She leaped up with the ominousness of a provoked kitten. “Do you know who owns the land you are standing on? Who are you to swagger around like a lord?”

  Fu Hongxue coolly watched her and waited for her to continued.

  “This place belongs to the Ni family.” Her finger pointing at her own nose, “I am 2nd Miss Ni, “I could chase you out any time I pleased.”

  Fu Hongxue could only keep his mouth shut.

  One hadn’t much to say when one was caught trespassing by the owner herself.

  2nd Miss Ni stared at him maliciously with her pair of large eyes. She smile again, still as sweetly as before.

  “However, I certainly would not chase you out, becau
se…” She winked, “Because I like you.”

  Fu Hongxue could only listen.

  You can choose not to fancy someone, but you can’t prevent others from fancying you.

  But just as suddenly, this 2nd Miss Ni changed her mind, “I was actually lying when I said I like you.” Sighing, “I didn’t chased you out, because I know I am not your match.”

  Fu Hongxue could not help but to ask, “So, you know me?”

  “Of course!”

  “What do you know?”

  “I not only know about your martial arts, but your surname and name as well.”

  With her hands behind her back, she swaggered out of the long grass. Slanting her eyes, she sized up Fu Hongxue from top to bottom.

  “Others all said that you are a freak, but I don’t find you strange in any way. In fact, you are rather good looking.”

  Fu Hongxue slowly turned and walked towards the hexagonal pavilion, “You are the only one left in this place?”

  “So what if I am alone?” She rolled her eyeballs, “Don’t tell me you still dare to bully me?”

  “Usually, you don’t stay here?”

  “Why would I stay in such an ghastly place by myself?”

  Fu Hongxue suddenly turned and stared at her, “Why are you still here now?”

  2nd Miss Ni exclaimed,“This is my home, I can come and go as I like. Why should I be under the orders of others?”

  Fu Hongxue could only shut up yet again.

  2nd Miss Ni stared at him intensely in a fierce looking manner. She then smiled again, “Actually, I shouldn’t have quarreled with you. If we start fighting now, how could we manage in the future?”

  Future?

  Do you know that there are some people without a future?

  Fu Hongxue slowly stepped on to the stone dike and stared into an unseen distant location. Despite the sun’s rays, his face is still frightfully pale.

  He only wished that Du Lei would be here soon.

  She however still latched on to him, “I know you are Fu Hongxue, so you should at least ask for my name.”

  He did not ask, so she could only continued herself, “My name is Ni Hui, meaning ‘wise’.” Without warning, she leaped up the railings, facing Fu Hongxue, “My father give me this name, because I have been intelligent since childhood.”

  Fu Hongxue ignored her.

  “You don’t believe me?” With her hands on her waist, her forehead nearly touching his nose, she said, “I not only know why you are here but also what type of people you are waiting for.”