Chapter 26
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You Mengzhe: “…”
The man squinted his eyes, sizing up You Mengzhe. His voice carried a soft magnetism, “Son, you seem to have grown taller.”
You Mengzhe: “Dad?”
You Gutian took off his hat, scrutinizing him in the moonlight. You Mengzhe took a step forward, as if wanting to rush into his embrace, but for some reason stopped five steps away from him.
“Dad.” You Mengzhe wiped his hands on his robe, awkwardly smiling, “Why have you come?”
You Gutian said lightly, “I received a message from Warrior Zhang. So I came down the mountain to find you. It’s time to go home, Mengzhe.”
Time to leave? You Mengzhe suddenly felt an indescribable sense of loss.
The sentry call from the eastern wing of Zhang Yuanshan had ceased at some point.
You Mengzhe said, “Can I… stay a little longer, Dad?”
You Gutian smiled and shook his finger, “Impossible.”
The sound of wooden clogs hitting the ground, “knock knock,” heralded Zhang Yuanshan’s personal arrival.
You Mengzhe knew his father was always firm in his decisions, so he said, “Alright, I’ll go say goodbye then…”
You Gutian’s eyes flickered with the shadows of the night and the clarity of the lamplight. He made a hushing sound and said mysteriously, “Don’t go. I don’t want to get involved with the righteous path of the martial world. Let’s leave.”
“He’s not exactly righteous either… Ah, Dad.” You Mengzhe’s wrist was caught by You Gutian. He said, “Listen to me…”
You Gutian paused, the surroundings fell into a silence akin to death. At the end of the corridor stood a tall figure, clad in a simple shirt and trousers, wearing wooden clogs—none other than Zhang Yuanshan.
You Mengzhe stumbled but managed to regain his balance. Zhang Yuanshan seemed completely unprepared for You Gutian’s arrival at this moment. After a long silence, all three of them felt a bit awkward. After a moment, Zhang Yuanshan hesitated and gestured with his hand, then turned sideways, gesturing to indicate “please.”
You Mengzhe chuckled and said, “Dad, my godfather invites you to have a drink and talk.”
You Gutian smiled and said, “No need, we’ll drink another day. The child’s godfather, I’ll take him away. We’ll meet again.”
You Gutian dragged You Mengzhe to leave, causing Zhang Yuanshan to immediately frown. He pointed his finger in the air and made swift gestures. You Mengzhe translated, “Let… let him go.”
Servants around the courtyard held wooden sticks, surrounding the entire area, torches illuminating brightly. Someone went to report the situation.
You Gutian glanced around, then reluctantly released You Mengzhe. He said coldly, “Zhang Yuanshan, back then, I showed you some respect because of your noble background. What do you want now?”
Zhang Yuanshan made a gesture with one hand, and You Mengzhe translated, “She… I’ve read her letter. You can’t take…” As Zhang Yuanshan pointed towards You Mengzhe again, You Mengzhe exclaimed happily, “Dad, he says you can’t take me away.”
“Stop the nonsense!” You Gutian stopped being verbose. Like a gust of wind, he swept past You Mengzhe and lunged towards Zhang Yuanshan empty-handed!
You Mengzhe exclaimed, “!!”
“Don’t fight! Hey!” You Mengzhe said, “Talk things out! Don’t resort to violence! Dad!”
You Gutian transformed into a phantom and dashed forward in the corridor. Surprisingly, Zhang Yuanshan showed no fear. His white figure leaped onto the corridor roof and descended with a straight palm strike. The two exchanged three moves, then You Gutian stepped back, his robe fluttering as he retreated. In a moment, punches and kicks intertwined, and in the blink of an eye, they exchanged over ten moves!
You Gutian’s punches were fierce and cunning, while Zhang Yuanshan’s imposing aura soared as he raised his hand, splitting his palms again, with illusory moves coming from all directions. Just managing to suppress him, You Gutian retreated again and again, shouting, “You made some progress, mute dog!”
You Mengzhe: “…”
You Mengzhe remembered the assessment from Yu Wenhong’s memory. In Yu Wenhong’s memory, Zhao Feihong’s martial arts ranked first, followed by Zhang Yuanshan. Perhaps You Gutian was slightly stronger than Zhang Yuanshan. How come now he was being chased and fought by Zhang Yuanshan?
Zhang Yuanshan and You Gutian’s speed was incomparable. One moment they were battling in the corridor, the next moment they were darting into the backyard. The servants dared not intervene and could only shout from afar. You Mengzhe ran around anxiously, urging them to stop, but then there was a loud noise. You Gutian crashed through a door, and Zhang Yuanshan chased after him!
Inside, there was a chaotic clamor of crashing and banging, with broken porcelain and splintered wood everywhere. With a bang, a room exploded, and the wreckage of tables and chairs flew out along with a chilling gust of air, smashing through the window! Taking a deep breath, Zhang Yuanshan raised his palm and slammed it down on a round table with a thunderous roar, sending all the flying debris back with force!
In the blink of an eye, in the half-destroyed study, You Gutian raised his hand and executed the “Taiyin Eclipse” technique—a rounded palm, manipulating the surrounding objects with his palm wind. Inkstones, porcelain plates, wooden desks, and other miscellaneous items were rolled up and pushed back again!
This palm strike combined You Gutian’s two bursts of force with Zhang Yuanshan’s palm power. Zhang Yuanshan dared not directly confront it, so he retreated. The garden was filled with a cacophony, followed by another loud crash.
Seeing You Gutian causing such extensive damage, You Mengzhe couldn’t help but wonder how much of Zhang Yuanshan’s wealth he had destroyed. While it might be acceptable for an ordinary family, this level of destruction could even make the infamous Yuheng Mountain Demonic Sect feel compelled to cough up blood in compensation. He felt a deep pang of guilt and shouted, “Dad! What are you trying to do!”
Zhang Yuanshan, however, seemed unfazed. He pointed towards the corridor, signaling for You Mengzhe to wait inside and not come out.
You Mengzhe: “…”
You Mengzhe said, “I’m sorry, Dad. I’ll just…”
The sound of a long sword being unsheathed came from the study. You Gutian lazily emerged, carrying the Demonic Blood Sword, a treasured item stolen by You Mengzhe from the mountain.
Zhang Yuanshan waved his hand towards You Mengzhe, indicating that it was alright. He took the weapon handed over by the steward. With a flick of his wrists, the weapon was revealed to be simple and unadorned—two eighteen-inch long acupoint-jamming stakes. You Gutian’s long sword spun, scattering moonlight.
“Ha!” You Gutian’s clear voice rang out, and the two clashed once again, this time wielding weapons against each other. Zhang Yuanshan’s Judge’s Pen was made of pure copper, likely to break with just one strike against the Demonic Blood Sword’s formidable edge. He switched to the black gold mysterious iron acupoint-jamming stakes. The clang of their collision filled the air as You Gutian launched six rapid sword strikes. Zhang Yuanshan blocked each sword path with his left hand’s mysterious iron stake and swept away with his right hand, effectively blocking all of the sword attacks!
You Mengzhe wanted to cheer but dared not, watching the two engage in combat.
As the battle intensified, You Gutian became increasingly alarmed. Despite initially gaining the upper hand with the Demonic Blood Sword, he soon found himself in a declining position. You Gutian’s sword slashed, thrust, cleaved, and hacked relentlessly toward Zhang Yuanshan’s fingers. Just one strike from any of these moves would sever a finger. Yet, Zhang Yuanshan remained unfazed. When You Gutian’s sword approached his wrist, he released his weapon, allowing the long sword to swing past, while his mysterious iron stake whirled in the air. With a flick of his finger, he deflected the sword aiming at his throat. The clear and melodious sound echoed like a dragon’s roar.
“Excellent!” The servants and attendants around them cheered wildly.
With a cold sneer, You Gutian withdrew his sword and stepped back. Then, in a swift motion, he dispersed a wave of icy energy, causing Zhang Yuanshan to grab the acupoint stake and quickly chase after him. You Gutian kept retreating during the exchange, eventually leading to the edge of a large lake in the garden. Then, with a sudden turn, he leaped onto the surface of the lake.
You Mengzhe: “!!!”
He can walk on water too? You Mengzhe was startled, but then he heard a soft sound ripple across the mirror-like surface of the lake. You Gutian’s inner energy dispersed beneath his feet, causing a layer of ice to form wherever he stood.
That was the demonic technique, Xuan Han Circulation Technique. You Gutian glided a few steps on the lake surface, causing ice flowers to form and spread layer by layer around him.
Zhang Yuanshan leaped onto the edge of the lake, but his foot slipped, and a crackling sound echoed as the ice cracked like a spider’s web.
You Gutian raised his long sword, a sinister smile on his face, signaling for another round of battle.
Taking a deep breath, Zhang Yuanshan dashed forward, chasing after You Gutian. You Gutian, however, was not interested in prolonging the fight. He simply evaded while Zhang Yuanshan pursued. When Zhang Yuanshan caught up, You Gutian turned around and struck with his sword. Black shadows flew across the lake surface, followed closely by white ones. You Mengzhe’s heart leapt into his throat, and he couldn’t help but shout, “Be careful!”
You Gutian stepped onto the center of the lake, with Zhang Yuanshan chasing after him. As You Mengzhe bent down, he feigned a swing with the Demonic Blood Sword, lightly scratching the ice beneath him. When Zhang Yuanshan reached that spot, the ice collapsed with a splash, and he fell in.
The servants rushed forward to rescue him, while You Gutian continued running towards the corridor. You Mengzhe instinctively attempted to flee, but You Gutian’s voice was already in his ears.
“You ungrateful little bastard, you don’t even need your own father now?” You Gutian laughed, then extended his arm, pulling You Mengzhe behind him as he dashed towards the garden.
Zhang Yuanshan was completely drenched, his clothes clinging to his body, revealing the enticing contours of his masculine physique. He took a step forward, but You Gutian immediately held the Demonic Blood Sword against You Mengzhe’s neck.
“Dad!” You Mengzhe’s voice trembled with fear. “Please don’t do anything rash!”
Zhang Yuanshan halted his steps. With You Mengzhe held as a hostage, he spoke up, “I… I wasn’t talking about you.” He gestured with his thumb towards You Gutian behind him and said, “I meant him.”
You Gutian politely smiled, “The child’s godfather, I’m taking him away. The household staff, please make way.”
Outside the mansion, the sound of hooves clattered, soldiers shouted loudly, and chaos ensued. You Gutian’s midnight intrusion into Zhang Mansion evidently alerted the Imperial Guards.
“You’re despicable, Dad. This is not something a righteous man would do…” You Mengzhe exclaimed.
You Gutian whispered, “Calling me righteous and honorable is an insult. We are from the Demon Sect, son. Have you misunderstood something?”
You Mengzhe: “…”
After a moment, Zhang Yuanshan stood still, took the robe handed by the steward and wore it. He didn’t advance further, but made a gesture.
You Mengzhe understood the situation, but the steward spoke up, “Sect Leader You, the master asks if you have any conditions. Just name them. We’ve already sent up the gold to the mountain.”
You Gutian replied, “There are no conditions. I just want to take my son back to the mountain. I miss him.”
Zhang Yuanshan immediately furrowed his brows, seeming extremely angry. He seemed about to make a hand gesture but stopped himself just in time. The steward glanced at Zhang Yuanshan’s expression and said, “He…”
Zhang Yuanshan raised his hand to stop the steward and made another gesture. The steward continued, “Sect Leader You, you cannot take him away. The Imperial Guards and cavalry are already here. Even if you have formidable martial arts skills, you cannot come and go freely under the Emperor’s nose. Why not sit down and have a drink, and we can talk things over?”
“Then…” You Mengzhe hastily agreed. But as soon as he finished speaking, his pupils involuntarily contracted, feeling a chill at his neck.
You Gutian applied a slight pressure with the blade in his hand, and a trickle of blood dripped down from You Mengzhe’s neck.
“Ah—!”
In an instant, Zhang Yuanshan erupted into a frenzy of mad roars, seeing You Mengzhe being cut as if he turned into a crazed tiger, almost losing control and screaming frantically.
You Mengzhe’s breath caught, and You Gutian almost lost control of the sword, stepping back half a step. Zhang Yuanshan stood there, panting heavily, tears streaming from his eyes.
“Ah—Ah—!”
Zhang Yuanshan appeared like a madman, trembling all over as he gripped his weapon. After a moment, he raised his hand, signaling that everything could be discussed, his eyes filled with a pleading expression.
In that moment, tears filled You Mengzhe’s eyes too, as he whispered softly, “Dad, you’re not… serious, are you?”
You Gutian’s voice was cold. “I’ll count to ten. One, two, three…”
Zhang Yuanshan continued to tremble, quickly gesturing towards You Mengzhe.
With tears in his eyes, You Mengzhe understood Zhang Yuanshan’s message: “Your dad will come for you soon.”
“Five… What is he saying, son?” You Gutian mocked.
You Mengzhe said, “He told me… to remember to cover myself with the blanket at night, not to catch a cold.”
You Gutian continued, “Seven, eight…”
Zhang Yuanshan’s emotions had stabilized somewhat. He made a gesture, and the servants began to step back. The steward went out to inform others, and You Gutian, with You Mengzhe in tow, crossed the garden and walked out of the alley.
The cavalry and the Imperial Guards cleared a path. You Mengzhe said, “Godfather, I… am leaving. I will miss you.”
Zhang Yuanshan breathed heavily, his voice hoarse and unpleasant as he spoke, causing You Mengzhe’s heart to wrench painfully.
You Gutian dragged his son, quickly leaping out of the alley and sprinting away. However, Zhang Yuanshan caught up, and You Gutian turned around, saying, “You mute dog, have you gone mad again? What do you want now?” He held the sword against You Mengzhe’s neck.
“Ah—!”
Zhang Yuanshan barely halted his steps, his fists clenched tightly. His roar was filled with immense anger and agony.
With a smirk, You Gutian vanished into the night with You Mengzhe.
Huge shoutout to @_nyanmaru_ on Discord for commissioning this! The chapter will be posted regularly, show your support for Ciacia at Kofi.
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