Chapter 4

Chapter 4

I handled the last matter myself.

I changed into ordinary clothes, brought a few maids and servants with me, and took a carriage to a market gathering.

In one corner of the gathering stood a man and a woman.

The man held a sword in his arms, his eyes lowered, his handsome face full of impatience.

The woman was performing tricks. Her looks were plain, utterly unremarkable, but the sword in her hand moved with nimble, piercing grace, making her whole person seem valiant and radiant from within.

Her gaze was firm. She did not feel ashamed for earning money through performance.

When her sword dance ended, she picked up a small basket to collect tips. The crowd, however, scattered at once, afraid that if they left too slowly they would be asked for money. Some even spat a couple of times.

The woman remained calm. When she was about to reach me, I looked away and gave her nothing. Instead, I went to the tea stall beside them and ordered a cup of tea.

The man said coldly, “I told you long ago this wouldn’t work, but you just wouldn’t believe me.”

The woman disliked hearing such sarcastic remarks and shot back, “Senior Brother Zou, if you want to help, then help. If you don’t, then stand aside. No one asked you to speak.”

The man’s name was Zou Wu, and the woman’s name was Qu He.

They were fellow disciples, and they were also enemies of Gu Feiyan.

In my previous life, I had already found out through various channels that the woman who harmed me was named Gu Feiyan. She was a fairly well-known heroine in the martial world, with exceptionally elegant qinggong.

She was innocent and carefree, clear in whom she loved and hated, and loved joining in wherever there was excitement. She stood up for the weak and had done good deeds, but if you accidentally offended her, you also had to be prepared for her to take revenge until your household was thrown into utter chaos.

Zou Wu and Qu He’s master, Song Yishan, was an old hand of the martial world. Later, he wanted to retire, so he held a golden basin hand-washing ceremony.

On that day, if no one came seeking revenge, it would mean all grudges of the martial world had been set aside. From then on, he could return to a peaceful life.

But Gu Feiyan just had to barge in and call out to Song Yishan:

“Father, did I agree to let you wash your hands of the martial world?”

Then, with a giggle, she knocked over the golden basin and drifted away.

With that casual word, “Father,” it looked as if Song Yishan had gotten the better end of the deal.

But Song Yishan had lived his entire life with integrity and had shared a deep, devoted love with his wife.

The two of them had no children, so they had taken Zou Wu and Qu He as disciples to pass on their legacy.

All of a sudden, a young woman appeared out of nowhere, called him Father, and even knocked over his golden basin. Not only did his retirement ceremony fail, but a rift also opened between him and his wife.

His wife did not believe anyone would casually call a stranger Father for no reason. She was certain he had betrayed the bond between them, and she left in anger.

Song Yishan went after her, but on the road, he ran into an enemy.

That enemy had originally intended to settle their grudges once and for all. But when he learned that Song Yishan’s golden basin had been smashed and that a daughter had appeared out of nowhere, he felt Song Yishan was a man of low character. Heaven itself must not have permitted him to wash his hands of the martial world. If this grudge went unavenged, the laws of heaven would not tolerate it.

The enemy had only meant to cut off one of his arms and call their feud settled. But Song Yishan was anxious to find his wife, tempers flared on both sides, and Song Yishan was accidentally killed.

His wife had made it halfway down the road when her anger faded. She returned, intending to ask him for the truth, only to see her husband’s corpse. Convinced that she was the one who had caused his death, she took her own life beside him.

From then on, Zou Wu and Qu He set out on the road of vengeance.

They sold off their family possessions and searched everywhere for Gu Feiyan.

By now, they had reached the end of their rope.